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neko_kawaii
August 25th, 2011, 03:46 PM
I was flipping through an herbal remedy book past a paragraph or two on infused oils and had to wonder if the herbs I've been using as teas for my hair would have the same effects as infused oils.

The herbs in question are:
catnip
chamomile
mint
rosemary
sage

I am inclined to use olive oil simply because it is the least expensive.

Any thoughts or experience with this?

Maelyssa
August 25th, 2011, 07:25 PM
While I haven't tried it out for myself yet, I've actually been considering doing something similar. I figure that if all else fails at least you will have pleasantly scented oil for your hair which is definitely not a bad thing if you enjoy scented locks. At the best, you may find that some herbs will be beneficial to your scalp or hair & it will increase the benefits of the oil.
I say go for it!
Do make sure you're careful about what you infuse into your oils. Do your research on the herbs before you infuse them. I'm sure you'd never use them in a hair oil but simple herbs such as cinnamon, parsley, nutmeg, wintergreen, eucalyptus and a few others herbs can be irritants and toxic. Some are even known to cause spontaneous abortions (miscarriages).
And sometimes it's not just in using too much at once but rather a gradual build up of them absorbed through your skin in small amounts over time.
Just remember to be cautious & check everything but other than that good luck with your experiments & do keep us updated!

neko_kawaii
August 25th, 2011, 08:45 PM
Do your research on the herbs before you infuse them.

Good point.

Oil infusions
___________
Catnip: mosquito repellent
chamomile:soothing irritated, dry or flaky skin as well as easing tired limbs and rheumatic pains.
mint: cooking
rosemary: cooking
sage: eczema treatment


Very interesting about the catnip infused oil as a mosquito repellent! I couldn't find any good info for topical or hair applications for mint or rosemary but plenty of conditioners claiming to have them as ingredients, guess I need to be in the zen of Le Google advanced search terms to find out why.

The real question is, do I have the patience to wait a week while the herbs sit in their oil?