Beginner Guide to DIY Aromatherapy (Easy Recipes, Dilution and Safety)

DIY aromatherapy sounds fancy, but it mostly means using plant oils at home in small, simple ways. That might be a few drops in a diffuser after work, or a rollerball you keep in your handbag for a calm moment on the train home.

You don't need a cupboard full of bottles to start because four oils, one good carrier oil and a few inexpensive tools will cover most of the recipes. What matters more is knowing how much oil to use and which oils need a little extra care.

In this guide, you'll learn how dilution works and how to blend oils that smell good together, plus ten easy recipes for diffusers, rollerballs, sprays and baths. We've kept the maths simple and the safety tips clear because essential oils are far stronger than most people expect.

What is DIY aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy is the use of plant extracts, mainly essential oils, as part of a self-care routine. The DIY part simply means you make the blends yourself instead of buying them ready-made.

Most home recipes fall into two groups. Some are breathed in, like diffuser blends and room sprays, while others go on your skin once they're diluted, like rollerballs, massage oils and bath oils. Beginners often find the first group easier to start with, since nothing touches the skin.

How scent affects your mood

Unlike sight or hearing, smell signals travel straight from your nose to the parts of the brain tied to emotion and memory. That's why a whiff of lavender can take you back to a holiday, and why orange peel feels cheerful to so many people.

Everyone reacts a little differently, so let your nose guide you. If you don't enjoy a scent, it won't feel relaxing to you, whatever the bottle says. Browsing our aromatherapy oils by scent is a good way to find your favourites.

Essential oils vs fragrance oils

Essential oils come from real plants, either steam distilled from leaves, flowers, wood and roots or pressed from citrus peel. Fragrance oils are usually made in a lab to copy a smell, and while they're fine for candles, they don't belong in aromatherapy blends.

When you shop, look for a botanical name on the label, such as Rosmarinus officinalis for rosemary. The ingredient list should show one thing only, the oil itself. Our essential oil purity guide explains what else to check.

What you need to get started

A beginner kit doesn't have to cost much. These four oils cover calm, bright, fresh and grounding scents, which means you can make almost every recipe below with them.

• Pure Lavender Essential Oil for soft, floral evening blends.
• Pure Sweet Orange Essential Oil for a bright, happy top note.
• Pure Peppermint Essential Oil for a cool, fresh lift during the day.
• Pure Cedarwood Essential Oil for a warm, woody base that helps blends last.
• Pure Jojoba Oil as your carrier oil for anything that touches skin.

For tools, grab an ultrasonic diffuser, a few 10ml amber glass rollerball bottles, a glass spray bottle and a small measuring jug marked in ml. Add some labels and a notebook for your recipes. You'll find most of these at a chemist or homewares store.

Those five oils come to $95.95, which clears our $70 free shipping threshold, and if it's your first order, code WELCOME10 takes another 10% off.

How to dilute essential oils

Essential oils are very concentrated. A single drop of peppermint oil holds far more of the plant's aroma than a cup of peppermint tea. That strength is the reason oils need a carrier oil before they go anywhere near your skin.

Dilution is simply the percentage of essential oil in your finished blend. Most droppers release about 20 drops per ml, so the maths stays easy, and you can use the chart below for every skin recipe.

Essential oil dilution chart

 

For most beginners, 1 to 2% is the sweet spot. One handy tip for Australian kitchens is that our tablespoon holds 20ml rather than the 15ml used in the US, so it's worth measuring in ml whenever a recipe really matters.

Choosing a carrier oil

Your carrier oil changes how a blend feels on your skin. Of our three carrier oils, Pure Jojoba Oil is the easiest to start with. It's light, soaks in well and has almost no smell, so your essential oils come through clearly. It also keeps well, which suits a rollerball you'll be using over a few months.

Pure Castor Oil is thick and rich, so it's better suited to hair and brow routines than to rollerballs. Pure Neem Seed Oil has a strong, earthy smell that clashes with most aromatherapy blends, which is why we'd keep it for scalp care. Our guide to carrier oils explains the differences in more detail.

Ways to use essential oils at home

Each method suits a different moment in your day. Use this comparison table to choose the one that fits, then scroll down to the matching recipes.

DIY aromatherapy methods compared

 

How to blend essential oils that smell good together

Perfumers sort scents into three groups, called notes, depending on how quickly each one fades after you smell it. A balanced blend uses a little from every group.

• Top notes are light and bright, and they're the first to fade, which is why sweet orange, bergamot, peppermint, lemongrass and eucalyptus feel so fresh.
• Middle notes form the heart of a blend and include lavender, rosemary, Roman chamomile, tea tree, ylang ylang, rose and jasmine.
• Base notes are deep and slow to fade, so cedarwood, patchouli, vetiver and vanilla help a blend last longer on skin and in the air.

An easy starting ratio is 3-2-1, which means three drops of a top note, two of a middle note and one of a base note. Smell the result, then change one drop at a time until it feels right. Citrus oils get along with nearly everything, so they're a safe first pick when you're unsure.

Write down every version you try, because the one you love most will be surprisingly hard to remember a week later.

Easy DIY aromatherapy recipes for beginners

These ten recipes use oils from our range and stick to safe beginner strengths. Start with one or two, then adjust the drops to suit your own nose.

5 diffuser blends to try

Each blend below is made for about 100ml of water, but tank sizes vary between brands, so check your diffuser's manual before you start.

 

Diffuse with a door or window open a crack. After about half an hour, most people stop noticing the scent anyway, so switch off and give the room a break. Keep diffusers out of reach of children and make sure pets can leave the room, as cats are especially sensitive to essential oils. For more evening options, browse our relaxation and stress relief oils.

How to make an essential oil rollerball

A rollerball is the easiest way to carry a blend with you during the day, and you can make one in under five minutes.

1. Add your essential oils to a clean 10ml glass rollerball bottle, which for a 2% blend means 4 drops in total.
2. Top up with jojoba oil, leaving a little room at the neck for the roller.
3. Press the roller top on firmly, then roll the bottle gently between your palms to mix.
4. Label it with the oils you used, the strength and the date you made it.
5. Patch test on your inner forearm and wait 24 hours before using it more widely.

Roll it onto your wrists, the back of your neck or behind your ears, keeping it well away from your eyes, and wash your hands afterwards. Each of the blends below is made with 10ml of jojoba oil.

 

Easy room and pillow spray

Oil and water don't mix, so a spray needs a little help. Witch hazel helps the oils spread through the water, though you'll still need to shake it every time. A cosmetic solubiliser gives a smoother mix if you want to upgrade later.

For a 100ml glass spray bottle, add 8 drops of lavender, 4 drops of Roman chamomile and 3 drops of cedarwood. Pour in 20ml of witch hazel, then top up with about 80ml of distilled or cooled boiled water and shake well before the first spray.

Spray into the air or lightly over linen from about 30cm away, and let pillows dry fully before you lie down. Test a hidden patch of fabric first and keep the spray off polished wood and silk. Because it has no preservative, make small batches and use each one within two to three weeks.

Relaxing bath oil

Essential oils float on top of bathwater and can sting sensitive skin, so always mix them into a carrier first. Stir 3 drops of lavender and 1 drop of patchouli into one tablespoon (20ml) of jojoba oil. Add it once the bath has run and swish the water around.

Skip peppermint, cinnamon bark, clove, thyme and lemongrass in the bath, as they're too strong for a soak. Take care getting out, because oil makes the tub slippery.

Essential oil safety for beginners

Natural doesn't mean mild. Essential oils are strong plant compounds, and a few simple habits keep your DIY routine safe for everyone at home. Our post on essential oil application methods covers this in more depth.

Essential oils are for external use only. Never swallow them or add them to food or drinks.

Always dilute before oils touch your skin, and patch test new blends for 24 hours.

• Keep oils away from your eyes, ears, the inside of your nose and broken skin.
• Store bottles unreachable of children and pets. Even small amounts can be harmful if swallowed.
• If you're pregnant, breastfeeding, managing a health condition or taking medication, check with your doctor before using oils.
• Ask a health professional before using oils around babies and young children, and keep peppermint and eucalyptus away from their faces.
• Bergamot can make skin more sensitive to UV light. Keep skin you've applied it to out of the sun for 12 hours.
• Save hot oils like cinnamon bark, clove and thyme for the diffuser until you have more experience. Lemongrass can also irritate skin, so keep it at 1% or less.
• If a blend irritates your skin, stop using it. Smooth on a plain carrier oil, then wash gently with mild soap and water.
• If oil is swallowed or gets in someone's eyes, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26.

For oil-by-oil advice, our guides to peppermint oil and cinnamon oil cover their safety notes in detail.

Common beginner mistakes to avoid

• Putting oils straight onto skin, since even gentle oils like lavender can cause irritation when used neat over time.
• Using too many drops, which only gives you a stronger smell and a higher chance of irritation.
• Running the diffuser all day, when shorter sessions are kinder to your nose, your pets and your oil supply.
• Adding oils straight to the bath, where they float on top instead of mixing into the water.
• Buying fragrance oils by mistake, so always check the label for a botanical name and a single ingredient.
• Skipping the label, because unlabelled bottles are easy to mix up and you'll forget the recipe you loved.
• Storing blends in plastic, since strong oils can break down some plastics over time.

How to store essential oils and homemade blends

Heat, light and air slowly change how an essential oil smells. Keep bottles tightly capped in a cool, dark cupboard, away from the stove and sunny windowsills. Amber glass helps block light, and our oils come in glass bottles with a dropper for easy measuring.

Citrus oils such as sweet orange and bergamot tend to fade fastest, so try to use them within a year or so of opening. Blends made with jojoba keep for around six months when stored well, while water-based sprays have no preservative and should be used within two to three weeks. Write the date on everything you make.

Pure Bio Naturals products for DIY aromatherapy

Pure Bio Naturals is Australian owned and operated. Our oils are free from fillers and synthetic additives, and every product page lists the botanical name, extraction method and origin. These are the bottles we'd reach for first.

 

Shop them all in our full product range. Orders over $70 ship free Australia-wide.

Start your DIY aromatherapy routine

Pick one recipe this week, perhaps the Slow Sunday diffuser blend or the unwind roll-on, and notice how it makes you feel. Keep notes as you go and tweak a drop here and there, and before long you'll have a few blends that feel like your own.

You can shop our essential oils and carrier oils online, with free shipping on orders over $70. New customers save 10% on their first order with code WELCOME10.

DIY aromatherapy Frequently Asked Questions

1. What do I need to start DIY aromatherapy at home?

You need a few essential oils you like, a carrier oil such as jojoba, a diffuser and some glass rollerball and spray bottles. Lavender, sweet orange, peppermint and cedarwood make a well-rounded first set that covers calming and uplifting blends.

2. How many drops of essential oil should I put in a diffuser?

Use 3 to 5 drops per 100ml of water for most rooms. Start at the lower end and add one more drop if you'd like a stronger scent, keeping each session to around 30 to 60 minutes.

3. How do I dilute essential oils for skin?

For most adults, mix 2 to 4 drops into 10ml of carrier oil, which makes a 1 to 2% blend. Use 1% or less on your face, and always patch test on your inner forearm first.

4. Can I mix different essential oils together?

Yes. Start with two or three oils and try the 3-2-1 method of top, middle and base notes. Citrus oils blend well with florals and woods, so they're an easy place to begin.

5. Can I put essential oils straight into my bath?

No. Essential oils don't dissolve in water and can sting your skin, so mix 3 to 5 drops into a tablespoon (20ml) of carrier oil before adding it to the bath.

6. Are essential oils safe around pets?

Some oils can affect pets, and cats are especially sensitive. Diffuse in an aired room your pet can leave, and never put oils on animals without vet advice.

7. How long do homemade aromatherapy blends last?

Oil-based blends keep for around six months in a cool, dark place. Water-based sprays should be used within two to three weeks.

8. Can I swallow essential oils?

No. Pure Bio Naturals essential oils are for external use only and are not for ingestion. If oil is swallowed, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26.

This article is general information only and isn't medical advice. Essential oils are for external use only and are not for ingestion. Always dilute before use on skin, patch test first, and speak with a health professional if you're pregnant, breastfeeding or have a health condition.