How to Make Homemade Lavender Oil: Easy Step-by-Step Guide

Come learn how to make lavender oil with our simple step-by-step recipe. It’s exceptionally easy to make soothing, heavenly-scented homemade lavender oil. All you need is oil, dry lavender flowers, and a little time! While not as concentrated as pure essential oils, there are many wonderful ways to use lavender infused oil for natural skincare, culinary creations, and more.

This guide also includes 10 ways to use homemade lavender oil and it’s amazing benefits. We’ve been making our own lavender oil for nearly 10 years, so I have plenty of tips on how to make the most luxurious and nourishing oil possible!

Note: This post was originally published in July 2020 but significantly updated.

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Lavender Infused Oil vs Essential Oils

This guide will teach you how to make lavender oil by infusing dried lavender flowers in a nourishing carrier oil of choice (such as olive oil or sweet almond oil) for several weeks or longer. As the dry flowers soak and steep, the natural essential oils and other beneficial compounds found in lavender are drawn out and into the surrounding oil.

This kind of homemade lavender oil is different from concentrated lavender essential oils, which are made through a distillation extraction process rather than infusion. While there are some home and hobby-size stills available, distillation is most often done on a large industrial scale. Furthermore, it takes a huge amount of fresh lavender flowers to produce a tiny amount of oil!

In contrast, the method we’re using in this tutorial can create a significant amount of lavender oil with far less flowers.

What kind of lavender can I use to make lavender oil?

The short answer is: any kind. I make lavender oil using a combination of several varieties that we grow in our garden. They all smell wonderful and have excellent anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anti-anxiety properties. Using organically-grown lavender is preferred.

Rich in sweet-smelling essential oils, true English lavender varieties are the most esteemed for edible and medicinal applications. English lavender and hybrid lavandin varieties (L. x intermedia) taste the best, so stick with those if you are planning to make lavender oil for culinary use. 

While technically edible, Spanish and French lavender tend to taste more herbaceous or bitter due to their higher camphor content. However, camphor is excellent at easing swelling, itching, and pain!

Supplies Needed

• Dried lavender flowers or buds, enough to fill your chosen jar or container at least two-thirds full. You can use homegrown or store-bought dried lavender, as long as it’s 100% dry. If the flowers are not fully dry, the leftover moisture can cause the lavender oil to grow mold or spoil! Using dry flowers also helps to extract the maximum essential oils possible. See four ways to dry fresh herbs here.
  
  
• Carrier oil of choice – such as olive oil, sweet almond oil, or jojoba oil. You’ll need about the same volume of oil as the size container you select. See more information about choosing the best carrier oil below.
  
  
• A glass jar or other container with a lid. I used a modest ½ pint jar for this example, which would be great if you only need a small amount – such as to fill a few rollers to use the lavender oil straight. Yet if you intend to make lavender salve or other homemade body care products, I recommend using at least a pint jar or more.
  
  
• A fine mesh strainer, sieve, and/or organic cheesecloth
  
  
• Optional: organic lavender essential oil

EXPERT TIP: To create the most therapeutic and aromatic lavender oil, it’s important to harvest young and fresh flowers instead of using older, fading buds – which have much lower essential oil content. The flowers should also be air-dried or dehydrated on very low heat to preserve the maximum beneficial compounds. Learn how to harvest and dry fresh lavender flowers here.

Best Carrier Oils to Make Lavender Oil

Popular carrier oils used to make lavender oil include extra virgin olive oil, sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil, argan oil, and more. Organic jojoba oil is my personal favorite, especially for my face! We also sometimes blend two types of oils, such as almond and jojoba oil.

If you’d like to make lavender oil for culinary use, be sure to use an edible carrier oil. If you want homemade lavender oil for topical use, choose a carrier oil that’s compatible and beneficial for your skin type (e.g. consider comedogenic ratings). 

No matter what you choose, I highly suggest using a high-quality, unrefined, cold-pressed oil. Certified organic is all the better. The goal is to create a healing medicinal oil after all! 

LEARN MORE: Visit our guide on the best 11 Carrier Oil Options for Skin Care, Salves and Infusions to learn more about the unique benefits and properties of each.

Instructions

1) Infuse and Wait

• Fill a glass container at least three-quarters full of dried lavender flowers or buds.
  
  
• Pour your carrier oil of choice over the dry lavender, filling the container enough so that all the flowers can be fully submerged and move freely in the oil. Add a tight-fitting lid.
  
  
• Place the jar in a moderately warm location, such as near a sunny window, inside a warm cabinet, or on top of a warm appliance. While some herbalists may have a preference, it doesn’t make much of a difference if the jar is stored in the dark or light – but a little warmth does help it infuse better!
  
  
• Allow the lavender oil to to infuse for at least two weeks* or up to 1 month (or longer) for the best results and maximum extraction possible.
  
  
• If possible, set the jar somewhere you’ll remember to stop by and gently shake it on occasion. Lavender tends to float in oil, so you’ll want to lightly turn and swirl the jar to keep things mixed up (this is most important during the first few days).

*I much prefer this slow, passive infusion process (since many therapeutic compounds and essential oils are destroyed by heat) but it’s also possible to gently heat lavender and oil on the stove to get same-day results. Learn more in this separate guide on how to make herb infused oil.

2) Strain

• When the time is up, strain the lavender flowers and reserve the oil.
  
  
• We do this by positioning a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and pouring it all through. Let it sit to fully drip and drain for at least 15 minutes.
  
  
• I like to line our strainer with cheesecloth or a reusable nut milk bag for extra-fine filtration. That way, I can also wring out the cloth or bag of lavender to squeeze out every bit of oil possible. 
  
  
• Finally, pour the strained oil into a clean jar for storage. (If you wash and re-use the same jar, be sure it’s fully dry before storing the oil in it!)

3) Add Lavender Essential Oil (Optional)

Our homemade lavender oil always has a very pleasant, noticeable-yet-mild lavender aroma. (It will never be as strong as the essential oils you may be accustomed to.) To give it extra oomph and aromatherapy benefits, we often add a few drops of our favorite organic lavender essential oil too.

The recommended safe dilution ratio for essential oils is about 2%, or up to 12 drops of essential oils per fluid ounce of carrier oil. Yet since the oil was already infused with whole lavender flowers, you can use far less here. I suggest adding just a few drops, gently stir, give it a sniff, and adjust as needed.

Storage and Shelf Life

Store the finished lavender oil in a clean glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Keep the container in a dry, cool, dark location. You can also store lavender oil in the refrigerator to extend its shelf life.

The shelf life of homemade lavender oil varies and depends on the type of carrier oil (check the bottle) and condition of flowers used. Some oils are more prone to becoming rancid faster than others. Most have an average shelf life of about 1 year. (Another reason I love jojoba oil: it’s good for up to 5 years!)

The Benefits of Lavender Oil

Lavender and calm go hand-in-hand. The soothing aroma of lavender is proven to help reduce anxiety, stress, depression, and insomnia, perfect for bedtime or when you’re feeling frazzled. The scent is also known to deter pest insects like mosquitoes and flies, making lavender oil a popular ingredient in many natural insect repellents. 

Aromatherapy aside, lavender has powerful healing abilities when used topically. Scientific studies show that lavender is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-fungal, an antioxidant, and has the ability to relieve pain. It can also help repair damaged skin tissue and heal wounds. This makes it awesome to heal rashes, bites, burns, acne, scrapes, eczema, stings, scars, and more.

You can see why lavender is incorporated into so many natural skin care products! 

10 Ways to Use Lavender Infused Oil

1. As a soothing facial moisturizer to help with redness, dry skin, acne, and more. A little goes a long way! You’ll only need a few drops.
   
   
2. As an ingredient in other homemade skincare products. Many natural body care recipes call for oil, such as in body butter, lotion, salve, soap, and more! Learn how to make our popular homemade lavender salve here. For more ideas, I highly recommend this organic body care recipe book.
   
   
3. As a luxurious and calming massage oil to calm nerves, relieve muscle tension, pain, and inflammation.
   
   
4. Other topical applications: You can use lavender oil directly on other parts of your body as a general moisturizer, on bug bites, sunburns, eczema, stings, rashes, scars, scrapes, and more!
   
   
5. Add homemade lavender oil to essential oil rollers to apply on your neck, wrists, and temples as a soothing natural perfume or bedtime relaxant.
   
   
6. As a hair treatment to condition hair, moisturize your scalp, and potentially thicken hair. Coconut oil, olive oil, and argan oil are especially popular for deep moisturizing hair treatments. Plus, this study showed that lavender can help stimulate hair growth! Simply apply an even coat of oil to your hair, massage it into your scalp, pin your hair up away from your clothes, and allow it to sit for anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours. Then use shampoo as usual to wash away the oil.
   
   
7. To remove makeup. Lavender oil makes a great natural makeup remover! Oil naturally draws out impurities, while the lavender soothes redness, inflammation, and targets acne. Avoid contact with sensitive areas around your eyes.
   
   
8. In the kitchen. Lavender is especially popular to use in sweet and savory marinades, dressings, sauces, and baked goods. Have a recipe that calls for oil? Simply swap out all or part of your usual selection with lavender oil instead. Of course, ensure your carrier oil is edible (and tasty) before chowing down!
   
   
9. In natural cleaning products. Homemade cleaning spray recipes often call for oils, to help make countertops or stainless steel surface shine! We often incorporate a little lavender oil to our favorite homemade vinegar and lemon cleaning spray. Here is a gentle DIY countertop recipe that utilizes essential oils, perfect for granite.
   
   
10. Give it as a gift. Make a bigger batch and divvy it up into cute little bottles or jars to share with friends and family. Include a note or label to share the many ways to use it, or direct them here! See this list of my favorite 27+ DIY gift ideas, including mason jar gifts, food, sustainable crafts and more.
    

Easy peasy!

I hope this guide gave you plenty of ideas and inspiration to start making your own nourishing lavender oil at home. As you can see, it is quite easy to to do! If you enjoyed this article, please leave a review below. As always, thank you for tuning in!

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