How to Make A Custom Face Oil Blend (Perfect for YOUR Skin)

DIY Skincare & Beauty Essential oils Face Oils Natural Beauty

how to make a custom face oil blend

Looking to make your own face oil blend or face serum? It’s really so easy! Let’s take a look at the difference between essential oils and carrier oils, which of each are best for your unique skin needs, how to properly dilute essential oils in carrier oils, and how to use your custom face oil blend.

Originally Published on Apr 13, 2017 | Updated on February 27, 2023

Around here, we’re fanatic for face oils.

I credit oils with saving my skin after I’d been attacking it with too many harsh, anti-acne products for years, totally destroying my skin barrier and making my acne even worse.

Face oils provided my skin with the nourishment and moisture it so desperately needed, and I’ve never looked back!

But it’s not just me. Nope. I’m proud to say that I’ve created a whole tribe of face oil groupies.

(All that’s missing is a secret handshake but trust me, I’m working on it.)

I even took my face oil obsession to a whole new level with the Body Unburdened Beauty Blends — my best blends bottled up just for you!

Body Unburdened Beauty Blends - handmade face oils made with the highest quality organic ingredients and so much love!

So naturally, I get a lot of questions about how exactly to blend face oils and essential oils.

So step by step, let’s walk through how to make a custom face oil blend perfect for your skin.

how to make a custom face oil blend

There are a couple of key points to understand before we get into the details…

Essential oils vs. carrier oils

There is a big difference between a carrier oil and an essential oil.

  • Carrier oils are derived from the fatty portion of plants, nuts, and seeds. Think: olive oil, argan oil, jojoba oil, rosehip seed oil. Whenever I say “face oil” I’m referring to carrier oils.
  • Essential oils are distilled from the petals, leaves, bark, stem, and even roots of plants. They are volatile, very aromatic, and very potent. They can be thought of as extremely concentrated herbal extracts. Think: lavender essential oil, rose essential oil, tea tree essential oil.

Dilution is essential

You must dilute essential oils in carrier oils. They are far too concentrated to be applied straight or undiluted, and can really irritate the skin when not diluted properly.

Opinions on proper essential oil dillution for skincare differ, but everyone generally agrees that the sweet spot is somewhere between 1-2%. That is, essential oils should make up just 1-2% of the final mixture, with the remaining 98-99% of the mixture comprised of carrier oils.


How to Make A Custom Face Oil Blend in 3 Simple Steps

1) Pick your carrier oil(s)

You can choose just one carrier oil or as many as you like! But I think just 1-3 is really all you need.

But remember: not all oils are created equally!

What is the best oil for your face?

The best carrier oils by skin type:

  • Best carrier oils for blemish-prone skin:
    • Pumpkin seed oil
    • Grapeseed oil
    • Hemp seed oil
    • Tamanu oil
  • Best carrier oils for oily skin:
    • Jojoba oil
    • Grapeseed oil
  • Best carrier oils for dry skin:
    • Apricot kernel oil
    • Almond oil
  • Best carrier oils for aging/mature skin:
    • Argan Oil
    • Rosehip seed oil
    • Seabuckthorn oil
    • Pomegranate seed oil
  • Best carrier oils for sensitive/irritated Skin:
    • Borage seed oil
    • Avocado oil
    • Hemp seed oil

For all of the details on these oils and their benefits, visit The Best Face Oils by Skin Type.


2) Pick your essential oil(s)

As with carrier oils, you can choose just one essential oil or any many as you like!

The best essential oils by skin type:

  • The best essential oils for blemish-prone skin:
    • Geranium
    • Lavender
    • Patchouli
    • Tea tree
  • The best essential oils for oily skin:
    • Frankincense
    • Geranium
    • Lavender
    • Neroli
    • Patchouli
  • The best essential oils for dry skin:
    • Geranium
    • Lavender
    • Myrrh
    • Ylang Ylang
  • The best essential oils for aging/mature skin:
    • Carrot seed
    • Frankincense
    • Geranium
    • Lavender
    • Myrrh
    • Neroli
    • Rose
    • Ylang Ylang
  • The best essential oils for sensitive/irritated skin:
    • Lavender
    • Neroli

For all of the details on these oils and their benefits, visit The Top 10 Essential Oils for Skincare.


3) Properly dilute your essential oils in your carrier oils

I prefer 1% dilution — that is, the essential oil(s) will make up just 1% of your final face oil blend and the carrier oil(s) will make up the other 99% of the blend. So since 1 oz is 29 mL and every mL is 20 drops, for every 1 oz of carrier oil you should add no more than 6 drops of essential oils (if also choosing to follow a 1% dillution).

The easiest way to blend your oils is to fill a 1 oz glass dropper bottle (amber or cobalt glass bottles will protect the delicate ingredients) with your carrier oil(s) and then add your essential oils. Screw the top on and give it a little shake. It’s really as simple as that!

how to make a custom face oil blend

Optional: Preserve your face oil blend with vitamin E

Vitamin E oil helps preserve the delicate fatty acids in your carrier oils and prevent them from going rancid.

It should make up no more than 1% of your final blend. So for a 1 oz blend, you would add just 6 drops of the vitamin E oil.


So now you know how to make a custom face oil blend. But are you wondering how to use it?

Face oil blends make wonderful natural moisturizers but can also be used to cleanse skin.

Yes, oil can actually clean skin! Get all the details with The Oil Cleansing Method 101: How to Wash Your Face with Oil.

If using your face oil blend as a moisturizer, simply apply after washing and applying toner and serum, if you do so. Remember: skin hydration and skin moisture are two different things! If your skin seems to be tight, dry, or flaky even when using your face oil blend, a little hydration is likely in order.


Do you have a favorite face oil blend?

Any tips or tricks? Please share with us in the comments below!

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  1. I have oily, acne-prone, and aging skin. I also have dry patches. I mixed jojoba oil with lavender oil. My face feels really greasy after I put it on. Any advice or suggestions?

  2. I’d assume the C serum is water-based (aloe, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, etc) so no – apply that first, let it dry for a few seconds, then apply your oil. Water-based products first then oils 🙂

  3. Hey, is there anyway you could help me with my questions? I have been looking and researching and can’t find the answer. Can I mix insta natural vitamin C serum in my own diy face serum that has rosehip oil and a couple essential oils?

  4. Hi!

    Can i use custom face blend oil as moisturizer (Leave it overnight on face) as well as a face wash cleanser?

  5. i just discovered your website today and i’m in love thank you for sharing such wonderful tips

  6. Vitamin C is fantastic for reducing hyperpigmentation and rosehip seed oil is one of the best. But honestly, you’d do best with a vitamin C or niacinamide serum layered beneath your oil.

  7. Hello Nadia,
    What are the best oils for fading out melasma?
    Best oils for red acne spots,acne prone skin?
    Thanks

  8. No for 1 oz of CARRIER OIL you’d use 15 drops of essential oils TOTAL for a 2.5% dillution.

  9. So you are saying for 1 oz essential oils 15 drops of each essential oil ? I have 3 essential oils I will be using. 15 drops of each correct ? How many teaspoons or table spoons of carrier oil ?

  10. Yes if you’d like but I would recommend wearing an SPF over it for sun protection. And you can mix aloe and oil in your hand to apply to your skin but they won’t stay mixed together if combined in a bottle – aloe is basically water and we know water and oil don’t mix!

  11. Can oil moisturizers be used as a day cream? As well can aloe Vera gel be mixed with oils? How good is boabab oil? Is it a carrier oil?

  12. Hi , I m new for this . I really want to ask my skin is really dry and I only using Carer oil . And I don’t want to use essential oil for my face skin , is it alright? At this stage I m mixing sweet almond oil and jojoba oil and rosehip oil . It’s a good combination? Or u can suggest me something different. But only natural oils. Thanks a lot.

  13. Hi, Nadia! Do facial oils replace your moisturizer or is it used in addition to a cream moisturizer? I’ve been researching facial care routines and products, and I want to make sure my skin is getting what it needs, but I also don’t want to put 15 different things on every morning! Also, should oils be used day, night, or both? Thanks for the guidance!

  14. Hi! I’m just about to get my oils from my online order, and I’m pumped! But I’m wondering what the best combination of them will be amount-wise. I have oily skin with acne and acne scars, so I ordered Pumpkin seed oil, Hemp seed oil, Rosehip seed oil, and Tea Tree oil. I plan on doing a 2 oz bottle so I know I’ll only need maybe 10 drops of Tea Tree bc it’s so strong. Do you have any recommendations for ratio amounts of the three carrier oils based on their skin benefits?

  15. At this point, you might as well experiment since you have the oils and go from there!

  16. Hi, I have just purchased some jojoba oil ( carrier oil) and lavender oil ( essential oil) to use on my face, to moisturise and to hopefully help clear my rosacea but I’m unsure if I have picked the right oil combination for my problem and how to mix these. Can you please advise. Thank you

  17. Hi, Jane! Well some companies call their oil blends “serums” but this is incorrect – serums are usually water-based and so penetrate the skin more deeply. They provide hydration (water) to the skin whereas oils provide moisture. I always suggest applying your oils last after your water-based products, including serums like hyaluronic acid or vitamin C serum.