Making Rose-Infused Oil

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Now that the summer is ending, I thought I’d better harvest more roses so I’d have some fresh petals to make rose oil. I have several varieties of rose bushes to choose from and I like to use petals from each bush. So I gathered up what was there and then separated the petals out to dry a bit.

Whenever I make a flower oil, whether it’s from rose petals, calendula, St. John’s Wort, or mullein flowers, I fill the jar with enough petals to loosely fill the jar to about a third of the way full. Given that I’m using fresh instead of dried petals, I’m going to cover the jar with some cheesecloth instead of a lid to allow any water content in the rose petals to dissipate during the infusion process. That way, there won’t be any chance for any issues with the oil and water not blending properly and ultimately spoiling or causing bacteria or mold to grow. If I had used dried rose petals, then I wouldn’t have to worry about that but I think fresh rose petals make a stronger smelling oil so that’s what I’m using today.

Carrier oils such as jojoba, sweet almond, apricot kernel, and grapeseed can be used and are light enough for use on the skin. Olive oil is extremely medicinal and can also be used, but it’s a little too heavy for my purpose today, although I do use it when infusing mullein flowers. But today, I’m using grapeseed oil to infuse my rose petals.

After filling a pint canning jar with the rose petals, I poured in enough grapeseed oil to fill the jar to the lip and then put several layers of cheesecloth over the top and secured it with a rubber band. Now, I won’t be able to shake the jar every day or so for obvious reasons, so I’ll have to remove the cheesecloth each time I want to stir the rose petals with a chopstick in lieu of shaking the jar as I normally would if securing the jar with a lid.

Although other methods of infusion can be used, I like to infuse my oils slowly. I can either set the jar outside in the sun, which works well especially for St. John’s Wort flowers because it makes the oil a nice red color, or I can set it in a sunny window, or on the counter to infuse for a month. I tend to do both, infuse outside if the day is warm enough and inside on the counter if the day is cloudy or raining. Since it’s late in the day, I’ll wait until tomorrow to set the jar outside along with some calendula oil I’m infusing as well.

When the rose oil is finished, I’ll strain the petals through more cheesecloth, gently squeezing the cheesecloth to extract as much oil as possible. Then, I’ll bottle it up and use it over the winter months to keep my skin smooth.

Making your own flower-infused oils is simple and although I’m sure oils that are purchased are lovely, there’s nothing like growing your own flowers and making your own oil. If you haven’t tried making your own, what are you waiting for?

Disclaimer:

The information above is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose any condition or prescribe any treatment. Please consult your medical/herbal professional for further advice regarding the use of herbs, particularly if you’re already taking prescribed medications to avoid any unnecessary or harmful interactions. Please seek treatment from a medical professional should symptoms occur that do not quickly resolve on their own. If you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant, please consult your medical/herbal professional before using any herbs.