Turmeric Oil: Benefits & How To Make It

turmeric oil recipe

Turmeric oil is one of the best oils that we can easily make at home. We just need 2 ingredients for making turmeric oil and it has loads of skincare benefits. Turmeric oil helps treat many skin problems including acne, scars, dark spots, eczema and dull skin.

What is Turmeric Oil?

Turmeric oil is an infusion of different varieties of turmeric roots in a base oil. Turmeric oil is different from turmeric essential oil. Turmeric essential oil is got by steam distillation method and is very potent and should be used just a little mixed with a base oil. Turmeric essential oil is also expensive so I prefer turmeric infused oil.

Turmeric oil also referred to as golden oil keeps the skin blemish free in all seasons. I just love turmeric oil so much as it effectively treats almost all the skin problems. Regularly massaging the skin at least weekly twice with this oil will keep the skin supple, soft and glowing.

We usually use turmeric oil to massage the skin at least weekly twice and then we have bath using our traditional bath powder. The reason this oil is so effective is because it contains three varieties of turmeric.

Turmeric Varieties For Making Turmeric Oil

The first variety of turmeric used in this recipe is white turmeric. White turmeric is a close relative to our regular turmeric and when dried, it has a thin brownish skin and a firm white interior. It is also very very fragrant and we can get both the dried root and the powder easily online.

The second variety of turmeric is our normal turmeric that we use in our cooking. As we all know, turmeric has wonderful skincare benefits as it has powerful antifungal and antibacterial properties.

The third variety of turmeric is kasturi turmeric also called as wild turmeric in English. Like white turmeric, it is also very very fragrant and is used mainly for skin care. It also does not stain the skin much like regular turmeric does.

turmeric varietiesTurmeric Oil Benefits:

  • This oil does not stain the skin at all and if you’re a person who hates the stain left over after using turmeric, then you will enjoy using this oil. This oil is especially useful for kids as it helps heal their scars and blemishes well.
  • It also keeps the skin soft and free from infections. Regular use of this oil will fade scars and blemishes and it will also prevent skin infections along with making our skin glow. Both the oil and massage greatly helps and it can be used for both adults and babies.
  • In India using homemade oils to massage babies has been done for a long time. The homemade virgin coconut oil is the best base oil for massage oil. Massaging helps babies sleep peacefully, it also reduces colic pain, relieves constipation and helps parents bond with their babies better.
  • I am a firm believer of massage and I used to do it regularly for my son when he was a baby. When my son was a new born, I was using a store bought massage oil from a very famous brand. I really used to love the smell of that oil and after a few weeks, there came a lawsuit against the company.
  • The law suit was filed because there were cancer causing substances found in one of their products and the license of the company was suspended temporarily.
  • This really upset me very much and this incident was also one of the reasons I started trying to make my own homemade products. Many like me fall for the branding, packaging and smell of the product and pay a huge amount of money when it can be made purely at home for the fraction of the cost.

2 Top Ways To Make Turmeric Oil

I have given two methods to make the oil – One is with the dried roots and the second is with the powders, you can choose either one method and if you follow the instructions correctly, you will get a beautiful clear oil.

1. Turmeric Oil Using Dried Turmeric Roots:

To make the oil using the dried roots, take one regular turmeric in a bowl. Add in a tablespoon of white turmeric roots to it. Add in a tablespoon of kasthuri turmeric root too. Now take this mixture in a mortar and pestle and pound coarsely, make sure not to pound very finely.

All the pieces should be broken but not made into a powder. Now take the pounded pieces in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup of oil to it. If you have oily skin, you can use jojoba oil or grape seed oil. If you have dry skin, you can use extra virgin olive oil, unrefined coconut oil or sweet almond oil but if you’re suffering from clogged pores don’t use coconut oil.

Now heat this mixture under hot sun for a day. Since it is peak summer here now, the oil was ready within a day but if you live in a place where you can’t sun dry directly, you can also use double boiler method by placing the bowl in a larger bowl with gently simmering water till the colour of the oil changes to yellow colour.

Once the oil is infused with the turmeric, line a strainer with a thin clean white cotton cloth and pour over the mixture. The clear oil will strain out. Now store this oil in a bottle at room temperature and use regularly.

2. Turmeric Oil Using Powders:

To make the oil using the powders, take half teaspoon of white turmeric powder in a bowl. Add in 1/2 teaspoon of regular turmeric powder. Finally add in 1/2 teaspoon of kasturi turmeric powder too.

Add in 1/4 cup of oil of your choice. Now mix well with a whisk till the powders and the oil are combined together well. Now sundry this mixture under hot sun for two to three hours. You can also use the double boiler method I mentioned before for making the oil if you can’t sundry directly.

After two to three hours, the powders would have settled down and the clear oil will float on top. Make sure not to disturb the mixture and transfer the clear oil alone onto a bottle. If you want a very clear oil like the first method, you can strain the oil floating on top using a white cotton cloth too.

This oil will last well for months together at room temperature. To use, take the oil and massage it all over the face and body as long as you can. After the massage, you can have bath as usual using a bath powder or a mild body wash. This oil can be used by all age groups and all skin types but make sure to use the appropriate oil depending on your skin type.

turmeric oil recipe


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54 Comments

  1. Carol
    March 19, 2014 / 2:47 pm

    Dear Ramya, Your site is a breath of fresh air to me. I am so grateful to you for taking the time and effort to share your wonderful homemade secrets for good health. Stay blessed always. Cheers!

  2. ramya
    March 20, 2014 / 1:57 am

    Thanks a lot Carol. Your kind words means a lot to me….

  3. Anonymous
    March 22, 2014 / 8:40 am

    Can this oil be used for kids above 3 or 5 years ? Will it be effective in reducing hair growth for this age?

  4. ramya
    March 22, 2014 / 1:42 pm

    It can be used for kids above 3 or 5 years too. Regular use will reduce the hair growth over time.

  5. Akila
    April 19, 2014 / 3:17 pm

    Hi Ramya, Do we need to filter the oil?

  6. ramya
    April 20, 2014 / 3:39 am

    If the turmeric paste is very fine, you don't need to filter the oil.

  7. Anonymous
    September 7, 2014 / 2:20 pm

    Dear Ramya, I loved your natural homemade recipes which you have shared here. Thanks a lot for them. Turmeric is my favourite spice too. I have made this turmeric coconut oil before using "fresh turmeric root". I want to know whether it is ok to use "fresh turmeric roots". I think you have used "organic Dry turmeric root" in this recipe…isn't it? I don't know where I can get "organic dry turmeric root" same as yours. But I can get "fresh turmeric root" easily here in the super markets. Also I thought "fresh turmeric root" will be easy to grind and get paste rather than grinding dry turmeric root which will take time isn't it? Dry turmeric Root will take more time to grind and make its place and also we will have to use water to grind it isn't it? Where as for fresh turmeric roots we don't have to use water as the fresh turmeric root will have a little water in it.But I really want to know:-which one is better to use- fresh turmeric root or dry turmeric root? -and also how to grind them- can I grind them in the mixer? I don't have the stone like yours to make its paste.-can you please tell me how much of turmeric root I have to use for getting the perfect turmeric effect in the oil?suppose I am using 1 litre of coconut oil, then how much of turmeric root I have to use to make its paste. I want to make more oil at a time and want to store it for future use. So please tell me how much of turmeric I have to add to get its correct smell and effect in the coconut oil. Can I use about a 500 gms of fresh/dry turmeric root paste to add into one litre of coconut oil?By the way, I am using this oil for acne treatments as I keep getting acne everyday. And I have dry skin. Still I keep getting acne. Thanks for any help/tip you may provide. God Bless you.

  8. Ramya Venkateshwaran
    September 8, 2014 / 8:45 am

    Hi, Yes, grinding fresh turmeric root is much easier. Both dried and fresh are very effective. Try around 250 gms of the turmeric paste for a liter of oil. For acne, try try fresh turmeric paste directly on the acne for some days, till it clears and then use this oil regularly as a massage oil before bath…….

  9. dharmadha shree krishnan
    December 10, 2014 / 3:52 am

    hi Ramya, very useful information on your blog.. thank you and keep exploring… am very much interested in herbs and while learning on them i found ur blog… i have few doubts on this oil, can this be used for infants 10 months older? also cud be used on face?kindly advise. thank you. All the best!!!

  10. Ramya Venkateshwaran
    December 10, 2014 / 9:05 am

    Hi,Thanks a lot! This turmeric oil can be safely used on infants who is 10 months old and can be used on both face and the body….

  11. dharmadha shree krishnan
    December 30, 2014 / 3:10 am

    thank you for your good work and take care 🙂

  12. lata
    March 26, 2015 / 5:37 am

    Why not on boys??…boys dont have to be bears..when puberty hits their bodies will change and all needed development will take place..I have used kasthuri manjal on my son till he was 2 yrs..he is 7 now and has normal hair on his arms, legs and back.

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      March 26, 2015 / 8:43 am

      Hi Lata, Girls in general have fine, thin hair on the body and face, so when they use turmeric daily, the result will show very fast. But since boys have a more thick and coarse hair, it takes a long time to stunt the hair growth visibly. Since we use turmeric bath powders and oils regularly everyday for really a long time, we don't use it for boy babies. If you are using it irregularly and for shorter duration, you can use it for boy babies too. Hope this clears your doubt..:)

    • lata
      April 22, 2015 / 6:52 am

      thanks…yes it does clear my doubt anyways after certain period of time they hate all this oil application and herbal powder application..Please amma No oil or any kind of yellow powder:-( but will try you beautiful baby bath powder recipe it is fit for a king..such detailed research na.

  13. Ramya Venkateshwaran
    June 19, 2015 / 7:07 am

    I am sorry for the late reply. You can start using this oil when the baby is around 3 months old, we use it from the second month itself. It is not harsh at all and in fact it will greatly prevent all skin diseases but try to make your own turmeric paste using organic turmeric for making the oil…..

  14. Archna
    June 20, 2015 / 4:48 pm

    Hi Ramya, I came to your blog while searching something on google. and I must say it is one of the best thing happened to me. Off late I have also started making hair oil for my daughter at home. Just one question: My daughter is 6.5 yrs old and has some hair on her back. Will it be possible to reduce hairs using this oil now? or would you suggest some other scrub/mask? Thanx

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      June 27, 2015 / 4:14 am

      Hi Archna, I am very very sorry for the late reply and I am so very glad that you find the blog useful 🙂 Start using bath powder (recipe in the blog) for her daily along with this oil (you can use this oil at any age) and with regular use you will notice the hair thinning out…

  15. Sanju Panyam
    August 4, 2015 / 7:55 pm

    Hello Ramya,Thanks for the wonderful blog. Coconut oil is generally known to improve hair growth. If this is used on the skin as you suggested will it not increase hair growth on the skin?

    • Sanju Panyam
      August 17, 2015 / 2:16 pm

      Hello Ramya, Would you mind responding to this question?

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      August 18, 2015 / 4:45 pm

      I am very sorry, I somehow missed answering this question. I have been using coconut oil on my skin for a long time and I haven't seen any increased hair growth on the skin at all. ( I think body hair growth is hormone related than external application)…

  16. Dinesh Suvarna
    August 5, 2015 / 3:56 pm

    Hi Ramyayour blog is very informative . Thanks for posting all these useful tips my daughter is 3 month old and has lots of hair on forehead shoulder earand back. I didn't find the turmeric u mentioned, but I got the kasturi manjal in powdered form. How much quantity to be added to 1cup coconut oil n how? Should I heat oil first. After massage how long should I keep it before giving her bath. Can I use these oil for her daily massage. Is there any problem if the oil by mistakenly gets applied on eyebrows.pls do replybharathi

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      August 12, 2015 / 3:49 pm

      Hi Bharathi, I am very sorry for the late reply. I would suggest using 2 teaspoons of turmeric powder for a cup of oil. Mix both the turmeric powder and coconut oil, heat on low flame till a nice smell wafts, switch off and strain. After massage wait for 5 to 10 minutes and you can use this oil to massage her everyday. It's ok if it gets applied accidentally on the eyebrows once in a while…:)

  17. Dinesh Suvarna
    August 13, 2015 / 11:28 am

    Hi RamyaI have been using these oil since last one week. Now I am actually feeling like my baby's skin is becoming dry. Don't know why. Is it possible because of the these oil. If no please suggest me with some remedy.please do reply as soon as possible please.Bharathi

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      August 16, 2015 / 5:12 am

      Turmeric is drying on the skin but if used along with unrefined oils it does not cause any drying on the skin. If you feel it is only because of this oil, try stopping it for a few days and see whether her skin condition improves and if it does, stop using it. In the mean time, apply pure warm malai (the cream that collects on milk, remove it while the milk is still warm) on her skin before bath, it will cure the dry skin very fast.

  18. Anonymous
    August 18, 2015 / 12:17 pm

    Hi will this improve the complexion as well? My baby is getting darker day by day. I'm using lakshadi kerathailam now.

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      August 24, 2015 / 2:46 am

      Turmeric does improve the complexion, try massaging daily with the oil and also try using the bath powder for babies along with it for best results..

  19. Balija Rambabu
    September 23, 2015 / 12:04 pm

    Hi Madam,can we use normal coconut oil (like parachute) for this ? how can we get virgin coconut oil ?

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      September 25, 2015 / 2:58 pm

      I would suggest using unrefined coconut oil than refined coconut oil brands. Though in India we don't have many virgin coconut oil brands, we do get a few. Ask for it in the departmental stores, they will guide you but make sure to check whether the company is ISO certified…

  20. Bhinu
    November 2, 2015 / 10:04 am

    If we use turmeric it ll tan the skin or not while we go in the sun light?

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      November 8, 2015 / 3:48 pm

      Turmeric does not tan the skin of everyone. Even in a study only 4 out of 21 people experienced tanning after using turmeric. Try it for yourself and see how your skin reacts to it..

  21. sam tariq
    March 23, 2016 / 11:33 am

    Hi are you allowed to give bubble bath after the tumeric and cocunet oil pasta

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      April 21, 2016 / 6:15 am

      You can give a bubble bath after using this turmeric oil….

  22. Sam
    April 29, 2016 / 8:49 am

    I made the tumeric mixture however the tumeric powder falls to the bottom of the mixture in a container…the weather is cold in the uk…is that ok thanks

  23. Sam
    April 29, 2016 / 9:18 am

    How long does it take to work thanks

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      June 6, 2016 / 6:28 am

      If the turmeric paste is coarse the mixture will fall to the bottom. Strain the mixture before bottling it. You will see positive results in the skin with regular usage of turmeric oil for about a month or so….

    • Shiji
      November 14, 2016 / 12:25 pm

      Thank you

  24. Pal
    June 12, 2016 / 5:55 am

    Can I use any other base oil with turmeric for my 9 months old girl? Pls also suggest hair oil recipe for babies. Thanks!

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      June 17, 2016 / 5:14 am

      You can use any pure unrefined oil for making turmeric oil. I would suggest using only pure homemade coconut oil for her hair as she is very young. You can find the link for method of making coconut oil at home in the first paragraph above…

  25. Anonymous
    August 31, 2016 / 9:28 pm

    Thanks Ramya for this insightful infoCan I use turmeric powder to mix homemade palm kernel oil , then use same on my 5months old baby. She's getting darker and hope the mixture will lighten her skin with no side effect? Please confirm and also what's the process involved.Thanks in advance for your response

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      September 3, 2016 / 3:01 am

      I have not used palm kernel oil but you can use it along with organic turmeric powder for her. Try using organic cold pressed palm oil instead of the refined oil. In my personal opinion, massaging babies with any pure unrefined oils regularly will prevent skin infections and also gives them a smooth and glowing skin…

  26. Urvashi Bharwani Thadhani
    September 21, 2016 / 7:54 am

    Dear Ramya,Your blog is amazing!Is it essential to use Coconut oil or one can use Almond oil as well? My daughter is 4.5 months and approximately how long will it take for it to show some results?Thank you ��

  27. Anonymous
    September 21, 2016 / 7:57 am

    Hi Ramya,Your blog is amazing! Is it essential to use organic cold pressed coconut oil or one can use organic cold pressed almond oil as well? Also how long will it take for it to show some results? I mean how do I know that I'm on the right track? Thank you 😊

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      November 20, 2017 / 4:07 pm

      You can use any organic cold pressed oil and when you use this oil regularly, your skin will be smooth and radiant and free of infections. You can see positive difference in just a few days of regular use…

  28. Renu Kalra
    November 18, 2016 / 3:38 pm

    Hi Ramya!I have 3 years old daughter who has eczema/dermatitis. I used besan turmeric ubtan few times, but she gets rash on the body. Can I use this above mentioned oil for her for removal of hair? Also instead coconut oil, can I Use badam rogan. If yes, does it need to be heated as well, Or it has to be coconut oil only.How often should I apply it for the results?RK

    • Renu Kalra
      November 28, 2016 / 1:26 pm

      Hi Ramya!Can you please reply for my query

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      November 20, 2017 / 4:02 pm

      Hi Renu, you can massage her skin daily with this oil. You can use any pure unrefined oil for making the oil. For eczema, I would suggest using Aloe Vera oil from the blog, it gives the best results…

  29. Anonymous
    November 20, 2016 / 5:53 pm

    hai ramya garu !! i am 22 yrs old and i do have little hair on my body..i don't prefer waxing..does this oil helps me in thinning my body hair??

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      November 20, 2017 / 3:55 pm

      This oil will not help reduce body hair for adults as the hair gets more coarse as we get older. For reducing body hair, I would suggest using turmeric based bath powders regularly. You can find the recipe for homemade bath powder here: https://youtu.be/Jba5dRpERnc

  30. Anonymous
    September 6, 2017 / 7:57 am

    Can I use kasthuri manjal for my 5month old kid than ordinary turmeric

  31. Pavithra
    September 15, 2017 / 8:20 am

    Hi Ramya! Your posts are very informative and useful. Thanks for your valuable posts.Can you suggest me homemade sunscreen lotion for my 3year old baby?

  32. Priya
    November 18, 2017 / 1:32 pm

    Hi Ramya, my gal is 2 yrs, can i use it on her face? Also, which oil would you suggest to use before putting her to sleep ?Much thanks in advance,Priya

    • Ramya Venkateshwaran
      November 20, 2017 / 3:36 pm

      Hi Priya, you can use it for her face too. I would suggest using pure organic cold pressed coconut oil, it will keep her skin soft and supple…

  33. kv
    January 22, 2018 / 8:24 am

    Hi Ramya, vry informative blogs, i have very dry and raised red skin around my mouth and cheeks. can i use turmeric oil mixed with aloevera gel to get rid of this

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