Herbal infused oils are a wonderful way to combine the skin benefits of plant lipids and carrier oils with the gentle and effective skin benefits of your favorite herbs and botanicals.
There are of course many herbs to work with and even more plant lipids, so today I want to focus on elderflower infused oil to build a softening facial oil.
A note on choosing your infused oil
Infusing oils, with so many possibilities; each herbalist will find their own favorite. I like sesame oil; it has a surprisingly long shelf life but a light feel on the skin. The oil contains lignans that act as long-term antioxidants, helping preserve the oil and giving it a long shelf life.
Elderflower Skin Benefits
Here’s a quick overview of the benefits of elderflower before we get started with our recipe.
Elderflower (Sambucas nigra) infused oil contains bioactive compounds that benefit the skin with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and soothing properties.
Elderflower infused oil contains:
Elderflower also has a softening effect on the skin making it a wonderful foundation for a facial oil.
So the next step, what to make with our elderflower infused oil.
Our Elderflower Facial Oil
Peach kernel oil is a lightweight oil that contributes oleic acid together with a small amount of palmitoleic acid (omega-7), making it especially lovely for mature and sensitive skin. Peach kernel oil is similar to almond and apricot oil so you can substitute if you choose to.
Peach kernel oil is quite unique, as it has the softest feeling on the skin, it’s almost hard to describe but it feels like velvet.
Next, sea buckthorn berry oil is included at just 5%, enough to contribute its generous palmitoleic acid (omega-7), carotenoids, and tocopherols while avoiding too much pigment in the facial oil. A little glow is nice but you don’t want to turn orange!
Buriti oil or a good rosehip seed oil could stand in for the sea buckthorn berry oil as well.
| Ingredient | % | 30 ml |
|---|---|---|
Elderflower (Sambucus nigra) infused sesame oil | 50% | 15 ml |
Peach kernel oil | 44% | 13.2 ml |
Sea buckthorn berry oil | 5% | 1.5 ml |
Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) | 1% | 0.3 ml |
| Total | 100% | 30 ml |
A note about the vitamin E: I've included it in this formula, although it is optional. It helps protect the oils from oxidation, which can extend the shelf life of the finished facial oil.
So there's our elderflower facial oil. As noted, you can substitute different oils and achieve a similar result, although every substitution will change the finished formula a little. That's the fun part of formulating, experimenting with different plant oils and discovering the combinations you enjoy most.
If you enjoy making your own botanical skincare, you'll find many more facial oils, body oils, balms, ingredient guides, and plant oil profiles inside The Lipid Lab.
New recipes and resources are added throughout the year, giving you plenty of inspiration for your next formulation.
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