Dandelion Infused Oil: How to Make It & Ways to Use It

Don’t spray your dandelions; turn them into dandelion infused oil!

For years, I thought dandelions were simply an annoying weed that grew in my backyard, but it’s actually a powerhouse of uses. One of my favorite ways to use dandelions is to make dandelion infused oil.

Dandelion infused oil is so easy to make, so if you’re diving into herbal medicine for the first time, you can’t get much easier than this. In the spring, nearly everyone has dandelions all throughout their yard, so why not take advantage of them?

Related: 11 Medicinal Herbs to Grow in Your Backyard

Medicinal Purposes of Dandelion Infused Oil

Besides the delicious scent, dandelion infused oil has medicinal uses that can benefit anyone. You can leave it as an infused oil or use it to create salves and ointments.

• Helps ease aching muscles and joints
• Calming properties when combined with lavender
• Stress relieving properties
• Excellent skin moisturizer
• Heal chapped skin
• Soothe achy and arthritic joints

How to Make Dandelion Infused Oil

Lucky for you, making dandelion infused oil is very simple. It is a cold infusion process that uses the heat and light from the sun to extract the useful properties.

One thing to note is that, unlike other infused oils, you only let this set for two weeks due to the high moisture content in the flowers. If you allow it to set longer, you increase the risk of spoilage and molding. Here is the simple process.

1. Harvest Dandelions

The first step is to harvest enough dandelions to make as much oil as you want or that batch.

You should only harvest dandelions from unsprayed fields and lawns after the dew dries on a sunny day. Pick flowers heads that are fully open and dry.

Grab a pair of garden scissors and cut the flower heads off from the stem of the plant; you don’t need the stem. Gather enough to fill the jar you want; I typically make a pint-sized jar full.

2. Clean the Flowers & Let Them Wilt

Bugs love dandelions; they’re full of pollen. Your dogs might run over them or your kids, so chances are they’re dirtier than you realize. It’s best to wash them before using them for infused oil.

Spray them off in a colander, and then dry them off with a paper towel. Then, spread the flowers out over a baking sheet or dry paper towel and let them sit overnight.

Dandelion flowers typically won’t dry fully. Instead, they go to seed, so all you need to do is let them wilt overnight.

3. Fill Your Jars

The night day, put all of your wilted dandelions into your pint jars. You will be surprised how much more space you have now that the flowers are wilted!

Then, fill up the jar with olive oil or any other high-quality oil you like. Make sure you leave 1/4 inch at the top. Put the lid on the jar!

4. Keep the Jar in a Sunny Spot

Unlike other infused oils, dandelion infused oil should be placed in a sunny location for two. weeks. Don’t leave it any longer than two weeks, or it will start to mold quickly.

5. Strain and Store the Dandelion Oil

After two weeks, strain the flower blossoms out of the oil using clean cheesecloth or a coffee filter (cheesecloth works best!) and store it in a clean jar.

It’s time to use it! Make sure you use this within a year, or the oil may go rancid.

How to Use Dandelion Infused Oil

Unlike other infused oils, this is not meant to be used for culinary purposes. The best way to apply it is topically. You can apply it directly to your skin or use it in homemade products.

Here are a few of my favorite ways to use dandelion infused oil.

• Make herbal dandelion bath bombs to soothe your skin.
• Create a dandelion salve to help painful joints and sore muscles.
• Make a dandelion facial serum to treat acne and blemishes.
• Try out this honey and dandelion soap recipe!

Are you interested in learning more about how to use dandelions and other herbs? Hop over to Healing Harvest Homestead. Her articles and e-books have been game changers for me to learn how to incorporate more herbs into our homestead.

Have you ever used dandelion infused oil? I would love to hear if you have tried dandelions for anything!

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