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FAQ: What Is an Infused Oil, and How Is It Made?
If you've ever read through a handmade salve or body product ingredient list and wondered what "infused oil" actually means, you're not alone. It's a great question and one I'm always happy to talk about.
An infused oil is exactly what it sounds like: a carrier oil that has been steeped with dried plant material — herbs, flowers, bark, stems, or other botanicals — over time, much like making a tea, until the oil absorbs the plant's properties. The result is a richly botanical oil that carries the character of the plant into whatever product it's used in.
There are two main methods for making an infused oil.
Cold infusion is the slow, traditional method. Dried plant material is submerged in a carrier oil and left to steep for four to six weeks in a cool, dark place. Time does the work. This method is gentle and well-suited for delicate botanicals like lavender, chamomile, and rose.
Warm infusion speeds the process up by applying gentle, low heat over several hours. The warmth helps the oil extract the plant properties more quickly without damaging them. This is the method I reach for when I need an oil ready sooner or when working with tougher plant material.
I use both methods depending on what I'm working with and what I'm making. For my Dreamweaver Salve, I infuse oil with chamomile, calendula, and lavender. For my Nettle and Lavender Salve, I infuse oil with purple dead nettle, calendula, plantain, and lavender. The same care and intention goes into every product I make.
As for the carrier oil itself, there are many to choose from. Sweet almond, olive, sunflower, jojoba, and grapeseed are all good options, each with its own texture and character. My personal favorites are sweet almond oil, olive oil, and jojoba oil for their skin feel and versatility.
Infused oils are an important part of many of the products I make and one of the things that set a handmade product apart from something pulled off a shelf.
🛁 FAQ: Why Do My Bath Bombs Fizz Before I Even Use Them?
Customers often ask why their bath bombs start fizzing, softening, or crumbling before they ever touch water. It's almost always humidity, not a flaw in the product. Bath bombs work through a reaction between baking soda (a base) and citric acid (an acid), the moment they meet water, or even enough moisture in the air, that reaction kicks off, releasing carbon dioxide gas. That's what creates the fizz and bubbling you see in the tub. It's a simple, harmless chemical reaction, but it means bath bombs are naturally sensitive to any dampness in the air, not just the bath itself.
In July and August especially, humidity can be high enough to trigger that reaction a little early, causing slight fizzing, softening, or crumbling before the bomb ever touches water.
As for shelf life: stored properly, bath bombs generally last around 6 months to a year. They don't really "expire" in a spoilage sense, but the fizzing power fades over time as they slowly absorb ambient moisture, and any essential oils in the blend can lose potency. If a bath bomb has gone hard, discolored, or lost its fizz entirely, it's still safe, it just won't fizz as dramatically.
Storage tip: Keep them in an airtight container or bag, away from the bathroom (the steamiest room in the house) until you're ready to use them. A closet, drawer, or sealed tin in a dry room works best. If one starts to crumble, it's still totally fine to use, just crumble it into the bath rather than dropping it in whole.
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