One of my favorite benefits to using essential oils in skin care is to add essential oils to my body lotion.
In summer, I choose fresh, light scents to make me feel uplifted and energized. In winter, I choose essential oils that nourish dry skin or help treat little cracks and wounds.
Today, I want to show you how easy it is to mix essential oils with lotion. Plus: you’ll learn how to customize your skin care lotions to suit your particular skin’s needs.
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It is best to use an unscented lotion, but if you’re just trying it out, it really works with anything you have on hand. Using a carrier oil to dilute essential oils before adding them to lotions can improve the smell of your lotions, and lets you enjoy additional aromatherapy benefits. Diluting essential oils is crucial for ensuring safety and preventing skin irritation.
How to Add Essential Oils to Body Lotion
One of the easiest ways to enjoy essential oils is by applying them onto your body.
Not only do oils smell delicious, they are also so nourishing for your skin! Instead of buying commercial lotions, I only use my own body creams and lotions now. Not only because essential oils are one of my favorite products of all time – but because my skin loves the treatment so much!
Simply start with an unscented lotion base and add your own choice of essential oils. It is important to use essential oils safely to avoid potential risks, such as skin irritation or allergic reactions.
Understanding Essential Oils
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts that have been cherished for centuries for their medicinal, therapeutic, and cosmetic benefits. These potent oils are typically obtained through steam distillation or cold pressing, extracting the essence from the plant’s leaves, roots, flowers, or seeds. Each essential oil boasts a unique chemical composition, influenced by the plant species, growing conditions, and extraction method. This distinctiveness is what gives essential oils their powerful properties and delightful aromas.
How Essential Oils Work
Essential oils work their magic by interacting with the body’s biochemistry, influencing various physiological processes. When absorbed through the skin or inhaled, these oils can impact emotional, mental, and physical well-being. For instance, incorporating essential oils into body lotions or carrier oils can enhance their benefits, adding unique properties and scents. Whether you’re looking to soothe your skin, uplift your mood, or simply enjoy a pleasant fragrance, essential oils offer a versatile and natural solution.
Choosing the Right Essential Oil
Factors to Consider
Selecting the right essential oil can make all the difference in your skin care routine. Here are some key factors to consider:
- Skin Type: If you have sensitive skin, opt for gentle and soothing essential oils like lavender or chamomile. For oily skin, essential oils with astringent or balancing properties, such as tea tree or geranium, are ideal.
- Health Benefits: Different essential oils offer various health benefits. For instance, if you’re aiming to reduce stress and anxiety, essential oils like bergamot or ylang-ylang can be particularly effective.
- Aroma: The scent of an essential oil can significantly impact your emotions and mood. Choose an aroma that you enjoy, as you’re more likely to use it regularly if you love the smell.
- Quality: Always opt for high-quality, pure essential oils free from additives and chemicals.
- Blending: Creating your own essential oil blend can be a fun and rewarding experience. When blending, consider the properties and benefits of each oil to ensure they complement each other, resulting in a harmonious and effective mixture.
By taking these factors into account, you can select the perfect essential oil to meet your needs and enjoy the myriad benefits they offer.
Use Unscented Body Lotion Base
Lucky for us, there are many unscented lotion base products available. Look for a quality product with ingredients such as aloe vera, shea butter, coconut oil or almond oil – all of which are exquisite for smooth skin!
Unscented Body Lotion Base
Get it here
- Choose an unscented lotion base.
- Transfer a measured amount of lotion to a glass container of choice.
- Add essential oils in a 2% dilution rate (table with numbers of drops below).
- Scoop the lotion back into its original container.
- Enjoy!
Making a lotion from scratch is a bit complex (though worth the effort). To learn more about making lotions from scratch, I recommend reading I recommend reading Making Aromatherapy Creams & Lotions: 101 Natural Formulas to Revitalize & Nourish Your Skin.
How much Essential Oil to add to Lotion
Here is a list of some common body lotion container sizes and how many drops of essential oils to add. It follows the recommended 2% dilution rate for regular, adult use.
- 1 oz: add 18 drops
- 2 oz: add 36 drops
- 4 oz: add 72 drops
- 8 oz: add 144 drops
Citrus oils, known for their antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, can be a beneficial addition to your lotion. However, they can be phototoxic when exposed to sunlight, so proper dilution and safety considerations are essential.
Mix Small Batches Of Lotion On the Fly
An even simpler way to enjoy essential oils in your body lotion is to simply add the oils on the fly. This means, you scoop out as much unscented lotion as you think you’ll need for your body, add essential oils, and enjoy. Sometimes, this all happens in the palm of my hand. Sometimes, I use a small glass container for a full-body rub. Jojoba oil is an excellent carrier oil for small batches, enhancing skin absorption and providing non-comodogenic benefits. I’ve found that I need about 3-4 tablespoons of unscented lotion to nourish my whole body and give my skin a little tightening boost when applying it after a shower.
- 2 tbsp: add 18 drops
- 4 tbsp: add 36 drops
- 6 tbsp: add 54 drops
Best Essential Oils for Body Lotion
It’s super easy to create your own essential oil lotion. Olive oil and sweet almond oil are excellent ingredients for body lotions, offering benefits such as cleansing, moisturizing, and enhancing skincare formulations. Then you can pamper and spoil yourself every day of the year! Simple aromatherapy recipes are quick and easy to make with minimal ingredients.
Best Oils for Lotion
The best, simplest essential oils to add to your body lotion are:
- Peppermint
- Lavender
- Frankincense
- Tea Tree
Use Ready-Made Blends
Use an unscented lotion base and add your favorite essential oil blend.
If you want a slightly more complex aroma, pick a favorite ready-made essential oil blend and simply us that to add to your body lotion.
My favorites are:
- Relax from Plant Therapy
- Bliss from Edens Garden
- Good Vibes from Simply Earth
- Serenity from Rocky Mountain Oils
Set of 3 Essential Oils for Relaxation. Great to use in unscented body lotion
Check it out here
Make Your Custom Blend
Adding essential oils to lotion products is easy! For the ultimate customized skin care routine, choose essential oils to help you with your specific skin concerns.
For example:
Don’t be afraid to experiment with making your own blends. I have tips and techniques for blending listed here. You can experiment with different oils to make scents or to make a cream for a specific purpose (such as for combination skin, acne, or to protect your skin in cold weather).
All-natural products that have wonderful scents are far gentler on the skin. Plus: essential oil lotions are safe, but not expensive. Just make sure to use a reputable essential oil brand so you’re putting quality oils on your skin and body.
Want more tips on how to use essential oils without a diffuser? Read this post here.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to skin care, there is no “one size fits all” answer, since everyone’s skin is so different. But natural oils can help you get a gorgeous glow no matter what skin type.
Add essential oils to your unique skin care routine to create a luxurious moisturizer or body lotion that complements your complexion.
Could you please make a list of of essential oils, that could be used as a bug repellant?
Hi Edward, absolutely! You can find the 10 best oils to use for mosquito repellent here. It also lists a recipe for DIY bug spray! Hope this helps.
I love adding oils to my lotions for my scars and for relaxation but they always separate, how do I prevent that from happening? I don’t know what I’m doing wrong!
Hi Monica. My only guess is the base lotion you’re using isn’t liking the oils. Are you using a scented lotion already? Sometimes that’s ok, sometimes those products don’t like additional essential oils. Could you try with an unscented base lotion product?
Absolutely i will! Thank you!
The best way to blend the essential oils into the lotion is to pour the lotion into a bowl, add the oils and then mix very well.
You can mix almost any essential oil into your favorite unscented moisturizer.