Oolites are herbal products useful for skin problems but can also be used internally: let’s see how they are prepared, how to use them and the properties of the most common oil oils.
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What Are Oolites
Oolites are products obtained by the maceration of fresh or dried plants in oil. During maceration, the oil allows the fat-soluble active ingredients present in the vegetable drug to be extracted. Each oil has an emollient action given by the oil, but each has characteristic properties due to the plant from which it is obtained.
How To Make An Oil
To prepare an oil at home, you can start from fresh or dried plants, except in specific cases where it is necessary to use the new plant. The best oolite oil is probably olive oil, but sweet almond, sesame, or peanut oil can also be used. The vegetable drug represents 15-20%; therefore, you need 150-200 grams of plant for every liter of oil to make the oil.
0.3% vitamin E can be added to preserve the oil from oxidation. Generally, however, smaller quantities of otolith are prepared at home, maintaining the proportions, thus reducing the risk that the oil will become rancid before finishing it. The plant and the oil should be placed in dark glass jars closed with a lid, and the container should be left in the sun for 30 to 90 days. If you don’t have dark glass jars, it’s better to protect the contents from direct sunlight by wrapping the pot in tissue or aluminum foil.
During maceration, the jar should be shaken thrice a day to facilitate extraction, and after the maceration time, the plant must be squeezed to recover all the oil. If the fresh plant is used, after having squeezed it, it must be decanted for 48 hours to separate the water and collect only the oily phase. This operation uses a separating funnel: if you do not have this tool, making otoliths starting from dried plants is better.
Essential Oil And Oleolite: Two Different Products
Essential oil and oleolite are not the same thing: oleolite, as we have seen, is obtained by macerating the plant in oil, while crucial oil is extracted from fresh plants in a stream of steam.
The difference between essential oils and oolites concerns the different chemical compositions between the two products and, consequently, their properties and use. Furthermore, essential oils have a certain degree of acute and chronic toxicity, requiring attention. At the same time, oolites are rarely toxic and, therefore, can be used without particular precautions.
How They Are Preserved
The otoliths are kept away from light, heat and air to prevent the oil from undergoing oxidation and the extracted active ingredients from degrading. An oleolite can therefore be kept in furniture in a cool house room. The duration of the oil depends on the type of oil used and the possible addition of vitamin E: for example, olive oil is kept longer than sweet almond oil, and the oil can be kept longer if vitamin E, a natural antioxidant substance, has also been added.
Also Read: Sweet Almond Oil: An Oil Full Of Qualities
Use Of Oolites
Oolites are used as cosmetics and medicinal products to preserve the beauty of the skin and hair and treat various skin disorders. In addition to externally, oolites can be used internally to treat digestive disorders and as flavorings. The oleolite can be used pure, alone, or mixed with other oolites, added with essential oils, used in the oil phase of DIY cosmetics or transformed into an ointment by adding beeswax or wax of vegetable origin..
Laurel Oil
The laurel oil is prepared with laurel berries and olive oil. The berries, which must represent 20% of the preparation, are bruised, covered with oil and left to macerate for a month. Laurel oil is helpful for rheumatism, muscle and joint pain, contusions and bruises, to be massaged on the areas to be treated. Internally, laurel oil is helpful as a digestive and expectorant. Therefore, it can be added raw to flavor your recipes and improve digestion or have extra help in case of colds.
Calendula Oil
The calendula oil is prepared with 15% of calendula flowers in olive oil or sweet almonds to be left macerated for a month. It is a soothing and anti-inflammatory oil for the skin, very useful in case of sunburn, skin irritation, dermatitis, eczema, chilblains and circulation disorders. Internally it has an antioxidant action due to the presence of carotenoids.
Helichrysum Oleolite
The helichrysum oil is prepared with 200 grams of fresh flowering tops of helichrysum, to be harvested in the summer, to which sweet almond oil is added. The maceration lasts 30 days, and the oil obtained is used externally and internally in case of psoriasis, eczema and allergic syndromes. Externally, helichrysum oil is also helpful in case of sunburn and chilblains on hands and feet.
John’s Wort Oil
St. John’s Wort oil is obtained by maceration in olive, almond or sunflower oil using 200 grams of fresh flowers per liter. The maceration lasts from 30 to 80 days: at the end of the maceration, a red oil is obtained, known for its anti-inflammatory and healing properties, useful in case of burns, irritations and skin sores.
Lavender Oil
To prepare the lavender oil, the fragrant flowers of this aromatic plant are used, using 20% of the total. Olive oil is added and left to macerate for a month: a delicately scented oil is obtained, excellent for skin irritations, sunburn, and dermatitis that cause itching, urticaria and insect bites. Internally, lavender oil has a sedative, digestive, carminative, antiseptic and balsamic action. Therefore, it can be added raw to dishes to give a particular flavor and help improve digestion, mood and cold symptoms.
Rosemary Oil
Rosemary oil can be prepared with fresh twigs or dried leaves, 20% of the oil, to be left to macerate for a month. It is an aromatic oil, beneficial as a flavoring in the kitchen to add raw to various savory recipes, giving taste and digestive and antioxidant properties. Externally, rosemary oil is a valuable remedy for massages and applications in case of rheumatic and muscular pains and excess skin sebum.
Also Read: Black Cumin Oil: A Remedy For Everything?
