Have you ever read the ingredients on your lotions, perfumes, or hand sanitizer bottles? They are full of crazy sounding chemicals that are hard to pronounce and even harder on your body. My young daughter loves all the fun scents you can find at the popular body wash stores (again, full of crazy chemicals that do a number on our bodies, let alone our hormones!), so I totally understand the uphill battle of trying to stray away from these products. But you’re in luck! You can make your own CHEMICAL-FREE products that still smell great (kid-tested)! Your kids can even pick their own scent and help out with this project! And bonus–these are budget-friendly (same price or cheaper than what you’ll find in stores)! I’ll share some of my favorite “recipes” for luxuriously soft body butters, hand sanitizer and room sprays, and roll on applicator oils.
My general rule (I follow most of the time, because hey, I’m human) is…if I wouldn’t eat it, I don’t put it on my skin. Have you ever heard of how absorbent our skin is? The National Center for Disease Control (CDC) discusses the hazards that are absorbed through the skin, which impact over 13 MILLION Americans. Think about that number for a second. Those are 13 million lives that are impacted by diseases they are now susceptible to like cancer, serious infections, and other skin disorders, all supported by research the CDC has performed. So the things we put on our bodies every day…lotions, deodorants, facial moisturizer, hand sanitizer, chap stick, laundry detergent…the list goes on and on. All of those things are immediately being absorbed by our bodies once they touch our skin (or are breathed in or otherwise ingested).
So how do we combat this? By using safer, more natural products. In general, just like ingredients in food, the fewer the ingredients, the safer the product (most of the time). One option is to buy these products already made (there are plenty of excellent companies that sell safe products), or save yourself money and have some fun doing it–even get your kids involved–by making your own!
Body butter, roll ons, sprays, oh my!
Making your own chemical-free products has never been so easy and budget-friendly. It’s easy and quick to make your own body butter, roll on applicators, and sprays with all natural products that are actually good and beneficial for you!
Benefits of Essential Oil Products:
- Essential oils-depending on the type of relief you’re needing, or the kind of benefit you’re looking for, there’s likely an oil that will help. Need help sleeping? Try Lavender and Chamomile. Need a pick me up? Try Peppermint or citrus. Need some help getting over cold and flu symptoms? Try Thieves. The list literally goes on and on. Check out my Top 7 Essential Oils for Fitness and Health here.
- The “carrier oils”, or the oils that are added to “carry” the essential oil (also diluting it, as you should never apply concentrated oils directly to your skin) have many benefits and vary in properties and absorption. This is my go-to Fractionated Coconut Oil (which is liquid at room temperature, so is easy to use). Refer to this great post on the differences in carrier oils.
- DIY Essential Oil products don’t have all the extra chemical yuck that you’ll find in most store-bought products. There are many dangers of using typical hand sanitizers, which we sprinkle all over schools and most any location these days–they’re not helping to prevent disease in the long run. They’re really just making the bacteria that makes us sick even stronger! Here are just a few potentially cancer-causing chemicals that the popular bath stores include in their products (what is the real price you’re paying for these products?):
- Parabens (anything you see that says something like “methyl-“, “propyl-“, etc): preservatives used to prevent the product from molding. These are big hormone disruptors (hormones control many of our body functions). Parabens are found in so many store bought skin care and beauty products, lotion, makeup, and hair care products.
- BHA/BHT: these are chemically made and added to all sorts of products (even food!!) to extend shelf life. They have been found to disrupt our hormones (which regulate and control most functions in our body) and lead to cancer and liver damage.
- Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA): a chemical product that is added to many lotions to hold its “shape”
- And don’t forget about all the chemically made (fake) fragrances that are added that disrupt our hormones and wreak havoc on our skin. If you have a strange rash on your body or other similar sensitivity–try switching out your lotion, makeup, or laundry detergent. They could be the culprits!
So what is the price you’re paying for beauty? It’s more than just spending more than the product is worth in dollars. It’s not worth the risk of skin irritation, hormone disruption, and even cancer, as these products all immediately start absorbing into your body once they touch your skin.
Storage matters
A quick note on storage–storing your DIY products in glass (amber or blue colored to preserve the essential oils) is ideal. Plastic leaches out in the products, just as it does in food, so plastic is not recommended. Here are a few of my favorite products to store these products, which are also very pretty:
- Spray bottles-great for cleaning or room sprays (these come in multiple sizes in a combo pack)
- Roll on applicator bottle-these are great for putting in your pocket or purse and simply rolling on your body when you need relief from a headache, a quick pick me up, relief from stress, or just want to smell good. You can also get a combo package of a variety of sizes of spray bottles and save a bit of money if you’re going to be making several items.
- Small jars-awesome for lotions, body butter, and eye cream; I would like to invest in these soon, as I have been using small mason jars (which are clear and don’t offer protection from the light, which breaks down essential oils over time).
DIY Essential Oil Room Spray (or Hand Sanitizer Spray)
This easy DIY Room Spray (or Hand Sanitizer Spray) takes only a couple of moments to make and is easy to use throughout your day. Great for a gift idea!
Materials
- Glass spray bottle
- Witch Hazel
- Distilled Water
- Essential Oil(s)
Tools
- Pipette or funnel (optional if mouth of bottle is not wide enough to pour into)
Instructions
- Pour distilled water in a 2 oz glass spray bottle, leaving approx 1 inch room at the top (so it won't overflow)
- Add 1 tablespoon witch hazel
- Add 5 drops Vitamin E Oil (optional for softer hands)
- Add 10-15 drops essential oil (If doing hand sanitizer, use Thieves. If you don't have Thieves, use mixture of 5 drops lemon, 5 drops orange, and 5 drops tea tree essential oils
- Gently shake a couple times before each use to mix the oils
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Majestic Pure Fractionated Coconut Oil, For Aromatherapy Relaxing Massage, Carrier Oil for Diluting Essential Oils, Hair & Skin Care Benefits, Moisturizer & Softener - 16 Ounces -
Glass Spray Bottle, ESARORA Amber Glass Spray Bottle Set - Essential Oils - Cleaning Products - Aromatherapy (16OZ x 2, 8OZ x 2, 4OZ x 2, 2OZ x 2)
DIY Essential Oil Roller Ball Bottle
This incredibly easy DIY Essential Oil Roll on bottle project takes just a moment to do and you'll love how handy it is to stick it in your purse/bag and simply apply directly to your skin by "rolling" it on. Alleviate headaches, calm nerves, or just apply it for a great, wearable scent.
Materials
- Small funnel (unless you have a pump-style bottle of fractionated coconut oil, then funnel is not necessary)
- Roller ball bottle
- Coconut oil (or almond, jojoba, grapeseed, or other oil)
- Essential oil(s)
Tools
- funnel (optional)
- dropper or pipette (optional) to more easily measure oil drops
Instructions
1. Slowly add fractionated coconut oil into the 10 mL roller bottle until approximately 3/4 inch from the top (leave room for the roller portion and for the essential oils so it does not spill over). If you do not have a pump on your oil bottle, you will need to use small funnel or dropper.
2. Add 6-10 drops essential oil (based on desired strength).
3. Put roller ball lid on top of bottle; mix gently by rolling bottle between your hands. (Do this each time you apply.)
Notes
I apply mine daily and the bottles last me more than a month. It's a great way to carry your essential oils on "the go" and easily apply whenever you want! You can apply to acupressure points on the body, including temples, bottoms of the feet, wrists, back of the neck, behind your ears, etc.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
DIY Essential Oil Body Butter
DIY Essential Oil Body Butter is luxuriously smooth and lightly coats your skin with moisture rich essential oils.
Materials
- 1 cup Shea Butter (provides great anti inflammatory properties for your skin)
- 3 Tablespoons coconut oil (or almond, jojoba, grapeseed, or other oil)
- 10-15 drops of desired essential oil
- 3/4 Tablespoon arrowroot powder (optional-if you want your butter less greasy)
Tools
- double Burner or similar to melt the ingredients (if making a very small amount, I use a mason jar in a saucepan but you will have to pour it into a bowl to mix; if making a large amount of body butter, I use a large stainless steel bowl inside of a cake pan since my stove top burners are "flush" with my stove--see pic)
- silicone spatula
- hand mixer
- popsicle sticks
- glass jars
Instructions
- In a double boiler (or similar tool), melt shea butter and oil(s) together and stir. If making a large amount, it's just as easy to use a large stainless steel bowl and cake pan as a double boiler--less dishes that way!
*Optional Magnesium flake addition for pain relief: Add 3 tablespoons boiling water to 1/2 cup magnesium flakes and stir until flakes are dissolved. Add this to the melted shea butter/oil mixture. - Cool in refrigerator for approximately 10 minutes, or until mixture just begins to harden and is translucent (may start to turn white or a lighter color). Don't let it solidify all the way--if you do you will have to remelt it.
- Add arrowroot powder (optional).
- Whip the mixture with a hand mixer until creamy (approximately 1-2 minutes). Body butter will harden just a bit more as it comes to room temperature. If you add too much arrowroot powder it will turn into a paste, which is still usable but takes a second to melt in your hands before applying.
- If you are making more than one scent of body butter, transfer to desired glass jars (before adding essential oils). I use 4 ounce jars. Then gently fold in 7-10 drops essential oils in the small jar using a popsicle stick. --or-- If you are making all the same scent using the same oils, simply add 25-30 drops oils to the large bowl and mix before putting in individual jars. (You can use hand mixer since the bowl is larger and the body butter has more room to be mixed.)
Notes
Arrowroot powder gives this body butter a slightly less greasy texture, and is optional. If you desire a stronger body butter, add more essential oils, 3-4 drops at a time between stirring. It typically is a bit stronger after it solidifies than it is when it's still melted.
Body butter will harden just a bit more as it comes to room temperature. If you add too much arrowroot powder it will turn into a paste, which is still usable but takes a second to melt in your hands before applying.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
Majestic Pure Fractionated Coconut Oil, For Aromatherapy Relaxing Massage, Carrier Oil for Diluting Essential Oils, Hair & Skin Care Benefits, Moisturizer & Softener - 16 Ounces
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Majestic Pure Fractionated Coconut Oil, For Aromatherapy Relaxing Massage, Carrier Oil for Diluting Essential Oils, Hair & Skin Care Benefits, Moisturizer & Softener - 16 Ounces
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Combination 12 Pack of Cobalt Blue 1oz & 2oz Glass Straight Sided Jars, Lids Included; Empty Refillable Containers for Cosmetics, Creams, Lotions, Essential Oils (6 of Each)
You can use cute sticker labels to easily identify what essential oils are infused in the products. To prevent the writing from wiping away from the oils, completely wipe down (even use soap and water) and dry bottles before applying. Make sure your hands are clean too.
So if you’re giving a gift (our teachers love receiving these!), pampering yourself, or just making a product for your daily regimen, these DIY essential oil products are an easy way to save money AND use something that you’ll feel good about!
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