How To Make Lavender Oil: 3 Easy Homemade Methods

Lavender oil is a fantastic homemade product that brings the delightful scent of summer into your home, even during the cold winter months. With just a few ingredients and a bit of patience, you can make your own lavender oil.

June brings the delightful bloom of lavender! Not only does it smell amazing and look pretty, but this small purple plant is also a medicinal powerhouse and quite practical around the home. For instance, did you know you can use dried lavender to repel moths?

Lavender isn’t just for repelling pests; it’s also great in the kitchen. It adds a unique flavor to lamb, fish, or salads. But with summer ending, it’s the perfect time to enjoy the last lavender blooms. If you have lavender on your balcony or in your garden, it’s time to prune the stems before autumn to stimulate growth. Though, I like to leave them for the bees to enjoy as long as possible!

Now, what to do with those harvested flowers? Sure, scent sachets are a classic. But why not try something different? I decided to make lavender-infused oil, a gentle and aromatic preparation that’s perfect for sensitive skin, wellness, and cosmetic use. It’s soothing, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory.

Ready to get started? Follow along to learn how to make homemade lavender oil in three different ways, discover the healing benefits it provides, and get plenty of ideas for how to use it.

Why You Should Make Your Own Lavender Oil

Lavender oil’s magic ingredient, linalyl acetate, works wonders on our bodies. Here’s why you should try making it yourself:

Aromatherapy: Lavender oil is a superstar in aromatherapy. In winter, it fills your home with a delightful scent, bringing warmth and comfort.
Massage Oil: Perfect for a relaxing massage. Just rub some lavender oil on your skin and feel the tension melt away.
Insect Repellent: Say goodbye to mosquitoes! You can make a DIY mosquito repellent spray with lavender oil.
Headache Relief: Dab a little lavender oil on your temples, and feel the headache ease away. It’s quick and calming.
Rheumatic Relief: Lavender oil can help with rheumatic complaints, making those aches and pains a bit more bearable.
Sleep Aid: Struggling to fall asleep? Lavender oil can help you drift off peacefully.
Anxiety and Stress: Feeling anxious or stressed? Lavender oil has calming properties to help you relax.

Method 1: Cold Press Lavender Oil

Creating lavender oil through cold pressing is a straightforward and effective way to capture the full essence of lavender flowers. This method is highly favored by DIY enthusiasts who want a natural and chemical-free way to make the oil. Here’s how you can do it at home.

What You’ll Need

To get started with cold pressing your lavender oil, you’ll need the following materials:

Organic lavender: Fresh or dried, using the young shoots, leaves, and flowers. Avoid thick, woody parts near the roots.
Cold-pressed vegetable oil: Options include jojoba, sesame, argan, olive, rapeseed, almond, or safflower oil. Choose an oil that is as odorless as possible to avoid masking the lavender scent.
Vitamin E (optional): Available as oil or gel capsules to extend the shelf life of the lavender oil.
Cheesecloth or Muslin Cloth: Required for straining the oil.
Glass Jar with Lid: For storing the final product.
Glass Bowl: To collect the oil after straining.
Mortar and Pestle or Rolling Pin: Used for crushing the lavender flowers.

Steps to Make Lavender Oil

1. Drying the Lavender

If you’re using dried lavender, skip to the next step. For fresh lavender, cut the stems back a few centimeters when the flowers are about to bloom. This is when they have the most aromatic compounds.

To dry, tie the stems together and hang them upside down in a well-ventilated place out of direct sunlight for a few days. Alternatively, you can dry them in an oven preheated to 40°C (104°F) by laying the sprigs on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Let them dry for about ten minutes, then remove them from the oven and allow them to cool.

2. Preparing the Oil

Once the lavender is dry, place it into a glass jar and crush it lightly. You can also use a heavy object to gently crush the lavender. If you are using buds, open them with your fingers or a knife. These steps are necessary to release the aroma. Use the leaves too if you have stems. The amount of lavender should be enough to nearly fill the jar.

Pour your chosen vegetable oil over the lavender until all the pieces are covered. Ensure that no parts are exposed to air to prevent them from rotting. The oil should only exceed the lavender by one or two millimeters.

3. Maceration

Close the jar and let the mixture macerate for two weeks. Check periodically to ensure all the lavender is submerged and avoid placing the jar in direct sunlight.

4. Filtering

After two weeks, the oil should be well-scented and may have changed color. Filter the oil using a metal tea filter or similar tool, collecting the purified oil. Clean the jar, then pour the filtered oil back into it.

5: Enhance the Aroma (Optional)

If you want a stronger scent, you can repeat steps 5 and 6 by adding more dried lavender to the oil and letting it brew again.

Step 6: Add Vitamin E (Optional)

Add a few drops of vitamin E oil or the contents of a gel capsule to extend the shelf life of your lavender oil.

7: Label And Store

Label your jar carefully to avoid confusion, especially since this preparation is not edible. Your homemade lavender oil is now ready to use for various purposes, such as aromatherapy, skincare, or adding fragrance to homemade cleaners. Enjoy the benefits of this versatile and fragrant oil!

Method 2: Hot Infusion Lavender Oil

Making lavender oil through hot infusion is another effective method that many DIY enthusiasts love. This technique uses heat to speed up the infusion process, resulting in a beautifully fragrant and potent lavender oil. Let’s go through the process together.

Required Ingredients and Tools

Before we start, make sure you have all the necessary ingredients and tools on hand. Here’s what you’ll need:

Dried Lavender Flowers: Choose high-quality, organic dried lavender for the best results.
Carrier Oil: Great options are jojoba oil, almond oil, or grapeseed oil. These oils blend well with lavender.
Double Boiler or Saucepan: This helps in gently heating the mixture without burning it.
Fine Mesh Strainer or Cheesecloth: Essential for straining out the lavender from the oil.
Glass Jar with Lid: For storing your finished lavender oil.
Dark Glass Bottle: Perfect for long-term storage, protecting the oil from light and preserving its quality.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Hot Infusion Lavender Oil

Now that we have everything ready, let’s move on to the steps to make hot infusion lavender oil:

Combine Ingredients: Place the dried lavender flowers and the carrier oil into your double boiler or saucepan. Make sure the lavender is fully submerged in the oil.
Heat Gently: Set your heat to low and let the mixture gently warm for about 1-2 hours. Stir occasionally to ensure the flowers don’t stick or burn. The low heat helps the lavender release its essential oils into the carrier oil.
Strain the Mixture: Once the infusion period is over, carefully strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a clean glass jar. Squeeze the cloth to get as much oil out of the lavender flowers as possible.
Cool and Store: Allow the strained oil to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, transfer it to a dark glass bottle. Store it in a cool, dark place to maintain its freshness and potency.

Method 3: Lavender Oil Extraction with Alcohol

This tutorial will guide you through making a lavender tincture or extract, which is less potent than pure essential oil. It works well for adding a pleasant aroma and an antiseptic boost to homemade cleaners. While it’s not as strong as essential oil, it’s much cheaper to make.

Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need

Food grade lavender buds: Ensure they are food-grade to avoid any additives. If you don’t grow lavender, you can order food-grade lavender buds online.
Grain alcohol or vodka: A cheap grocery store brand like Popov vodka is perfect. Avoid isopropyl/rubbing alcohol.
Mortar and pestle
Coffee filters
Two glass jars: One should have a tight-fitting lid.

Steps to Make Lavender Oil Extract

Prepare the Lavender Buds: Start by using either fresh or dried lavender buds. There’s no need to remove the buds from the stalk, as the stalks also contain fragrant oils. Pour the lavender buds into a bowl or mortar and gently crush them with the back of a spoon or a pestle to release the oils. Be careful not to over-process them until they are mushy.
Infuse the Alcohol: Transfer the crushed lavender buds into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Cover the buds with grain alcohol or vodka, but avoid using isopropyl alcohol as it will leave an unpleasant odor. Seal the jar and shake it well to mix the contents thoroughly.
Steeping: Place the jar in a sunny spot on your kitchen counter. Over the next few days, shake the jar several times a day. The longer the buds steep, the more oil you will extract. Typically, a weekend is enough for this process.
Strain the Mixture: After the steeping period, strain the liquid using a coffee filter into a second jar. This step separates the lavender buds from the infused alcohol.
Evaporate the Alcohol: Cover the jar of liquid with a clean coffee filter or cloth and let it sit undisturbed for about a week. This allows the alcohol to evaporate, leaving behind the lavender extract.
Optional Second Straining: If you notice sediment at the bottom of the jar after a week, strain the extract again using a clean coffee filter. This additional straining will further purify your lavender oil extract.
Storage: Transfer the final product into a dark-colored jar to protect it from sunlight, which can degrade the oil’s quality. A repurposed yeast jar or any other dark glass container works well for this purpose.