Exploring what causes us to develop body odor helps us to design the perfect essential oil recipe to suit your body spray needs. Combine easy-to-obtain ingredients like Witch Hazel and magnesium flakes with antibacterial and antimicrobial essential oils to create a thoroughly fit-for-purpose natural product.
Ditch commercial chemical and toxic-laden products and discover how to make essential oil body spray.
In this article, we'll explore how to make essential oil body sprays and why teenagers must be using essential oil body sprays as opposed to commercial body sprays. And why there is a need for a new wave of education aimed at dissipating the fear and taboo of bodily odor. Join in the natural essential oil body spray revolution!
Why I Choose Not To Use Commercial Body Spray and Recommend You Ditch it Too!
I have long since ditched commercial body sprays. The body spray advertising would have you believe that anything that makes you smell vaguely natural is an offense to the rest of us. I will affirm to you that, generally, it is not!
Natural body odor is where our pheromones come alive. They are how we attract one another to reproduce and keep the human race going. We are constantly bombarded with advertising advising us to cover that natural scent up. Interestingly, the birth rate has dwindled in countries where deodorants and body sprays are most commonly used. A coincidence? It's undoubtedly a question…
The irony is that many well-known brands' whole brand identity is about making you irresistible to the opposite sex through their branded scents. Yet toxic chemical additives in these products are potentially creating issues of infertility from the chemical disruption of hormones. Not very virile, is it? The Environmental Working Group agrees and consistently rates well-known brands of commercial body spray as a moderate to the high health hazard.
Chere Di Bosco has written a fascinating but shocking article on The Dangers of Body Sprays and Other Fragrances. It is worth the read, where she backs up her facts with research and science.
This hormone disruption she speaks of, disturbingly, is much more likely in teenagers. They are susceptible to phthalates, chemicals renowned for the hormonal disorder.
These dangers take place over time, but their effects can be far more immediate too.
Read any can of commercial body spray, and it will carry the warnings:
- Keep out of reach of children
- Avoid prolonged spraying
- Use in a well-ventilated space
- Use in short bursts.
If these products are so safe, why would you need warnings like these?
These chemicals contribute to asthma attacks, irritate the mucous membranes and eyes, and can also contribute to dermatitis and allergic skin reactions.
Loopholes in Administration
The Environmental Working Group highlights that the term 'fragrance' can cover many ingredients, including many chemicals, that manufacturers do not even have to disclose. Therefore, the FDA cannot assess their safety. To protect the secrets of many high-end fragrance houses and their expensive perfume secrets, the term "fragrance' is exempt from standard environmental rules and guidelines.
It is impossible to fully appreciate the potential dangers of some of these chemicals building up in the body. Where 1 in 2 of us will develop cancer, we must be looking for why this could be so high. This could certainly be contributing to the problem. After all, how many of us in the developed world use deodorant or body spray of some kind?
On balance, essential oils are rigorously scrutinized and tested, regularly put through research trials, and scientific papers are written all the time. As professionals, we welcome that. Nothing to hide here. Do you want to be choosing ingredients for your body care products that have been rigorously tested?
So, I choose to make my essential oil body spray; I can control what goes into it and carefully manage and curate the perfect product for myself, my clients, my family, and my friends.
Commercial Body Spray Ingredients and The Dangers of Synthetic Fragrances
Let us quickly look at some of those ingredients in commercial body sprays and the dangers they potentially present to us.
I have taken ingredients from some of the most widely used brands, and they are probably sitting right in your bathroom cabinet as we speak.
|
The Perpetrators of Toxic Doom (Ok, so maybe it was a touch dramatic) |
||
|---|---|---|
| The ingredient | It’s purpose in your body spray | Why is it not good for me? |
| Aluminum Zirconium Tetrachlorohydrex GLY, Aluminum Chlorohydrate |
Aluminum is absorbed into the body through the skin. Its main mechanism of action is through blocking the pores via formation of polymer complex and preventing sweat from leaving the body |
The combination of women using aluminum containing sprays and shaving their underarms increases the risk of absorption and developing breast cancer. Using aluminum containing deodorants over a long period of time has been proven to be linked to cases of Alzheimer’s. Both cited by Emma Sarran in TeenVogue |
| Butane Isobutane Propane | These are the most commonly used propellants in commercial fragrance sprays. i.e. what makes it come out of the can! |
These propellants are a risk not only to the person using the spray, but also those around them, like in the changing room at the gym. Reported issues include:
|
| Distearate | This is used to cover the natural body odor. It is also used as a moisturizer and antioxidant in the stick deodorants. |
It is a known carcinogen. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) compounds can be potential breast cancer triggers. They can also be contaminated with heavy metals which are toxic to the central nervous system. |
| Butylated Hydroxytoluene or BHT | Antioxidant. | Can contribute or cause contact dermatitis and aggravate allergic skin conditions. It has long been suspected of being carcinogenic and of disrupting the reproductive systems and contributing to defects there. |
| Butyl Ether | Butyl Ether is used for a few things, but mainly as a preservative, a solvent and because it is antibacterial. |
There are a few risks here, mainly as a skin irritant and as a neurotoxin, but it could also be potentially toxic to the kidneys and liver. It is worth noting that it is a commonly used pesticide component which is toxic and poisonous in high concentrations |
|
Parfum Bear in mind there are often undisclosed ingredients to protect trade secrets and valuable perfume recipes. |
For the purposes of fragrance |
Many of the ingredients do not break down and can accumulate in body tissue. Other reported issues included:
|
Why pop over to EWG's Skin Deep and check how your current commercial body spray stacks up?
Why Make Your Body Spray?
The answer to this question will be outstandingly evident by this point.
It is Better for You
The vast majority of commercial body sprays contain toxic chemicals known to be no good for us or are untested to preserve the industry's secrets.
Potentially at a cost to our health.
Profits over people.
Let's Focus On The Good Stuff
There are plenty of alternatives to either try or make for yourself.
You can source products that are made by trusted manufacturers that are more conscious not only of your health but also of the planet.
The best way to address this situation is to make your own.
First, though, we must distinguish between a deodorant and a body spray.
- A deodorant will contain a product that will constrict or block the pores to reduce the chance of sweating.
- Body sprays will very occasionally feature this ability to reduce sweat. Still, they are mostly just a way to fragrance your body, similar to the perfume.
Layering
This allows you to 'layer' your scent; you can read more about 'layering' here How to Make Perfume With Essential Oils. Essentially, it uses products of the same fragrance blend to layer and intensify the scent to last longer.
You may have finally perfected your favorite blend of essential oils both in scent profile also for the benefits that the constituents of the essential oils themselves impart.
You can use this blend throughout your routine. Though, you must also take into account safety data. If you are using 5-6 different products with close to the maximum 4% limit suggested, you are using more than the guidelines suggest - 5 to 6 times more. Factor this into your planning.
Here are just a couple of examples of layering:
You could use the same essential oil blend throughout your skincare regime, cleanser, moisturizer, face serum, and night cream.
You could develop a sensual 'hot date' blend with scented soap or bath oil, body lotion, or butter, followed by body spray and perfume. If it works, follow it up with massage oil. Saucy!
But you get the idea! Several products with the same scent/essential oil profile.
Perfect For Gifts or Creating Hobby Business
As an aromatherapy family, we have sold aromatherapy products far and wide and seen many competitors in our time at all manner of shows across the country.
It is scarce to see an aromatherapy producer producing essential oil body spray.
Many more prominent aromatherapy manufacturers, like Tropic, are not doing this yet. However, Tropic has released a natural deodorant product and is definitely at the forefront of changing perceptions of natural body care.
'Why is progress so slow in this area?' you might ask. This could be because people have not tried them before and may not trust that they work because sweating is one of those things that is frowned upon in polite society. People don't want to take the risk of protecting the secrets of many high-end perfumes and their fragrance houses.
Something is not working.
Like many of our natural bodily functions, we are being told they are unwanted, unnatural, smelly and offensive. You can imagine how I roll my eyes at 'fragranced' sanitary products. Please, don't get me started on those.
We need to shift this perception about our natural levels of body odor and alleviate some of the fear people feel around being 'smelly.' It will not be until we can do this that people will feel more confident to try new products like natural body sprays. I have been using them for years; I can assure you that they work. I, indeed, don't stink.
Start making them, giving them as gifts and samples, get the message out there, and hopefully, perceptions will shift, and it will be routinely stocked and sold. It can only be of benefit to our health.
A List of Essential Oils that are Best for Fragrant Body Sprays
Understanding how the body produces BO (body odor) is key to designing the perfect essential oil blend. It is super simple.
Sweat + Bacteria = Body Odor
If you can control how much sweat is allowed to seep from the pores and have an antibacterial and antimicrobial essential oil there to meet it if it does, then you can replicate just what a commercial deodorant would do.
Witch Hazel and minerals like Magnesium can help to constrict the pores to stop sweat; all we need now is those fabulous bacteria and microbe-fighting essential oils.
Show me these antibacterial and antimicrobial oils, then!
- Lavender Essential Oil
- Tea Tree Essential Oil
- Bergamot Essential Oil
- Lemongrass Essential Oil
- Peppermint Essential Oil
- Grapefruit Essential Oil
- Rosemary Essential Oil
- Thyme Essential Oil
- Patchouli Essential Oil
- Geranium Essential Oil
Check out Liz's article earlier this year: 10 Best Essential Oils For Deodorant. It will give you a more in-depth look at each of the essential oils themselves and the roles they can play in your essential oil blend.
How to Make DIY Essential Oil Body Spray?
Equipment
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring jug
- 100ml Dark Amber glass spray bottle
- Stainless steel spoon or stirrer.
- Funnel
- Label
Ingredients
To make a 120ml (4fl oz) Spray bottle.
- 120ml Witch Hazel
- 1 tbsp Magnesium Flakes
- 20-80 drops of essential oils (always check your safety data if creating your blends).
Your safety guidelines for the percentage of essential oils to use here in this recipe are as follows:
| Safety data guidelines for % of essential oils for a leave on skin application for a healthy adult. | Based on making 120ml or 4 Fl Oz of body spray | Equivalent in drops of essential oils |
|---|---|---|
|
1 - 4 % |
1% = 1.2ml 2% = 2.4ml 3% = 3.6ml 4% = 4.8ml |
1% = 23 drops 2% =46 drops 3% =69 drops 4%= 92 drops |
|
If you are using this product for the first time, stick to a low percentage of essential oils and build up from there. Listen to your skin. For teenagers stick to 1% and avoid the known skin sensitizers. When formulating products for children, always do research on the safety data first as some essential oils are not suitable for children. If you are pregnant, avoid all of these blends for the first 16 weeks. Do your research, if in doubt get in touch. |
||
Method
- You will need to dissolve the magnesium flakes into the witch hazel and stir them well. Depending on the size of your flakes, it can take some time, so leave it for a bit and come back to it if necessary. Keep stirring until dissolved; if you have stubborn bits, remove them or add a little more witch hazel.
- The mixture should develop an almost oily consistency when rubbed between your fingers; this is precisely what you want.
- Add in your essential oils and stir well to combine.
- Using a funnel, decant into your dark glass bottle, lid tightly, and prime your spray. (Unless it is for a gift or sale)
- Label clearly with ingredients for safety purposes.
- Do a 24-hour patch test at your inner elbow or wrist before using.
A Note on Magnesium
It is not unusual for many people to have low levels of Magnesium these days. Those deficient in it tend to experience a mild tingling or stinging sensation when using Magnesium on the skin. It happened to me; it wasn't awful.
Unless your skin breaks out and is genuinely redrawn, keep using it, your skin will acclimate to its use and sting less as magnesium levels rise. Do gauge it; stop using it if your skin reacts to it beyond a tingle/sting.
You could try this little extra gem instead—mix baking soda, cornstarch, and water to have a product that will absorb moisture. You can add antibacterial essential oils to this to improve its efficacy.
Recipes for Essential Oil Body Spray - My Favorite Blends
This is always my favourite bit of the whole article; this is the space that brings ideas to life, the creative cauldron as it were - apt since I write this on Hallowe'en. (Yes! That apostrophe should be there - I am a stickler for the traditional ways).
Okay, what wondrousness do I have for your delectation this week? Peruse at your leisure, my lovelies. There is something for everyone here. There is even one for your budding teenager.
Hard Worker
This is the blend of working hard and needing something long-lasting and robust.
| Hard Worker | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100ml Witch Hazel | 1 tbsp Magnesium Flakes | |||
| 30 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil (Melaleuca Alternifolia) | 20 drops Peppermint Essential Oil (Mentha Piperita) | 20 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil (Eucalyptus globulus) | 10 drops Spearmint Essential Oil (Mentha spicata) | 8 drops Scotch Pine Essential Oil (Pinus sylvestris) |
| Apply this spray, let dry, then dab on a powder mix of baking soda and cornstarch/arrowroot 1:1 ratio if you need extra absorbency power. | ||||
| Safety: Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy. | ||||
Spicy Rose
Feminine, but that lovely spiced backdrop of fragrance brings an exotic feel to the blend, and it is something a bit more unusual. One to stand out of the crowd with.
| Spicy Rose | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100ml Witch Hazel | 1 tbsp Magnesium Flakes | ||||
| 20 drops Rose Essential Oil (Rosa damascena) | 30 drops Rose Geranium Essential Oil (Pelargonium asperum var roseum) | 15 drops Grapefruit Essential Oil (Citrus paradisi) | 10 drops Patchouli Essential Oil (Pogostemon cablin) | 5 drops Fresh Ginger Essential Oil (Zingiber officinale) | 5 drops Pink Pepper Essential Oil (Schinus Molle) |
| Safety: Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy. | |||||
Silky and Sensuous
This is one to save for that hot date, or maybe you want to romance and cosset yourself. Spicy, floral, but bright and appealing.
| Silky and Sensuous | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 100ml Witch Hazel | 1 tbsp Magnesium Flakes | ||
| 30 drops Patchouli Essential Oil (Pogostemon cablin) | 30 drops Rose Geranium Essential Oil (Pelargonium asperum var roseum) | 5 drops Bergamot Essential Oil (Citrus bergamia) | 20 drops Sandalwood Amyris Essential Oil (Amyris Balsamifera) |
| Safety: Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy. Not suitable for children under 12 | |||
Clean and Fresh
Let us face it; this is how we all want to feel, clean and fresh. With plenty of antibacterial essential oils, this one will help you feel fresher for longer.
| Clean and Fresh | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 100ml Witch Hazel | 1 tbsp Magnesium Flakes | ||
| 30 drops Grapefruit Essential Oil (Citrus paradisi) | 30 drops Peppermint Essential Oil (Mentha piperita) | 10 drops Thyme Essential Oil (Thymus vulgaris) | 15 drops Fresh Ginger Essential Oil (Zingiber officinale) |
| Safety: Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy. Not suitable for children under 12 | |||
Zing Me To Life
I love all things citrus; it is always my first choice if I want to feel enlivened. I love the freshness and the bright, lively zing of this.
Please use the Lemongrass and Bergamot sparingly and stay within the safety data percentage. Don't be tempted to use more; opt for the less sensitizing Mandarin if you can't help yourself.
| Zing Me To Life | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 100ml Witch Hazel | 1 tbsp Magnesium Flakes | ||
| 20 drops Grapefruit Essential Oil (Citrus paradisi) | 5 drops Lemongrass Essential Oil (Cymbopogon flexuosus) | 5 drops Bergamot Essential Oil (Citrus bergamia) | 40 drops Mandarin Essential Oil (Citrus reticulata) |
| Safety: Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy. Not suitable for children under 16 | |||
Teen Clean
Remember, teenagers are most at risk from chemical-laden, store-bought body sprays; the quicker you can get them using these natural alternatives, the better. Do have a look at Chere Di Bosco's article on The Dangers of Body Sprays and Other Fragrances and educate yourself on the dangers posed not only to yourselves but to your precious children.
Suppose we teach a new generation how to approach natural, healthy body care. In that case, we can protect them from so many unnecessary chemicals and toxins that might otherwise affect their future health.
| Teen Clean | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 100ml Witch Hazel | 1 tbsp Magnesium Flakes | ||
| 7 drops Grapefruit Essential Oil (Citrus paradisi) | 7 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) | 5 drops Lavender Essential Oil (Lavandula angustifolia) | 7 drops Mandarin Essential Oil (Citrus reticulata) |
| Safety: Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy. Suitable from 12 years old | |||
Safety Warning
Do not forget that Magnesium can create tingling or sting a bit when you first start to use this. This should not be extreme, uncomfortable, or cause lasting redness. Use your common sense, and continue using it until you get used to it. Still, suppose something does not seem right. In that case, it probably isn't - so desist from using and exploring other natural alternatives like the one suggested here.
Check which way the spray nozzle is facing BEFORE it because you don't want a faceful or to get it into your eyes. If you get some product in your eyes, wash thoroughly with tepid water. If symptoms persist, seek medical attention and take a labeled bottle with you. Remember to mark your bottle with all the ingredients.
As gentle as this should be on your skin, cease use if you develop any skin sensitivity, rash, or redness. Do continue to try again, but try swapping out ingredients for ones that you know suit you or reduce the essential oil percentage or even the ratio of Magnesium. Don't just give up; try a different recipe.
Another possible sensitizer is your essential oils, especially conifers or citruses. Remember, they are high in monoterpenes that oxidize quickly and can cause skin sensitization. For delicate armpits, most certainly, do not use old oils.
Final Thought
You only have to look at the portfolios and connections of large manufacturers that produce body sprays, with potentially toxic ingredients to our health, for a rude awakening.
You have your power!
Stop this system, step out of it and make your products. Control EVERY ingredient and take back your power of choice: the ability to choose wellness and natural, safe ingredients.
When you learn how to make essential oil body spray, you will not only smell amazing but also reclaim your consumer power, choosing wellness, spreading a new education, and reducing the toxic chemicals from entering your body and the planet.
