How To Make Turmeric Infused Oil For Skin [7 Easy Steps]
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I always wanted to use turmeric on my skin but avoided it because it stains the skin. I recently found out that turmeric can be infused in oil to get all the benefits and almost no staining. This encouraged to me to learn how to make turmeric infused oil at home.
DIY turmeric oil is very easy to make. I made it a couple of times already and I loved the result each time. It noticeably helped me with acne and I will definitely make more in the future to use it in a turmeric body butter to help me with scarring I have from ingrown hair.
Another awesome benefit of turmeric infused oil is that it is very effective at brightening the skin. It lightens the skin and makes dark spots slowly disappear.
Before we jump to the infusion process, I want to cover a couple of frequently asked questions.
Can you infuse turmeric in oil?
To infuse something in oil, it needs to be oil-soluble. Turmeric and its active compound curcumin are oil-soluble and can be infused in oils.
Can I use turmeric powder to make turmeric oil?
The easiest way to make turmeric oil is to infuse an oil with turmeric powder. Turmeric powder is oil-soluble, so the infused oil will inherit all its active compounds.
For my infusions, I prefer to use turmeric powder over raw turmeric root. There is always a risk that infusing wet turmeric root will introduce microbes into your oil. For this reason, I only infuse properly dried herbs and flowers.
How to use turmeric oil?
Turmeric infused oil can be applied directly to the skin or used to make homemade skin care products.
When applied directly, it will leave some staining, however, significantly less than turmeric powder on its own.
My preferred way of using turmeric infused oil for skin is to incorporate it as an active ingredient in my DIY skin care recipe. This way, I get no staining and maximum benefits for my skin. My recipes using turmeric oil:
– Turmeric & Vitamin C face serum
Can I mix turmeric oil with my cream?
You can add turmeric oil to your favorite face cream, serum or lotion for additional skin benefits.
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WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE TURMERIC INFUSED OIL
» Carrier oil. The oil should have a relatively long shelf life and not be heat sensitive. Some of the best oils for infusions are:
– Jojoba oil;
– Soybean oil;
I infused turmeric in Jojoba oil. Jojoba oil can be heated, has a long shelf life, a very nice and light skin feel and almost no scent. It doesn’t feel greasy and doesn’t clog pores, so I can use it for face and body.
You may be wondering if you can infuse turmeric in olive oil. You can, but have in mind that olive oil is a heavy, greasy oil. It is dark in color and has a strong smell. You may not enjoy applying it on your skin daily as you would with the other oils I suggested.
» Vitamin E. Vitamin E is an antioxidant. It prolongs shelf life of oils.
» Glass jar (that can be heated)
» Empty tea bags. The cleanest way to infuse oils is to use empty tea bags that you can fill with herbs. The ones I used in the pictures are a bit too small, so I recommend these bigger ones.
ALTERNATIVELY, you can infuse turmeric without the tea bags and strain the powder later using a muslin cloth or a double layer of cheesecloth.
» Disposable gloves. Gloves are a must have. No matter how careful you are, you will stain your hands. It happened to me the first time I made turmeric oil. Trust me, you don’t want this.
I did, however, learn from the experience. I found a good way to remove turmeric stains from the skin and gel nails – 1/2 isopropyl alcohol and 1/2 water on a cotton pad. Removed 100% of turmeric from skin and 90% from gel nails.
HOW TO MAKE TURMERIC INFUSED OIL FOR SKIN
TURMERIC OIL RECIPE
– 3 tbsp of Turmeric root powder
– 6 oz / 180 ml of Jojoba oil (or other oil of your choice)
– 15 drops of Vitamin E (no more than 1% of the oils in the recipe)
The ratio is 1 tbsp of turmeric powder to 2 oz of jojoba oil.
MAKING TURMERIC OIL
Step 1 – Prepare turmeric powder for infusion
Measure out 3 tablespoons of turmeric powder into your tea bags and tie them.
Step 2 – Add your carrier oil
Place the tea bags into a glass jar and cover with 6 oz (weight) of jojoba oil.
Step 3 – Place your jar in a pan with water
Screw on the lid and secure tightly. Place your jar in a pan. Fill the pan with water, leaving about 1” underneath the lid.
Step 4 – Heat turmeric in oil for 2-3 hours
Turn the heat on low and let it heat for about 2-3 hours. You can also do this in a crock pot. Just set the crock pot on warm.
Step 5 – Check on your infusion every hour
The water in your pan might evaporate, so you will need to fill it up again.
Step 6 – Let the turmeric infused oil cool down
Remove the jars from the pan and allow them to cool down. I like to put my jars on the counter and cover them with a towel. The towel allows the jars to cool down slowly and prevents jars from cracking.
Step 7 – Add vitamin E
Vitamin E extends the shelf life of your infused oil. Add 15 drops of Vitamin E and mix well.
And just like this, with 7 simple steps, you made your own DIY turmeric oil.
AFTER THE INFUSION:
The scent of your turmeric oil: The oil will have a lovely, slightly spicy turmeric scent.
The color of your turmeric oil: Your turmeric oil may look cloudy at first if some of the powder escaped the bags. It will settle down within a day and the oil will have a clear, orangey color. The oil looks dark orange in a jar but is in fact a beautiful bright yellow when used in smaller amounts.
Despite the color being vibrant, it does not stain nearly as much as turmeric powder would. When mixed with a moisturizer or as an ingredient in a skin care recipe, it barely stains or doesn’t stain at all.
HOW TO STORE HOMEMADE TURMERIC OIL
Storage: You can store your infusion in the same glass jar, especially if you are planning to use it up quickly. However, if you want to store it for longer, pour it into an amber glass bottle. It protects the oil from light and prolongs shelf life. Store the bottle in a cool, dark place.
Shelf life: Label your infusion and date it, so you could track expiration date. The shelf life of your DIY turmeric oil will depend on the expiration date of the oil you choose for the infusion. Check the expiry date on the carrier oil bottle and write it down.
Let me know in the comments what you use your turmeric oil for 🙂
Thank you. This is extremely helpful. I needed to make a hemorrhoid cream. I had lots of turmeric powder for my teas, but no turmeric oil. Thanks to your recipe, I was able to whip up some oil to add to my cream
can I use sunflower oil. I grow and process turmeric into powder
I used coconut oil as the carrier oil and no vitamin E. Please what will be the shelf life
Coconut Oil has a high shelf life of about 2 years.
Can I use vegetable oil Instead?
Thank you very much I gat to try it as quick as possible.
please can I use baby oil for the infusion
Thank you so much. Does almond oil have a long shelf life? And can it be heated?
good day is the coconut oil good to use as infusion for making turmeric oil
Thank you. This is really helpful.
Please i don’t understand did you mean I should place the pan on fire after after putting water
Please can I use olive oil as my carrier oil?
Place bottle with oil and turmeric tea bags in a pot ON TOP OF A SMALL FOLDED CLOTH. Then add cold water up until one inch from the top of the jar. then heat slowly for a couple of hours.
How long does it take for the turmeric to infuse? Should I let it sit for some time after taking it off the stove?
I use olive oil without vitimin E isn’t okay and what is the expiring date ma
Woo thank u for the info
If I use the crockpot, do I need to add any water to the pot?
Does this make your face yellow?
Thank a lot I will give it a try
I wish you went into more details once the oil was made … how and what do I mix the oil with so when I apply daily I don’t stain.
I am planning to use this turmeric oil for fluid into my pelvic area is it ok to use it for that
with cost of things going up I wanted to make my own turmeric infused face oil. I appreciate your instructions and photos, very well done. I am into making potpourri the 70s way using essential oils and dried nature. thanks.
I plan to mesagge tumeric oil on my arthritis?Will it be treated?
Wow thanks for this information I will try doing it now
Hello, when using a crock pot do I put the lid on? Also how long in the crock pot is it still 2 to 3 hours on warm?
Thanks so much!!
Denise
If I have everything else but vitamin e oil, will that be okay? Will it affect the shelf life of the turmeric infused jojoba oil?
Thank You! For this ive been researching and wanting to make body wash with tumeric and ive seen where people would add the powder to an oil base or glycerin, but its easier to just make the infused tumeric oil. that way you dont end of with tumeric powder at the bottome of your body wash bottles. Let me know if you have any other ideas for a body wash for eczema. Ill also be adding honey
Hi, thank you for your recipe. I intend to use this to start up a small business. Any further advice?
hi, do you leave the muslin bag/tea bag in the oil after infusion has cooled down?
Soybean is supposed to brighten skin. Would it be the best oil to use?
How do you make turmeric butter , I need it for a recipe
Please assist me on how to mix turmeric essential oil in tissue oil base.
Thank you so much for the tip…I will try this love from Tanzania
Thanks will try as I want to do my own tumeric products
Thanks for the info as I want to do my own tumeric products
I’m excited to make this recipe. I would like to know if I could add Shea Or mango butter as well? I’m trying to make a face cream to get rid of these dark spots and hyper pigmentation on my face. Can your recipe be used on the face daily? How long would I leave it on my face? Will I turn yellow?
Enough of the machine gun question, but I really want to do this right so I don’t walk around looking like a talker Tonka truck. 🙂
hi, thank you so much for this.
do you leave the muslin bag/tea bag in the oil after infusion has cooled down?
im doing mine right now ,but will I closed the lid of the saucepan when boiling?