An oil lotion or a liniment is basically an infused oil used as a stimulating rub or healing lubricant. There are two varieties: cold infused (flower and soft herb); and hot infused (spices, hard herbs like rosemary and thyme and also for root and bark remedies).

To prepare a cold infused liniment simply allow the healing herb to infuse in olive oil for a period of 5-7 weeks, then strain oil for use through a muslin cloth. Ingredient ratio is usually two tablespoons of herb to each cup of oil.

To prepare a hot-infused oil (½ pint or 250ml): Gather approx 75g of the dried herb or spice required for the remedy (a higher quantity for fresh plant constituents), and place ½ in a heatable container filled with all the oil (250ml of pure vegetable oil), then place in a basin or bowl of hot water. Direct hob heat or cooking of the oil will diminish its healing properties so we allow our infusion to heat naturally in this warm bath for around two hours adding boiling water occasionally to keep the hot bath hot. After two hours the oil should have absorbed the healing properties of the herb or plant part and altered colour; strain the oil from the herb/parts into a second container. To this second container we now add the other ½ of our herbs and place it in our hot basin for two further hours repeating the heating process. Finally we strain the oil a second time into storage receptacles and label accordingly, ready for use while still warm or over the coming weeks when cooled.

Cold infused oils, with an edible base like olive oil, can be used in cooking or as a salad dressing. These oils are absorption essences, they absorb and later disperse with use the healing energy of the herb.