How to make Lavender-Infused Oil
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Lavender-infused oil is easy to make and smells divine. The finished product can be used for personal care products like lotions and balms or for home products like furniture polish. Follow these simple instructions to make a jar of lavender-infused oil at home!
First – What’s the Difference between Infused Oils & Essential Oils?
An infused oil is made by soaking herbs in a carrier oil. The herbal material is left to steep in the oil for several weeks, often on a sunny windowsill, and then strained. The resulting oil will have the essence of the herb plus all of its beneficial constituents, which are drawn out by the solvent action of the oil. This is what we are making in this recipe.
This is different from essential oil, which you might buy in a small vial. An essential oil is a volatile liquid that is distilled from the leaves, flowers, bark, or other parts of plants. To produce an essential oil, the plant material is placed in a still and steam is forced through it. The hot vapor causes the essential oils to break free and they are collected in a condenser.
Infused oils are not as concentrated as essential oils and are used differently. An infused oil can be used as the primary oil in a recipe, where as an essential oil would only be used sparingly.
Now that you know the difference, let’s get started on making infused lavender oil!
What are the benefits of lavender?
Lavender is one of the most versatile and beloved herbs in aromatherapy. It has a sweet, floral aroma that is said to be calming and relaxing. Lavender oil is often used to ease stress, anxiety, tension headaches, and insomnia. It can also be helpful for restoring equilibrium after emotional upheaval.
Be careful using lavender oil if you are pregnant or nursing. It is not recommended for use during the first trimester of pregnancy and should be used in small doses when breastfeeding.
What type of lavender should you use?
There are many different species of lavender that have different qualities. The biggest difference is often the strength of their lavender scent. To make essential oil you need lavender that is FULLY DRIED and does not have any moisture remaining in the flower. You can dry your own lavender (see our tips for drying herbs) or you can purchase a bag of dried lavender from a reputable seller.
When you purchased dried lavender for cosmetic or home use, the seller will most likely have chosen a variety that works well for that purpose. There are a variety of options to choose from for purchasing dried lavender online; we aim for organic because we are often using our lavender oil for personal care products.
If you are growing your own lavender, choose something with a scent profile that you enjoy. We grow Hidcote English Lavender in our garden and find that it has a very pleasant scent and dries quite nicely. Provence is another variety that does well when dried. When picking lavender to use for drying, try to get ot it before the flower blossoms have opened up. You want nice tightly closed buds for drying.
What You’ll Need to make Lavender-Infused Oil:
You’ll need just a few simple ingredients and tools to make your own lavender oil.
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- dried lavender flowers (you’ll need enough to fill your jar half-way)
- a carrier oil (any type of vegetable oil, preferably one with less of its own scent like sunflower oil or fractionated coconut oil)
- a glass jar with a lid (a quart-sized mason jar will make about 2.5 cups of oil)
- fine mesh strainer and bowl for when your oil is ready to strain
How to Make Lavender-Infused Oil
- Fill your jar about half-way with dried lavender flowers.
- Pour in carrier oil until the lavender is completely covered.
- Put on the lid and shake or turn gently to combine.
- Store in a sunny spot like a windowsill or warm room (we put ours near the wood stove in the winter) for 2-4 weeks, shaking or gently turning every few days.
- After 2 weeks, strain a small portion of oil from the jar and give it a sniff to see if you like the scent. If it is strong enough for you, go ahead and strain the rest out of the jar using a fine mesh strainer.
- If the oil is not strong enough after 2 weeks, return it to the jar with the lavender and let it infuse for 1-2 additional weeks until you are satisfied with the result.
- Store your lavender-infused oil in sealed jar in a cool, dark place like a cupboard or pantry.
- Note, You can use the lavender flowers again to make another batch of oil (or save them for later).
How to use Lavender-Infused Oil
There are many ways to use lavender oil to add a light scent of calming lavender to your environment.
- If you use a high-quality carrier oil, you can use the infused oil as a massage oil;
- It’s also great for adding to homemade cleaners or polishes, like our homemade beeswax furniture polish;
- Lastly, you can use your lavender oil to make lotion or balms, like these beeswax lotion bars.
So there you have it! How to make lavender-infused oil and some of the ways you can use it in your home. We hope you enjoy this recipe and find many helpful ways to use it in your life. Thanks for reading!
Want to make Infused Oil for Culinary Purposes? Check out our article on the cold-infusion method for herbal olive oils here!
