The lymphatic system, unlike the circulatory system, it has no pump of its own. Rather it depends on movement, breath, and gentle touch to keep lymph moving through the tissues.
After long periods of sitting, disrupted sleep, travel, or sustained stress, the lymphatic system can slow leaving the body feeling puffy, heavy, and conjested.
Gentle self-massage is one way to support this natural movement and the right body oil creates ritual and therapeutic benefits.
Why violet leaf infused oil?
In Western herbal medicine, violet has long been valued as a traditional lymphatic herb for hot, swollen, congested, or tender tissues.
The infused oil captures oil-soluble compounds from the leaf, including phytosterols that support the skin barrier, violaxanthin for antioxidant protection, and naturally occurring salicylic acid that contributes to violet's traditional analgesic properties.
For this formula I've infused fresh wilted violet leaves in sesame seed oil.
Sesame oil is one of many excellent oils for infusing. It contains lignans, sesamol and sesamin, which benefit the skin and give the oil a long shelf life.
Creating our Lymphatic Body Oil
We start with violet infused sesame seed oil. Below you can see the pale sesame seed oil on its own, and the sesame once infused with violet leaves. With that much pigment transfering into the oil, you can see something is going on!
To our infused violet leaf oil we will add grapeseed oil, black current seed oil, oat oil and meadowfoam.
Grapeseed oil is light and it provides the slip needed for gentle lymphatic massage.
Black currant seed oil contributes gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and stearidonic acid (SDA), fatty acids that help with inflammation. Congested lymphatic tissue is inflamed tissue, making black currant an ideal addition to the blend.
Oat oil adds another soothing layer through its unique avenanthramides while supporting the skin barrier and improving the feel of the oil on the skin.
Meadowfoam seed oil has very-long chain fatty acids which helps prevent oxidation and ads a lovely nourishing element and smooth silky finish.
Meadowofam is used widely in skincare for its skin feel, long shelf life and skin benefits.
Lymphatic Body Oil Recipe
| Ingredient | % | 50ml |
|---|---|---|
Violet leaf-infused sesame oil | 30% | 15ml |
Grapeseed oil | 25% | 12.5ml |
Black currant seed oil | 15% | 7.5ml |
Oat oil | 15% | 7.5ml |
Meadowfoam seed oil | 14% | 7ml |
Mixed tocopherols (Vitamin E) | 1% | 0.5ml |
Total | 100% | 50ml |
USE: Massage a small amount of oil onto clean skin using slow, light strokes. Lymphatic vessels lie just beneath the surface of the skin, so gentle pressure is more effective than deep massage.
Used regularly, this lightweight body oil combines traditional herbal wisdom with carefully selected plant lipids to create a blend that supports both the skin and the massage itself.
What herbal infused oils are you working with this summer? Leave a question or a comment below
Hi
Which is the best way to infuse Rose petals. Oil or alcohol. I tried with Sunflower Oleic oil but it didn’t capture the sent or colour
Hi Tracey, infusing flowers and herbs can transfer some very small amounts of scent and some color depending on the chemical constituents of the pigments. Infused oils of herbs and flowers are a means of migrating the oil-soluble healing compounds from the plant into the oil. – I wouldn’t expect a sunflower oil to capture very much of the scent or color of roses. – You can give alcohol a try and see what you get but simple oil or alcohol infusions aren’t concentrated enough to be very strong. Rose ottos and absolutes are where the scents are concentrated.
Violet infused oil is one I make myself. Violets are the only herbs I can grow in my tiny outdoor space. I’m not sure where to direct you to purchase it ready made, though.
Hello Susan, is it necessary to use fresh violets or can you get the same result with dried
Hi Janet, dried would be fine, both methods will work and transfer the lipophilic constituents.
Eden Botanicals in Petaluma,CA sell Violet Leaf absolute and Violet Leaf absolute 10%. Pricey at l oz for $21.75 for the 10% dilution plus postage added at $13.
That was my question. Where to get Violet leaves
Thank you for sharing this lovely oil. Where do you source the violet and the violet infused oil?