Extracting essential oils from plant material is not easy! It isn’t very practical or cost-effective to try to get your own pure essential oils at home. However, you can make infused oils easily in a month or less.
You can use just about any aromatic herb to make an infused oil. Try lavender, chamomile, peppermint or spearmint, rosemary, basil, or lemon balm. Pick the healthiest looking leaves and/or flowers you can find on a warm, sunny morning after the dew has evaporated — this is when the scent (and essential oil) is at its highest. If you want to use a night-scented flower like jasmine or honeysuckle, pick the flowers at night.
Take your plant material and spread it on a cutting board. Roll over it with a rolling pin or crush with a wooden mallet to bruise the petals and leaves. You’ll need approximately four ounces (60 grams) of plant material to make one pint of infused oil. Fill a large, clean glass jar halfway with the plant material.
Cover the plant material with the oil and seal the jar tightly. You should try to use virgin (not extra-virgin) olive oil or almond oil — these can withstand high temperatures where other unrefined oils may go rancid. You can also use a refined sunflower or corn oil as a less costly alternative. Leave the jar in a sunny window or outside in the sun for two to four weeks. Remember to bring the jar inside every night if you have it outside. Every time you pass by the jar, give it a good shaking.
Check the intensity of the scent and the color of the oil — these will be your two best indicators that the infused oil is ready. Strain out the plant matter through a piece of muslin or a nylon sieve — an old (clean) pair of pantyhose will do. Bottle the oil and store it in a cool, dark place. Your infused oil should last approximately a year.
What you’ll end up with is a solution of essential oil in a vegetable oil base. You can use this solution undiluted as a massage oil or bath oil, or for scenting unscented lotion or soap base.