If you’ve been shopping lately for body oils then you know sometimes it is virtually impossible to find what you want. Because our skin soaks up what we put on it, then I like knowing the ingredients of the products I use. Many of the lotions and oils I’ve looked at in most retail stores have ingredients that are questionable at best. The ones I have found with contents I trust cost too much money. Then, there are some scents I love that I simply cannot find. My solution to this problem is to make my own scented oils. Making my own oils allows me the freedom to choose the scents I love while feeling good about where the ingredients come from. If that weren’t enough, I can keep my costs down so that it doesn’t cost much at all.
The first step to making your own body oil is choosing a container to store your oil in. Truly, the possibilities are endless. You can choose a decorative atomizer from a boutique or an inexpensive plastic bottle. You can choose a spritzer, a pump, or an open topped bottle. You can even use a collectible glass bottle or an ordinary cleaned out soda bottle (with a lid). Containers can be found at almost any store. The key is finding something that will make you feel good, and will be easy for you to use.
After you’ve chosen your bottle, the next step is to choose your base oil. Your base oil is important because it is about 98 percent of your end product. Three of my favorites are olive oil, almond oil and rice bran oil. The prices of these oils vary according to size, brand name and purity. I highly suggest the oil you choose be 100% pure. Of course, different oils have different scents and this will have an effect on your end result. You will want to choose an oil whose scent doesn’t overpower what you’re trying to achieve. Also, another thing to bear in mind is that different oils offer different properties that affect your skin. You will want to do some research on any oils you may want to use to see what kind of effect that oil will have on your skin.
When you feel good about the kind of oil you want to use for your base, its time to look into the type of scented oil you would like to use. Like the base oils, the scented oils offer different properties for your skin, so you’ll want to take that into consideration as well. Patchouli, jasmine, rose, sandalwood, lavender and orange oils are great choices. Many organic or health stores will carry these oils and many others so you can get an idea of what these things smell like in concentrated oil form. Again, try to get an oil that is 100 percent pure. There are some oils, however, that don’t come 100 percent pure. Others, also, carry a much higher price tag the more pure they are. The best idea is to take your time savoring the different aromas and choosing one you love. My favorite place to get scented oils is www.iherb.com.
The beginning process may seem a bit daunting at first, but once you know what you want, it becomes a very simple process. Once you’ve chosen your oils the mixing of the ingredients takes about two minutes. You simply fill your bottle with your base oil, then add a few drops of your scented oil. Make sure you shake your bottle up after each drop and smell to insure the fragrance isn’t too weak or too strong for your taste. That’s it. It really is that easy. If you want to get creative you can mix some scented oils together to get a unique scent. I like to mix jasmine and lavender, for example, or sandalwood and lavender.
One last thing: remember to shake the bottle well before you apply it to your skin to mix the oils up again. You will be amazed how soft and radiant your skin feels after you have used your own handmade body oil!
