The Basic Formula for a Body Oil
One of the hottest natural skin care product trends is the body oil. They are some of my favorite simple DIY skin care products and I’ve been formulating them for several years. When applied to damp skin, an after bath body oil locks in hydration and moisture.
When the right lipid carrier oils are used, a body oil helps nourish the skin and maintain the skin barrier. A healthy skin barrier means soft, smooth, glowing skin.
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In this Post:
After Bath Body Oil Components
An after bath body oil has a few simple components. And the fun thing about a body oil is you can experiment with different ingredients to create a blend that is uniquely yours!
Lipid Carrier Oils
While we call them “carrier” oils, these cold pressed seed oils are more than simply ingredients that “carry” other ingredients, like essential oils, into the skin. They are moisturizing, nourishing, and, when chosen carefully, beneficial to skin barrier function.
When choosing carrier oils for a body oil, look for lighter oils that absorb rapidly. Light doesn’t mean less-moisturizing or less-beneficial. These lighter oils contain greater percentages of “lighter” omega-3 fatty acids—linoleic (LA), alpha-linolenic (ALA), and gamma-linolenic (GLA) acids.
Some of my favorites include:
- Argan Seed Oil
- Evening Primrose Seed Oil
- Grapeseed Oil
- Hemp Seed Oil
- Passionfruit Seed Oil
- Rosehip Seed Oil
- Sunflower Seed Oil (high-linoleic/standard)
Jojoba, which is actually a liquid wax, has a chemical makeup similar to our skin’s natural sebum. It’s a lovely ingredient to include in a carrier oil blend.
Lipid carrier oil(s) should comprise 97-99.5% of the ingredients.
🌺See my Recommended Suppliers below
Botanical Infused Oils
One of my favorite ways to bring together herbalism and skin care is with a botanical infused oil, especially Chamomile, Rose, and Lavender. You can also infuse resins, like Frankincense or Vanilla, into a carrier oil for a soothing aromatic addition to your body oil blend. These botanicals are in themselves soothing to the skin, and when combined with a nourishing lipid carrier oil, magic happens.
If you haven’t made a botanical infused oil before, Kami McBride has an amazing course on making beautiful, potent herbal oils. She will occasionally host a free workshop on handcrafting herbal oils and I will post that information on my Educators Page.
If you want to make a Lavender infused oil, I provide step-by-step instructions in my book Lavender (page 80, to be exact). This is one of the nicest herbal infusions to include in a before bed body oil (for adults AND kids!).
Learn how to make a Lavender infused oil and so much more! You can find Lavender here:
- My Etsy Store (signed paperback, US)
- Amazon (paperback & Kindle Unlimited, international).
Vitamin E (Tocopherol)
Vitamin E is an important ingredient in any oil-based skin care formulation. It serves two purposes:
- It slows oxidation of the oils, creating a more stable product. Oxidation leads to rancidity (yuck!).
- It helps protect the skin from nasty free radicals (aka environmental pollutants) and improves skin barrier function.
To protect both oil and skin, use vitamin E at 0.5-1% of the formulation.
🌺See my Recommended Suppliers below
Essential Oils
While essential oils aren’t necessary in a body oil, they can bring a little something to a blend. You can choose a single essential oil or an essential oil blend that enhances positive energy, boosts mood, promotes sleep, or simply nourishes the skin.
- Positive energy enhancing essential oils include Fragonia, Sweet Orange, Pink Grapefruit, German Chamomile, and Bergamot Mint.
- Mood balancing essential oils include Neroli, Palmarosa, Ylang Ylang, Frankincense, Black Pepper, and Patchouli.
- Sleep supporting essential oils include Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Ho Wood, Mandarin, Vetiver, and Himalayan Cedarwood.
- Skin nourishing essential oils include Rose, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Helichrysum, and Geranium.
If you choose to include essential oils, they should comprise no more than 2% of your body oil.
🌺See my Recommended Suppliers below
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Making Your After Bath Body Oil
A body oil is simple to make. I make mine directly in a 2oz glass treatment pump bottle, which holds about 60g when filled to the base of the neck. For ease of calculation, let’s create a 50g blend—I’ll provide weights below.
- Essential Oils:
- Optional, at 0.5-2% of your blend (0.25-1g, approximately 5-20 drops)
- If you’re including essential oils, add them to your bottle first and swirl to combine.
- Vitamin E
- 0.5-1% of your blend (0.25-0.5g)
- Add Vitamin E and swirl to combine.
- Carrier Oils and Botanical Infused Oils
- 97-99.5% of your blend (48.5-49.75g)
- Add each of the lipid and/or botanical infused oils, swirling after each one.
- Seal tightly and rock gently for a final mix of ingredients.
- And finally: Affix a label!
Using Your After Bath Body Oil
My favorite time to use a body oil is right after a warm shower or bath. You want at least some dampness to your skin, so a gentle pat dry is enough, or you can simply wipe off extra water with your hands. Applying a body oil to damp/wet skin allows it to spread more easily and penetrate the skin more rapidly.
Apply sparingly to each area of your body, using just enough that your skin feels moisturized and soft, not greasy. Allow the oil to fully absorb before dressing—this shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.
If you already have dry, flaky skin, start using a nourishing body oil regularly right away. Take a warm, not hot, shower and apply your body oil to wet skin.
You can even use your body oil as a gentle cleanser. Simply apply to skin then step into the shower. Use a soft washcloth to gently exfoliate the skin and remove excess oil. After showering, apply body oil as a moisturizer.
Additional Health Benefits of a Body Oil
The benefits of a body oil are not limited to your skin. Here are some of the additional benefits:
- Apply body oil to your legs and arms with upward strokes to support your lymphatic system.
- Massage into your belly and lower back using a clockwise motion to support intestinal health.
- When combined with calming essential oils, using a body oil before bed helps support restful sleep. (Try this Bedtime Body Oil blend.)
- When combined with energizing essential oils, using a body oil in the morning supports positive energy throughout the day. (Daytime Body Oil post coming soon!)
Simply follow the steps and the recommended percentages. I know you’ll create a blend that’s perfect for you!
Mom’s Ingredient Supplier Recommendations
Preferred Containers
- 2oz Glass Treatment Pump (on Amazon)
- 2oz PET Plastic Treatment Pump (on Amazon)
Preferred Suppliers for Lipid Carrier Oils
- Renewalize (on Amazon) – my favorite source for specialty facial oils
- Plant Therapy for lipid oils, butters, and hydrosols
- also at Plant Therapy on Amazon
- Cliganic for Vitamin E, Squalane, lipid oils, and some harder to find oils
- also at Cliganic on Amazon
- Aromatics International for organic lipid oils, butters, and hydrosols (especially for hard-to-find hydrosols and those that can be used internally)
- 3CayG (on Amazon) for all natural butters from around the world.
Preferred Essential Oil Suppliers
Each one of these favorite suppliers provides a wide selection of sustainable, therapeutic, beautifully aromatic, pure essential oils. Browse their inventory and imagine the aromatic possibilities!
- Aromatics International for ethically wildcrafted, organically sourced, and Certified Organic essential oils (Mom’s AI favorites)
- Plant Therapy for Certified Organic and sustainably sourced, conventional essential oils (Mom’s PT favorites)
- Also at Plant Therapy on Amazon
- Edens Garden (on Amazon) for sustainably sourced, conventional essential oils (Mom’s EG favorites)
This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is for educational purposes only.
All recipes provided are for personal use and are not designed for re-sale or large-scale manufacturing.
Please consult your doctor, naturopath, herbal practitioner, or other qualified health professional for medical advice and before starting any herbal regimen, particularly if you are pregnant or nursing, have any existing medical conditions, or are taking any medications.
Chris P | Author, Certified Aromatherapist, Natural Skin Care Formulator
Chris (“Mom”) enjoys formulating bespoke aromatherapy, skin care, and herbal products to support her family, pets, friends, and clients. She also loves experimenting with recipes in the kitchen. An avid reader, writer, and lifetime learner, Chris enthusiastically explores research rabbit holes and then writes about her discoveries.💚 (Learn more >>)
