Face oils are made in three main ways: by pressing oil from seeds or nuts (cold-pressed oils), by soaking herbs in oil so it takes on their properties (infused oils), and, in Ayurveda, by slowly cooking herbs into an oil base with water or milk until only the herb-enriched oil remains (tailam paka). Most modern face oils are a blend of several pressed oils with extracts added. Ayurvedic tailams such as kumkumadi tailam use the cooking method.
What are the main methods?
| Method | How it works | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Cold-pressed | Seeds or nuts are pressed mechanically without high heat | Sesame, almond, jojoba, rosehip, grapeseed |
| Infused | Dried herbs or flowers are soaked in oil for days or weeks, then strained | Calendula oil, chamomile oil |
| Tailam paka (Ayurvedic) | Herbs are boiled into a decoction or paste, then cooked with oil (and sometimes milk) on low heat until the water evaporates | Kumkumadi tailam, nalpamaradi tailam |
| Blended | Finished oils are mixed, with extracts, vitamins or essential oils added | Most modern "serum oils" |
How is an Ayurvedic tailam made?
- Prepare the herbs. Dried herbs are cleaned and coarsely powdered.
- Make a decoction. Many are boiled in water and reduced to draw out water-soluble parts.
- Make a paste. Some herbs are ground into a fine paste.
- Cook with oil. The decoction, paste and base oil (often sesame), and in some recipes milk, are heated together slowly and stirred.
- Check the end point. Cooking stops when the water has evaporated and the paste reaches a set texture. Traditional texts describe signs to judge this.
- Filter and add delicate ingredients. The oil is strained. Heat-sensitive ingredients such as saffron are often added near the end.
This takes far longer than blending, which is one reason authentic tailams cost more than a simple oil blend.
Why does the method matter?
- Ingredient list length. Tailams can carry 20 or more herbs in one oil. Auravedic Kumkumadi Tailam has 27 ingredients: 25 herbs in a sesame oil and goat milk base.
- Texture and scent. Cooked tailams smell earthy and herbal. Blended oils are often lighter and fragranced.
- Shelf life. Properly cooked and filtered oils keep well when stored closed and away from heat.
How can you tell how an oil was made?
Look at the product page and label. A traditional tailam usually names a base oil and lists many herbs. A blended oil usually lists several carrier oils first, then extracts, vitamins and fragrance. If the method matters to you, ask the brand directly.
Frequently asked questions
Is cold-pressed better than tailam?
They do different jobs. Cold-pressed oils keep the oil's own nutrients. Tailams are made to carry the herbs into the oil.
Why are some Ayurvedic oils made with milk?
Some classical recipes cook herbs in milk as well as oil. Auravedic's Kumkumadi Tailam uses goat milk, so it is not vegan.
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