Posted by Les Mauvaises Herbes
An oily macerate, also called an oleic extract, is a therapeutic oil resulting from the maceration of a medicinal plant in a so-called "carrier oil." The maceration process allows this oil to collect and preserve the plant's active ingredients.
An oily macerate can be substituted for the majority of vegetable oils in a cosmetic recipe to enhance it. For example, in a recipe for whipped butter with sunflower oil and shea, you could replace the sunflower oil with a calendula macerate to make the product more soothing, healing, anti-inflammatory, etc. Although often optional, the macerate is sometimes essential for a recipe, such as in the case of medicinal ointments (e.g., for itching, menstrual cramps, etc.). It is also a perfect option for babies (hello massage oils, bath oils, medicinal plant diaper balms!) and pregnant women, because macerates are safe, unlike essential oils, which require greater caution when used.
Sunflower oil is an excellent base for oily macerates. Moreover, its shelf life is quite long.
Hot or cold maceration?
Oily maceration can be done in two ways: hot or cold, in the same way that you can infuse herbal tea in hot water for 10 minutes, or in cold water for 24 hours.
A hot oleic extract is an infusion of plants in a double boiler at low temperature, with the aim of accelerating the process of extracting the properties into the oil. We like hot maceration because it allows those in a hurry to be able to make their recipes in a flash.
Cold maceration, as the name suggests, is done without heating the oil and involves a much longer maceration time: we are talking about 3-4 weeks (minimum). Suffice it to say that you need to plan ahead and arm yourself with patience. No stress if you exceed that.
Many people find that cold maceration, while slower, is more effective than hot maceration. We tend to agree! That said, both methods work very well for cosmetic use.
And you know what? You can even do a… solar maceration! Discover all this here, with our divine solar maceration with May rose.
What do we macerate?
We macerate plants, seeds, flowers, coffee (yes, yes, coffee is a plant!), chaga, roots, tea leaves, aromatics, citrus peels. In short, pretty much anything that can impart interesting properties to our carrier oil!
1. Plants (flowers, leaves, stems)
All these parts of plants can be placed whole in the oil, but it is always possible to grind or chop them to favor the extraction of the molecules.
The popular ones:
- calendula: powerful anti-inflammatory, healing, softening
- true lavender: healing, anti-inflammatory
- German chamomile: anti-inflammatory, soothing, softening
- plantain: anti-itch, anti-inflammatory
- St. John's wort: reduces muscle pain and bruises, healing
- cornflower: anti-inflammatory, soothing, toning
- arnica: relieves muscle pain, arthritis, osteoarthritis
- Damask rose: soothing, healing, and toning
2. Seeds, grains, branches, and roots
In water, the properties of roots, branches, grains, and seeds are generally extracted through decoction, that is to say, by infusing them in simmering water for about fifteen minutes (which we don't have to do with leaves or flowers). Since the temperature of a hot (or cold) maceration will never be high enough to properly extract the properties of these tougher parts, it is important to grind them or reduce them to powder before immersing them in the oil.
The favorites:
- marshmallow: healing, softening, and anti-inflammatory
- comfrey: healing and antibiotic
- balsam fir: anti-infective, antispasmodic, tonic
- black spruce: anti-infective, respiratory decongestant, anti-inflammatory (indicated for eczema and psoriasis)
- thuja: purifying, healing, antifungal
- coffee: toning, anti-inflammatory
Dried or fresh plants?
You can use both! If you choose dried plants, choose organic ones and make sure they are still very fragrant! See my post to help you make the right choices when buying plants.
If you choose fresh plants, it is important to pick them when the morning dew has dissipated or, better yet, during the day in full sun. To maximize success, it is also suggested to always let the plants wilt for a few days, in the shade and in an airy place, so that they lose as much water as possible before making your macerate.
In general, it is safer to macerate fresh plants hot, because infusion by heat gives the water contained in them a chance to evaporate. Remember: water = possibility of bacteria growth = mold.
It is also possible to make a cold macerate by replacing the lid of your container with cheesecloth or a nylon stocking held by a rubber band or a Mason jar ring.
NOTE: alcohol, acid (including vinegar), and sugar are natural preservatives, which means you can add fresh plants to them WITHOUT A PROBLEM to make tinctures, honeys, or glycerites. Salt too, if you ever want to make flavored salts!
Not the "do it yourself" type?
Try our macerates of fresh Quebec plants! All made from hand-harvested plants and macerated in organic Quebec sunflower oil, our macerates are of exceptional quality. We offer: calendula, chamomile, St. John's wort, balsam fir, arnica, and plantain.
Methods for making macerate
We always make MORE macerate than is required for the recipes. Indeed, recipes often call for quite small quantities. No one wants to make a 30 ml calendula macerate... Might as well make more and have it on hand for future recipes!
1. Hot method: go go go!
- Fill a Mason jar with plants according to the desired quantity.
- Pour the oil over the plants so that it covers them by about 1 inch (approx. 2.5 cm).
- Add a splash of water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to minimum.
- Place the Mason jar (without the lid, very important!) in the saucepan to create a double boiler.
- Heat on low for at least 1 hour (ideally 2-3 hours).
- Filter.
- Let cool completely before putting on a lid.
- Pour into a clean, well-labeled container (oil + plant + production date).
2. Traditional cold method
- Fill a Mason jar with plants according to the desired quantity and clearly label the jar (oil + plant + production date).
- Pour the oil over the plants so that it covers them by about 1 inch (approx. 2.5 cm). Close the jar.
- Let macerate for 4 to 6 weeks.
- Once in a while, stir your macerate. In the first few days, if you notice that the plants have drunk all the oil, add more!
- Filter.
- Pour into a clean, well-labeled container (oil + plant + production date).
For the visual learners!
If you need a little visual support, check out our tutorial! Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any videos!
FAQ
"How long does a macerate last?"
As long as the chosen carrier oil! For sunflower oil, we are talking about 1 to 3 years depending on storage conditions. Tip: if you don't plan to use your macerates frequently, store them in appropriately sized containers so that they are in contact with as little oxygen as possible (to avoid oxidation). You can also add vitamin E to slow down rancidity (1% by weight/volume).
"Should I store it in the fridge?"
An oily macerate is stored in the same way as a vegetable oil, i.e., at room temperature and away from light. If, and only if, you made your macerate in an oil sensitive to rancidity, you can keep it in the fridge. However, cold maceration is done at room temperature.
"Can I mix several plants in one macerate?"
Yes. However, the advantage of doing separate macerations is that afterward, you can easily make your own blends according to the products you want to concoct. You aren't stuck with a pre-made blend that is less versatile.
"Why add 1 inch of oil over the plants?"
Because the plants will soak up the oil during the process, so we want them to always be covered. Adding a little extra oil gives a "buffer" to the plant which might expand.
"The plants float to the surface, I'm having trouble calculating the right amount of oil to add, what should I do?"
Don't panic. It's not an exact science! Plants will react differently to contact with oil. Some will float to the surface, others will take up volume, others stay at the bottom… Go with your gut feeling! As long as you have more oil than plants (see the previous question) and you follow an approximate proportion of 3 parts plants to 4 parts oil, it's fine.
"I am pregnant/breastfeeding. Should I avoid macerates? Can I use them on my baby?"
Plant macerates are safe for the skin of pregnant and breastfeeding women as well as babies. We are far from the concentration of active ingredients in essential oils! They are all the safer since we use them externally on the skin. Be careful, however, with your nipple products: make sure your ointment has fully penetrated the skin before letting the baby nurse.
"A recipe calls for two macerates (e.g., coffee and cornflower), but I only have one of the two ingredients, what can I do?"
It's on a case-by-case basis, but if both plants have similar properties in the product, you can simply add more of the macerate you have to compensate.
"I would like to make a coffee macerate. 1) Do I just put the beans directly in the oil? 2) Can I use coffee grounds?"
1. Refer to the section on grains above. They must always be ground. 2. For grounds, the answer is NO. Think about it: coffee grounds are what's left in your coffee maker once the coffee has infused in water. This means the properties of the coffee have already been extracted by the water. Lucky for you, otherwise your coffee would have had no effect on you haha. Your grounds are therefore no longer useful except for making a body exfoliant (for its abrasive side), or a scrub for stuck-on dishes.
To learn more
- Codekas, Coleen. Healing Herbal Infusions. Page Street Publishing Co, 2018
- Gladstar, Rosemary. Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide. Storey Publishing, 2012.
