Make your own fragrant herbal body oil

Sunday, November 12, 2017

It is easy and fun to make your own body oil!  You can make an oil specific to your skin type and add herbs for specific benefits or just for the scent.  Or add your favorite flower.

I have very dry skin, inherited from my grandmother.  I tried every lotion I could find and none were moisturizing enough for my alligator skin!  I remember Granny doing the same thing; looking for a lotion or oil that would be moisturizing.

I also started reading about the chemicals that are in most personal care products and thought there had to be a better, healthier way to help my dry skin with fragrance I love.

I then tried different kinds of oils-almond, coconut, jojoba, olive.  Out of all of them, coconut oil ended up being the most moisturizing of all.  The draw back to coconut oil is that it is a solid below 75 degrees F.  

I added olive oil and almond oil to the coconut oil to get it to stay liquid at lower temps.  You can always put the oil under the shower to heat it back up if you prefer more coconut oil in the mix.

I use all organic ingredients: raw coconut oil, cold pressed olive oil and cold pressed almond oil.  Cold pressed keeps the most nutrition in the oil.

I remember what I read once-your skin is the largest organ of your body and absorbs everything you put on it.  So, only put on your skin what you would eat, including the quality of the ingredients.

I read my "Herb Encyclopedia" book to see what herbs from my garden would be beneficial.  The two that were great for anti-aging were lavender and chervil.  I grow both in my garden with no chemicals, all organically.  They smell great too added to the oil!  You get a 2 for 1 benefit.  Start a kitchen herb garden!

You can use any herbs or flowers you like!  Flowers that are edible  Be sure to dry them before adding them to your body oil. Fresh herbs can harbor microbes.  Harvesting and drying herbs

Here is the final 1 quart jar recipe I ended up with:

1/3 quart coconut oil

1/3 quart olive oil (loaded with CoQ10 and other antioxidants)

1/3 quart almond or sunflower oil

2 tablespoons shea butter (optional)

2 tablespoons dried lavender

2 tablespoons dried chervil

I just put them all in a quart jar and shake well (if the coconut is a solid, I put in a bowl of hot water to liquify it).  Let it sit in a cool, dark area for a couple of weeks to let the herbs infuse the oils.  It will smell wonderful!  

Then use a tea strainer to catch the herbs as you put them into the body oil dispenser you will use.  I use a glass jar with a flip top lid.  I apply right after I shower.  This timing keeps the moisture locked in your skin.

If you need your scented oil asap, you can gently heat the oil on the stove with the herbs to infuse quickly.  Keep the temp below 100 degrees F as you infuse your oil to keep all the wholesome goodness of your oil and herbs intact.  You'll have scented body oil in 20 minutes.