RECIPE: How to make an oily macerate

Oily macerates result from the infusion of a plant or part of a plant (seeds, leaves, flowers, roots, bark, fruits, zest, etc.) in a 100% natural vegetable oil. This process makes it possible to extract the active ingredients.

It is important to choose a virgin or extra virgin oil (cold extracted, without chemical solvent) and not a refined oil (hot extraction with hexane). To learn more about virgin or refined oil

How to make a macerate?

This extraction technique requires between 100 g and 300 g of dry plants for 1 liter of vegetable oil. To make a smaller quantity, carry out the necessary calculation according to the quantity of oil desired.

Example: for 100 ml of oil in total, use 10 g to 3 g of herbs or plants

The plants must be dried, that is to say they must dry for at least 48 hours to allow the water contained in the plant to evaporate.

Cold macerates

1/ Fill a pot (preferably glass) with an airtight clasp with plants or other materials. It must have a capacity which will depend on the quantity to be produced.

2/ Cover the plants with a vegetable oil of your choice ( argan, coconut, jojoba, sesame, sweet almond....
3/ Close the pot immediately, stir and leave to macerate for 6 weeks, taking care to stir the pot twice a week.
Store your macerate at room temperature and away from light.
4/ After 6 weeks, filter the macerate and transfer it to a clean glass bottle. Squeeze the plants to extract all the active ingredients. After each use, store your product away from light and heat.

Hot oily macerates

Hot extraction consists of gently heating the vegetable oil and plants in a water bath to extract the active ingredients.

Thanks to this method you obtain a macerate very quickly. You can use fresh plants, because heating the plants and the oil will allow the water contained in the fresh plants to evaporate.
The downside is that heating the oil can contribute to degrading its properties.

1/ Fill a glass pot with plant (root, bark, etc.) and cover with vegetable oil.
2/ Heat in a bain-marie over low heat for 2 hours. Pay attention to the water level in your pan, there must always be between 3 and 5 cm of water.
3/ Leave to infuse for 2 to 4 hours off the heat.
3/ Filter and transfer into a clean bottle. Squeeze the plants to extract all the active ingredients.

Uses of oily macerates

Macerates allow us to benefit from both the properties of vegetable oil and those of the plant.

Oily macerates can appear in the composition of balms, emulsions, two-phase makeup remover, oily makeup remover, massage oil or simply as infused oil to apply directly to the skin as a night (or day) treatment instead (or in addition) night cream, for example.

Why make your own oily macerates?

Some oily macerates are available commercially, but it is more interesting to make them yourself. From a financial point of view, it will always cost you less. But above all, you will obtain a high quality macerate: By the choice of the vegetable oil used (Organic or virgin).

 
Other advantages, you can combine several solid plants with complementary properties to create a targeted macerate (for example, a treatment against rheumatism, acne, etc.).

Important: