How To Make Oregano Oil (With Recipe and Pictures) (2024)

Oregano oil is easy to make and should be every survivalist’s bug-out bag, first-aid kit, and every self-sustainable home’s bathroom cabinet.

From sore throats to bacterial infections, fungus to flu, oregano oil is your go-to cure.

Quick and easy to make, it takes a couple of weeks for your oregano oil to mature, but after that, it will keep on healing for weeks.

A Quick Photo Tutorial on How To Make Oregano Oil

There are two main methods for making oregano oil. Steam distillation extraction is effective but only possible if you’ve got a still.

I use a more straightforward method that requires no special equipment yet will still produce a good, potent oil.

It won’t be as potent as a store-bought essential oil, but it will do the job.

Let’s get into it.

Getting Started

To make oregano oil, you need the following ingredients:

  • Oregano leaves and flowers – dried, crushed, or chopped
  • Oil – I used organic olive oil, but you could also use grapeseed or almond oil

You’ll also need:

  • A clean glass jar with an airtight lid

Preparing The Oregano

Although wild oregano is more potent than any cultivated oregano, as I’m in South Africa and it grows in Eurasia and the Mediterranean, I had to make do with what was in my garden.

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Step One: Harvest

Harvest the oregano by snipping off the branch just below the leaves. The best time to harvest is just before the plant flowers, as this is when it is at its most potent.

As you can see, some of mine have already started to flower, so I also harvested those.

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Give your oregano a quick wash to remove any dirt, and then pat dry.

Step Two: Process

I’ve made several different herbal oils over the years and experimented using dried and fresh herbs. I’ve found them to be equally effective, although you do need more fresh herbs than you do dried ones.

As with cooking, when making herbal remedies, one teaspoon of dried oregano is equivalent to a tablespoon of fresh leaves.

I decided to use fresh oregano for this recipe, so I started by stripping the leaves and flowers from the stems.

The easiest way to do this is to hold the tip of the branch between your finger and thumb and then run the fingers of the other hand along the stem. The leaves will strip off in your hand if the stem is woody enough. If the stem is tender, it’s likely to break, but you can add these to your oil with no ill effect.

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Step Three: Chop or Crush

Once I had a neat pile of flowers and leaves, I started processing them.

I first tried crushing the flowers with a pestle and mortar. While this was effective, it was time-consuming and required too much muscle power.

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I decided to chop the leaves instead, which proved much quicker but equally successful.

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Preparing the Oil

Once your oregano is ready, put it into a clean glass jar and cover it with the oil of your choice, giving it a quick stir before sealing the jar.

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While you’re doing this, heat a saucepan of water. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, turn the heat off, and put the jar, with its herbs and oil, into the saucepan.

Warm the contents for five to 10 minutes to activate the infusion process.

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Playing the Waiting Game

Take your jar out of its warm bath, dry it off, and leave it on a windowsill for one to two weeks, making sure you give it a quick shake every day.

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After two weeks, your oil will be potent and ready for use, so strain out the oregano, pour it into a dispensing bottle, and you’re prepared for almost anything.

Homemade oregano oil can last for up to a year if kept refrigerated. If you want to extend its lifespan, add a few drops of grapefruit or lemon oil, which are natural preservatives.

Oregano Oil Uses

Filled with medicinal qualities, oregano is almost an entire first-aid kit packed into one plant. It is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antiseptic, and antimicrobial. Talk about upping the ante!

When it comes to survival, “long-term protection against infection and disease” will prove vital and wild oregano is the Rolls Royce of natural antibiotics.

Not only that, oregano oil “is a potent and effective antimicrobial, so can prevent the spread of dangerous microorganisms.

Recent events reminded us that new viruses could threaten the human population anytime. Having oregano oil on hand to treat respiratory problems, coughs, sore throats, and nasal congestion could ensure survival in a dangerous new world.

Oregano oil can also be used to treat the following, among other things:

  • Muscle and joint pain
  • Poor digestion
  • Intestinal parasites and worms
  • Headaches
  • Asthma
  • Bronchitis
  • Athlete’s foot and other fungal infections
  • Toothache
  • Indigestion

What Components Make Oregano Oil So Powerful?

All types of oregano contain certain therapeutic compounds, known as “phenols, terpenes, and terpenoids.” These are responsible for the herb’s aromatic fragrance and have “powerful antioxidant properties.”

Carvacrol is “the main active compound in oregano oil” and “has been shown to stop the growth of several different types of bacteria.” Meanwhile, thymol is believed to “help protect against toxins and fight fungal infections.”

Furthermore, “the flavonoids and phenolic acids identified in oregano species have exhibited antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties.”

Not every oregano plant is the same, however, and the potency of your oregano will depend on numerous factors, including “cultivar, geographical localization, weather, daylight, temperature, soil conditions, water stress, [and] harvesting time.”

How To Use Oregano Oil – Externally and Internally

You can apply oregano topically or take it internally, depending on what you’re trying to treat. If you’re using therapeutic-grade essential oregano oil (Amazon link), mix it with a carrier oil, like coconut or jojoba oil, before applying it. It’s much stronger than a homemade oil, which you can use directly without dilution.

Apply oregano oil externally as a massage oil to treat muscle and joint pain or topically for fungal infections like athlete’s foot, warts, acne, and other skin complaints.

Add a few drops of oregano oil to a steam bath and inhale for respiratory issues, asthma, bronchitis, coughs, and congestion. Before doing this, be aware that some people are allergic to oregano oil, and inhaling it “can cause inflammation of the airways.”

When taking oregano oil internally, the first thing to be aware of is that it tastes terrible! It should always be diluted for internal use, and mixing it with a carrier oil like coconut or olive oil can help it go down a little easier. Honey is also a good way of disguising the taste.

Being a “hot oil,” it can burn the skin, the throat, and internal organs, so caution is required.

Is It Better To Buy Therapeutic Oregano Oil Or Make Your Own?

One of the benefits of making your own oregano oil is that you can control its potency and experiment with your recipe until you find the right strength for your needs.

You can also experiment with dosage and application, whereas an essential oregano oil is more limited as it’s not recommended for internal use.

Not only is over-the-counter oregano oil expensive, but it also varies in strength and may contain alcohol, GMO ingredients, chemicals, and preservatives.

In a survival situation, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to buy anything, let alone niche products like herbal oils, which is why growing the herbs and concocting your own remedies will give you the advantage when the SHTF.

Are There Any Scary Side Effects of Using Oregano Oil?

Although oregano oil has many benefits, as with any medicine, it has a similarly long list of warnings.

Some people are allergic to oregano oil and may develop a rash if using it topically or stomach problems and respiratory issues if taken internally. Even if you’re not allergic to oregano oil, it can still be toxic because it is “such a powerful antimicrobial agent.” “Taken in large doses, oregano oil can even be lethal.”

People with diabetes should also use oregano oil cautiously as it may lower blood sugar levels. It can also increase the risk of bleeding, so it should not be used before surgery or in conjunction with medicines designed to slow blood clotting, like aspirin, heparin, or warfarin.

Oregano is considered “POSSIBLY UNSAFE when taken by mouth in medicinal amounts during pregnancy,” There is also “concern that oregano in amounts larger than food amounts might cause miscarriage.”

If taking oregano oil internally, please err on the side of caution, and stop after ten days, waiting another ten days before recommencing the treat.

Conclusion

Oregano oil has an abundance of health benefits and medicinal properties.

It’s easy to make your own, and the end product will be effective against everything from the common cold to worms and warts.

Homemade oregano oil may not be as potent as a 100%-therapeutic-grade essential old, but even that is a benefit in some respects. Homemade oil is safer to take internally and less likely to burn the skin when used topically.

Oregano oil can kill almost any bacteria and doesn’t have a shelf-life like most antibacterial pharmaceuticals, making it almost essential for virtually any emergency or survival situation.

How To Make Oregano Oil (With Recipe and Pictures) (2024)

FAQs

How to make your own oregano oil? ›

Wash and chop your oregano leaves. Place them in a clear jar, then add warmed oil and stir. Seal the jar and keep it in a cool, dark place for up to 2 weeks, giving the jar a shake every day or so. After 2 weeks, strain the oil and discard the leaves.

What is the best carrier oil for oregano? ›

Always use high-quality, pure oregano leaves and carrier oil such as olive or coconut oil for dilution.

How to make oregano and olive oil antibiotics? ›

What you will need is a cup of chopped oregano, three cups of olive oil and a sterile jar. The ratio of oregano and oil is 1 to 3. The first thing you need to do is boil water in a saucepan. Once the fire is extinguished, put the oregano and oil in the jar and pour it into the hot water for about 15 minutes.

How much oil of oregano should I take? ›

Your oil of oregano dosage will depend on the condition you're treating. In capsule form, oral supplementation of emulsified oregano is typically around 600 milligrams daily. (Either taken in one or two doses.)

What infections does oregano oil treat? ›

Treats infections:
  • Oral thrush.
  • Athlete's foot.
  • Infected toenails and fingernails.
  • Yeast infections.

How long does homemade oil of oregano last? ›

Oregano oil can be stored in a dark dry place for up to several months, or in the refrigerator for up to a year. You can add a few drops of lemon oil or grapefruit oil to the extract as a natural preservative. All oils can go bad if stored improperly.

What is the downside of oregano oil? ›

Oregano oil is usually well tolerated but side effects of higher doses can include abdominal discomfort, heartburn, constipation or diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, and headache. Rare adverse events include hypersensitivity reactions.

What happens to your body when you take oregano oil? ›

While human research is limited, there is some evidence that oil of oregano may prevent or kill the growth of harmful bacteria in the gut. Oregano's gut health benefits are believed to be due to its carvacrol and thymol content, which exert anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-oxidative properties.

Who Cannot take oregano oil? ›

Pregnant women should not take oregano in medicinal amounts because the oils they contain could reach the baby and harm it or may cause miscarriages. And people taking lithium should avoid oregano. You should also be very careful of using oregano oil if you are on blood thinners or medicines for diabetes.

What happens when you mix oregano and olive oil? ›

Oregano essential oil retards lipid oxidation process in olive oil prolonging its shelf life. Practical application: Oregano essential oil was and is used with the purpose of flavoring and aromatizing food. This essential oil due to its composition has shown antioxidant activity.

Is Oil of Oregano stronger than antibiotics? ›

It may offer similar health benefits when used as a supplement. One mouse study found oregano essential oil to be almost as effective as antibiotics against common bacteria, though much more research is needed.

Why take oregano oil under the tongue? ›

Fights strongly against fungi and prevents fungal diseases. You can also place oregano oil under your tongue to treat parasites and infections. Useful against measles, mumps, colds, and pox. It also helps stimulate the production of white blood cells which aids in fighting as the bodies main defense.

How to use homemade oregano oil? ›

When using oregano oil and other homemade essential oils, it's important to use carrier oil when applying on your skin. Carrier oils are applied topically with the essential oil extraction to ensure they are applied to the skin comfortably. It dilutes the essential oil, but does not dilute the effect of the oil.

Can you take oil of oregano straight? ›

Oregano oil should not be consumed in the essential oil form. This can cause abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and headache. A person can consume oregano oil extract as a supplement in pill or capsule form or by consuming it with a meal.

Is there a difference between oil of oregano and oregano oil? ›

Oil of oregano is an oil that people extract from the leaves of the oregano plant. It is available in the form of consumable capsules or a liquid. Oregano essential oil is a much more concentrated substance than oil of oregano.

What is the difference between oregano oil and oil of oregano? ›

It is important to note the difference between oregano essential oil and oil of oregano. Oil of oregano is an oil that people extract from the leaves of the oregano plant. It is available in the form of consumable capsules or a liquid. Oregano essential oil is a much more concentrated substance than oil of oregano.

Can you put fresh oregano in olive oil? ›

Fill ½ of your jar with dried oregano or ¾ of your jar with fresh oregano. Pour olive oil into the jar to fully cover your herbs. Stir periodically during the first day if you have used fresh herbs. Cover with a lid and place on a sunny and warm surface.

References

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