The best essential oils for body and hair care depend on factors such as your skin and hair type, your sensitivity to a particular essential oil, and personal scent preferences. Most importantly, you must avoid skin-irritating oils.
Making your own aromatherapy
body and hair care products lets you avoid the potentially toxic
ingredients of commercial products. Plus, you get to customize the
scents for your personal needs and tastes.
Here are some starting essential oil suggestions from Authentic Aromatherapy:
- Dry skin: lavender, patchouli, roman chamomile, rose
- Oily skin: geranium, juniper, lemon, tea tree
- Mature skin: clary sage, lavender, myrrh, neroli, rose, sweet orange
An essential oil can benefit more than one skin type, as many oils have adaptogenic properties.
More of the best essential oils for body care from The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy:
- Sensitive skin: german chamomile, roman chamomile, lavender, mandarin
- Dry skin: carrot seed, german chamomile, clary sage, frankincense, geranium, ho wood, jasmine, mandarin, neroli, petitgrain, rosewood, sandalwood
- Oily skin: bergamot, clay sage, cypress, frankincense, ho wood, jasmine, juniper berry, lavender, lemon eucalyptus, myrrh, neroli, niaouli, palmarosa, petitgrain, roman chamomile, thyme linalol, ylang ylang
- Normal skin: all the aforementioned oils except myrrh and thyme linalol
Dilution of Essential Oils for Body Care
When making body care products, you generally want a one to three percent dilution, depending on the essential oils you use, your sensitivity to them, and how strong you want the scent. Guidelines:
- 1% = 6 drops essential oil in 2 tablespoons carrier oil
- 2% = 12 drops essential oil in 2 tablespoons carrier oil
- 3% = 18 drops essential oil in 2 tablespoons carrier oil
Example: If a recipe contains 1 cup (8 tablespoons) carrier oil, and you want a 2% dilution, you can add up to 48 drops essential oil.
Remember, stronger essential oils need to be more highly diluted.
This website offers many options in the following body and hair care articles. Go here for essential oils for facial care.
Jump to:
Hair Care
Essential Oils for Hair (with blends for normal hair)
Essential Oils for Hair Growth
Bath Aromatherapy
Essential Oils in Bath Water
Aromatherapy baths for muscle soreness, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and more. Includes DIY shower gels and bath oils.
Aromatherapy Bath Salts and Aromatherapy Bath Bombs
How to make aromatherapy bath salts and bombs/melts.
Best Essential Oils for Body Care
Essential Oil Body Lotion
Make your own aromatherapy body lotion.
Essential Oil Body Scrub
Salt
and sugar aromatherapy body scrub recipes you can use to exfoliate
your skin and leave it feeling smooth and refreshed.
Essential Oils for Body Butter
Body butter recipes and body butter essential oil blends.
Essential Oils for Lip Balm
Make your own natural lip balm.
Hand Care Products
Make your own aromatherapy lotion, soaks, scrubs, dry hand ointment, and more using essential oils.
How to Make Body Powder
How to make body powder with essential oils.
Natural Essential Oil Deodorant
Ten natural deodorant recipes for rub-on, stick, and spray-on deodorants using essential oils.
Natural Nail Care
How to use essential oils for conditioning or strengthening your nails and to get rid of fungus.
Natural Shaving Cream
Seven ways to make your own shaving cream (for women and men).
Essential Oils for Feet
How
to use essential oils to do foot massage and help treat bunions and
corn. Also includes recipes for a rough foot cream and foot powder.
Homemade Foot Soak and Homemade Foot Scrub
DIY homemade foot soaks and foot scrubs using essential oils to relax, pamper, and heal your feet.
Oral/Dental Care
Homemade Mouthwash
Recipes for natural mouth rinses using essential oils.
Natural Toothpaste Recipe
How to make toothpaste at home using essential oils.
Essential Oils for Gums
Using essential oils can help keep your mouth healthy. Includes recommendations for gingivitis.
Essential Oils for Skin Conditions
Essential Oils for Stretch Marks
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