Discover the benefits of combining cannabis with massage therapy and learn how to make your own cannabis massage oil at home for topical application, complete with options multiple different infusion options.
Features
- Easy instructions for making a cannabis massage oil at home
- Multiple different infusion options to choose from
- Benefits of incorporating cannabis into massage to improve your quality of life
Why You Will Love This Recipe
What is the best way to upgrade a regular massage? With cannabis massage oil, of course!
Members of my Well With Cannabis Community love making their own high-quality cannabis products at home, and this massage oil is no different!
A simple infusion process can bring together the cannabinoids and the carrier oil to make an infused oil that can be used on the skin topically as a luxurious massage oil.
In this guide, I will show you how to make your own cannabis-infused massage oil at home with your choice of CBD or THC with your choice of flower, concentrates, store-bought oils and more.
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Ingredient Notes
- Cannabis - The active ingredient in this recipe. Choose an option from the alternate infusion option section below.
- Additional ingredients - include healing herbs such as lavender, calendula, mint, and clove
- Carrier oil - see options below
The following oils can be used as carrier oils in this recipe:
- Olive oil
- Coconut oil
- MCT oil
- Jojoba seed oil or organic jojoba oil
- Sweet almond oil
- Safflower oil
- Tea tree oil
- Hemp seed oil
Note: a complete list of ingredients with amounts and printable instructions is located in the recipe card below.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1 - Preheat a water bath to 185° F. Various water bath techniques are explained in the notes section below.
- Step 2 -Combine all ingredients together in a 16-ounce mason jar, wipe rim and finger tighten the lid.
- Step 3 -Place the mason jar into the water bath and cook for 4 hours.
- Step 4 -After 4 hours, remove the jar and allow to cool enough to handle. Strain the oil into a clean mason jar through a filter or cheesecloth.
- Step 5 -Let the oil cool to room temperature, seal the mason jar, and store in a cool dark place until ready for use.
Note: complete step-by-step printable instructions are located in the recipe card below.
Storage Instructions
The shelf life of this cannabis oil will depend on how you made it and was other ingredients you added. Store the oil in a dark bottle, like an amber dropper bottle, in a cool, dark, day place. When stored properly, these oils can last a long time, several months or more.
Alternate Cannabis Infusion Options
For the recipe below, I infused the oil with dried cannabis flower buds and other medicinal herbs.
You can easily customize the fresh or dried herbs you want to use, depending on the experience you're looking for.
Don't forget, you can also decide whether you want a CBD massage oil or a THC massage oil, based on what flower or product you start with.
You can make your own CBD massage oil using CBD hemp flower, or a THC massage oil using traditional cannabis flower.
I will go over all of the possible infusion options below.
You can also use kief to make a super potent massage oil, or already vaped bud for a less potent massage oil.
To use leaves, trim, or flower, follow the oil infusion procedure below.
Store-Bought Oils
One of the easiest ways to make homemade topical products is to use store-bought oil such as full-spectrum CBD oil or full spectrum THC oil.
It very easy to mix a store-bought oil in with traditional massage oil or another carrier oil of choice, and is a great way to control the mg of CBD or THC added.
To make your own massage oil with homemade CBD oil or store-bought CBD oil you already have, follow the recipe as is, minus the cannabis flower, and add the CBD product at the end of the infusion process.
Concentrates
If you live in a recreationally legal state or have a medical marijuana card, you can easily obtain cannabis concentrates from the dispensary or purchase CBD concentrate from my website.
Adding a concentrate to this recipe is very easy, all you need to do is combine the concentrate with the carrier oil of choice.
Note: you may need to warm your oil slightly to get them to combine.
Benefits of THC or CBD Massage Oil
As cannabis is increasingly popular in the health and wellness world, so does the desire to make these products at home with all natural ingredients.
Here are some of the benefits of cannabis massage oil, aside from just a great massage experience!
Relief
While it is not medical advice and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) many anecdotal reports suggest that using cannabis-infused massage oil has the following potential benefits:
- Relief sore muscles and muscle pain
- Relieve joint pains
- Provide pain relief for chronic pain and other conditions that require pain management
- Bring relief to other serious medical condition
- Soothe dry skin, itchy skin, and other skin conditions
- Increase blood flow
- Reduction of dependence on prescription medications
- Potential antibacterial properties
Affordability
A lot of what a customer pays for when buying store-bought oil or massage products is the branding factor of production.
You can easily cut costs by following the recipe here, you simply need to gather all the materials needed (typically at a more affordable price!).
By making your own oil at home, you can still enjoy the benefits of CBD oil or THC oil at a lower price, while also having full control over the other ingredients used.
Quality
Cannabis and hemp plants are bioaccumulators, meaning they can soak up large amounts of heavy metals and other unwanted compounds.
Without 3rd party lab testing, the gold standard in the industry, it is impossible to know what is in a store-bought product.
That is why I have created this guide to help you choose a safe CBD product.
The best option for knowing what is in your cannabis oil to make it yourself.
Potency
One way to have complete control over the accessibility and potency of your product is by formulating it yourself.
Some of the best CBD massage oils are the ones that can be made at home.
As I always say cannabis is a self-experiment, and testing many different recipes will help you achieve your preferred potency.
Notes and Expert Tips
- If you want to skip the floral infusion option, you could always add your own favorite blend of essential oils to the carrier oil
- Ask your massage therapist if they are OK with the addition of CBD to your massage experience
- Adding a bit of vitamin E oil is the perfect way to get additional anti-inflammatory properties
- Add some of the homemade oil to hot towels and wrap them around your hands and feet for ultimate relaxation
Frequently Asked Questions
Making cannabis massage oil can be new to even the most seasoned cannabis consumer, so here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions I get about the process:
You will want to add your desired mg CBD or THC depending on your pwn personal tolerance.
Yes! You can add this massage oil to your daily routine in many different ways, from a simple temple massage to a full-blown deep tissue massage.
Will Cannabis Massage Oil Get Me High?
Putting cannabis on the skin is a great way to use cannabis for the first-time because it does not induce an intoxicating 'high' like inhaling or edibles.
it can, however, provide relief from various conditions by interacting with the cannabinoid receptors found within the endocannabinoid system.
A CBD oil massage or any topical CBD products will not get you or your massage clients 'high' or cause any intoxicating effects.
It is rare that THC oil applied directly to the skin to induce any psychoactive effects.
This is because cannabinoids cannot penetrate the skin deep enough to pass through the tough outer layer of the skin to reach the bloodstream.
Additionally, a case report published in Forensic Science International reports that it is not believed that topically applied cannabinoids like THC will show up in the bloodstream or urine for a drug test.
You can learn more about how cannabis topicals work here.
How to Determine The Dosing
Want to get a more accurate guesstimate of the potency of your cannabis infusions and extractions? Try our popular edibles calculator!
Not sure what your perfect dose is? Learn more here.
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More Topical Recipes You Will Love
My Edibles Made Easy Online Cooking Course will teach you how to easily make cannabis edibles and topical recipes at home. This step-by-step video course will teach you how to infuse, extract, and create edibles with many different product types - all from the comfort of your own home.
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📖 Recipe
Cannabis Massage Oil (CBD or THC)
Ingredients
- 1 cup carrier oil see options below
- 7 grams decarbed cannabis flower
- ½ cup lavender flowers dried
- ¼ cup calendula flowers dried
- 2 tablespoons mint fresh, chopped
- 2 teaspoons whole cloves whole, dried
Instructions
- Preheat a water bath to 185° F. Various water bath techniques are explained in the notes section below.
- Combine all ingredients together in a 16-ounce mason jar, wipe rim and finger tighten the lid.
- Place the mason jar into the water bath and cook for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours, remove the jar and allow to cool enough to handle. Strain the oil into a clean mason jar through a filter or cheesecloth.
- Let the oil cool to room temperature, seal the mason jar, and store in a cool dark place until ready for use.
Notes
- Temperature Control: The water bath does not need to stat perfectly at 185° F the entire time. Any temperature between 180°-190°F is OK.
- Floating Jars: Sometimes the mason jar will float when placed in the water bath. This is no need for concern, simply put something heat and water safe over the top of the jar to weigh it down, a clean rock works well.
- Make sure the cannabis flower is decarbed prior to adding it to this recipe or you may not experience the activated effects of CBD or THC.
- If you are using an Immersion Cooker or Sous Vide Cooker, fill a vessel deep enough to hold a 1-quart mason jar with an inch of water above lid with hot water. Preheat the water to 185° F.
- If you are using a Crock-Pot or Instant Pot for your water bath, fill the cooking vessel with enough hot water to cover the mason jar with an inch of water above the lid.
- If using an Instant Pot; set the slow cooker mode to 185°F and preheat.
- If using a Crock-Pot; preheat on high until 185° F is reached, then turn to low, a digital probe thermometer is recommended for Crock-Pot to ensure accurate temperature control.
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- Olive oil
- Avocado oil
- Grapeseed oil
- Coconut oil
Kat
Most excellent for lupus
Emily Kyle
I am so glad to hear this, Kat! Thank you!
Jennifer Weber
Hi Em,
I used your method today, it was my first time making a topical. I did a double batch using 2 cups of grape-seed cold pressed oil 7 Grams of THC Flower at 29.8% and 7 grams of CBD Flower at about 20%. I added Vitamin E oil and a few of my favorite E.O's during the bottling process, I strained and then re bottled into 4 oz amber bottles for long term storage. I have already applied and have experienced great releif already and I just know after it sits for 24-48 hours it will only get better.. I did lose a little of my yield with what the cheesecloth absorbs and accidentally spilling a bottle but still have about 14oz of usable product. THANKS FOR SHARING!
Emily Kyle
Hey Jennifer! Thank you so much for sharing your process with us, it sounds amazing. So excited to hear you've already gotten relief 😀
Mikia Lewis
can this be made with just a concentrate like an isolate or distillate & if so, is it the same process?!
Emily Kyle
Hello Mikia! Yes, you can use a concentrate or isolate. You can skip the 4-hour infusion process and simply mix your concentrate or isolate with the oil until it is well combined, and then follow the recipe as normal 🙂 I hope this helps!
Dee
Hi, what can I substitute with calendula flowers as I don't have access to them in Asia.
Thanks so much in advance.
Renée from Team EKN
Hi Dee. A different herb with similar soothing and healing properties like chamomile or comfrey would be best. I hope this helps!
Tania
Hi there, can anything be done with the left over AVB or is it given all it can now that its been vaped and Infused 🙂 Thanks so much
Renée from Team EKN
Hi Tania. It is thought that already vaped bud can contain upwards of 10-30% of any remaining cannabinoids, so that makes it well worth saving and using for edibles. If you have already used your vaped bud for infusions, there likely isn't anything left so you can toss that. I hope this helps!
Paula Mae Guajardo
If I want to use essential oils to also add, hoping to relief pain even better what kind would help for chronic pain?
Paula Mae Guajardo
Hi can I use hemp seed oil as my carrier for massage oil?
Renée from Team EKN
Hi Paula. Peppermint oil is hands down the best for chronic pain, especially since it helps reduce inflammation. Combining oils offers even more relief. Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Juniper Berry, Lavender and Rosemary are all excellent choices.
Renée from Team EKN
Hi Paula. Hemp Seed Oil is an excellent choice, but you'll want it refined so it's colorless. Cold pressed, unrefined hemp seed oil varies in shades of green, which is often undesirable.