10 Easy DIY Body Oils to Hydrate Your Skin

Body oils are one of the most versatile types of beauty products you can incorporate into your wellness routine. They can help hydrate and rejuvenate your skin (even taking the place of many lotions) while helping you relax.

Here are 10 easy recipes to experiment with, from oils intended for morning and nighttime routines to summer and winter months, as well as dry and oily complexions.

How to Choose Your Essential Oils

To help you choose quality oils, look for information on the purity or other added ingredients. Make sure to buy 100% essential oil with no additives.

Avoid buying “fragrance” or “perfume” oils, which aren’t pure essential oils and may contain chemicals. When in doubt, select your essential oil from a reputable company.

The Right Combination of Ingredients

a glass jar of coconut oil next to lavender essential oil and a sprig of dried lavender flowers — Treehugger / Sanja Kostic

Body oils typically include a combination of carrier oils and essential oils. Carrier oils include plant oils known for their skin benefits, such as apricot oil, almond oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil, and jojoba oil.

Essential oils are plant extracts that are made by steaming or pressing the flowers, leaves, bark, or fruits of a plant to extract its essence. Lavender, peppermint, tea tree, and lemon oil are among the most popular types of essential oils, recognized for their topical and aromatherapy benefits.

Don’t hesitate to get creative and start experimenting with making your own oil recipes by blending carrier oils, essential oils, and maybe even herbs.

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Hydrating Hemp Body Oil

woman squeezes hemp oil out of glass dropper into hands near open window — Treehugger / Sanja Kostic

Hydrating body oils help soothe and moisturize your skin, keeping it soft and silky even during the coldest months of the year.

Ingredients

1/8 cup hemp oil
1/8 cup sunflower oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 tablespoon pumpkin seed oil
8 drops of peppermint essential oil
5 drops of basil essential oil
3 drops of lemon essential oil
3 drops of rosemary essential oil

Mix this hydrating blend of oils together and apply after you’ve exfoliated in the shower or bath.

Avocado oil is a fantastic moisturizer for dry skin. This plant-based oil contains large amounts of antioxidants, including vitamins A, D, and E, as well as potassium and omega-3 fatty acid. Avocado oil penetrates the outer layers of the skin, enabling it to be absorbed easily.

Hemp seed oil contains a perfect balance of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids that will help nourish dry skin. Sunflower oil, which is light and easily absorbed without clogging your pores, is rich in Vitamins A, B, D, and E and will help keep your skin looking young and fresh.

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Luscious Lavender Body Oil

homemade amber bottle of lavender bottle oil arranged on fabric next to dried lavender and journal — Treehugger / Sanja Kostic

Apply this lavender oil blend to your body after an evening bath and drift into a peaceful night’s sleep.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sweet almond oil
1/8 cup jojoba oil
25 drops of lavender essential oil
10 drops of vanilla essential oil
5 drops of jasmine essential oil
5 drops of chamomile essential oil
Sprig of lavender

Combine all of the ingredients in a glass bottle and shake well. You can replace the vanilla essential oil with a vanilla bean, which will slowly infuse the oil mixture with vanilla over time.

Since jojoba’s properties are very similar to your skin's natural oils, it can help hydrate your skin without leaving a greasy feeling.

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Energizer Eucalyptus Body Oil

eucalyptus essential oil in bow — alexander ruiz / Getty Images

Almond and jojoba oils leave your skin feeling soft and silky, while eucalyptus provides the ultimate morning boost.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sweet almond oil
1/8 cup jojoba oil
20 drops of eucalyptus essential oil
8 drops of Idaho balsam fir essential oil
8 drops of bergamot or lemongrass essential oil

Combine the carrier and essential oils in a glass jar and mix well. Apply this uplifting body oil to your skin after showering first thing in the morning and start your day feeling energized.

Recognized for its potential to clear brain fog, among other properties, eucalyptus oil may help soothe achy muscles and clear congestion. Combined with the woodsy fir oil and citrus scent of bergamot or lemongrass, this blend will boost your mood.

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Moisturizing Body Oil

woman in silky floral robe squeezes homemade body oil from a glass dropper — Treehugger / Sanja Kostic

This multi-purpose oil blend can be used as part of your daily routine any time of the year and will help keep your skin fresh and nourished.

Ingredients

1/2 cup almond oil
1/8 cup jojoba or rosehip oil
20 drops of lavender essential oil
10 drops of geranium essential oil
10 drops of bergamot essential oil
5 drops of frankincense essential oil
2 drops of rose essential oil

Combine these ingredients into a glass container and apply after taking a shower when your skin is slightly damp.

Sweet almond oil is light and is absorbed easily by the skin. It is lower in cost than jojoba oil, so it works perfectly to blend with jojoba to create a nourishing and cost-effective body oil.

Geranium oil is high in antioxidants and offers topical and aromatherapy benefits, while the versatile lavender promotes relaxation and youthful skin.

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Warm Cinnamon Body Oil

Essential Oils with Rosemary, Cloves & Cinnamon. — Liliboas / Getty Images

Apply this body oil that is rich in spices after a shower or bath to warm yourself up from the inside out during the cool months, while soothing dry skin.

Ingredients

1/3 cup sweet almond oil
1/8 cup jojoba oil
1/8 cup olive oil
12 drops of cinnamon essential oil
20 drops of vanilla essential oil
5 drops of clove essential oil
Cinnamon stick

Mix the oils in a glass bottle and add in the cinnamon stick.

Jojoba, olive, and sweet almond oils help moisturize your skin, while the cinnamon, clove, and vanilla are a warm, spicy aromatherapy blend that is perfect for chilly autumn and winter days. In addition to the rich aroma, the cinnamon plant is also known for its antibacterial properties.

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Refreshing Body Oil

oil of chamomile flowers in a glass bottle macro — ALLEKO / Getty Images

Use this body oil during the summer months to keep your skin nourished and moisturized after a day in the sun.

Ingredients

1/4 cup sweet almond oil
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
2 teaspoon vitamin E
20 drops of geranium essential oil
5 drops of chamomile essential oil
1 teaspoon dried rose petals
1 teaspoon dried lemongrass

Mix the carrier oils, the vitamin E, and the essential oils in a glass container. Add the dried rose petals and lemongrass at the end for a decorative, fragrant touch. Apply the oil to your body after you’ve showered or even before you go out for the day.

This combination of oils is perfect for the summer months, as it avoids using citrus oils like lemon and bergamot that cause light sensitivity.

Both grapeseed oil and almond oil may help protect your skin from the full damage of ultraviolet (UV) rays. Chamomile and geranium essential oils are uplifting and relaxing, making this blend ideal to use in the summertime.

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Minty Fresh Body Oil

bottle with essential mint oil — natashamam / Getty Images

Apply this minty oil in the morning after your shower to soothe your skin, wake up, and start your day feeling fresh and focused.

Ingredients

1/4 cup grapeseed oil
10 drops of peppermint essential oil
10 drops of lemongrass essential oil
1/4 teaspoon liquid vitamin E
Fresh peppermint sprig (for decorative purposes) (optional)

Combine the oils and add a sprig of fresh peppermint or a small strip of lemon rind to the bottle for decoration.

In addition to being one of the least expensive carrier oils, grapeseed oil offers outstanding moisturizing properties. It contains high levels of Vitamin E and omega-6 fatty acids, which hydrate the skin and may protect it from sun damage and reduce inflammation.

One downside to using grapeseed oil, however, is the process in which it is made. Most commercial grapeseed oils are made by using a chemical solvent like hexane, which is an air pollutant and neurotoxin. Cold-pressed grapeseed oils don’t use chemicals so if you choose to use grapeseed oil, opt for one that is labeled as cold-pressed.

Lemongrass is recognized for its calming properties, while the fresh aroma of peppermint can help wake you up and boost mental clarity.

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Light Argan Blend for Oily Skin

Argan oil with fruits — luisapuccini / Getty Images

This delicate and antibacterial blend is rich in antioxidants and will help soothe and heal oily complexions.

Ingredients

1/2 cup argan oil
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil
15 drops of tea tree oil
5 drops of green tea oil

Mix the ingredients in a glass container, adjusting green tea and tea tree oils for preference, and apply regularly to freshly washed skin.

Even though it might seem counterintuitive to apply oil to an oily complexion, certain oils contain anti-inflammatory properties that help restore balance to sensitive skin. Combining the antioxidants of argan oil—an extract from the native Moroccan argan tree—with the soothing benefits of vitamin E creates a blend to help soothe irritated skin and fight the production of excess oil.

Tea tree oil contains antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Similarly, green tea oil is rich in polyphenols and Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG), a powerful plant compound that may help reduce inflammation and sebum production.

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Gentle Floral Facial Daytime Oil

Rose hip oil — shironagasukujira / Getty Images

This aromatic, floral blend will help refresh your skin in the morning.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons marula oil
1 tablespoon rosehip oil
4 drops of lavender oil
4 drops of ylang-ylang
4 drops of clary sage oil

Combine the ingredients and shake well. After washing your face, apply three to five drops of this delicate oil blend to your hands (make sure they're clean), rub them together, and gently pat your face with the oil.

Although many oils are great to use on your body, they might be too heavy for your face. Marula oil is light, hydrating, and easily absorbed, making it a fantastic option for dry skin.

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Nighttime Frankincense Facial Oil

A bottle of frankincense essential oil with frankincense resin — Madeleine_Steinbach / Getty Images

Use this soothing aromatherapy blend before bed each night to moisturize your face and sink into a deep sleep.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons rosehip oil
1 tablespoon apricot or avocado oil
2 teaspoons vitamin E oil
10 drops of frankincense oil
8 drops of carrot seed oil
5 drops of jasmine oil

Mix the ingredients in a glass dropper bottle. Wash your face, apply a few drops of the oil to your hands, and then gently massage the oil on your face before bed.

Applying face oil before going to sleep encourages consistent skin hydration. The rejuvenating nature of rosehip oil and vitamin E mixed with the moisturizing properties of apricot or avocado oil are ideal for nourishing your skin overnight.