Learn how to make an all natural multipurpose oil using my diy massage oil recipe. This silky, luxurious oil quenches the skin and gives the perfect slip for a relaxing at-home massage. Massage is known to relieve sore muscles but did you know that it also revs up circulation helping the skin detox? Using a couple carrier oils and a special essential oil blend, you can make a boutique-quality massage oil in minutes!
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Today let’s make something decadent, rich and full of natural goodness. Making your own massage oil with natural ingredients is super simple and easily customizable. Plus you can use it as a body oil to relieve dry skin!
Benefits of Massage:
Whether you get a professional massage or at-home massages, massaging the skin can be hugely beneficial for your overall health.
- Increases relaxation and reduces anxiety.
- Relieves sore, achy muscles.
- Loosens tight muscles.
- Lowers blood pressure and heart rate
- Improves circulation and blood flow
- Encourages better sleep
I believe everyone could use extra circulation. The more circulation, the healthier the skin. When there is good blood flow in the legs, cellulite lessens as well as vein issues are relieved!
Luckily there are several things that help rev up blood flow.
Massage is a great way to encourage circulation. One of the best essential oils for blood flow is rosemary. Keeping this in mind was how I formulated this particular massage oil blend. However, this is such a basic, easy recipe. You can customize carrier oils and essential oils to suit your needs and scent preferences.
What are the Best Oils to Use for Massage?
A great massage requires a good massage oil base.
If you want to make the perfect massage oil, the skin type of who you’re massaging matters.
The best carrier oils for massage are the oils that don’t absorb too quickly . Fractionated coconut oil, sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil and grapeseed oil are all an excellent choice for oily to normal skin types. If your skin is dry, jojoba oil, olive oil and avocado oil are a bit heavier but all great for relieving dry skin.
Essential Oils and Massage Oil:
While a homemade massage oil doesn’t require essential oils to do the job, pure essential oils enhance the massage experience greatly. Did you know that adding a few drops of essential oil can calm and heal skin conditions as well as relax the body and calm the mind? Essential oils have therapeutic properties that can do wonders for the mind, body and spirit. Personally, adding essential oils to your massage oil is an absolute must!
For a more sensual, mood setting essential oil blend, try 15 drops of lavender essential oil with 8 drops of ylang ylang essential oil. Vanilla essential oil is another warm and relaxing scent that I love by itself or paired with woodsy oils, citrus oils and/or lavender.
Feel free to use your favorite essential oils and create your own blend. You can’t go wrong!
Benefits of Rosemary Essential Oil:
Rosemary essential oil can be a very helpful oil. Some of it’s benefits include hair growth, improved brain function, reduced muscle pain and reduced joint inflammation.
I use it in my DIY brow growth serum and have achieved impressive results along with many positive reviews from readers.
One of the most impressive benefits of rosemary essential oil is it’s ability to increase circulation. Due to my poor circulation in my legs and feet, I always add it to my personal body oils.
In one study, a woman with Raynaud’s disease (a disease that effects blood circulation in the hands and feet), massaged her hands with a rosemary oil blend. She found that it helped warm her fingers due to the increased circulation. These effects were confirmed by thermal imaging.
Rosemary essential oil is affordable, easily accessible and has a minty, bright scent! I like to use it in my DIY vapor rub.
DIY Massage Oil Ingredients:
- Kukui Oil is cold pressed and unrefined. It is an ancient Hawaiian hair and beauty treatment that locks in moisture and creates a barrier from damage. It’s very affordable and a perfect addition to any moisturizing DIY product. It is our base oil for this recipe.
- Shea Oil is an oil I am currently experimenting with since I’ve never used it until now. It is rich in essential fatty acids, phytosterols and Vitamins A, E and F. It comes from the shea nut which is better known to produce shea butter. So far I really like how it is light yet still moisturizes. Plus, it will not clog pores due to it’s comedogenic score.
- Hazelnut Oil is a light oil that absorbs quickly. It has been used to strengthen nails and even lengthen hair!
- Argan oil is a more popular oil that is very commonly used to encourage elasticity in the skin. I like using it in more luxurious DIYs. It can be very helpful in smoothing the skin.
- Lavender essential oil is added to this DIY massage and body oil because it’s my favorite scent and it pairs very well with rosemary. It has a very calming effect which makes it great if you’re using this DIY as a massage oil.
What You’ll Need to Make DIY Massage Oil:
- 4 ounce glass pump bottle
- Small Funnel
- Kukui Oil
- Shea Oil
- Hazelnut Oil
- Argan Oil
- Rosemary Essential Oil
- Lavender Essential Oil

DIY Massage Oil
Learn how to make an all natural multipurpose oil using my diy massage oil recipe. This silky, luxurious oil quenches the skin and gives the perfect slip for a relaxing at-home massage. Massage is known to relieve sore muscles but did you know that it also revs up circulation helping the skin detox? Using a couple carrier oils and a special essential oil blend, you can make a boutique-quality massage oil in minutes!
Materials
- 4 ounce glass pump bottle
- Small Funnel
Tools
- 4 TBSP. Kukui OilÂ
- 2 TBSP. Shea Oil
- 1 TBSP. Hazelnut Oil
- 1 TBSP Argan Oil
- 15 drops Rosemary Essential Oil
- 8 drops Lavender Essential Oil
Instructions
- Fill a medium sized pot 1/2 way full of water.
- Place a glass pyrex bowl with a spout in the water and turn the stove top on to medium heat.
- Add oils to bowl.
- Allow to melt.
- Remove from heat and add rosemary oil and lavender oil.
- Pour into a 4 ounce bottle.
Notes
- The shelf life of this oil is 6 months.
- Don't forget, this recipe makes a fantastic body oil you can use daily for softer, more hydrated skin!

Massage Tips for the Perfect At-Home Massage:
- Make sure your oil is at room temperature and above before you apply it to someone’s skin. You can even get an electric massage oil warmer!
- Use long, slow strokes along the muscles.
- Avoid the middle of the back. Rubbing the spine does not feel good.
- Use your body weight instead of just your arm weight for extra pressure.
- Massage tables can be more affordable than you might think and they make a massage so much easier.
- Don’t underestimate a good hand massage or foot massage. You don’t have to massage the entire body to reap the benefits of massage.
- Create the perfect ambiance. Dim the lights, play soft, relaxing music, light candles and diffuse lavender to create a peaceful, calm setting.
This diy massage oil recipe could not be easier to make and may I suggest that it makes a great gift! Be sure to add a cute label and maybe tie a tag that includes the amazingly rich and effective ingredients!
For a really cute label, sign up for my email subscription to get a PDF file that includes 12 custom labels, including a body oil label! Or copy the picture below to print just the body oil label. I suggest using THESE Avery labels and going to their website to use their template to print.
xx, Jenni
I made this recipe and I am not liking the smell of the Rosemary. What EO can I add to it to give it less of a medicine smell? Love the texture though. Thank you
Martha-I know. It’s a very minty yet medicinal smell. It does pair well with lavender. I’m not sure, but geranium is amazing for an oil like this and it is so strong. It wouldn’t take much to overpower the rosemary. I’m just not sure if the smells work together. You don’t know until you try it.
Thank Jenni! I tried the lavender which didn’t smell too great with it. Then I added geranium but still kinda iffy. So I’ll just use this myself. I made a separate one for a friend but only used geranium; which, was a hit.
Hi, Thank you for this recipe , sounds amazing I already use oils for everything including my face and when I was looking for a recipe to make body butter I saw this and think I’m gonna try it instead , I had bought ingredients for body butter including cocoa butter , could I use this instead of Shea butter ?
Thank you and hope to hear from you soon 🙂
Isabel-I think you could-I worry a bit about cocoa butter being harder then shea butter but I think it’s worth a try. You could omit the butter all together?
Thank you I think I will buy the Shea butter 😊
Thanks Jennifer. I kind of like the rosemary smell blended with lavender. I keep it in Infinity Jars to preserve the smell, freshness and effectiveness of the oil for a long time.
https://infinityjars.com/collections/moisturizer-jars-and-bottles
Hi Jenni!
I recently made this body oil to take to the spa for a massage appointment. It was FANTASTIC! The therapist kept raving about it and I could not get over how soft my skin feels (which is already outrageously soft from one of your body butter recipes)! This will definitely become a daily staple for me!
Kristi
Kristi! I’m so glad to know this! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Jenni, I’d like to make this today but do not have macademia oil on hand, can I substitute jojoba or grapeseed? I have all the other ingredients….
You absolutely can!!
Jenni,
What is the shelf life of this oil? I’m shipping this to a friend and also wanted to know the best way to ship it? If should be safe in bubble wrap right?
Martha-Hi!! It should last around 6 mos. I ship it in a flat rate small box via USPS. I use biodegradable peanuts but bubble wrap is even better!
Is there a sub for macadamis oil?
Hey Jenni, this looks very nice, I really want to make it. Only, I’m not the biggest fan of almond oil. Do you have any idea which carrier oil would be the best replacement for that? Thanks!
Kat-Rosehip Seed Oil is the best but it’s expensive. Apricot Kernel Oil would be good too. Pumpkin or Hemp are great too! Hope this helps!
Did you see on the recepie how much macadamia nut oil, almond oil and shea butter to use?
Judy-Those ingredients aren’t in this recipe. They used to be but I have recently updated and improved the recipe. Sorry to be confusing.
Hi Jenni, you say in step 3 to add macadamia nut oil, sweet almond oil and shea butter. I don’t seem to be able to find these in the description nor the amounts to use. Am I missing part of the directions and amounts somewhere? Thank you for any clarifications.
Judy-Oops, I didn’t realize I didn’t take that out. Those ingredients were in the original recipe but are no longer included. Thanks for pointing that out!
I think I missed the amount of vitamin E???
Paulette-It was a typo. I had it in an old recipe but I have improved this one and omitted it. Thanks for letting me know!