Essential oils is an odorous, volatile liquid substance that was extracted from the flowers, stems, fruit peels, leaves, and roots of plants. These oils are widely used as an ingredient to cosmetic products, perfumes and related household products due to the variety of their properties but mainly due to their pleasant odor.
Now that Essential Oils and Aromatherapy is gaining quite the momentum, people are slowly finding ways on how to incorporate essential oils to the products that they use on a daily basis. From cleaning products to hygiene and skincare, a lot of tips, recipes, guides, and instructional videos online are popping up to teach us on how to use and incorporate essential oils.
In this blog, we are going to look at a few body product DIYs that you can do with essential oils, their benefits to your body and health, as well as the risks that we need to keep in mind so that we can fully enjoy them.
Body Spray
This body spray is perfect when you’re out during the day and want to smell great but not too overpowering. Homemade sprays can be created with just a few simple ingredients as a base: distilled water, witch hazel, and vegetable glycerin, which helps the spray last longer. You’ll also need a couple of 8 oz. glass spray bottles, oil droppers, and a funnel. Aside from your assorted essential oils, that’s all you’ll need to get started.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon witch hazel
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable glycerin
- 6 oz. Distilled water
- 30 drops of your Essential Oil Blend
All you need to do is to mix everything in your spray bottle. You have to plan on what essential oil blend you’re going to add, depending on your preference in fragrance. It’s best to stick to just 3 or 4 different scents until you have some idea which oils make the best blends. It’s also a good idea to experiment with different blending ratios in your diffuser first before adding them to your spray.
Blends you can use:
Sweet and Feminine
- 12 drops Grapefruit
- 10 drops Ylang Ylang
- 8 drops Cardamom
Calming Blend
- 8 drops Chamomile
- 8 drops Lemon
- 7 drops Neroli
- 7 drops Rose
Warm and Fuzzy
- 15 drops Cedarwood
- 15 drops Clary Sage
Masculine Blend
- 15 drops Bergamot
- 10 drops Cardamom
- 5 drops Cedarwood
Body Scrub
A good homemade body scrub is nice to use all year long. In the winter when your skin is so dry, a body scrub is helpful to add moisture and it's fairly gentle on your skin. It's also great for exfoliating and polishing during the warm weather months when you are showing a lot more skin. This body scrub is infused with eucalyptus oil to help you relax, reduce muscle soreness, and improve blood circulation.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup refined white sugar
- 1/2 cup raw cane sugar
- 3/4 cup fractionated coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Eucalyptus essential oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Peppermint essential oil
If you want something a little less potent, scale the essential oil back to 1/4 of a teaspoon each.
To do this, mix all your sugars first into a bowl. Next is to add all your liquids together. Make sure that everything is well incorporated before adding them to your sugar bowl. After all of the ingredients are well combined, you can store the sugar scrub into an amber container or to a mason jar. When you’re ready to use the scrub, just mix it all again to make sure that there is no separation in the mixture.
Body Butter
Body butters are great if you like to take your skincare to a new level. It’s a thick mix of cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil, and essential oils. It’s unique formula helps lock in moisture to your skin and keeps it from being rough and dry. It also helps your skin from aging by keeping it moisturized and healthy-looking.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Cocoa Butter
- 1/2 cup Shea Butter
- 1/2 cup Coconut Oil
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil
- 1/4 tsp Grapefruit Essential Oil
- 1/4 tsp Lavender Essential Oil
To make this body butter recipe, first you need to add all your butters and oils into a double boiler. Heat the mixture until all of them are melted. Mix everything with a whisk. After it's melted, put the mixture into the fridge and wait for one hour or until it's firm. With a hand mixer, whip oils until it reaches a light and creamy consistency. Add your essential oils then mix again. Make sure that all the oils are incorporated. Spoon the mixture into glass jars and store it in a cool place so it doesn't melt.
Sore Muscle Salve
If you have tensed and sore muscles, this muscle rub with essential oils is a great way to get rid of it fast. The great thing about using a salve/balm instead of diluted essential oil itself is that it stays put on the area much longer so you don’t have to reapply it so often. It's cooling to the skin, deeply penetrating, and provides relief for achy, sore, and tense muscles. Perfect for any fatigue from work or from intense workouts.
Ingredients:
- 1-2 tbsp. of Beeswax
- 1/4 cup Coconut Oil
- 1/4 cup Almond Oil (you can also use Olive oil or Grapeseed oil)
- 30-60 drops Essential Oil Blend
Place the double boiler over medium heat. In the double boiler, combine the almond oil, coconut oil, and beeswax. Heat until melted and fully combined (whisk every few minutes). Once completely melted, remove the beeswax and oil mixture from the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes. After the oil/wax mixture has cooled, you can now add your essential oils. Make sure to stir well. Put the mixture into the containers (this can make up to five 1-ounce containers). Allow the mixture to cool until it solidifies.
Blends you can use:
A.
- 10 drops Clove
- 10 drops Lavender
- 10 drops Peppermint
- 10 drops Eucalyptus
- 10 drops Rosemary
B.
- 10 drops Wintergreen
- 15 drops Peppermint
- 15 drops Lemongrass
- 7 drops Lavender
- 7 drops Helichrysum
C.
- 15 drops Peppermint
- 15 drops Wintergreen
- 15 drops Spearmint
- 15 drops Frankincense
Deodorant
Making your own deodorant can save you money, it's also healthier for the body as it doesn't have any harmful chemicals in it, and this can actually stop you from sweating and body odor. Aside from masking the smell, essential oils can actually help kill the bacteria that cause body odor in the first place. Some essential oils like Sandalwood, Tea Tree, and Sweet Orange have even been studied specifically for their odor-controlling properties.
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp Coconut Oil
- 2 tbsp. Shea Butter
- 3 tbsp. Arrowroot Powder (you can also use Cornstarch)
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 15-20 drop of Essential Oil Blend
Mix your shea butter and coconut oil into a mixing bowl. When it’s fully melted and well combined, add your arrowroot powder. This helps to absorb moisture in your armpit. Then add in the baking soda. If baking soda is irritating to your skin, you can try adding less (1/2 tsp for example). Last thing to add is your essential oil blend. Mix everything together then put it in a tin container. Wait until it solidifies before using.
Blend for her:
- 5 drops Orange Essential Oil
- 5 drops Lavender Essential Oil
- 5 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
Blend for him:
- 5 drops Cedarwood
- 5 drops Patchouli
- 7 drops Bergamot
- 3 drops Frankincense
There are many potential applications and health benefits of essential oils. You can make so many of your own products with just a few essential oils and a few extra ingredients. Just make sure to research safety guidelines on handling these potent oils, know if you're allergic to any of them, and always dilute your oils before applying them to your skin. You can test your sensitivity to essential oils by applying a bit of your diluted oil to a small area of skin like your leg or your arm. Never apply essential oils near sensitive areas like your eyes.
Also note that the blends in this blog should not be used as treatment for a medication. Always consult with your physician about any health concerns you may have.