How to make Nettle oil + its uses for skin and hair

This soothing and moisturizing nettle oil may ease your stiff joints or enhance your skin and hair. Made of nettle leaves and carrier oil, this stinging nettle oil might help with skin irritations or baldness. 

In the spring, I often walk around the small lake in our neighborhood with scissors, gloves, and a small basket for a few plants of nettle to add to my morning smoothies or soup. 

It is my ritual just to activate my metabolism and detox my body after a long winter and prevent spring fatigue. 

Now is autumn and I still go to my favorite place equipped with the same tools for nettle leaves. However, this time, I gather the nettle leaves to use on my skin and hair. 

With the fall, I noticed pronounced hair loss, and I got scared I was going to end up bald soon. So I went to my books to learn that nettle makes miracles on hair. 

Nettle has been used for healthy hair since medieval times. While tea and nettle powder are used internally, nettle oil massages the scalp to combat hair loss effectively. 

What is nettle oil?

Nettle oil is made by maceration of dried or wilted nettle leaves in a carrier oil of your choice for a certain period. The slow maceration allows stinging nettle leaves to relieve their active ingredients into the oil that, after straining the herbal material, ultimately carries the medicinal properties of nettle.

Nettle oil is filled with all the goodies we need to keep our skin and hair happy and glowing.

nettle oil benefits

Stinging nettle is rich in minerals such as magnesium, phosphorous, silicon, calcium, and iron. It also contains three times more vitamin C than broccoli and other vitamins A, E, B, and valuable enzymes and proteins. 

We extract these valuable ingredients into an infused oil to boost hair growth and enhance hair quality. In addition, this oil enhances blood circulation, which is essential for hair roots to get a sufficient supply of nutrients.

Similarly also works sage infusion.

Nettle effectively relieves dry, tense scalp that usually contributes to alopecia (baldness).

It also contributes to hair re-growth, nettle leaves contain sulfur and silica that make the hair healthier and shinier.

A powerful herb, nettle possesses healing properties and helps with burns. This study confirms the high healing rate of nettle extract on second-degree burn wounds in rats compared to silver sulfadiazine and vaseline.

Nettle oil eases skin irritation on the scalp, including cradle caps in enfants or eczema.

Ingredients to make nettle oil

Stinging nettle leaves

While stinging nettle leaf eases arthritis, it is not a very pleasant experience to get stung.

One has to be careful when handling fresh stinging nettle leaves, as their barbs can inject various chemicals, such as histamine, serotonin, or formic acid, that can cause rashes or itchiness. 

Luckily, these chemicals diminish when we process them by cooking, drying, grinding, or infusing them in oil.

 If we intend to use the final product on the skin, the best practice is to infuse nettle leaves and stems in oil. This nettle infused oil that has multiple uses and applications.

Carrier oil

I have used extra virgin olive oil as a carrier oil that is rich in antioxidants and very good for normal skin. However, feel free to use any oil most suitable for your skin type. When I select a carrier oil for my project, I consider other factors, such as where I intend to use the final product or its absorption rate. 

In fact, to double the nettle’s benefits, you may consider using nettle seed oil as a carrier oil, which is made from cold-pressed nettle seeds that also possess many medicinal benefits for the skin and hair.

How to make nettle oil?

First step

Wash the leaves thoroughly and place them in a sunny window to dry. When making infused oil, I prefer to use dry herbs as the moisture from fresh material can spoil the oil. It took me 2-3 days to dry them completely. You can also use a dehydrator to faster the process.

Second step

Once dried, grind the leaves between your fingers to make them into smaller pieces, and cut the stems. Smaller pieces make a better extraction.

Third step

Fill the sterilized glass jar with dried nettle

Fourth step

Pour over the extra virgin olive oil so all dried leaves are covered completely

Fifth step

Place it in the double boiler and bring it to simmer. Keep the heat slow for the nettle to relieve all its medicinal properties. Make sure you don’t exceed the temperature of 50 C (122 F) as most of the properties would be destroyed.

Sixth step

Strain the herbal material with cheesecloth and discard it. Store the pure nettle oil in a sterilized jar in a dark place away from direct sunlight.

Note: If you are not in a hurry, you can go for the slow traditional method, which doesn’t require a double boiler but time.

This method is straightforward and efficient, but you need at least four weeks to achieve your desired result. Fill the jar with dried leaves and stems. 

Cover them with the oil of your choice, close the jar with a lid and place it in a warm spot for four weeks. Remember to shake it from time to time. The warm place helps the nettle to relieve its medicinal properties.

After four weeks, strain the oil from the herbal material and fill it into a clean and sterilized bottle. I used this method when making this highly scented lavender oil

How to use nettle oil

On hair

Massage the oil into your scalp and hair and leave it there for 2 minutes before rinsing it. 

OR

Drip a few drops in your palm when applying shampoo or conditioner to your hair, and gently massage it into your hair and scalp. 

You can achieve a better result by combining nettle oil topical application with the internal application of nettle root extract.

Apply rosemary or chamomile tea rinse afterward. Start from roots all the way down to the hair tips. You can also add apple cider vinegar or peppermint essential oil to the mixture to add flavor and use its ability to increase blood circulation. After the rinse, cover your hair with a towel and leave it to dry. Don’t wash it with water afterward. You can do it twice a week.

On skin

Add a few drops on your soap and massage your body. That will help clear up skin redness and irritation.

I used this nettle oil as a base for making nettle salve to ease inflammatory diseases such as dermatitis or arthritis.

Its healing power can help to heal burned or sunburned skin. Add a few drops to the burn gel before applying it to the affected area.

Apply on insect bites or use it as a carrier oil in this bug bite cream

Use oil as a base to make nettle lotion that promotes healthy skin and helps with skin irritations.

Nettle oil eases irritated skin, and free drops to your bath soothe and relax your skin.

It may also serve as a massage oil for your stiff joints.

Make these wonderful chocolate bath bombs with nettle oil.