How To Make Cilantro Essential Oil At Home

You can make cilantro essential oil at home, and it’s a rewarding project that lets you capture that fresh, vibrant aroma right in your own kitchen. 

While true essential oil requires distillation, you can create a potent infused oil that works beautifully for cooking, massage, and natural remedies. 

Cilantro essential oil is loved for its fresh, herbaceous scent and its potential to support digestion and detoxification. 

If you’ve been wondering how to make cilantro essential oil without fancy lab equipment, you’re in the right place. 

In this post, we’ll walk through how to make cilantro essential oil at home using simple methods, plus tips for storing and using your finished oil. 

Let’s dive in. 

How to Make Cilantro Essential Oil at Home

Making cilantro essential oil at home is totally doable, and here’s how the process works. 

1. Gather Fresh Cilantro and Quality Oil

Start by collecting a big bunch of fresh cilantro, stems and all, since the stems hold plenty of aroma. 

You’ll also need a carrier oil like sweet almond, jojoba, or fractionated coconut oil to extract and hold the cilantro’s properties. 

For a stronger cilantro essential oil, use about one cup of packed cilantro leaves per cup of carrier oil. 

Wash the cilantro thoroughly and pat it completely dry before you begin. 

Any water left on the leaves can cause your oil to spoil faster, so take your time here. 

2. Choose Your Extraction Method

There are two main ways to make cilantro essential oil at home: the cold infusion method and the heated infusion method. 

The cold infusion is slower but preserves more of the delicate compounds in cilantro. 

The heated method speeds things up but requires careful temperature control so you don’t cook away the benefits. 

For beginners, the cold infusion method is the safest way to make cilantro essential oil without risking burns or ruined oil. 

3. Blend or Bruise the Cilantro

To help the oil absorb the cilantro’s essence, gently bruise the leaves with a mortar and pestle or pulse them briefly in a blender. 

You don’t want a fine paste, just enough damage to break the cell walls so the aromatic compounds can escape. 

This step is what makes your homemade cilantro essential oil smell so rich and fresh. 

4. Combine Cilantro and Carrier Oil

Place your bruised cilantro into a clean glass jar and pour the carrier oil over it until everything is fully submerged. 

Stir gently to make sure all the plant material is coated, which helps prevent mold from forming. 

Seal the jar tightly with a lid and give it a good shake. 

5. Let It Infuse in a Cool, Dark Place

Now comes the patient part of making cilantro essential oil at home. 

Store your jar in a cool, dark cabinet for two to four weeks. 

Shake the jar once a day to keep the cilantro and oil well mixed. 

You’ll notice the oil slowly turning green and smelling more and more like fresh cilantro as the days pass. 

Straining and Storing Your Cilantro Essential Oil

Once your cilantro essential oil has infused long enough, it’s time to strain and store it properly. 

1. Strain Through Cheesecloth

Line a fine mesh strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth and place it over a clean bowl. 

Pour the infused oil through slowly, letting gravity do the work. 

Once most of the oil has passed through, gather the cheesecloth and squeeze gently to release every last drop. 

This is the moment your homemade cilantro essential oil becomes clear and ready to use. 

2. Bottle in Dark Glass

Transfer your finished cilantro essential oil into a dark amber or cobalt glass bottle with a dropper. 

Dark glass protects the oil from light, which can break down its beneficial compounds over time. 

Label the bottle with the date so you know when your cilantro essential oil was made. 

3. Store It Correctly

Keep your cilantro essential oil in a cool, dark spot, and it will stay fresh for six to twelve months. 

If you used fractionated coconut oil as your base, your cilantro essential oil may last even longer since it resists rancidity well. 

A quick sniff test will tell you if it’s still good; fresh cilantro essential oil smells bright and green, never musty. 

Ways to Use Your Homemade Cilantro Essential Oil

Now that you’ve learned how to make cilantro essential oil at home, here’s how to actually enjoy it. 

1. In Cooking

Add a few drops of your cilantro essential oil to salad dressings, marinades, or soups for an instant burst of fresh flavor. 

Since it’s oil-based, it blends beautifully into guacamole and salsa without watering them down. 

Just remember that this infused cilantro essential oil is much more concentrated than fresh leaves, so a little goes a long way. 

2. For Aromatherapy and Massage

Dilute your cilantro essential oil further with a carrier oil and massage it into your skin for a soothing, refreshing experience. 

You can also add a few drops to a diffuser to fill your room with that clean, herbal scent. 

Many people find the aroma of cilantro essential oil uplifting and calming at the same time. 

3. In Natural Cleaning Products

Add a few drops of cilantro essential oil to homemade cleaning sprays for a fresh scent and a bit of natural antibacterial power. 

It pairs wonderfully with lemon and tea tree oil in DIY cleaners. 

Your homemade cilantro essential oil isn’t just for the kitchen; it’s a versatile addition to your whole home. 

So, How Do You Make Cilantro Essential Oil at Home?

You make cilantro essential oil at home by infusing fresh cilantro in a carrier oil, letting it sit for weeks, then straining and bottling it. 

It’s a simple process that anyone can do with basic kitchen tools and a little patience. 

While it’s technically an infused oil rather than a distilled essential oil, it captures the same fresh, vibrant character of cilantro. 

Whether you use your cilantro essential oil for cooking, massage, or cleaning, you’ll love having this homemade staple on hand. 

Give this method a try, and you’ll never look at a bunch of cilantro the same way again.