KBA & Co Blog

How to Make Herb-Infused Oil: Slow Method, Quick Method, and When to Use Each

July 28, 2026

An infused oil is a carrier oil that has spent time in contact with dried herbs, long enough for the plant’s oil-soluble compounds to move out of the leaves and flowers and into the oil itself. It’s the foundation of a working apothecary: salves, massage oils, and skin oils all start here, and the quality of the infusion decides the quality of everything made from it.

Our salve guide covers infusion in a few sentences as step one. This is the long version of that step.

Choosing a carrier oil

• Olive oil is the workhorse. It’s affordable, shelf-stable, and keeps close to a year once infused. The calendula in our Boo-Boo Butter spends weeks in olive oil for exactly this reason.
• Coconut oil melts at about 76 degrees, so it’s solid in a cool kitchen and liquid in a warm one. That’s no problem for salve-making, since beeswax sets the final texture anyway.
• Jojoba is technically a liquid wax rather than a true oil, which makes it very slow to spoil. A lovely choice for facial oils.
• Sweet almond, sunflower, and grapeseed feel lighter on the skin but have shorter shelf lives. Use them for infusions you’ll finish within a few months.

Why dried herbs, not fresh

Fresh plants are mostly water, and water trapped in oil is how an infusion grows mold or turns early. Dried herbs carry the same oil-soluble compounds without the moisture, so they extract cleanly and keep well. If fresh is all you have, wilt the herbs for a day or two first to reduce their moisture, and plan to use that oil sooner.

The slow method (2 to 4 weeks)

This is the traditional approach, and it gives the deepest infusion.

1. Fill a clean, completely dry jar one-third to one-half with dried herbs.
2. Cover with oil until the herbs are submerged by at least an inch, then seal.
3. Set the jar in a warm spot out of direct sun and shake it every few days.
4. After 2 to 4 weeks, strain through cheesecloth, squeezing the herbs to get every drop.

The point of the wait is gentleness. Time lets those fat-soluble compounds move into the oil without any heat to degrade them, which matters most for delicate flowers like calendula and chamomile.

The quick method (same afternoon)

When you need infused oil today, heat can stand in for time.

1. Combine herbs and oil in a double boiler, or a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water.
2. Warm gently for 1 to 2 hours. The oil should never simmer or smell like frying.
3. Strain through cheesecloth while still warm.

Quick infusions suit sturdy plant material and same-day salve projects. For flowers and anything aromatic, the slow method rewards the patience.

Straining and storing

Strain twice if your first pass leaves sediment: once through a mesh strainer, then through cheesecloth. Let the finished oil sit overnight and pour it off any fine sludge that settles at the bottom, since stray plant particles shorten its life.

Label the bottle with the herb, the oil, and the date, then store it in a cool, dark cupboard. An olive oil infusion made with fully dried herbs keeps for about a year. If it ever smells sharp and waxy, the way old crayons do, the oil has gone rancid and belongs in the compost, not on your skin.

What to make with it

You can use an infused oil exactly as it is, as a body or massage oil. The other classic next step is a salve: thicken your oil with beeswax at roughly a 1-to-4 ratio, and our step-by-step salve guide takes it from there.

And if you’d rather begin with a finished salve while your first jar steeps, our Boo-Boo Butter is built on calendula infused the slow way.

A note on safety

Patch test any new oil on a small area of skin first. This article is educational and reflects traditional use; it is not medical advice.

Go deeper with the guide Recipe & Remedy Cards A Printable Apothecary Pack →

This article is for educational purposes and reflects traditional herbal use. It is not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before using herbs, especially if pregnant, nursing, or taking medication.

Keep reading

• How to Make Herbal Salves at Home: A Step-by-Step Guide

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• What Calendula Actually Does for Irritated Skin (The Research, Not the Folklore)

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• What Is a Salve Used For? How to Use One, and When

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