How to Add Oils To Unscented Body Wash

Looking for a quick and personal gift to give? Or perhaps you just want to create your own signature body wash scent. Adding fragrance oils to unscented body wash is both easy and fun.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Clean and sterilized workspace
• Large spoon
• Small bottles (if transferring from a gallon jug of body wash)
• Essential or fragrance oils
• Glass eye dropper
• Mixing bowl (stainless steel)
• Unscented body wash
• Funnel

Add Oils to Body Wash

1. Purchase a bottle of unscented body wash. You may pick up a small bottle at your local drug or department store, but you will get the best bang for your buck if you purchase a gallon of unscented body wash from a bath and body supply store. See the resource box for online web sites that sell body wash.

2. Also purchase one or more small bottles of either skin-safe essential oils or high-grade fragrance oils to scent your body wash. Most essential oils have either medicinal, skin care or aromatherapy properties. It’s worth your time to do a little research and learn which essential oils will suit your needs best. Refer to the resource box for a link to essential oil information.

3. Fragrance oils are synthetic scents and have no aromatherapy properties. When choosing fragrance oils for the first time, it’s best to stick to scents that you already know you like. You can also blend fragrance oils to create your own scent.

4. Find a safe workspace to use when adding the oils to your unscented body wash. A kitchen counter lined with newspaper works well. Be sure to protect your countertops: essential oils and fragrance oils in their concentrated form can damage some surfaces.

5. Sterilize your workspace and any tools that you will be using to avoid introducing germs into the mixture. Boil utensils and use soap and water to wash down surfaces before beginning.

6. Wash your hands thoroughly before beginning to ensure that you don’t introduce germs from your hands.

7. If you are adding fragrance to a small bottle of unscented body wash, you can simply add the essential or fragrance oils to the bottle and shake well to mix. If you are using a gallon jug of body wash to make several scents, you will want to pour the body wash into a large, stainless steel mixing bowl.

8. For easy and controlled addition of the essential or fragrance oils into the unscented body wash, you will need a glass eye dropper. Be sure it is glass because plastics can sometimes react with concentrated oils.

9. If adding essential or fragrance oils to a small bottle, start by adding 20 drops of fragrance per 4 oz. of body wash base. Shake the bottle vigorously to mix the fragrance with the base. Let the body wash sit for a few minutes before testing for fragrance strength. Remember—the scent may become stronger over time so resist adding too much fragrance in the beginning. This product is ready to use immediately.

10. If adding the essential or fragrance oils to a gallon of body wash, it is recommended to add ½ to no more than 1 oz. of oils to the unscented body wash base. Start by adding the ½ oz. and stir the base thoroughly, but gently, to incorporate the fragrance into the body wash base. If possible, allow the body wash to sit for a few minutes as the scent may become stronger if given a few minutes to “cure." If the scent is still too light for your liking, slowly add more with the eye dropper and mix thoroughly again. Be patient and add the fragrance slowly and in small amounts. You can always add more fragrance but, once it’s in, you can’t take it out.

11. Once you have added your essential or fragrance oils to your gallon of body wash base and have mixed the product thoroughly, you are ready to transfer the scented body wash into small bottles.

12. Be sure your bottles are completely clean and free of dust before you begin pouring.

13. Use a funnel and insert it into the small bottle’s opening. Carefully pour the body wash into the funnel, allowing time for the body wash to drain into the bottle.

14. Fill the bottles up to the bottom of the “neck." This allows a little breathing room for the product and avoids over-pouring and wasting the product.

15. Place caps tightly on the bottles and label them.

16. If not using immediately, store the body wash bottles in a cool, dark and dry place.

Recipes with Essential Oils

17. For a relaxing body wash, mix chamomile, sweet orange, rose and lavender essential oils with a vanilla fragrance oil.

18. For an energizing body wash, mix bergamot and rosemary essential oils together.

Recipes for Fragrance Oils

19. Try mixing a coconut fragrance oil with a mango or pineapple fragrance oil for a tropical scent.

20. Mix a strawberry or peach fragrance oil with a light vanilla oil for a strawberries and cream or peaches and cream scent.

Tips & Warnings

• Adding too much fragrance to a body wash base will compromise the base’s preservatives, opening the way for germs and molds in your body wash.
• Some fragrance oils may cloud or change the color of your body wash base. If mixing in large quantities, test a new fragrance oil on a small amount first.

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on 1/13/2007 http://www.herbbee.com/ also has a lot of information on essential oils and aromatherapy.