Frugally Sustainable

A Resource for All Things Frugal and Sustainable

How to Make Carrot Oil for Naturally Healthy Hair and Skin

How to Make Carrot Oil for Naturally Healthy Hair and Skin 3
Share on Pinterest

Carrot oil.
Healthy.
Hair.
Skin.

Carrots aren’t just for the kitchen any more! Not only are they good for the body inside out — but carrots are actually very helpful in building soft, supple skin and aiding in hair growth and strengthening when applied externally.

Instead of using all those commercially prepared shampoos, conditioners, lotions, etc. — which all contain preservatives and chemicals — it’s better to use a natural oil, likewise reducing your risk for unwanted allergic reactions.

Carrot oil is very easy to make at home and it is extremely beneficial for the hair and skin.

Benefits of Carrot Oil

Carrots are rich in nutrients such as vitamins A, C, and E, beta-carotene, and a multitude of other antioxidants. Vitamins A and E — in addition to beta-carotene — have wonderful conditioning properties. They moisturizer the skin or scalp on the body, thereby building healthier hair and skin.

The benefits of carrot oil include — but are not limited to:

  • healing damaged skin
  • warding off the dreaded signs of aging
  • stimulating hair growth
  • creating luxuriously, soft-to-the-touch hair
  • improving blood circulation
  • protecting hair and skin from the damaging effects of weather, pollution, dust, sunlight, chemicals, treatments, and the like
  • strengthening hair…preventing breakage

Carrot Oil by Frugally Sustainable

homemade carrot oil by Frugally Sustainable

making carrot oil by Frugally Sustainable

How to Make Carrot Oil

Supplies Needed

  • Veggie peeler
  • Hand grater or food processor
  • Crock pot
  • Fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth
  • Glass mason jar

Carrot Oil Ingredients

-2 organically or home grown carrots
-olive, coconut, sunflower, or sesame oil, to cover

Carrot Oil Instructions

  1. Wash and peel the skin of the carrots.
  2. Grate carrots with the use of a hand grater or food processor.
  3. Place the grated carrots in a crock pot and pour the oil of your choice to cover. Note: I used 2 1/4 cups of oil or 18 ounces.
  4. On your crock pot’s lowest setting, maintain a warm temperature — infusing the oil for a full 24-72 hours. Note: I use the “warm” temperature setting on my crock pot. Try not to allow the temperature of the oil to rise above 100-105 degrees farenheit. You will notice the oil becoming orange in color.
  5. Once the infusion process is complete, pour the carrots and oil mixture through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth and strain.
  6. Reserve the oil and compost the carrots.
  7. Label and store the oil in a glass mason jar in the refrigerator until ready for use. Will keep for 6-8 months if stored properly.

How To Use Carrot Oil

Homemade carrot oil may be used in the following ways:

  • Add 5 drops of essential oils of carrot seed and helichrysum to 2 ounces of carrot-infused oil and apply nightly to mature skin. This application will work to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots.
  • Make a Carrot Shampoo Bar
  • Create a carrot oil lotion for all over radiant skin.

Please note: This oil is not suitable for use in salves or balms due to the use of fresh carrots during the infusion process. The water content of the carrots may cause the salve to go rancid. It is important to only use carrot oil prepared in this manner when using for direct application or in soaps and/or lotions.

Where Can I Get This Stuff?

–Mountain Rose Herbs…they have everything you’ll need for this remedy! I LOVE the quality of their castile soap, hydrosols, and essential oils. Including strictly medicinal, non-GMO herbal seeds for your home herb garden. It’s your one-stop-shop!

–The Bulk Herb Store also carries a few of these ingredients if you’d like to price check.

Share on Pinterest
Category:

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I am thinking the carrots were peeled to avoid dirt from the skins getting into the infusion….?

  3. When I think carrots, I think orange (of course:) and wonder if the oil would change the color of my skin. I know when babies eat lots of orange veggies, it can color the skin around their mouths. As orange is not in the range of colors I look good in, will I notice a tint if I use the oil on my face? Radiant is one thing, tinted is another!

    • Carrots can be purple, red, yellow, or white, as well as orange. You might be able to find them in these other colors at a natural-food store, and use the white ones. They won’t have the beta carotene content of the orange ones, but are still very nutritious in other ways. Read all about carrots here: http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/carrotcolours.html I’m sure using the orange-tinted oil once or twice a week won’t tint the skin, though, and you could alternate with olive or coconut oil, both of which are really good for the skin. 🙂

  4. Wow, this is so easy! I also wonder about the skin-coloring effects?

  6. Would dehydrating the shredded carrots to remove the water content then doing an oil infusion help to prevent the carrot oil from going rancid when used in salves? Mahalo nui loa for all that you do! Aloha nui!

    • The carrot must be dehydrated before macerating or infusing the oil. Carrots contain over 90% water, which means your oil would be full of water and whatever product you try making, will have to be refrigerated, but will start building mold and bacteria after 1 week. We’ve had it tested with my students and you can’t visually see the mold, but it’s there if you look under a microscope. After 2 weeks it is visible to the naked eye. I have purchased carrot oil from certain sources, paid a fortune, manufactured my products and had to throw away 100’s of $$$$ because the oil was not done properly. If you will be making it yourself, make sure they are 100% dry and crisp, before you make your oil. If you purchase it? know your supplier. 🙂

  7. I have been reading about carrot oil quite a bit lately. Will have to give this a try.

  8. Something That must Be Noted Is That Carrot Oil Is Not Safe For Use During Pregnancy. Can’T To Make This After Baby arrives! (Sorry For The Funky Capitalization. Silly Smart Phone!)

    • Carrots are allowed to be eaten in pregnancy, why would a topical application be any different? I have 6 children, an have eaten carrots with them all. They have never been on the “no” list.

      That being said, I am assuming that you are meaning that too much Vitamin A can be harmful during pregnancy. That is true, however it is carotene is converted to Vitamin A by the body. There is no danger of Vitamin A overdose without taking a Vitamin A supplement in excess.

    • Carrot seed essential oil is not safe during pregnancy. I would say a carrot infused oil is fine. There is a huge difference between essential oil extracts and infusions!

    • Carrot Seed oil is from wild carrot also known as Queen Annʻs Lace. Very different from the edible kind of carrot that this recipe calls for

  12. I’d just like to share – although I haven’t tried making carrot oil as yet, I will be doing so shortly. I read on another blog “Adventures with the Sage” that you can dehydrate the grated carrots before making the oil infusion. I prefer this method as the finished product will have a longer shelf life and can be used in both water and oil based products. For those asking about staining and tinting of the skin, I have light brown tones in my skin and have never noticed any tint although when I add a few drops of the store bought concentrated carrot oil to my cream, I do get a lovely carrot tint colour. and my skin does have a nice natural glow.

    I love visiting Frugallysustainable and thoroughly enjoy all the wonderful recipes and information that is shared with all.

    Thank you.

    • You could try a rice cooker – they’re available for under $10 and most have a ‘warm’ setting. They’re also smaller, which is nice for making smaller batches.

  14. When I make dandelion-infused oil, I add the contents of a vitamin E capsule to my infusion to keep it from going rancid quite as quickly, and that seems to work quite well. Part of the philosophy behind not dehydrating your plant materials before you infuse them is that the antioxidants that make these plants so special become less potent or are even eradicated by heat and evaporation. Some of the “good stuff” may remain after you cook or dry the carrots, but vitamin C content will be effected, among other things I imagine.

  15. There is no where NEAR enough colour in the oil to colour your skin! You would have to use POUNDS and then probably not even then.

    This is amazing, I have been making it for all my friends, and using it for sun protection in place of those toxic commercial sunscreens (coconut oil has a SPF of 4).

    Thanks for posting

    Ps (you can buy a crockpot for under 20 dollars, just make sure it has a ‘warm’ setting, not just high & low)

  16. I was wondering if I could just do the heating process in the dehydrator since it has the low heat settings. Has anyone tried this?

  17. Hi there! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could locate a captcha plugin for my comment form?
    I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m
    having problems finding one? Thanks a lot!

  19. I think I am going to try it on my hair- I am obsessed with natural hair masks and remedies. I also started taking Nourage hair vitamins for healthy hair (The ones that Kyle Richards uses), so that is going to add to the beautiful mane I plan on growing. Thank you so much for the info- please let us know of any other ideas like this, love this stuff!

  20. Another way to infuse herbs in oils is to put the oil-herb mixture into the oven in the lowest temperature-60 degrees of Celcious,and leave it all night long….about 8 hours.Let it cool by itself and strain it as usual…voila….ready!!!

  21. I have purchased this oil in the past and after reading this, I am making my own. Another idea to prevent rancidity might be to dehydrate the carrots first, then infuse them in a quality oil. This will cut down on the water factor. I plan on using our supreme organic virgin coconut oil that we get farm direct, which is cold pressed the day I call plantation to order.
    I like the oven idea vs the crock pot as you have more control over the temp. Heating most oils over 100 F will harm the antioxidant quality of the oil and the carrots, too.

  22. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!…Love This! Love your blog…and Love your Pinterest Boards as well…following you as Single Mom Chronicles on Pinterest feel free to follow me back if you’d like 🙂

  23. Very helpful article!! I didn`t know about the carrot`s oil, and I like oils a lot, I`m using now argan oil for my hair and it`s so wonderful too. Mine is by Pro Naturals and my hair looks an feel awesome!! 🙂

  24. Soo, I’m a bit light skinned.. And I was just wondering if the carrot oil would change my skin colour to someting like orange… Actually, my skin colour is good just as it is.. Scared that this might *colour* me up..please, need a replY asap.. Just need that glow effect to my skin..#waiting

  28. Is this remedy to make carrot oil safe to use is a homemade make up remover?

    Thanks,

    Jennifer V.

  30. Been studying this for years and although using an orange garden carrot is terrific for demonstration purposes it is not the correct root with which to make this oil. Daucus carota is the root of Queen Annes Lace…you know that white flower that blooms from July through Autumn. Dig it up and you will find the wild carrot stuck firmly in hard pan ground. After washing, the root is off-white on the outside. A more mature daucus carota root is a deep yellow at the center of the root. Many ways to shred it. After shredding it you can follow the directions above.

  31. Quite interesting. Can i use normal heat like the gas cooker to boil the carrot oil?

  33. Is here a shop in the State of New York, where I can purchase Almond, Carrot, Cashew, and Mustard Oils.

  34. How can I get the carrot seed and helichrysum in Nigeria. What can I use to substitute Glass mason jar. What kind of oil can you recommend that I should used

  36. Wow!!! Thanks for the information, I’m knowing about the dehydrating of the carrot for the first time. I’ll give it a try.

  37. I have damaged hair. Want to use this to strengthen it. do I just rub it into my hair and let in overnight? Or how long?