Dandelion oil is used in salves, lotions, and lip balms to soothe dry and cracked skin. Thanks to its capability to speed up the healing process of scars and calm down skin irritations, dandelion oil is also efficient in acne treatment.
While some people want to see their dandelions pulled from their garden, some just cannot wait to see the first yellow blossoms sprouting from the grass. I belong to the latter. Especially this year, since I have been waiting impatiently for the first blossoms to come. My hands were dry and cracked and I was hoping to fix it with my homemade dandelion salve.
To make a healing dandelion salve you need to start with the dandelion oil first. Wait a minute, you better start with dandelions…
Making dandelion infused oil.
Identifying dandelions
For such a common weed, dandelions are easy to misidentify.
While there are many plants with similar leaves, dandelion leaves are hairless with typical toothed edges that remind you of lion’s teeth (that is where name come from – in french “dent de lion”)
Their leaves and stems grow directly from the rootstock with only one flower per stem. Whereas other plants that look-like have more than one flower per stem.
The last typical thing for dandelions is the white sap that is often excluded by stem or leaves.
Dandelion benefits
Dandelion is a modest flower, but its effects are absolutely fabulous. All parts – the flowers, the leaves, and the root can be used.
Dandelion is known for its diuretic effects and as a stimulant of the pancreas and gall bladder activity. It has already found its ways to our kitchens.
While young dandelion leaves collected in early spring are delicious in salad, pesto or compound butter. The root, on the other hand, is best to collect in autumn, it has a bitter taste, and is great to use in dandelion bitters or root coffee. The flowers are edible and delicious in dandelion cupcakes, dandelion gelatin or fritters. I also like to collect young buds to make these irresistible capers.
Dandelion oil benefits
But today we will be infusing the flowers in oil to make this amazing dandelion oil that has many benefits for the skin.
Dandelion oil is effective for sunburns when applied right before or after sun exposure (NCBI).
They also reduce inflammation of the skin as well as its irritation, therefore, it can be used for certain types of acne treatment
Dandelion flowers are emollient and moisturizing. They are also great pain-relievers that make the most appropriate infused oil and salve for sore and chapped hands. Their mild analgesic properties might help with sore muscles or achy arthritic joints.
Dandelion oil recipe
Harvesting Dandelions
What is great about Dandelions is that everyone has access to them and no garden is required. But before you go foraging, here are a few tips that you should consider:
- collect dandelions only in areas you are sure are 100% chemicals (pesticides) free. You don’t want those ending up on your skin.
- 2. avoid places near roadways or anywhere else that experience high levels of air pollution.
- Inspect each flower carefully for insects or small ants. Don’t wash them as that increases the chances of mold issues. Thus the importance of selecting the right place without chemicals is imperative
Drying dandelion flowers
Fresh dandelions contain quite a lot of water which is not good for the oil as it can get sludgy. So collect the flowers on a sunny day and set them to dry. There are three methods you can choose from:
Wilting method – this method is used to make infused oil that is further used in skincare products. Spread them on paper towels in one layer and let the flowers wilt naturally for several hours or overnight. It should take place indoors without direct exposure to the sun. Allow to air dry for several days until completely dry.
Solar method – this method is used when making teas or in cosmetics too. Spread the flowers on the direct sun in a single layer and let them out on the sun for 24 hours before soaking them in oil.
Dehydrator – You could also use a dehydrator that you need to set to 95 to 115 degrees F, for 1 to 4 hours.
Slow infusion
The traditional method is really easy, however it requires at least 2 weeks to get high-quality scented dandelion-infused oil.
Fill a jar 1/4 to 1/2 of dandelion blossoms
Fill the jar almost to the top with your chosen carrier oil and stir
cover the jar with canvas so it can breathe and keep it in a warm place for 2 weeks.
After 2 weeks, thoroughly strain the oil with a soft cloth to get rid of all the petals and get only pure oil with herbaceous substances.
Quick infusion
to speed up the process you can use the double boiler method where you place an uncovered jar with dandelions and a carrier oil and let it simmer for 3 hours at a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius (100 F). Don’t allow the water to evaporate so monitor the oil periodically. This method is approximately 10x to 12x times faster than cold infusion. By this gradual maceration in a water bath you will be able to obtain high-quality dandelion infused oil.
Keep your Infused oil in a cool, dark place. Most infused oils will last for a year or perhaps even longer if stored correctly
Dandelion oil uses
- as a massage oil to relax your muscles and stiff joints
- in the form of salve to soothe your dry skin (cracked or chapped hands)
- to make a lip balm and moisturize your lips
- in the form of oil, salve or lotion bar to treat cuts, burns, sunburns and other minor skin irritations.
- rashes, insect bites, cracked hands (ideal for those who work in the garden)
- I used it as a base to make this effective homemade sunscreen
I have been asked this question several times so I want to make it clear. Dandelion root oil might help with hair growth as it is rich in magnesium, potassium, iron and calcium. These nutrients are important for a healthy scalp and follicles that ultimately result in hair to grow faster. This dandelion oil is made of dandelion petals and therefore might help with dandruff when used for hot oil treatments.
I have already mentioned before that dandelion flowers contain a lot of water and that the oil gets easily rancid. It is the bad smell that makes it clear that something went wrong. To avoid it, you need to use petals that are completely dry and use sterilized jars. Don’t be discouraged to try it again.
If made of dried dandelion petals in a sterilized jar and kept in a dark, cold place it can last up to 1 year.
The best practice is to have a 1:4 ratio (for example 1 ounce herb to 4 ounces carrier oil of your choice)
I found one organic shop where you can get pure dandelion oil
Dandelion oil recipe
Dandelion oil is used in salves, lotions, and lip balms to soothe dry and cracked skin. Thanks to its capability to speed up the healing process of scars and calm down skin irritations, dandelion oil is also efficient for acne.
Materials
- 100 g fresh or dry dandelion blossoms
- 400 ml vegetable oil of organic quality (olive, coconut, almond, primrose, etc)
Instructions
- Fill a jar 1/4 to 1/2 of dandelion blossoms
- Fill the jar almost to the top with your chosen carrier oil and stir
- cover the jar with canvas so it can breathe and keep it in a warm place for 3 weeks.
- After 3 weeks, thoroughly strain the oil with a soft cloth to get rid of all the petals and get only pure dandelion infused oil
Notes
- use dry and sterilized jars with tight-fitting lids to reduce the chance of bacteria or mold growth or your oils going rancid due to oxidation.
- Don’t forget to label jars with dates and ingredients during and after the infusion process.
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Collection of infusion oils you might want to try
Collection of infusion oils you might want to try
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This is so interesting. We have SO many dandelions where I live in Minnesota, and to be honest, most people try so hard to kill them. I didn’t realize there were so many health benefits to these natural flowers. Making a salve sounds like a great idea too – thank you so much for sharing.
Amanda @ Healthy House on the Block:
Dandelions are early bloomers, which means their blossoms are one of the few available to bees when they go looking for pollen, when they first emerge from their hives in the Spring.
So that is another health benefit provided by dandelions.
And it also makes dandelions are a necessary part of the food chain.
OUR food chain.
Because replacing the pollinating work done by bees is not possible – on a scale big enough to feed the whole world. People and/or man-made machinery cannot possibly pollinate all the vegetables, fruits, and other plants growing in the world. Which is what bees do now.
And we need all the bees – plant pollinators – that we can save. Because there are a growing number of pesticides, fungicides, etc. being used today that kill bees.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I have a quick question, when measuring the 50 grams of dandelion flowers…should I measure 50 gr. of the fresh flowers or 50 grams of the dried flowers?
Hi Laura,
I have measured fresh flowers.
What do you mean to ” grind the oil “. Does that mean strain it? I have a yard full of dandies, and this would be a great use for them.
Hi Lyn, yes, I meant strain it. It’s a great and easy to make remedy that can last the whole year. Take the advantage of yellow dandelions before they turn white 🙂
Fantastic info ! Can hardly wait to pick them and put them to good use ! We also have ham and dandelion suppers at the churches here in the country (coal region , Appalachian Trail ) So very happy you posted this , definitely sharing it 👍🏼♥️Thank you !!!
I love this recipe. Thank you so much. There is just one thing I would add to the info about the dandelion. They are one of the first plants to flower in spring and therefore very important for food for bumblebees and other insects. If you pick the flowers, please pick them later in the season or just before they will turn into seed heads. You may think that there are plenty around, but the insect world really needs our help!
Thank you Gonny so much for adding this important info to the article!
My dried dandelions don’t look yellow. Is this ok? After I infused with oil, it was not a pretty yellow color..Did I do something wrong?
When you collect flowers for your homemade skincare projects make sure you collect from places that are not sprayed with chemicals, such parks or gardens. Many flowers will naturally turn brown or lose their original colors as they dry and react to chemicals they were sprayed with.
Let’s try this again….can you use Castor oil in Dandelion oil?
Hi Jana, you can select any carrier oil that is the most beneficial for your skin. Castor oil is healing, moisturizing, and soothing and would make an excellent dandelion oil for dry skin.
Hello! Thank you for this wonderful article. Would I be able to fully air-dry my dandelions (e.g. waiting for 2-4 weeks) before infusing them in the oil? Or would that degrade their benefits?
I would dry them on sunny day for no longer than 3 days to ensure the dandelion oil will not get spoiled.