Arnica Oil

Vegetable oils are emollients. They settle into the gaps between the loose, flaking cells on the surface of dry skin and smooth the whole thing down, which is why rough patches feel different almost immediately. Work it into elbows, knees, heels and hands after a day outdoors, and use it generously rather than sparingly.

Smooth it on while your skin is still damp from a bath or shower. The oil sits on the surface and helps that water stay where it is, so skin feels comfortable an hour later instead of tight. It is a heavier, longer-lasting finish than a lotion, which on winter-dry skin is the entire reason to reach for an oil.

This is a fixed oil, not a concentrate, so it goes on at full strength and stays workable. It spreads across a back or a pair of legs without dragging, and it does not vanish into the skin after thirty seconds the way a light lotion does, so you are not stopping every minute to reapply.

A thin film of oil on the hair shaft lets the strands slide past each other instead of catching, so hair combs through with less tugging, lies flatter and reflects more light. Use a very small amount on dry mid-lengths and ends, or a larger amount an hour before washing. This is about how hair looks and feels, nothing more.

Used neat as a massage medium, or as the base of a blend at any proportion you like. The viscosity is that of the carrier it was infused into, so it behaves predictably in a formulation and does not need thinning. Standard inclusion is anywhere from a supporting percentage of the oil phase up to the whole of it.

Combines with beeswax, butters and harder waxes to build a solid or semi-solid balm. Because it is a fixed oil, it survives the gentle warming a balm needs without trouble. Keep the heat moderate and add it late in the melt if you want to protect the infused plant material and the colour it carries.

Serves as the carrier oil in aromatherapy and massage blends, dissolving essential oils cleanly and holding them in suspension. It is oil soluble and will not go into water-based products without an emulsifier. Where a formula calls for sunflower or olive oil as the base, an arnica infusion drops into the same slot.

As a fixed oil, it belongs in the oil phase and is added with the other oils before emulsification. It tolerates normal batch warming, disperses without special equipment, and scales from a pilot batch to a production run without changing behaviour. Like any vegetable oil, it benefits from antioxidant protection and from being stored cool and away from light.