By Alison Angold | Qualified Aromatherapist | CIDESCO ITEC
Creating your own DIY body oils at home is simple and fun to do, and in addition you can tailor make the blend to suit your skin type and conditions, by the use of essential oils.
(This post contains affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases)
DIY body oil recipes with essential oils
Nourishing body oil
- 75ml Sweet Almond Oil
- 25ml Avocado oil
- 8 drops Carrot seed oil
- 8 drops Frankincense oil
- 8 drops Lavender
- 8 drops Rose
A great body oil for dry skin, these oils have good nourishing, hydrating and cell regeneration properties
Anti-inflammatory body oil
- 75ml Sweet almond oil
- 25ml Calendula oil
- 10 drops Bergamot
- 10 drops Chamomile
- 10 drops Carrot Seed
A lovely blend that helps to reduce any inflammations on the skin, so ideal for sensitive skin or skin that flares up easily. This oil is also calming, soothing and nourishing.
Sensitive skin body oil
- 75ml Sweet almond oil
- 25ml Calendula oil
- 10 drops Chamomile
- 8 drops Mandarin
- 8 drops Lavender
If your skin is sensitive or reacts easily to products, then this body oil will calm, soothe and nourish.
Rejuvenating body oil
- 100ml Sweet almond oil
- 8 drops Frankincense
- 8 drops Jasmine
- 8 drops Orange
A refreshing, uplifting and hydrating body oil that smells divine!
Anti-cellulite body oil
- 75ml Sweet almond oil
- 25ml Avocado oil
- 10 drops Orange
- 8 drops Mandarin
- 8 drops Fennel
Fennel is a great essential oil for detoxifying, and therefore helping to break down cellulite. Mandarin is a mild diuretic, so can help reduce swelling or excess water in the tissues. This is an overall good oil to use for detoxifying the skin and body.
Purchase your oils here.
What are the benefits of a DIY body oil with essential oils?
Our skin has the ability to renew itself, and the top layer of our skins is constantly shedding. This is a natural process and can keep our skin healthy, however, there are still certain things we need to do to help maintain it and using a body oil regularly is one of them.
The top layers of our skin need hydrating and nourishing to help keep it supple and keep dryness at bay and help the skin stay soft and smooth. The base oil of a body oil will help to do all of this. The carrier oils used have high vitamin content, contain essential fatty acids and can have anti-inflammatory and healing properties – all of which benefit our skin enormously!
The addition of essential oils give extra, highly effective benefits.
Essential oils are the pure oils that are extracted from flowers, leaves, fruit and plants and each has a unique chemical composition. This composition gives each oil an array of therapeutic actions, which can help certain skin issues and conditions. In addition to this, because the oils are so pure and fine they are able to penetrate into the skin, into the deeper layers and be absorbed into the bloodstream. This gives your body oil superpowers! As it means that not only can you benefit from the nourishing qualities of your oil, the essential oils can add relaxing, uplifting, and rejuvenating properties, or treat issues such as back pain and inflammation, among many others.
properties of essential oils for Body oils
Each essential oil has a number of different properties. The properties that will be useful for a body oil are;
- Anti-inflammatory – reduces inflammations
- Calming – has an overall calming effect – both on the skin and the mind & body
- Relaxing – has an overall relaxing effect on the body
- Nourishing – has a hydrating effect on the cells and tissues of the skin
- Cell-regenerating – has the ability to encourage cell renewal within the skin
The best Carrier oils for a DIY Body oil
Sweet Almond Oil
This oil makes a great base for any essential oil blend as it is a good all round oil. It has a high vitamin content being high in Vitamins A, E, B1, B2 and B6, as well as being high in essential fatty acids which are so beneficial for the skin. It keeps well due to Vitamin E being a natural preservative, and it has great nourishing and protective qualities.
Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is a good addition to a body oil as it has very good nourishing qualities due its high content of essential fatty acids. It is also high in Vitamins A, B and D. It softens and smooth the skin and is good for use on dry or ageing skin. It can become quite sticky, which is why it is often better to mix it with another base oil.
Soybean Oil
Soybean oil has a high Vitamin E content which means that it lasts really well and is highly nourishing for the skin. Soybean oil will help your skin retain moisture and keep the skin healthy.
Calendula Oil
Again, it is better to mix this oil with another base oil. Calendula oil has very good anti-inflammatory and healing properties, which makes it good for sensitive skin or skin conditions such as eczema or rashes.
More about JOJOBA OIL & its alternatives HERE
The best essential oils to for a DIY Body oil
There are so many great essential oils that can be beneficial to use in your body oil – in fact most essential oils will work well, as long as you like the aroma of them. Each oil has its own array of therapeutic actions so you will get many benefits from applying the oils. However, the following oils are particularly beneficial to the skin.
Bergamot
A lovely light citrus oil that smells so good, bergamot is anti-inflammatory and cooling as well as being antiseptic, so good for keeping bacteria at bay and protecting the skin. It is also an uplifting oil, so good to use in the morning, to refresh and rejuvenate the body and mind, as well as being useful for strengthening the immune system.
Carrot Seed
A highly nourishing essential oils that tones and rejuvenates dry or wrinkled skin. Because of its nourishing qualities it is good at calming and soothing irritated skin conditions. Carrot seed is also a useful oil for easing aches and pains in bones and muscles.
(Do not use during pregnancy)
Chamomile
A calming and soothing oil that is a good addition to a DIY body oil, as it nourishes and calms irritated or sensitive skin conditions. Chamomile is also good for easing aches in bones and muscles, while also stimulating the whole immune system.
(Avoid during pregnancy)
Frankincense
Frankincense is a comforting and warming essential oil that is good for dry and mature skins by smoothing our wrinkles and crepey skin. It also makes a useful oil for respiratory conditions like coughs or catarrh, while calming breathing too.
Geranium
A lovely floral smelling oil that is good for all skin types. It helps to keep the skin supple and encourages circulation in the skin so helps to brighten pale skin. Geranium is also a good essential oil for lifting the symptoms of depression and stress.
Jasmine
Jasmine helps to encourage cell renewal so it is particularly useful for dry and mature skin, while also helping to increase elasticity in the skin. It is soothing for dry skin conditions, so make a very beneficial addition to a DIY body oil. Jasmine also helps to lift depression and promote self confidence.
(Do not use during pregnancy)
Lavender
A good all round essential oil, Lavender makes a great addition to your DIY body oil. It is anti-inflammatory, cooling and relaxing, so ideal for sensitive skin condition. In addition, it also helps to balance emotions, lift depressions and relieve stress as well as being useful for soothing aches and pains in bones and muscles.
Mandarin
Mandarin, a lovely fresh citrus oil is effective at regenerating cells in the skin, so good for dry and mature skin conditions, and for scar tissue. Its refreshing aroma helps to lift the feelings of depression, while also helping to calm the stomach and reduce the appearance of cellulite.
Rose
Rose is a soothing, hydrating essential oil that helps to reduce inflammations and thread veins, while nourishing dry and mature skin. It also helps the symptoms of nervous tension and stress and is considering a very balancing oil for the emotions.
(Do not use during pregnancy)
The best Body Oils with essential oils
As you can see creating your own body oils is easy, however you may also choose to purchase one of these wonderful body oils;
E’spa make the most wonderful aromatherapy products, and these body oils just smell divine, and make the skin wonderfully soft, smooth and supple.
A delightful blend of Lavender, Orange and Geranium to restore balance and calm to body and mind.
How to prepare your skin for your DIY body oil
A skin that is prepared will benefit so much more from your body oil, so lets look at a simple routine that can really help your skin, prior to body oil application and in the long term too!
Body brush
Dry body brushing, is a great habit to get into for your skin and body. Using long, light strokes, always towards the heart, the body brushing action will help to gently exfoliate the skin, while also encouraging the circulation. In addition the lymphatic circulation – which sits just below the skins surface – is improved, so this helps reduce cellulite, and disperse lumps and bumps under the skin.
Showering
A daily shower is obvious, but you can also ensure that this helps to prepare and treat your skin too. Instead of a generic shower gel, that is often harsh on the skin – as it is designed to kill bacteria and cleanse more intimate areas – use a shower oil, or a moisturising shower gel. This will be kinder to your skin, and not strip the valuable oils and protection we have on the surface of the skin.
Exfoliate
Exfoliating your skin regularly is another habit you should get in to, to maintain smooth, soft skin. This will help remove the surface skin cells to ensure that your body oil can absorb well and you will get it’s maximum benefits.
| 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. |