Try These DIY Body Oils To Keep Your Skin Moisturized
Dry skin is no good. Aesthetics aside, healthy, moisturized skin is better for your overall health. National Institutes of Health ranks skincare as crucial, but sometimes in our daily quest for glowy skin, we forget that skin is our largest organ and serves as our first layer of protection against all sorts of stuff, including dehydration, infection, and disease. Moisturizing creams are a great skincare component but tend to wear off quickly. Body oil, however, is loaded with essential oils that penetrate the skin and stick around longer.
There's an endless array of 100% gorgeous, amazing moisturizing body oils on the market, but did you know you can make your own? Making your own body oils can save you a boatload of money, empower you to customize the body oil blend, and bonus, you're going to feel like a DIY-rock star.
In the magical land of DIY beauty, homemade body oils are the easiest place to earn your first skincare wizard badge. The most important thing to remember? You're a beginner. Follow the advice of the folks at School of Natural Skincare. Stick with DIY body oils that are made with just 100% oils. Formulas and recipes that contain any form of water (including watered down, perfumed oils) require a preservative to prevent bacterial growth. So, keep it simple.
Use recipes that contain only carrier oils and essential oils. Carrier oils are the primary oil, creating the bulk volume of your fabulous DIY body oil. Essential oils are used in small quantities to impart various benefits, from aromatherapy to skin-specific perks. There are countless essential oils, each with wonderful benefits, as outlined by Cleveland Clinic's Yufang Lin, MD. However, it can be a bit overwhelming. For now, stick with a starter list, like this one from Healthline.
Body oils are great to use on warm skin after a bath or shower. Hang out in your cozy robe, allow a few minutes for the oils to penetrate, and then gently dab off any excess.
Use natural oils to create moisturizing DIY body treatments
Now that you have a little background on DIY body oil basics, it's helpful to get started with a quick tutorial video. We love the Joan Morais Cosmetics School's straightforward "How To Make Body Oil" video. The short, three minute video just gives you the visual how-to and is that reassurance you need because it's that easy. Pour some carrier oil, add some essential oil drips — come on, you got this!
Suppose you're in a hurry for DIY moisturizing body oil. In that case, all you really need is a carrier oil such as apricot, almond, coconut, or hemp. These oils go a long way in moisturizing. So, when you're in a pinch, it's okay to run to the pantry and smear yourself with a bit of olive oil! But to get the full benefits from DIY body oils, customizing with essential oils is a significant plus.
With so many choices in both carrier and essential oils, we love Savvy Homemade's condensed list of DIY body oil tips. It's a great go-to for beginners. The quick guide gives you the scoop on which carrier oils are best for different skin types and the properties of some of the most popular essential oils. The Overnight Moisture Boost body oil recipe is the standout among the dozen or so formulas. With lavender, neroli, and jasmine, it's a luxe-leaning DIY skincare formula perfect for everyday use or gifting.
Combining the superpowers of almond and rosehip oils, Treehugger's Moisturizing Body Oil recipe is loaded with essential oils like lavender, rose, and bergamot that packs moisturizing oomph. In addition, the formula incorporates the more cost-effective almond oil with its other ingredients — a great option for DIY beauty newbies looking to stay on a budget. This Moisturizing Body Oil is listed among several different easy-to-make formulas, including Luscious Lavender Body Oil and Hydrating Hemp Body Oil.
Choose DIY body oil ingredients according to your specific needs
Now that you're familiar with a few basic recipes, you can start to explore a bit more. For example, carrier oils have different viscosities (fancy talk for thickness). There are lighter and heavier oils. Peaceful Dumpling does an excellent job of reminding us that argan oil is on the lighter side and hazelnut and sunflower are on the heavier end of the spectrum. Lighter oils will absorb quickly and are great if you're on the run. Heavy oils are beneficial to dehydrated skin or when you have time to chill after a bath or shower to let the oil absorb.
Okay, maybe it's date night, and you're behind schedule. Pro DIY beauty tip: use lighter body oil. Organic Beauty Recipes offers this Non-Greasy Body Oil Recipe that combines three different quick-absorbing carrier oils with rose geranium, lavender, and frankincense.
Winter skin, though? {sigh}
Winter skin needs some thick, kick-ass body oil. And for this, we turn to sisters Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman over at A Beautiful Mess. Their DIY Winter Skin Homemade Body Oil formula even has a bit of shimmer powder because, yes, it's winter. And, yes, we need a serious, no-joke body oil. But, we're not wooly winter yetis, and a slight shimmer always makes us smile.
Whatever the season, DIY moisturizing body oils are a great way to customize your skincare, save a few bucks, and glow like a magic wand-wielding DIY skincare maven.