Easy, Amazingly Nourishing DIY Body Oil

I usually focus on the things we’re putting *in* our bodies (aka FOOD), but today’s post is a slight detour around what I put *on* my body…the homemade natural, non-toxic body oil I use. Lol, “skin food”, if you will.

If you haven’t discovered how much better body oil is than lotion, then you, my friend, have been missing out! I made the switch from body butter or lotion last winter, when my skin felt SO scaly and dry (particularly on my legs), and was blown away by how much softer and better moisturized it was.

But the non-toxic body oil I fell in love with (from Toups & Co, which really is awesome) is kind of expensive for how much of it I go through (which is…so, so much). So while I still use many of their other products, I started whipping up my own homemade body oil. And it’s so easy!

Quality ingredients make all the difference here. Our goal is nourishing our skin, providing all sorts of the building blocks it needs (from healing to moisture to antioxidants to anti-aging) without any of the terrible chemicals and properties of today’s mainstream beauty products…get that toxic, cancer-causing, hormone-disrupting nonsense out of here!

How to make homemade clean, non-toxic body oil

I’ll provide the full recipe and amounts below, but here are the ingredients I’m using right now:

• Organic castor oil (cold-pressed, without hexane) – intense moisturizing, anti-inflammatory
• Organic sweet almond oil – intense hydrating, absorbs well, nourishing vitamins and minerals
• Organic Vitamin E oil – powerful anti-oxidant, anti-aging, helps heal wounds and scars
• Organic jojoba oil – closely mimics skin’s sebum, good for all skin types, hydrating without clogging pores
• Organic rose hip oil – boosts collagen with vitamin A, fatty acids, improves tone and texture
• Organic black seed oil – optional but I’ve started including a bit, full of great omega fatty acids and anti-oxidants, soothing and healing for things like acne, redness, and eczema
• Some essential oil, mostly for scent but I do usually add frankincense (known for skin-enhancing effects including anti-aging, toning, and scar reduction)

HOWEVER, you don’t have to use this many ingredients if you don’t already have some of them. You can definitely do a simpler version and it will still be amazing. I’d for sure include some castor oil, and at least *either* the sweet almond or jojoba oil as your primary carrier (if you skip one, double the amount of the other). You could honestly leave it at that if you needed to.

Vitamin E is optional, though great for your skin and usually really affordable even at a high quality. I am personally in love with rose hip oil and it’s great for your skin, but skippable if you need to pare down.

One important note, if you are pregnant then you may need to tweak this list slightly–I’m not an expert here, but I believe some of these oils are not recommended while pregnant so do your research!

Scenting & storing your DIY body oil

Scent-wise I’ve been focusing on sweet orange (the primary note), bergamot, a bit of lavender, and a few drops of almond extract in addition to the frankincense oil. When I use black seed oil, I have to use more essential oils to balance the scent because it can be a bit overpowering otherwise.

You can find a beautiful, functional, or unique GLASS bottle to store your body oil in. I recommend one with a pump (vs. just opening a bottle). I’m currently using these beautiful green vintage-looking bottles, but these simple ones or clean modern ones are great as well—whatever your heart desires. Ideally not clear glass, having darker glass is preferable to protect it from light.

How to use body oil as your moisturizer

There is always a bottle of this in my shower, and as soon as I turn off the shower I use a towel to lightly pat dry a few areas that are sopping (underarms, I lightly dab my chest and face), but then use my hands to kind of “squeegee” water off the rest of me, particularly arms and legs.

Then I rub the oil between my hands and rub it all over myself while I’m still very damp (fairly wet, but not completely dripping). Give it a few minutes to soak in before getting dressed (but it does very quickly).

If you’re working to make other healthy non-toxic beauty swaps, here are other resources:

• The clean, non-toxic makeup brand I’m obsessed with
• Why this non-toxic, natural sunscreen is my absolute go-to
• An overview of the natural, non-toxic beauty products I travel with
• Here’s a guide to being happy through deep gut protocols or liver detoxing
• An archive of my super healthy recipes

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Easy, Nourishing DIY Body Oil (Natural, Non-Toxic Moisturizer)

Yield: ~1 cup of oil, lasts me a few months

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

If you've been making healthy non-toxic beauty product swaps, this DIY body oil recipe is super healthy, makes your skin feel amazing, & will save you money! Body oil works so much better than lotion or body butter, especially for my 40+ year old skin.

I've linked to the exact ingredients I currently use below. You don't have to use this many different ingredients, see the notes for how to slim down (to save money).

Print

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of organic castor oil (cold-pressed, hexane- free)
• 1/4 cup of organic sweet almond oil
• 1/4 cup of organic Vitamin E oil
• 1/4 cup of organic jojoba oil
• 2 large dropper-fulls of organic rose hip oil
• Optional: a dropper or two of black seed oil (beware: strong smell)
• 20-30 drops of essential oils of choice (mostly for scent)...I usually add frankincense, sweet orange, bergamot, a bit of lavender, and a few drops of almond extract

Instructions

1. Pour all the ingredients into a glass bottle. Stir or gently shake together.
2. Store away from light ideally (in your shower is fine, just not in front of a window). I often give it a little shake before using, to make sure the oils get mixed up.

Notes

1. You don’t have to use this many ingredients, a simpler version is definitely possible and will still be amazing. I’d for sure include some castor oil, and at least *either* the sweet almond or jojoba oil as your primary carrier (if you skip one, double the amount of the other). You could honestly leave it at that if you needed to. Vitamin E is optional, though great for your skin and usually really affordable even at a high quality. I am personally in love with rose hip oil and it’s great for your skin, but skippable if you need to pare down.
2. If you are pregnant then you may need to tweak this list slightly–I’m not an expert here, but I believe some of these oils are not recommended while pregnant so do your research!
3. Scent-wise I’ve been focusing on sweet orange (the primary note), bergamot, a bit of lavender, and a few drops of almond extract in addition to the frankincense oil. When I use black seed oil, I have to use more essential oils to balance the scent because it can be a bit overpowering otherwise.