Oil Crafting

Indeed. The "oil" is extracted from the seed of the Jojoba plant, and is usually pressed out of the seed. The words "oil" and "wax" tend to be used interchangeably because of the visual appearance it has. It looks like an oil, but the chemical compounds and makeup of the substance is more akin to a wax.

To add to this there are other magical oils one can make also but are safe for consumption.

Some of the before mentioned carrier oils will work like sunflower or coconut oil but always make sure its edible.

Choose a cooking herb you enjoy or base it off your intent. The only speculation is it has to be fresh or at the very least still green. Next chop up the herb and place the chopped bits in a jar. Top it with the oil of your choice (I'm partial to extra virgin olive oil cause my local grocery store sell it in giant tin cans) and fill it to the brim. Try to leave as little air as possible.

Seal it and label what herb you used, and the oil you chose. Place in a sunny spot for 4 weeks. Be sure to label when it will be done and when you made it. Every few days shake it up and check for changes. Color changes or it becoming cloudy is normal but growth is not. If you see growth toss it out or refer to an herbalism book.

Obviously at any point during this you charge it with intent. Since the warmth of the sun helps draw out the plants oils it also charges your oil with its power. Once your oil is done in the sun simply strain out the plant matter and relabel with an expiration date. If kept in the fridge it will last 2 weeks. Its normal for it to solidify in the fridge.

With the power of the sun and time you can have edible magic oils to infuse in your cooking! Rosemary is really good for memory and chicken.

Last thing s the herbs you choose should be dry of dew or general water. the water will cause spoilage in the oil and possibly contaminate and cause bacterial growth.

I've never heard of anyone placing them in the sun, because the heat and light can cause bacteria growth and speed up the chances of the oil getting rancid. That's one of the reasons many reputable books and resources on oils and infusions say to leave them in a cool, dark place. Cloudy also is not normal because it means that the oil has water contamination in it and hasn't been handled or sealed properly. This then leads to the oil losing potency and can cause corrosion of containers, depending on what it's being stored in.

I too have never placed a homemade oil in the sun.

I just recently made an oil meant to be an anointing oil. I used a flower within yet it was a dried flower. The oil smells sweet so I've been using it lately as a dressing oil for sweetening candle spells.

When I make a batch from fresh herbs I like to add in vitamin E oil. I use the small vitamin E supplements that come in gel caps. I cut the pill and add in the oil inside. Vitamin E is a natural preservative I believe. So I use that as a little trick. Other than that I like to keep my oils refrigerated. Or in a cool dark place such as a cupboard.

Honestly I thought so too but the reference I used actually recommended using the sun and fresh herbs. I haven't gotten sick from mine either so I'm not sure what the story is exactly. Maybe its different depending on the use of fresh or dried? I'd love to see some evidence either way. I know heat can increase oil extraction but also destroy oils too.

I'm not sure where you got that information. Oils, speaking in regards to essential oils, can break down and lose their composition when exposed to moisture, light, and heat. That's why essential oils are stored in brown colored glass. This helps protect the oil from light. Even cooking oils can break down and go rancid if they aren't stored properly. Heat causes the molecules in the oil to break down and this causes rancidity. Adding herbs and other items to the oil is fine, but the items are generally cooked over a very low heat on a stove, just enough to get the herbs or peppers (for example) warm so that the oils in the plant or herb are released. These are then added to the oil to infuse them with their essence. These go rancid faster than processed oils and should be checked regularly to make sure that they are fresh.

References & Resources:

The Fragrant Pharmacy: A Complete Guide to Aromatherapy and Essential Oils Valerie - Ann Worwood

Essential Oils for Beginners: The Guide to Get Started with Essential Oils and Aromatherapy - Staff of Althea Press (2013)

Encyclopedia of Essential Oils - Julia Lawless

The Beginner's Guide to Essential Oils: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started - Christina Anthis

Essential Oils Natural Remedies: The Complete A-Z Reference of Essential Oils for Health and Healing -Althea Press

https://www.canitgobad.net/can-cooking-oil-go-bad/

http://vickisarnoff.com/essential-oils-and-extreme-temperatures/#:~:text=In%20general%2C%20it%20is%20best,in%20an%20%E2%80%9Cincomplete%E2%80%9D%20form.

https://hebaelhakim.com/sp_faq/how-does-temperature-affect-essential-oils/

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1541-4337.12006

https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-make-flavored-herbal-oils-for-cooking-4846282#:~:text=Add%20the%20herbs%20to%20the,the%20bottles%2C%20over%20the%20herbs.

https://www.treehugger.com/how-to-know-your-olive-oil-is-rancid-and-how-to-prevent-it-4868792

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/store_olive_oil_to_avoid_spoilage_and_maintain_nutritional_quality

https://info.achs.edu/blog/do-essential-oils-have-a-shelf-life

https://tobyamidornutrition.com/2013/07/does-oil-spoil/

Thank you for those links! I got my information from a magazine that had a special on herbal medicine and I thought it was weird they said to keep it in the sun but being a beginner I didn't want to assume I knew better.

Always double and triple check your sources. Never take the first thing you see at face value. Just because you didn't get sick from using improperly stored or handled oils doesn't mean that someone else won't see your post, do it , and then get sick or have a bad reaction to it. Please be mindful of the information you post and do proper research before sharing information.

So I actually did some further research and the sun method IS a oil option. However what isn't always warned is its for topical infusion. Not internal. Or at least not recommended due to the higher chance of botulism poisoning.

http://www.handmadeapothecary.co.uk/infused-oils-sun-method

https://theherbalacademy.com/herb-infused-oils/

https://pebblemag.com/magazine/living/how-to-make-a-solar-infused-herbal-oil

In the end it is defiantly a thing but not always warned (Like in the magazine Hobby Farms) that a product may not always be safe for ingestion.

Something important you might also want to point out, the articles you used suggested specific oils:Comfrey, Lavender, Chamomile, Rose and Calendula because those oils tend to have a higher temperature at which the molecules in them break down. It also suggests placing the jar in a brown, paper bag or wrapping it in a opaque cloth. This prevents the contents from getting over heated (as glass can get very warm) and it prevents direct sunlight from hitting the contents of the jar, i.e. the oil which prevents breakdown. Those articles are also perfect examples of why you should always double check your sources. Botulism can be deadly and if someone had read your previous post and took it at face value, they could have died. I do applaud you though for doing the proper research and realizing the mistake.