by Alison Angold | Qualified Aromatherapist | CIDESCO ITEC
How to make your DIY bath oil with essential oils
You will need;
- A tinted amber bottle – either one that pours or with a pump
- A suitable carrier oil (see below for choices)
- Your chosen essential oils (see below for blends)
Method;
- Add your carrier oil (or substance) to the amber tinted bottle, and drop in your essential oils.
- For every 100ml of carrier oil, add 40 drops of essential oils
- Use 3-4 pumps or 3-4 capfuls per bath
Whether you are a regular bather, or see a soak as an occasional treat, a bath can be luxurious, relaxing and reviving, for our body, mind and skin.
Essential oils have amazing benefits and aromas, so you can tailor make the bath oil to whatever fragrance you like, or more particularly, whatever specific benefits you want to achieve or what your body and mind need at that point in time.
What could be better?!
In this article, we are going to look at different oils to use, their benefits and some great essential oil blends to add to your bath!
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DIY bath oil with essential oils recipes
Soothing/relaxing bath oil
Relevant essential oil properties;
- Relaxing – has a general relaxing effect on the body and mind
- Calming – has an overall calming effect on the body and mind
- Sedative – calms the nervous system
Chamomile, Frankincense & Lavender
Sandalwood, Vetiver & Petitgrain
Other relaxing, soothing oils; patchouli, petitgrain, valerian, ylang ylang.
You may also like; DIFFUSER BLENDS FOR SLEEP
Muscle aches bath oil
Relevant essential oil properties;
- Warming – produces a feeling of warmth to an area of the body or skin
- Stimulating – stimulates a particular system or the whole body
- Anti-inflammatory – reduce inflammations
- Anti-spasmodic – prevents or reduces muscles spasms
Black pepper, Lemongrass & Rosemary
Chamomile, Clove & Melissa
Other oils for muscle aches; Clary sage, Lavender, Marjoram, Vetiver
Balancing/restoring bath oil
Relevant essential oil properties;
- Balancing – promotes and maintains balance in an area of the body or in the mind
- Calming – an overall calming effect
- Cephalic – clears and focuses the mind
- Refreshing – has a general refreshing effect
Geranium, Lavender & Orange
Uplifting/happy bath oil
Relevant essential oil properties;
- Uplifting – helps uplift the emotions
- Tonic – gives strength and invigorates the whole body or a part of the body
Basil, Bergamot & Lemon
Grapefruit, Peppermint, Lime
Other uplifting oils; Geranium, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Lemongrass.
Nourishing/dry skin bath oil
Carrot seed, Frankincense & Jasmine
Detox bath oil
Relevant essential oil properties;
- Depurative – removes waste and toxins
- Diuretic – increases the production of urine
Cypress, Juniper & Lavender
Fennel, Lime & Lavender
More bath oil recipes and blends here.
Carrier oils and substances to use for the bath oil
Sweet Almond Oil
Sweet Almond oil is a great all round oil, packed with Vitamins A and B and essential fatty acids and effective on dry or itchy skin.
Soybean oil
Full of vitamin E and essential fatty acids, soybean oil is great for nourishing the skin and improving the elasticity in the skin.
Avocado oil
Another nourishing, soothing oil, avocado oil is packed with essential vitamins.
Sunflower seed oil
Sunflower seed oil contains a large amount of vitamins A C & D plus essential omega oils. A highly nourishing, soothing oil for your bath!
Jojoba oil
Jojoba oil is a good all round oil, that is highly nourishing for the skin. A great simple choice for your DIY bath oil.
Other substance to use for the bath;
An oil is great choice, as it has beneficial nourishing properties, however there are other emulsifiers that you could use, to add essential oils to and put in the bath. Any product that you use should be as plain as possible; unperfumed, no additives and as few chemicals as possible
- Unperfumed bubble bath or shower gel – or Castile soap
- Unperfumed shampoo
- Full fat cream milk – make like Cleopatra and reap the benefits of a milk bath.
Benefits of essential oils
Essential oils are the pure oils extracted from the leaves & flowers of plants, herbs, fruit or even the bark, resin and roots of trees. The molecules in essential oils, are so fine that they can penetrate the skin, when applied topically.
They can be absorbed into the deeper layers of the skin and from there, can enter the bloodstream and travel around the body to have a positive effect where it is needed.
Or the molecules can travel through the membranes in the nose, when inhaled.
And in addition, the smells of the oils have a relaxing, uplifting or nostalgic effect on us, so can instantly make us feel uplifted, soothed or relaxed.
Why a bath oil?
Essential oils should not be applied neat onto the skin. The main reason for this is because they are complex chemicals and may have an adverse effect or burn the skin, if applied directly.
Essential oils must be mixed with a carrier oil or other substance before skin application. This makes the oils safer and the benefits greater as the essential oils will spread more easily, and cover a larger area.
So why not just drop the essential oils straight into the bath? Why create a bath oil? Essential oils are not water soluble, so adding drops of essential oils directly into the bath water, means that the oils will just float in the water, and stay as ‘blobs’ of the pure essential oil.
Because they don’t disperse, you wont get the benefits of the oils. In addition to this, if your skin does touch the ‘blob’ of oil, it could have a adverse effect, or burn the skin.
Blending the chosen essential oils into a carrier oil, means the oils will disperse through the whole bath, the aroma will spread, as will the benefits of the oils, and you and your skin, stay safe!
You will also get the benefits of the carrier oil, which in themselves have a great many positive effects!
The idea is, is that you want something that essential oils can blend into, so that they disperse within the carrier and you get the benefits of the essential oils.
How to make the most of your DIY bath oil with essential oils
- Shut the door, to keep the fragrance in the bath room
- Add a capful of oil as the bath is running, and another when the bath is complete
- Make your bathroom into spa – dim the lights, play some relaxing music, light some candles – immerse yourself in the wonders and aromas of essential oils
- After your bath, pat your skin dry, to keep the benefits of the oils on your skin
- Apply your body lotion or body oil while your skin is still damp – to get better absorption of the product, thus more hydrated skin.
For more uses of ESSENTIAL OILS IN THE BATHROOM read here.
Precautions of DIY bath oil with essential oils
Most essential oils, used in small quantities are safe, however there are some precautions to take.
The following oils should be used during pregnancy;
Chamomile, Rosemary, Melissa, Basil, Carrot seed, Jasmine, Fennel, Juniper, Cypress
The following oils are phototoxic, meaning that contact with sunlight should be avoided after application;
Orange, Lemon, Lime, Bergamot, Grapefruit
Black Pepper, Basil and Clove can irritate sensitive skins.
Fennel should be avoided by epileptics.
Juniper should be avoided by those with kidney disease.
Black Pepper & Peppermint can counteract the effects of homeopathic treatments.
Essential oils for Bath oil
Chamomile – is not only soothing and calming for irritated skin conditions such as rash’s, and eczema but is good at relieving stress and depression while soothing tension and anxiety. It is also anti-inflammatory so great for relieving muscle aches and pains.
Frankincense – is a very soothing, warming oil that is relaxing and calming for both the body and the mind. It has a stronger smell, so is best paired with a lighter fragrance.
Lavender – a good all round essential oil, Lavender has so many great benefits that you could add it to almost every bath you take! It is calming, soothing and healing on the skin so can treat many different skin conditions. It helps to balance the emotions, and is good at restoring balance and equilibrium in the body and mind. It calms the mind, so great for treating stress, anxiety and depression. Lavender also makes a good lighter fragrance addition for a detox bath.
Sandalwood – is relaxing and sedating and great at soothing nervous tension while relieving insomnia and anxiety. A heavier woody fragrance which makes a good addition to a soothing bath oil.
Vetiver – It is the mind that will reap the greatest benefits from Vetiver essential oil. The oil has a calming effect on the nervous system, so will relieve any issues or conditions associated with this system; anxiety, worry, stress, depression, nervous worry. As it also eases aches and pains, it makes a good addition to relax mind and body.
Petitgrain – A lesser known essential oil, Petitgrain is a good all round oil for soothing. It helps to sedate the body and mind, soothes nervous tension, stress and anxiety. It can also have a good calming effect on the physical attributes of stress, such as heart palpitations.
Black Pepper – A strong stimulating oil, black pepper is analgesic, and antispasmodic making it a great oil for soothing and easing muscle aches and pains. Black Pepper also warms the skin, circulation and lymphatic systems, removing waste and bringing fresh blood supply to ease aches and pains.
Lemongrass – A lovely light citrusy smelling oil, Lemongrass is good for aching muscles, and relieving muscle fatigue. Great for a bath after sports participation.
Rosemary – a stimulating, warming oil, which will increase circulation and give pain relief for sports injuries and muscle aches along with joint aches and associated issues.
Clove – a really warming oil, Clove should be used in the case of tired muscles and sports injuries.
Melissa – also known as Lemon balm, Melissa is anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic making it useful for easing aches, pain, inflammations and muscle spasms.
Geranium – is a good oil at balancing hormones and lifting the spirts, These two properties make it an ideal addition to balance and restore the body and mind as a whole.
Orange – a citrus oil with a beautiful scent, that is uplifting and refreshing, and that along with other essential oils will help to balance the body and revive the mind.
Basil – an uplifting oil for depression which also helps to focus the mind. A great addition to an uplifting ‘happy’ bath.
Bergamot – A lesser known citrus fruit, that lifts the emotions and helps to reduce feelings of frustration and anger.
Lemon – another great oil for uplifting and promoting positive emotions. Lemon refreshes and stimulates the mind and can give strength to the whole body.
Grapefruit – is good at uplifting and refreshing the mind and promotes positive thoughts. It is also good at balancing mood swings and relieving the symptoms of depression.
Peppermint – can help calm anger while uplifting positive emotions and refreshing and clearing the mind.
Lime – A light refreshing citrus oil, Lime has great uplifting and refreshing properties for body and mind.
Carrot seed – is an excellent essential oil for the skin as it nourishes and rejuvenates and promotes cell renewal. It is especially good at nourishing dry skin conditions or overheated skin.
Jasmine – encourages cell renewal and is a very healing oil for scar tissue and stretchmarks. It is also hydrating and soothing for all skin types and conditions.
Cypress – is a great diuretic, which means it allows the kidneys to get rid of excess fluids thus removing waste and toxins. It also works well on cellulite and water retention.
Juniper – not only detoxifies the skin but is also a diuretic, which means that it helps get rid of excess fluid in the body, thus removing waste at the same time.
Fennel – is a good general detoxifier, cleaning the kidneys and the intestines. This means that excess waste and toxins can be removed, and symptoms of IBS or other such digestive disorders can be relieved.
Make your own DIY Face Wash with Essential Oils
| About the Author Alison Angold is a fully qualified (certified) beauty therapist, massage therapist, and aromatherapist from the UK. She has over 25 years of experience in this industry and has worked in a variety of beauty salons, spa’s as well as running her own successful beauty and massage business. Her career has allowed her to treat many, many clients, with skincare concerns, medical conditions, and a whole variety of other ailments and issues, which has enabled her to work closely with essential oils, prescribing specific blends for these clients to help with these conditions. Her qualifications in the use of essential oils and aromatherapy, allow her to share this knowledge with others, in a safe, reliable way. |