It’s not uncommon for notable pairs to run in families. Sometimes the resemblance is obvious – for example, Clint Eastwood and John Wayne are related – but sometimes it’s not . . . at least not at first. Buffalo Bill and Ralph Waldo Emerson are from the same family, as are Abraham Lincoln and Tom Hanks. (1) (2) (3) And of course there’s calendula and dandelion – not usually considered similar, but both members of the Asteraceae family.
Calendula is more well-known for its skincare benefits, while dandelion is better known for its detoxification, digestive, and hormone balancing benefits.
I call this homemade calendula salve recipe my #allthethings balm because it can be used as a face moisturizer, chapped-lip balm, baby bottom balm, owie salve, burn salve, bug bite balm, and more.
Actually, though, dandelion blossoms have a lot of the same properties that calendula is prized for. They contain compounds that nourish and hydrate skin, making them perfect for a healing balm. Unlike calendula, though, these sunny yellow flowers can be found during the spring and summer just about everywhere . . . for FREE.
Benefits of Dandelion for Skin
Gathering dandelions is a perfect way to introduce kids to the joy of wildcrafting, or to experience it firsthand for the first time. In addition to their culinary uses (topping salads, making infused vinegars, etc), they also have properties that make them ideal for skincare.
Yep, dandelion blossoms are full of anti-inflammatory antioxidants, polyphenols, flavonoids and minerals that support and protect your cells, soothe skin irritations and nourish dry skin. (4)
For example, this study found that both dandelion flower and leaf extracts protect against UVB-related photoaging and senescence (aging at the cellular level).
5 Ways To Use Dandelion Infused Oil
The infused oil can be used as:
- First aid – For cuts, scrapes, burns, sunburns, bug bites and other minor skin irritations.
- Face and lip care – Dandelion oil is becoming more popular in skincare products, and can be used in place of regular olive oil in this lip balm recipe. It can also be used on its own as a facial oil.
- Diaper rash – I like to apply the oil – or a salve made from it – and then sprinkle some bentonite clay over the area.
- Dry or chapped skin – Due to its soothing and conditioning properties, dandelion oil is often used in moisturizing hand salves.
- Sore muscle rub or massage oil – If you want to include essential oils in a dandelion salve, adding black pepper, copiaba, and lavender will help to relax muscles.
Wondering if dandelion oil or dandelion salve is best for you?
The main difference between the two is that dandelion oil is a liquid, while the salve is semi-solid and therefore easier to carry in a purse or diaper bag. If you want to make a salve, follow the instructions below to make the infused oil and then follow these steps to thicken it into a salve.
How To Make Dandelion Oil
Equipment
- Slow cooker with "warm" setting
- Turkey baster (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 cups freshly picked dandelion blossoms
- 1 cup carrier oil (I use a 50/50 blend of jojoba oil and olive oil, but you could also use another oil such as avocado, apricot kernel, tamanu or fractionated coconut oil)
Instructions
- On a dry, sunny day, pick 2 cups of dandelion blossoms from an area that has not been sprayed with pesticides. Just gather the flower head – leave the stem and roots behind unless you're planning to use them in salads or dandelion root tea.
- Lay dandelion blossoms on a clean towel for 12-24 hours to dry out. They may still have a little moisture after the drying period, which is why we'll be using low heat to evaporate out any remaining water.
- Once the dandelion blossoms have dried, place them in a 12 ounce clean jar and cover with a carrier oil. I used a 50/50 blend of jojoba oil and olive oil to make this year's batch, but you could also use another oil such as avocado, apricot kernel, tamanu, or fractionated coconut oil. Make sure the blossoms are fully covered.
- Cover the jar with a piece of cloth (like cheesecloth or a cut-up t-shirt) or a coffee filter and secure with a rubber band.
- Place a kitchen towel in the bottom of your slow cooker and place your jars inside. Add enough water to cover about half the jar and set to the lowest setting (warm) for 12-24 hours, leaving the top uncovered. If you leave it on for 24 hours, you may want to check the water level about halfway through and replenish if needed.
- After the 12-24 hour period, you can allow the blossoms to continue to infuse at room temperature for up to a week, or you can strain the oil and use it right away. When you're ready, strain the oil through cheesecloth or a fine mesh sieve and let the oil sit for several hours. If there is any water in the oil (from the dandelion blossoms) it will collect in the bottom of the jar.
- If you have a turkey baster, use it to siphon the infused oil off the top, leaving the water behind. If you don't have a turkey baster, carefully pour the oil off the top. Your dandelion oil is now ready to be used or made into a healing salve.
- Store in a cool area for up to 12 months. (I store mine in the fridge.)
Safety Considerations
According to the Botanical Safety Handbook, dandelion is a Safety Class 1A herb – the safest rating possible. There are no known contraindications for pregnancy, nursing, or use with children.
As always, please check with your healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy.
More DIY Herbal Oil Recipes
Plantain Oil – Like dandelions, plantain grows in the wild just about everywhere and is easy to identify and harvest. This nourishing oil is helpful for bee stings, sunburn, poison ivy, eczema flares, diaper rash and more.
Arnica OIl & Cream – Arnica has been traditionally used by Swiss mountaineers to prevent muscle soreness, and according to The New York Times, “scientists have found good evidence that it works.” When I injured my shoulder awhile ago, I made up a batch of arnica cream to use along with physical therapy. It was so helpful and it’s very simple to make, too!
Comfrey Oil & Salve – Sometimes called knitbone or All Heal, comfrey is often recommended for soothing sprains, bruises, minor cuts and burns. It can also be used to ease tight muscles, boost hair softness and shine, and moisturize skin.
Want more research-backed natural remedies?
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This article was medically reviewed by Madiha Saeed, MD, a board certified family physician. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.
Sources:
1. Ancestry.com. Tom Hanks Reveals Lincoln Connection.
2. RootsWeb. The Ancestry of Overmire Tifft Richardson Bradford Reed.
3. Geni. Jonathan C. Parsons Ancestry.
4. Ganora, Lisa. (2009) Herbal Constituents: Foundations of Phytochemistry
5. Michalun. M Varinia. (2014) Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary 4th Edition
Learned something today, looking forward to trying this
Thanks Heather!
– Kiki
Thanks so much for the ebook, and the recipes.
I’m always wanting to learn more about the health herbs and oils
I’m in the process of making the dandelion oil, to therefore make a salve. I’m super excited to see how it turns out. Thank you!
We certainly have enough dandelions to make this for the whole USA. Haha!
Definitely going to try this.
Can I put the dandelion ina dehydrator?
Dandelions go to seed very quickly after they’re picked, so if you put them in the dehydrator as blossoms they are likely to turn into puffballs by the time you pull them out. It’s best just to let them air dry for 12-24 hours 🙂
Maybe good with salt?!
can you leave them dry longer?
You can put them in a dehydrator, but I don’t recommend longer than 30 minutes. Dandelions are very fragile when they are completely dry. They won’t turn into white puff balls in the dehydrator, but they will fall apart if you look at them cross-eyed!
How long is dandelion oil good for? Love your tutorial
I would say at least six months when stored in the fridge, maybe a year 🙂
Hi there,
Just wondering if this might work for Contact dermitisis of the eye? I have a friend who has tried every medicine they offer and nothing has helped. I’ve convinced her to try something natural so I’m on the hunt for her something when I read today’s article.
Thanks for time
Would you wash them first? My backyard ones seem to little bugs on them when they are picked.
A soak in salted water will kill any little bugs. Then a good rinse in clear water to remove the residual salt. Air dry for 24 hours and proceed!
Hi,
Can I make this with dry dandelion tea that contains leaves, stems and flowers?
Thanks!
Can I use coconut oil as the carrier oil if I melt it in the crock pot before adding the dandelions? Would the coconut oil affect the effectiveness or the benefits of the dandelions? Thank you.
Was going to ask the same question. I used coconut oil a lot too.
Heather I am wondering the same?
Coconut oil is fine to use as long as it is melted 🙂
Interesting factoid: Monks used to infuse rose petals between thin layers of lard to obtain their essence!
If using solid coconut oil, you will need to adjust the amount of beeswax used (or be able to leave it out altogether), unless you are using the fractionated (liquid) coconut oil.
I make Golden Syrup with dandelions…it’s delicious and honey like in taste. I am looking forward to making this oil and wondered if part coconut or only coconut oil would work as the misture would solidify upon cooling making it easier to use?
Thanks!
You could definitely use coconut oil as long as you melted it before adding the blossoms.
Any suggestions on the steeping part for those with no slow cooker? Thanks.
Traditionally, the method would be to simply infuse dried blossoms in oil for several months, shaking occasionally. However, I would not recommend that method with dandelion blossoms because they can only be used fresh (dandelion blossoms go to seed if you try to dry them, turning into puffballs) and contain water. Heat is needed to make sure the water evaporates during the infusion process – otherwise the oil will go bad quickly.
Kate, You can set up a ‘double boiler’ of sorts using a small pot that has sides deep enough to place a folded washcloth on the bottom and your jar of oil & dandelions on top. The washcloth protects the jar from being in contact directly with the heat. Put enough water in the pot so it reaches the level of the oil in your jar. Allow the water to come to a slow simmer & simmer for about an hour.
Thank you for your helpful response Cyndi as I was wondering how to make this oil (I donot have a slow cooker) Looking forward to making this salve!
Thank you again
Yvonne
Hi Heather!
Love the article and excited to receive your newsletter. I tried to download your free kitchen remedy e-book. Is there any way you can email it to me?
Sincerely,
Heather
“If you have a turkey baster, use it to siphon the infused oil off the top, leaving the water behind. If you don’t have a turkey baster, carefully pour the oil off the top. Store in a cool area for up to 12 months. (I store mine in the fridge.)
Your dandelion oil is now ready to be used or made into a healing salve).”
Does that mean it is ready to use –after– the 12 months of cool storage?
or is it ready to use after you siphon off the infused oil and can be used for up to 12 months, but after 12 months it would no longer be effective?
Oh, thank you for catching that! The sentences should be reversed:
“If you have a turkey baster, use it to siphon the infused oil off the top, leaving the water behind. If you don’t have a turkey baster, carefully pour the oil off the top. Your dandelion oil is now ready to be used or made into a healing salve.
Store in a cool area for up to 12 months. (I store mine in the fridge.)”
Thank you so much!
We just made a batch and it smells horrible, like something was rotting in the kitchen. What could I have done wrong?
I was going to ask the same thing!! I followed the instructions here, and I’m currently straining out the flowers from my oil slowly through a sieve+ coffee filter and am terribly worried about the very strong dead flower smell. I see no moisture or mold but the draining flowers smell really terrible. ?I hope the oil isn’t ruined.
Hmmm, I’ve never had this happen so I can’t say for sure, but it sounds like maybe the heat was too high and the flowers were scorched.
Hi Heather,
How do you keep the dandelions from turning brown and smelling? I made some jelly and it turned very brown (from frozen flowers). Should it smell bad? LOL Thanks.
Hi Lea, I strain out the dandelions right after the infusion process is complete 🙂
Thank you Heather for these recipes! Can you please send a recipe (or confirm) exactly how you would use this as a diaper balm? I am currently infusing (1 week in) the dandelion oil (solar-infusion method) and I would like to use the dandelion oil for diaper balm. Would you just substitute the dandelion oil in for the calendula oil in this recipe? https://mommypotamus.com/calendula-salve-recipe/
Thank you!
Hi Melissa! You can use this recipe for dandelion salve: https://mommypotamus.com/dandelion-salve-recipe/
Also, I recommend following up with this homemade baby powder after application when needed: https://mommypotamus.com/diy-natural-baby-powder-recipe/
Won’t the heat kill the medicinal properties of the dandelions? I let mine sit for 12 hours on warm and I got some dark brown liquid coming out of them. Is this normal? It doesn’t smell bad.
Hi Deborah, although heat can diminish some herbal properties, the popularity of hot herbal tea as a therapeutic remedy for thousands of years speaks to the fact that many constituents stay intact or are even drawn out by heat. However I’m not sure what to make of the brown liquid you described because my oil stayed a golden color. Did you dry the flowers for at least 12 hours before placing them in the oil?
It has taken me a few days to collect 2 cups of blooms and now the bottom of some are starting to turn white… so here’s my question: when should they be thrown out? If the yellow petals are still visible at the top of the bloom is it still usable for the recipe? Thanks!!
Hi Heather, My oil has a cloudy layer on the bottom after settling in the fridge. I assume that this is just particulate left over from the flowers, but would you suggest using only the clear oil on top? I wonder if a lot of the good stuff is in the bottom and don’t want to waste it…
i made a coconut oil and dandelion moisturizer. i want to make it again… can add things like rose petals, orange rind, other things as well?
Hi! I love to hunt in our yard. Upon seeing your recipe, I have proceeded to collect 2 cups of fresh plantain leaves (and about 10 dandelion flower heads) and dried them all. What started out as 2 pans worth of drying vegetation turned out to be about 1/4 cup dried chopped leaves. I did not process the flowers as your article did not indicate that necessity. Now that I have the 1/4 cup dry (from 2 cups fresh), should I proceed with the full 1 cup of oil or lessen it? Could I continue to collect and leave what I have in a drying stasis until I get enough to create 2 cups dry? Thank you so much! PS the flowers are still a tad moist so I will wait for your answer in hopes that they dry out completely. Thank God for the inventor of the oven light! 🙂
Good morning! Today is the final day to make my dandelion oil. I made it with coconut oil, it smells really nice. I have a question: After you drain and squeeze out all the oil from the dandelions, what can you do with the remaining flowers that has been soaking in the oil? 🙂
Thank you for this great information Heather! A neighbor told me about dandelion infused oil and I prepared some on the stove top and shared with a friend suffering with psoriasis that prescription meds had not helped. She was able to sleep through the night after using this and the areas healed quickly! I am SO excited to use the slow cooker method today! What a blessing to have these treasures on our property! When ‘harvesting’ them, I’ve noted abundant wasps/bees working hard on them 🙂 I leave them some! AND my husband knows not to even think about mowing without checking with me now! THANK YOU!!! Your information is always complete and well researched and appreciated!
Heather:
I have made your dandelion oil and love it…great for my sore neck instead of using commercial rubs on it…my question is: how do I keep the infused oil over the winter until there are fresh dandelions again? Or should I use a preservative in the rub? If so what do you recommend?
Also wondering about freezing or drying the clean dandelions for future use?
Thank you for your help.
Yvonne
What if you leave the dandilions in the oil for longer than a week? I accidentally forgot about some oil I was infusing for like a month… should I just dump it out? It’s been in a mason jar with the metal lid on it. Thanks!
Just make sure that the dandelions you use haven’t been sprayed with pesticides.
Very curious to try this
You state:
“Lay dandelion blossoms on a clean towel for 12-24 hours to dry out. They may still have a little moisture after the drying period, which is why we’ll be using low heat to evaporate out any remaining water.”
My problem is, the next step has us putting the dandelion flowers in oil.
What happened to the step of low heat drying following the air drying??????
Any remaining water will evaporate when you place them over low heat in the slow cooker.
Heather, Thank You. I thought that might be the case, but since I have dandelion drying right now to make the oil I wanted to be sure.
Hey Heather,
Can you use an instant pot for this recipe? It has a slow cooker function but I believe e the lid has to be on.
Thanks
Aimée
I would skip the IP for infused oils because the lid has to be in place and therefore it’s difficult for any excess water to evaporate out of the oil.
Thank you so much. I tried this for the first time and my dandelion oil is more of a green color than a golden yellow. Does this make a difference?
It should still have the same benefits 🙂
Hi Heather
Many thanks for sharing this recipe, love my new dandelion flower infused olive oil, can I leave the flowers in and keep the oil in the fridge?
Thank you!
Possibly, but I don’t know how that would affect shelf life.
What about sunflower oil? Could that be one of the oils used?
I have had my dandelion and oil mixture in the slow cooker for almost 24 hours. The water is like warm bath water. Is that as hot as it should get? I just want to make sure it’s ready to take out and that I have done this step properly. Also, when I take it out and continue to let it infuse, do I just leave the coffee filter on? No need for a proper lid? Thanks!
Hi Melissa, warm bath water is perfect. If you want to let it continue to infuse for a little longer it would be a good idea to replace the coffee filter with a lid.
what type of olive oil is best to use? can you use olive oil you buy at costco? does it clog your pores?
Excellent recipes. Have you tried steeping the dandies in oil in a glass jar in a window? Is there a reason this method is good or bad?I’m new to making salves so I appreciate knowing your opinion on sunlight with such herbs and oil. I wonder if it expedites oil rancidity.
I’m planning on going sous vide with this. Would the temperature be stable enough and can you recommend the best temperature please. Also, is a powder necessary when using for diaper rash? My daughter stays away from powders, and I want my granddaughter to have a happy bum.
Thank you so much❣️
I’m planning on going sous vide with this. Would the temperature be stable enough and can you recommend the best temperature please.
Sorry, I’m not sure what adjustments would need to be made to adjust this recipe for the sous vide method.
Also, is a powder necessary when using for diaper rash?
Some people apply a thin layer more often instead of a thicker layer followed by powder.
Can I put the flowers in my dehydrator to dry instead?
I haven’t used that method with dandelions specifically, but if the dehydrator has a very low heat setting it should be fine.
When the dandelions are dried they are 1 cup, so it’s essentially a 1:1 ratio of dandelions to oil, correct?
Yes, but the dandelions are loose and have space between them while the oil fills all available space, so there’s actually more oil than flowers.
Would you please send me your ebook, Kitchen Apothecary: 25+ Natural Remedies Using Ingredients From Your Pantry? Thank you!
Hi Mary, you’ll receive the ebook automatically when you enter your first name and email address into the form at the bottom of the article. 🙂
Can I use castor oil?
I haven’t tried it, but probably. Castor oil is not edible so it would only be for topical use.