Learn how to make lavender body oil at home with a simple infused-oil method and a handful of ingredients. With the pleasure of growing lavender and then harvesting lavender, you can turn a few cups of dried buds into a softly fragrant oil that feels lovely on the skin. Our step-by-step guide walks you through the whole process, from sanitizing your jars to straining the finished oil. Homemade lavender oil isn’t as concentrated as a distilled essential oil, but it’s wonderfully versatile for everyday self-care, and it makes a thoughtful little gift.
Why Make Your Own Lavender Body Oil?
Lavender is prized for its calming fragrance and the cozy, spa-like atmosphere it brings to a room. A homemade lavender body oil lets you carry that scent onto your skin, where it works beautifully as a lightweight moisturizer after a shower or bath. The buds release their aroma slowly into the carrier oil, so the finished product smells like an actual lavender field rather than a synthetic perfume.
The nicest time to reach for lavender body oil is in the evening, as part of a wind-down routine for you, your partner, or even your pet. For the smoothest application, smooth it on while your skin is still slightly damp and your oil is at room temperature. Starting right out of the shower helps it spread and absorb more evenly.
For a richer fragrance, you can stir a few drops of lavender essential oil into your finished infused oil. It deepens the scent and makes the oil feel a little more luxurious.
The lavender plant earns its place in the garden for its beauty, height, color, and that unmistakable aroma. The purple flowers, often called spikes and buds, can be used in all sorts of ways, from scenting a room to flavoring honey and baked goods. English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is a hardy perennial, so once it’s established you get a beautiful repeat performance year after year. At Chesterhaven Beach Farm, harvesting lavender is one of our favorite jobs each summer.
Why You’ll Love This DIY Body Oil
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It smells like a real lavender field, not a synthetic fragrance
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Made with simple, recognizable ingredients you choose yourself
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Lightweight and easy to customize with your favorite carrier oil
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Lovely as part of an evening wind-down routine
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Makes a thoughtful, handmade gift
Work Lavender Body Oil Into Your Bedtime Routine
A few drops of this calming-scented body oil can become a cue that the day is winding down. Smooth a little onto your skin after you’ve done the following:
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Turn off all electronics.
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Take a warm bath or shower to wash the day away.
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Brew a cup of Good Night Tea with a dollop of Spring Honey or Sunflower Honey stirred in.
For an even silkier feel, try fractionated coconut oil as the carrier for your lavender body oil. Once you’re cozy in bed, curl up with a good book or simply close your eyes and let the scent settle around you.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Glass Jars: Use a sanitized, bone-dry, quart-size glass jar to infuse the lavender oil. A mason jar works great. You’ll also need two 8-ounce glass jars to store the finished body oil.
Measuring Cups: Sanitized, please.
Measuring Spoon: To keep your measurements accurate.
Cheesecloth: Muslin works just as well.
Funnel
Carrier Oil of Your Choice: Sunflower oil is our go-to, and fractionated coconut oil is a lovely option for a lighter, faster-absorbing feel.
Vitamin E Capsules
Dried Lavender Buds
70% Alcohol (isopropyl, for sanitizing only)
The Gift That Keeps on Giving
One of my favorite things is making homemade goods for friends and family. Because this lavender body oil is so versatile, it’s a perfect little gift: thoughtful, pretty in a glass bottle, and easy to make at home. I’m often asked how to make lavender oil from scratch, so here’s the simple method I use. If you’ve never made an infused oil before, take a moment to read up on safety in preparing infused oils first.
How to Make Lavender Body Oil
Step One: Sanitize your area and tools
Use 70% isopropyl alcohol to thoroughly clean your work surface and every utensil you’ll use. Then sanitize your quart-size glass jar in the dishwasher or with a stove-top method, and dry it completely.
Step Two: Crush the lavender
A mortar and pestle works well here. Lightly crushing the dried buds helps release their fragrance into the oil.
Step Three: Assemble the oil
Fill the jar with the crushed dried lavender buds, then pour in your carrier oil (we’re using sunflower oil) until the flowers are fully covered. Pierce the vitamin E capsules with a fork or paring knife and empty the contents into the jar. Stir well with a stainless-steel spoon, then top off with a little more carrier oil so no air is trapped, and seal with a lid.
Step Four: Let it infuse
Here’s where a little patience pays off. Store the jar in a warm, dark spot for 4 to 6 weeks, giving it a gentle shake each day.
Note: If you’d rather not wait, warm the lavender and oil in a double boiler to 100 to 120 degrees F. Use a thermometer and keep the temperature at or below 120 degrees. Too much heat makes the oil unstable and shortens its shelf life.
Step Five: Strain the oil
Line a funnel with cheesecloth or muslin and set it into the mouth of a sanitized storage jar. Pour the oil through and discard the spent buds. If you used the quick heat method, let the mixture cool before straining and storing.
Step Six: Add lavender essential oil (optional)
For extra fragrance, stir a few drops of lavender essential oil into the strained oil. A dilution of roughly 1 to 2 percent essential oil to the total volume is a good starting point. This deepens the scent for use as a body or massage oil.
What’s the Best Carrier Oil for This Project?
We like sunflower oil for making lavender body oil, but you have plenty of options: extra virgin olive oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, argan oil, or fractionated coconut oil all work well. Choose a high-quality, cold-pressed oil free of additives and synthetic fragrance, and keep any allergies or sensitivities (yours or the recipient’s) in mind when you pick one.
Can You Apply Lavender Body Oil Directly to Skin?
Yes. That said, it’s smart to do a patch test on a small area first, since everyone’s skin is different and some people are more sensitive to botanicals than others. Diluting your infused oil with extra carrier oil can make it feel gentler if you have reactive skin. A few drops of lavender essential oil can be added for fragrance once you know the blend agrees with you.
How Long Does Lavender Body Oil Last?
This lavender body oil typically keeps for 1 to 2 years, as long as:
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Your carrier oil has a naturally long shelf life.
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You’re using fresh ingredients.
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Your work area was properly sanitized.
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You kept the temperature between 100 and 120 degrees if you used the heat method.
Don’t Feel Like DIY?
If you’d rather skip the four-to-six-week wait, that’s completely understandable. Try our Baby Oil instead. It’s 90% organic, made with organic Bulgarian lavender, sunflower, jojoba, and apricot kernel oils, and it comes with a booklet for a gentle massage, whether the recipient is young or young at heart. For a whole lavender-scented routine, the Peace of Mind Collection brings the farm’s lavender into body butter, bath soak, soap, and more.
FAQs About Lavender Body Oil
What kind of lavender is best for making body oil?
English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is the most popular choice for body oil because of its sweet, true-to-lavender fragrance. Munstead and Hidcote are two compact English varieties that work beautifully. Always use fully dried buds rather than fresh flowers, since dried buds keep the oil from trapping moisture.
Can I use fresh lavender instead of dried?
Dried lavender is the safer choice for an infused oil. Fresh flowers carry water, and any moisture left in the oil can cause it to spoil more quickly. If you’ve grown your own, dry the buds completely before you start.
What carrier oil should I use for lavender body oil?
Sunflower oil is our favorite, but grapeseed, jojoba, sweet almond, argan, extra virgin olive oil, and fractionated coconut oil all work. Lighter oils like grapeseed and jojoba absorb quickly, while olive and almond feel a little richer.
How long does homemade lavender body oil last?
Stored properly in a sanitized, sealed glass jar away from heat and light, homemade lavender body oil generally keeps for 1 to 2 years. Using a carrier oil with a long shelf life and fresh, fully dried buds helps it last.
Do I have to add essential oil?
No. The infused buds give the oil a soft, natural lavender scent on their own. Adding a few drops of lavender essential oil simply makes the fragrance stronger if you’d like a more pronounced aroma.
Can I make lavender body oil faster than 4 to 6 weeks?
Yes. Use the gentle double-boiler method, warming the buds and oil to between 100 and 120 degrees F. Keep a thermometer in the mix and don’t exceed 120 degrees, since higher heat makes the oil less stable. Let it cool before straining and storing.
