How to Make an Herbal Oil. June 17, 2026.

From ancient times onward, humans have enjoyed the benefits of herbal oils for healing and cooking. Even today, many still carry on this folk medicine tradition. It is so easy to just put some herbs in oil and let the concoction sit for a few weeks, while it collects all those beneficial herbal properties! Those pretty bottles of peridot-hued olive oil, with sprigs of rosemary or thyme sitting in your kitchen, give one a glowing sense of satisfaction. These infused oils are then used in topical preparations to soothe and heal, or to flavor food.

Combining beneficial oils with their moisturizing and soothing lipids, along with healing herbs, has proven valuable in the home apothecary. There are several ways to make these infusions for your home apothecary. Most of us are familiar with the folk method of doing so, but the one I will be using today is the lesser-known intermediary method of oil infusion. I would call this method a cross between a tincture and oil infusion. This is because a small amount of high-proof alcohol is used to quickly extract the herb’s properties and to create a more potent, shelf-stable oil. Dried herbs are also used in this process rather than fresh ones. One thing to note is that the intermediary method is strictly for medicinal herbal oils, not culinary ones. If this process intrigues you, read on below to learn how to do it.

I am going to make a healing, soothing calendula & yarrow herbal oil for our home apothecary, using dried yarrow and calendula from our garden. This method works for other herbs in topical applications, such as lavender or plantain. Please note, this method is for dried herbs only. Do not use fresh herbs in this method.

Equipment

blender
coffee grinder
pint-sized jar with lid
sieve
cheesecloth
Small funnel
bucket-style coffee filter
4-oz amber bottles for oil storage (dark bottles keep the light from degrading your oils with UV exposure)
2 clean containers for catching oil as it filters (containers should be sized to fit the sieve)

Ingredients

1 oz dried herbs of choice (I am using a 50/50 blend of calendula and yarrow)
8 oz carrier oil of choice (I am using fractionated coconut oil because it absorbs well into the skin. Olive oil is another good choice)
1/2-1 oz high proof alcohol such as Everclear (190 proof) (not your standard vodka; vodka does not have enough alcohol)

Instructions

We are going to start by grinding our 1 ounce of herbs into a powder. Use a clean blender or coffee grinder for this.
Once your herbs are ground, add 1/2 ounce of high-proof alcohol. However, if your herbs are fluffy and full, you can go up to 1 ounce. You want them damp, not dripping. I am going to use the full ounce because the calendula and yarrow are very fluffy.
Mix the herbs and alcohol until the herbs are completely dampened- not soaking. Think of moist potting soil or wet sand.
Put this mixture into a jar with a lid and let it sit for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, measure 8 oz of your chosen oil.
Add the oil and herb mixture to a blender.
Blend this for about 5 minutes. The mixture should be a bit warm.
Now, line a sieve with cheesecloth and place it over one of the clean containers.
Pour the blended oil and herb mixture into the lined sieve and let the oil drain into one of the clean containers.
Squeeze the remaining oil out by bringing the corners of the cheesecloth together as shown in the photo.
Now line another sieve or with a coffee filter and place it over the second clean container. This second filtering will help remove extra herbal sediment.
Take the strained oil and run it through this filter. The oil may take a while to pass through the filter, and you may need to change the filter due to herbal sediment buildup. You can also use a spoon to push aside sediment on the bottom so the oil can seep through.
Using a small funnel, pour your herbal oil into a small amber bottle.
Put a lid on your oil and label it with the type of herbal oil and the date made. I got about 6.5 oz of herbal oil total.
Your oil is now ready for use in topical applications.