Herbs are plants used for flavouring food, in medicines, perfumes and spices. I’ve recently started getting more interested in herbs and have incorporated a wide variety of herbs in my diet this year with outstanding results.
They are usually leafy green and used either fresh or dried. I prefer the fresh version when cooking. Herbs add a lot of flavour and bite to most dishes.
Additionally, they contain an incredible amount of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, which are excellent for the efficient functioning of the body and immune system.
There are a wide variety of herbal oils but for the purposes of this article, I will focus on the herbal oils I use in cooking and the ones I use for hair:
Herbal Oils for Hair
The most common herbal oils for hair, which assist with hair growth, scalp issues and thinning areas
include:
- Anise oil
- Burdock oil
- Borage oil
- Calendula oil
- Eucalyptus oil
- Lemongrass oil
- Patchouli oil
- Peppermint oil
- Rosemary oil
- Tea tree oil
How to DIY Herbal Oils for Hair
Ingredients
- A high-quality extra virgin olive oil. You can also use extra virgin coconut oil, almond oil and grapeseed oil if you prefer.
- An empty mason jar.
- Your preferred dried herbs (fresh herbs contain water and cause mold or reduce the life span of your oil). You can purchase organic dried herbs HERE.
Directions
- Fill up the mason jar about half way with the dried herbs then fill up with carrier oil of choice.
- Place the mason jar in a pot of water and place over the stovetop.
- Simmer for up to 3 hours at the lowest setting.
- Once it’s cool, strain through a cheesecloth and store in a sterile jar. You can also add 1 teaspoon on vitamin E oil into the finished oil for preservation.
Herbal Oils for Cooking
Herbal oils add an extra kick to cooking when used for baking and frying. You can use pretty much any kind of herb you like to make a herbal oil. Below are the most common ones as well as my favourite oils:
- Basil oil
- Cilantro oil
- Oregano oil
- Parsley oil
- Sage oil
- Thyme oil
Apart from cooking, some of these oils are also used in aromatherapy and other home remedies.
How to DIY Herbal Oils for Cooking
Ingredients
- A high-quality extra virgin olive oil. You can also use extra virgin coconut oil if you prefer although the flavour might overpower the taste of the herbs.
- An empty mason jar.
- Your preferred dried herbs (fresh herbs contain water and cause mold or reduce the life span of your oil). You can purchase organic dried herbs HERE.
Directions
- Fill up the mason jar roughly halfway with the herbs, then fill up the jar with EVOO or EVCO.
- Cover and shake around to eliminate any bubbles then close tightly and place in a dark place for 4 – 6 weeks but no longer than 6 weeks.
- Afterwards, uncover and strain the oil through a cheesecloth. Transfer the oil to another clean jar and store in the refrigerator.
Other Herbal Oils
- Bay oil
- Bergamot oil
- Citronella oil
- Dill oil
I will be writing individual detailed articles on each of these oils over the next few weeks. Those that have had articles written previously are already linked.
What are your favourite herbal oils and how do you use them?
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