0) Choose carriers and herbs

• Oil for infusion: olive, jojoba, or high-oleic sunflower. They resist rancidity.
• Use fully dried herbs only. Fresh or damp plant matter can spoil the oil. If you must use fresh, wilt 24 hours, then oven-finish at ~95–110°F until crisp dry.
• Typical herb load: 1:5 to 1:10 herb:oil by weight.
  • Strong/resinous herbs → 1:10
  • Flowers/leafy demulcents → 1:5 to 1:7

1) Prep the herb

• Break or coarsely grind to increase surface area. Do not powder ultra-fine or straining will be messy.

2) Pick one infusion method

A. No-heat maceration (best aroma, most forgiving)

1. Combine dried herb and oil in a sterilized jar at your chosen ratio.
2. Cap loosely. Keep in a dark, room-temp spot for 4–6 weeks.
3. Shake daily or as often as you remember.

B. Warm infusion, dehydrator or yogurt-maker (controlled and quick)

1. Jar your mix as above, cap loosely.
2. Hold at 95–110°F (35–43°C) for 24–72 hours. Longer for roots and barks.
3. Swirl a couple of times per day.

C. Double-boiler “quick” infusion (fastest)

1. Place herb and oil in a heat-safe beaker or jar.
2. Set in a barely steaming water bath. Keep oil ≤ 140°F (60°C).
3. Infuse 1–3 hours, stirring now and then. Do not let water splash into the oil.

Tip: For very resinous materials (e.g., myrrh), infuse at the warm end of the range and give it more time.

3) Strain and clarify

1. Let the jar sit warm a few minutes so the oil thins.
2. Strain through a fine mesh lined with cheesecloth.
3. Optional polish: pass through an unbleached coffee filter to remove fines.
4. Press the marc firmly to recover oil, but avoid forcing lots of fine sediment.
5. Let the filtered oil sit 12–24 hours. Decant off any settled particles.

4) Antioxidants and storage

• Stir in vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) at 0.3–0.5% and optionally rosemary antioxidant extract at 0.05–0.1%.
• Label and store cool and dark. Shelf life usually mirrors your carrier oil.

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Make the Salve (using your base)

Base formula (by parts):

• 1 part beeswax
• 2 parts mango or shea butter
• 1 part coconut oil
• 0.5 parts arrowroot powder
• Plus your infused oil replaces the plain coconut oil if you like, or split it 50:50 with coconut for firmness.

Example 100 g batch math
Total parts = 1 + 2 + 1 + 0.5 = 4.5 parts

• Beeswax: 100 × (1/4.5) ≈ 22 g
• Butter: 100 × (2/4.5) ≈ 44 g
• Coconut or infused oil: 100 × (1/4.5) ≈ 22 g
• Arrowroot: 100 × (0.5/4.5) ≈ 11 g
• Extracts or essential oils: typically 0.5–1% of total

Procedure

1. Melt beeswax in a double boiler on the lowest heat.
2. Add butter and your infused oil (or coconut + infused oil). Stir until clear.
3. Slurry the arrowroot: in a separate cup, whisk the arrowroot with a little warm oil from the pot to make a smooth paste. Whisk the slurry back into the pot. No clumps.
4. Take off heat. Let cool about 60–90 seconds until the mixture drops below ~140°F (60°C).
5. Add extracts that are oil-soluble: CO₂ extracts, oleoresins, or essential oils. Avoid adding water-based ingredients.
6. Pour into sterilized tins or jars. Cool undisturbed.

Important: Do not add water, aloe gel, hydrosols, or alcohol-based tinctures to an anhydrous salve without a proper emulsifier and broad-spectrum preservative. If you want aloe, use an oil-dispersible aloe extract only.

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Targeted Herb Suggestions for Your Infusion

Antifungal focus

• Infuse: calendula, thyme, neem leaf, pau d’arco, usnea.
• Optionals at finish (0.5–1% combined): tea tree, palmarosa, lavender, myrrh CO₂.
• Carrier tip: include some coconut oil for natural caprylic acids, then balance with jojoba for stability.

Eczema-calming

• Infuse: calendula, chamomile, plantain, marshmallow root, licorice root.
• Finish options: German chamomile CO₂, calendula CO₂, oat lipid extract.
• Carrier tip: swap some coconut with jojoba or olive for gentler skin feel.

Sensitive skin

• Infuse: rose, lavender, marshmallow root.
• Finish options: rose CO₂, bisabolol.
• Carrier tip: choose mango butter and apricot kernel or sweet almond for mildness.

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Texture Control

• Thicker balm: raise beeswax to 1.25–1.5 parts.
• Softer, oilier: drop beeswax to 0.5–0.75 parts or add 0.25–0.5 parts liquid oil.
• More matte: raise arrowroot to 1 part total.

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Safety and QA

• Patch test every new formula on the inner forearm for 24 hours.
• Keep all tools and jars squeaky clean. Wipe with high-proof alcohol before use.
• Avoid comfrey on deep or puncture wounds.
• Do not room-temp infuse fresh garlic or fresh high-moisture herbs in oil. That is a botulism risk.

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If you want, tell me the herb set and batch size you plan to make and I will give you exact gram weights and a one-page printable.