Lavender oil and lavender essential oil are two completely different things. Lavender essential oil requires using a distillation process to extract the oils directly from the blossoms. Unfortunately most of us don’t have a distiller at our disposal, and the cost is prohibitive for making small batches of oil. Not only is the distilling equipment expensive, but you will also need a ridiculously large quantity of lavender flowers to produce just an ounce of lavender essential oil.
Don’t despair, if you happen to have even one lavender plant in your garden, you can easily make this simple DIY alternative. This lavender oil is “infused” with the lavender essence from the blossoms. It’s very different than essential oil, but has it many of the same benefits as its essential oil counterpart. Plus, it requires no distiller and you won’t need nearly as many lavender blossoms to make it.
Why bother making a lavender infused oil? Because there are so many health benefits derived from lavender.
- Its sweet fragrance has been to shown to boost melatonin levels which assists in getting a restful nights sleep.
- Its sweet fragrance has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety.
- It’s also been shown to relieve headache pain and ease menstrual cramps.
- It has strong antiseptic properties that have been shown to kill viruses and bacteria.
- It’s also been shown to aid in wound healing and serves as a wonderful natural healing moisturizer when combined with a carrier oil.
- The fragrance of lavender has been shown to repel biting insects and also moths.
Lavender Oil Uses:
- Lavender oils relaxing fragrance makes it perfect to use as a massage oil.
- Dab it onto your pulse points as a homemade lavender infused perfume.
- Rub it into your skin after a shower to moisturize dry skin.
- Rub it onto your feet and in between your toes before bed to relieve fungal infections.
FUN FACT: Did you know that before the invention of antiseptics, hospitals used lavender to clean their hospital wards.
Dried lavender flowers are perfect for making sachets that you can tuck between the sheets and pillow cases in your linen closet. Place them under your pillow for a better nights sleep, or hang from the hangers in your closet to repel moths and other annoying insects.
Learn how easy it is to Properly Harvest & Dry Lavender so you can use it for all your lavender inspired projects and crafts like these lovely lavender scented sachets.
Consider harvesting some of the long flower stalks to make fragrant lavender wands. Roll them between the palms of your hands to refresh and release their beautiful fragrance. They make such a lovely, thoughtful gift and they are an easy and unique gift you can create using just a bit of satin ribbon and the bounty from your garden. Learn How To Make Lavender Wands.
Making a lavender infused oil is so very simple. All it requires is your patience, since it requires plenty of time to steep, and just two ingredients, an organic carrier oil of your choice and dried lavender blossoms.
TIP: For the strongest lavender scented oil, choose a neutral smelling oil such as almond oil, safflower oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, or Jojoba oil.
Start with thoroughly dried lavender blossoms. If you blossoms contain any moisture you run the risk of mold forming in your oil, so it’s essential that the blossoms are completely dried. Click on this link to learn how to easily dry lavender that you can then use to make lavender oil.
Once your blossoms are completely dried place them in a Mortar & Pestle and crush the blossoms to release some of their oils and fragrance. If you do not have a Mortar & Pestle, you can also rub the blossoms firmly in between your hands to crush them and release their fragrance.
Place the crushed blossoms in a clean, dry jar. Make sure there is no moisture in the jar.
Add enough oil to completely submerge all of the lavender blossoms. Use a small spoon to stir the oil and lavender blossoms together and push all the blossoms underneath the oil. Add more oil as needed. Leave about a half an inch of air space at the top of the jar, to allow for any expansion or contraction as the oil steeps over the next several weeks.
Seal the jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake gently to combine.
Place the jar on a sunny window sill and allow the lavender oil to steep for 4-6 weeks. This is the hard part! It requires patience to allow the oil to steep. Shake the jar on occasion if you happen to remember, but it’s not required.
After 4 weeks check the oil to see if it has a strong lavender scent. If you want a stronger scent, place the lid back onto the jar and return it to a sunny window sill to allow it to steep for a couple more weeks.
Once the oil is infused with the lavender scent to your liking; strain the blossoms from the oil using a fine wire strainer and decant the oil into a dark container like this bottle.
For optimal fragrance preservation, store lavender oil in a dark, dry location. Exposure to light after you have removed the blossoms from the oil will cause the oil to lose its fragrance.
It is not necessary to refrigerate your lavender oil. Check the expiration date on the oil you are using for how long your oil should keep, but if stored in an airtight, dark container, it should keep indefinitely.
Did You Make This?
Be sure to snap a pic and tag it @naturewayblog I love, love, love hearing from my readers! Don’t forget to leave a comment and a review below, and tag me on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, or TWITTER!
May I ask a small favor? If you enjoyed this blogpost would you be so kind and like the page? It lets me know what you are enjoying the most. It also helps me focus my attention on creating content that will be most meaningful and beneficial for you, my readers. And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE so you never miss out on all the latest that’s happening here at Nature Way. Thank you!
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9
Remember…Jesus ❤️’s you!