Making a homemade body oil is one of the most effective DIY skin care products you can make-and it’s also one of the easiest! Body oils are a great way to thoroughly nourish all skin types. Using only natural ingredients, this diy body oil recipe can be made in minutes and will replenish your skin instantly!

Body oil is meant to be used to moisturize dry skin. It can be used in place of lotion and is best used right after a shower when the pores are open and the skin is still damp. Body oil can double as a massage oil as well. It has a long shelf life and depending on the formulation, it contains a blend of oils including essential oils that are meant to thoroughly relieve dry skin and minimize skin imperfections. Making your own diy body oil is as simple as adding high quality oil blends into a glass container.

Why Use Body Oils vs. Lotions:

My skin is DRRRYYYYY. Don’t you just love the winter months? Actually I don’t and neither does my skin. I used to be an avid lotion user. I never felt like my skin was getting long term moisture but I liked how quickly the cream would sink in my skin. Once I realized that lotions are made up of over 50% water I realized why I wasn’t experiencing an actual improvement in my skin that lasted longer than a few hours.

Using a body oil is the best way to truly replenish your skin. Plus, because the ingredients in a body oil are all oil based, no preservatives are needed and the shelf life can be anywhere from 6 months to a year.

You also don’t need to use as much body oil as you would a lotion. A little goes a long way and using too much will waste the oil and it will most likely never be able to totally penetrate into your skin.

Lotions require emulsifiers which help bind the water and oil into a cream. Emulsifiers typically have no benefit for the skin but are a necessary ingredient. They are typically unnatural and can even clog the pores. With a homemade body oil, you don’t need to add any ingredient that won’t benefit your skin.

Related Post: DIY Bronzing Tanning Oil

DIY Body Oil Ingredients:

I decided it was time to make a DIY firming body oil with pumpkin seed oil. This recipe is specifically formulated with a combination of carrier oils to not only rid skin of that ashy dry skin look but to also deeply hydrate as well as smooth the skin. Specific essential oils were chosen to help encourage blood flow for healthier, smoother looking skin.

For the main ingredient in this body oil, I chose pumpkin seed oil. It is rich in vitamin E, zinc, fatty acids and antioxidants. It’s very efficient at helping the retention of water in the skin, improving skin tone, healing and firming the skin. Because of the zinc, it can also fight acne! My skin is literally soaking this oil in and I saw immediate results. No more itchy, flakey skin! It is fantastic for sensitive skin and skin irritations. Pumpkin seed oil is random but totally worth it! In fact, I love it so much I wrote a full post on all the benefits of using pumpkin seed oil on your skin!
It’s no secret how much I LOVE rosehip seed oil. I literally could add it to every recipe because of it’s amazing anti aging qualities. It is my number one go-to beauty oil. It is high in vitamin C and E-the 2 anti aging vitamins your skin needs! Rosehip oil also helps encourage collagen production and has been shown to fade age spots. It is a non greasy oil and is able to penetrate into the deeper levels of the skin. Rosehip oil also helps aid in cell turnover.
I also added argan oil because of it’s amazing ability to soften the skin. Argan oil absorbs quickly as well. It has been known to reduce sebum levels in oily skin, reducing clogging. This beautiful oil also encourages new cells to form, leaving you with new, healthy skin. It is one of the top anti aging oils because of it’s high content of vitamin E. Argan oil also contains 80% non saturated fatty acids which are extremely helpful in restoring moisture to the hydro lipid layer of the skin.
Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and amazing for smoothing and firming skin. Vitamin E is a nutrient as well as an antioxidant. Because it’s an antioxidant, it fights skin aging free radicals including sun damage. Antixoidants play a powerful role in anti aging. THIS study tested children who were preparing for surgery and continued to test them through their recovery. The first group used vitamin E before and after on their incision area and the 2nd group used a petrolatum based ointment on their incisions. The group using the vitamin E did not scar at all. 6.5% of the group using the other ointment ended up scaring.
I added an essential oil blend of rosemary, lavender and lemon to rev up circulation (which helps with blood flow, which helps with cellulite!!!) and brighten the skin. All three of these essential oils have powerful anti-inflammatory properties. If you’re dealing with skin breakouts, I recommend adding tea tree as well or to replace the rosemary.

Be warned that citrus oils can make you photosensitive, meaning if you wear this oil in the sun, you might be more prone to burning and skin damage. If you are wanting to use this diy body oil before being outside, nix the lemon. I use this oil after being in the sun and find it works well that way.

More Easy Recipes for the Body:

Ingredient Alternatives:

I have formulated this recipe for dry, aging skin. However, making your own body oil can be as simple as using one or two natural oils and that’s it!

Jojoba oil, avocado oil and olive oil are very emollient plant oils that will do wonders for super dry skin. Hemp seed oil, sweet almond oil and grapeseed oil are lighter oils that aren’t as moisturizing but will absorb into the skin faster. Fractionated coconut oil is a light, plant-based oil that I don’t enjoy using on it’s own but like adding it to a mix of oils.

Other essential oils that are great for the skin are ylang ylang oil, carrot seed oil and geranium essential oil. These 3 oils are meant to be used very sparingly and have a very strong scent. I would add no more than 3 drops of these essential oil per 8 ounces.

You can also add mica powder if you’d like to make this a shimmering body oil. I would add 1-2 tsp. of THIS white mica powder.

Related Post: Essential Oil Body Spray Recipe

What You’ll Need to Make DIY Body Oil:

1/2 cup Pumpkin Seed Oil (find it HERE)
1/4 cup Rosehip Seed Oil (find it HERE)
2 tbsp. Argan Oil (find it HERE)
2 tbsp. Vitamin E Oil (find it HERE)
15 drops Rosemary Essential Oil (find it HERE)
20 drops Lavender Essential Oil (find it HERE)
10 drops Lemon Essential Oil (find it HERE)
8 oz. Glass Pump Bottle (find it HERE)
Funnel (find it HERE)

DIY Body Oil for Dry Skin

Yield: 8 ounces

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Making a homemade body oil is one of the most effective DIY skin care products you can make-and it's also one of the easiest! Body oils are a great way to thoroughly nourish all skin types. Using only natural ingredients, this diy body oil recipe can be made in minutes and will replenish your skin instantly!

Materials

1/2 cup Pumpkin Seed Oil
1/4 cup Rosehip Seed Oil
2 tbsp. Argan Oil
2 tbsp. Vitamin E Oil
15 drops Rosemary Essential Oil
20 drops Lavender Essential Oil
10 drops Lemon Essential Oil

Tools

8 oz. Glass Pump Bottle
Funnel

Instructions

Add all ingredients into the glass pump bottle using the funnel.
Replace the pump and shake.
Use in place of a body lotion. *best used after a shower while skin is still damp.

Notes

This recipe makes 8 ounces but can easily be doubled.
Shelf life is 6 months-1 year.
If you plan to use this oil before being out in the sun, nix the lemon oil.

Where to Purchase the Best Ingredients:

I got all the oils in this recipe from Mountain Rose Herbs because I trust their quality. Each of these oils come in several sizes so there’s no need to spend an arm and a leg. However, I also have used Amazon for many ingredients these days as well as Plant Therapy for several ingredients but mainly essential oils. You can use my coupon code JENNIRAINCLOUD for 10% off your order if you choose Plant Therapy.

The Best Way to Use a Body Oil:

A body oil is best used straight out of the shower when the skin is still wet. The reason that body lotions soak into the skin so quickly is because of the large amount of water in the lotion. The water acts as a vehicle driving the oils deep into the pores. If your skin is damp, the body oil will work in the same way as a lotion and you’ll find it absorbs more quickly. Plus, this method locks in even more moisture! After a shower, your pores are open as well and therefore ready to drink up skin loving oils!

To apply, add a small amount to the palm of your hand and apply to the skin as you would a lotion. Remember, a little goes a long way since this recipe contains no water. Using too much will result in feeling greasy for too long.

You can apply this body oil to your entire body or apply to dry patches only. It all depends on your individual needs.

This oil can and should be used daily.

Does Body Oil Expire?

There is not a typical expiration date when you make your own body oil. Most oils typically are stable and can last for up to one year as long as they aren’t exposed to too much light. Adding vitamin E and essential oils also helps to keep your body oil fresh. A quick and simple way to tell if your body oil has gone bad is to smell it. You’ll notice a rancid, stinky smell-it’s obvious, you can’t miss it. Once this happens, it’s time to throw it out. This doesn’t typically happen for quite some time. At the earliest, a body oil will expire in 6 mos. but a year is a more typical shelf life.

I’m definitely in full spring mode and that includes taking better care of my skin. With my recent discovery of safer tanning beds, I’m all about replenishing my skin because even though a big dose of vitamin D via UV rays has many health benefits for the skin, it still zaps the skin of hydration.

This body oil recipe has made the biggest difference in my skin! I’m loving it so much that when I’m out of my oil cleanser and face oil, I use this body oil for both! I’ve also been known to use a small amount on my hair for added conditioning! This is truly one of my most multipurpose beauty products!

UPDATE: Out of all my diy recipes, I remake this one the most. Gone are my lotion days and gone are the days of neglecting my skin. I keep this DIY body oil next to the shower and never miss applying it. It smells incredible and thoroughly nourishes my skin all year long. I highly recommend you try this recipe for yourself!

xx, Jenni

PIN IT!!!

6 thoughts on “DIY Body Oil for Dry Skin”