DIY Essential Oil Rollerballs for Fall & Winter
Essential oils are one of my favourite natural remedies to keep on hand at all times, hands down.
As far as remedies go, there’s an oil for just about everything that ails you. From headaches and hangovers to stress and anxiety to colds and flu to muscle pain and tummy aches and everything in between. Not to mention, they smell amazing and they’re also the number one weapon in my arsenal when it comes to creating a natural home.
I use essential oils in my homemade cleaners, bath and body products, candles, room sprays and even on my pillow at night. And I LOVE diffusing them to make my home smell amazing without using harmful synthetic fragrances.
But one of my favourite ways to use them as a home remedy is in the form of essential oil rollerballs.
Basically this is a small rollerball tube that contains essential oils diluted with a carrier oil so it’s ready to be applied directly to your skin when you need it. It’s absolutely essential (no pun intended) that you dilute essential oils before applying them directly to skin. Essential oils that are applied “neat” can irritate skin, cause rashes and even lead to permanent sensitization and allergies.
So when you want to apply essential oils directly to your skin, you need to mix them with a carrier oil first to dilute them and make them safe for topical use.
Using a rollerball makes this process quick and easy because your oils are pre-mixed and diluted. This means you don’t need to waste time measuring out your oils when you’re in need of a quick application.
Just roll the rollerball over the affected area and and you’re done!
You can also tailor your rollerballs for specific uses and applications by blending a mixture of essential oils that work together to support healing. You can also choose the carrier oil that you like best as the base for this “magic potion,” and dilute KidSafe oils even more so they’re ready to use on young, sensitive skin when your children are in need of some comfort or healing.
Related: Essential Oil Rollerballs for Spring & Summer
Diluting Essential Oils
First of all, we need to talk a little more about dilution. This step is really important, so please don’t ignore it or skip over it.
Okay, so how do you dilute essential oils, exactly?
Glad you asked:)
As a general rule, for adults you should be aiming for a 5% dilution. (Don’t worry, I’ll tell you how to do this in just a sec.) This is suitable for occasional or short-term use.
*** If you’re wanting a blend for chronic, daily application, you might need to dilute it a little bit more. If you have a specific problem you’re looking to heal, please consult your doctor or naturopath first and talk to them about incorporating essential oils into your healthcare regimen. ***
If you’re just looking for a general treatment or want to fill your medicine cabinet with natural, homemade herbal remedies for life’s everyday ups, down, bumps, bruises, coughs and colds then a 5% dilution is pretty much the standard for adults.
For kids ages 2 to 15, the safest dilution is around 1%. Babies under 2 need even more dilution at just 0.1% – 0.5% max, and essential oils are not recommended for use on premature babies.
For the purposes of this post, we’ll be focusing on general use rollerballs for adults and children aged 2-15. But if you’d like a more detailed look at dilution recommendations you can check out the chart below.
Source: Plant Therapy
How to Dilute Essential Oils
To dilute essential oils, you must mix them with a carrier oil. Essential oils are soluble in oil, meaning they will disperse easily and dilute effectively. They don’t mix well in water, so it’s always recommended that you dilute them in oil first for all topical applications.
When it comes to rollerballs, all you need to do is add the recommended amount of essential oils to your bottle and then top with a carrier oil of your choice. Then shake it up and it’s ready to use!
What Are Carrier Oils?
Carrier oils are just fatty oils that you can use to dilute your essential oils. Pretty much any fatty oil can be used as a carrier oil, so think coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil, grapeseed oil, hempseed oil, etc.
So which carrier oil should you choose?
One of the most popular carrier oils is definitely coconut oil. But as you probably know, regular coconut oil that you buy from the grocery store is solid at room temperature. This doesn’t exactly make for a good carrier oil in your rollerball since it needs to be in liquid form at all times. So the popular choice is to use fractionated coconut oil, which undergoes a heating process that converts it to a liquid oil at room temperature or colder.
I’ve been using hemp seed oil the most simply because that’s currently what I have on my shelf. I find it really nourishing on skin and I like using it as a massage oil on my husband with the pain relief blend of essential oils listed in the recipes below.
Each carrier oil has its own special properties just like essential oils. The chart below gives an overview of the most popular carrier oils.
Source: Plant Therapy
What are KidSafe essential oils?
Not all essential oils are safe for use on children, so you should be careful about which essential oils you blend together in rollerballs intended for use on kids.
Luckily, the brand of oils that I use and recommend has an entire line of KidSafe essential oils that are clearly labelled, so it’s easy to know which ones are safe for kids and which are not. (This is just one of many reasons why I genuinely love essential oils from Plant Therapy).
Remember you still need to dilute oils to 1% if using on children, even if they are “KidSafe.” I’ve included some specific KidSafe blends in the recipes below to take the guesswork out of blending and creating your rollerballs.
How To Make Essential Oil Rollerballs
Alright, now that you know the basics, it’s time to get blending and make some rollerballs!
These are an excellent addition to your own home medicine cabinet and also make awesome gifts and stocking stuffers at Christmas. I recommend purchasing a pack of rollerballs and making a variety of different blends to keep and to give away.
You can purchase rollerball bottles here.
I’ve chosen rollerball recipes that are tailored to illnesses and ailments that abound during the fall and winter months since we’re currently heading into Christmas and winter soon. But these can absolutely be used all year round.
You can also check out these rollerball recipes for spring and summer, including rollerballs for spring allergy relief, cuts and scrapes, bug bites, bumps and bruises. For now we’ll focus on healing what ails us during the fall, winter and holiday season.
Alright, gather your rollerball tubes, essential oils and carrier oil(s) of choice and let’s get blending:)
Rollerball Recipes for Fall & Winter
Disclaimer and safety notes:
Please note that all of these recipes are intended for standard 10ml rollerballs.
Add the essential oils listed in the recipe you’ve chosen from the list below and top with carrier oil. Shake well to blend before applying.
Also note that any rollerballs that contain lemon should not be applied to skin that will be exposed to direct sunlight as this can cause a phytotoxic reaction that can result in something similar to a sunburn.
Pregnant women should not use essential oils without first checking with their midwife or physician.
* All KidSafe blends listed below are intended for use on children over 2 years old. All essential oils listed in the KidSafe blends below are labelled KidSafe by Plant Therapy and diluted to 1%. *
As always, it is my legal responsibility to remind you that I am not a doctor and am simply sharing the essential oil blends that we use in our house and that I have researched thoroughly and understand to be safe. It is always recommended to consult your doctor, naturopath or certified health care practitioner before incorporating essential oils into your regular healthcare routine.
Rollerballs for stress and anxiety
This time of year can be stressful. Whether we’re running around like headless chickens trying to get it all done or visiting Santa Claus for the first time, there’s a fair amount of anxiety involved in the otherwise festive holiday season. Here are some rollerball recipes to calm the nerves and inspire deep breaths in kids and adults alike.
Relaxing Blend
- 5 drops lavender
- 5 drops sweet orange
- 5 drops vetiver
* KidSafe Relaxing Blend *
- 1 drop lavender
- 1 drop sweet orange
- 1 drop vetiver
Calming Blend
- 5 drops lavender
- 5 drops bergamot
- 5 drops chamomile
* KidSafe Calming Blend *
- 1 drop lavender
- 1 drop bergamot
- 1 drop chamomile
* Apply stress and anxiety blends to the neck, shoulders, wrists and and/or behind ears.
Rollerballs for Headaches & Hangovers
The holidays are synonymous with headaches and hangovers that result from stress and from having a little too much fun eating, drinking and making merry. Here are some rollerballs to ease a throbbing head and a queasy stomach.
Tension Relief Blend
- 5 drops lavender
- 5 drops peppermint
- 5 drops chamomile
* KidSafe Tension Relief Blend *
- 1 drop lavender
- 1 drop palmarosa
- 1 drop chamomile
Hangover Blend (Adults only!!)
- 5 drops peppermint
- 5 drops orange sweet
- 5 drops lemon
* Apply headache and hangover blends to the neck, shoulders, wrists and/or behind ears.
Rollerballs to Calm Upset Stomachs
Eat too many sugar cookies? Having trouble digesting turkey dinner? Reach for thee rollerballs to help calm tummy aches for kids and adults alike!
Tummy Ache Blend
- 5 drops lavender
- 5 drops peppermint
- 5 drops ginger
* KidSafe Tummy Ache Blend *
- 1 drop lavender
- 1 drop chamomile
- 1 drop spearmint
* Apply tummy ache blends to the belly; Roll on and massage in a clockwise motion. Or roll on the wrists and smell wrists to help calm stomach.
Rollerballs for Cold & Flu
It doesn’t need to be said that fall and winter is the worst time of year for cold and flu symptoms. Whether you’re trying to fight through the pain and keep up with your to-do list or laid up in bed looking for relief, there’s a rollerball recipe for you! Here are a few to get you started…
Breathe Easy Blend
- 5 drops eucalyptus
- 5 drops rosemary
- 5 drops tea tree
* KidSafe Breathe Easy Blend *
- 1 drop fir needle
- 1 drop cedarwood
- 1 drop frankincense
Immunity Blend
- 5 drops lemon
- 5 drops rosemary
- 5 drops clove
* KidSafe Immunity Blend *
- 1 drop lemon
- 1 drop frankincense
- 1 drop palmarosa
* Apply cold and flu blends to chest, neck, behind ears and on wrists.
Rollerballs for Skin Irritations
Dry, cracked skin is an unfortunate side effect of the colder winter months. Here’s how to soothe it with custom essential oil rollerball blends.
Skin Soother Blend
- 5 drops lavender
- 5 drops frankincense
- 5 drops palmarosa
* KidSafe Skin Soother Blend *
- 1 drop lavender
- 1 drop frankincense
- 1 drop palmarosa
Intensive Cracked Skin Antiseptic Blend
- 5 drops tea tree
- 5 drops rosemary
- 5 drops frankincense
* Apply skin soothing blends to the affected area.
Rollerballs for Muscle and Joint Pain
The cold chills of fall and winter can stiffen up our muscles and joints and turn simple tasks and fun-filled family days into painful experiences. If you’re in need of some pain relief, here are some simple homemade rollerball blends to help.
Pain Relief Blend
- 5 drops peppermint
- 5 drops black pepper
- 5 drops helichrysum
* KidSafe Pain Relief Blend *
- 1 drop lavender
- 1 drop spearmint
- 1 drop fir needle
* Apply pain relief blends to the affected area.
Rollerballs for Mental Clarity and Boosting Mood
The winter blues are a real thing. As the days get shorter, darker and greyer, sometimes we need a little extra support to help boost our mood during the dark fall and winter months. Here are some rollerballs that offer a little light in the darkness.
Focus Blend
- 5 drops lemon
- 5 drops rosemary
- 5 drops peppermint
* KidSafe Focus Blend *
- 1 drop lavender
- 1 drop grapefruit
- 1 drop cedarwood
Mood Boosting “Sunshine” Blend
- 5 drops sweet orange
- 5 drops bergamot
- 5 drops lime
* KidSafe Mood Boosting “Sunshine” Blend *
- 1 drop sweet orange
- 1 drop bergamot
- 1 drop steam distilled lime
* Apply mental clarity and mood boosting blends to neck, shoulders, wrists and/or behind ears. These blends are also highly effective when diffused.
If you’re looking to build your oil collection, you can check out Plant Therapy’s extensive list of essential oils here.
Or click here for KidSafe oils.
Labelling Your Rollerballs
You’ll want to label each rollerball you make as you go so you don’t get them mixed up.
DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF LABELLING!
Trust me, it’s really easy to get your rollerballs mixed up if you don’t label them right away, so put a label on it!
To help you out, I’ve created a rollerball free recipe guide complete with printable labels that can be found under the “Home Pharmacy” section of my Free Resource Library.
You can either print the labels out on regular printer paper and paste them onto your bottles or they fit perfectly on these sticky labels if you’d rather not have to manually glue them on. These are the same labels we use on our bottles at home.
So have fun and get cracking on some essential oil rollerballs this fall and winter season. When seasonal illnesses and ailments strike, you’ll be glad to have ’em on hand:)
For more in-depth general info. about using essential oils, check out this post on Everything You Need to Know to Get Started With Essential Oils.
Wishing you homemade, homegrown, homestead happiness 🙂
CATEGORIES
1 Comment
Submit a Comment
ABOUT ANNA
You Might Also Like
Homemade Beef and Bacon Burger Patties
* This article may contain affiliate links. For more information, please read my Affiliate Disclosure. Everything tastes better with bacon, and these homemade beef and bacon burger patties are no exception. They’re meaty and juicy and full of flavour, and best...
Growing Food is My Form of Protest
“Gardening is the most therapeutic and defiant act you can do. Plus you get strawberries.” – Ron Finley In light of the recent Black Lives Matter protests across the US and around the world, I’ve been thinking a lot more about where I stand, what I stand for and...
I’ve always believed that the mark of a really good home-canned preserve is that it’s good enough to eat straight outta the jar with a spoon. And this home-canned blueberry pie filling definitely passes that test!
This right here, friends, is the NUMBER ONE most popular recipe on my blog, and it’s not hard to understand why!
After all, the only thing better than fresh, homemade blueberry pie is having homemade blueberry pie filling canned up and ready to dump into a pie crust (or eat with a spoon) at any time of year. And this easy peasy recipe will help you do just that:)
I’ll also be walking you through exactly how to make and can your own homemade blueberry pie filling (or any fruit pie filling!) in my brand new Yes, You CAN! Home Canning Course, set to launch in just a couple short weeks!
You can get the printable recipe for this blueberry pie filling by clicking the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead or by going to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/how-to-can-blueberry-pie-filling/
And if you wanna be the first to know when the Yes, You CAN! Home Canning Course opens up, click the link in my bio or head to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/yes-you-can-waitlist/ to get your name on the waitlist!
It’s time to start preserving the harvest and putting up jars of tasty homegrown and homemade food for winter! Because while we just don’t know what this winter will bring, we know what summer has to offer, and it’s begging to be stuffed in a Mason jar 😉
.
.
.
#blueberrypie #blueberrypiefilling #canning #preservingtheharvest #homecanning #homesteadkitchen
Our first potato harvest of the season! Apparently the purple ones are “Princess potatoes” because they’re so pretty 💕
.
.
.
#humanswhogrowfood #peoplewhogrowfood #homesteadersofinstagram #gardenersofinstagram #potatoharvest #newpotatoes
We’re finally home from our week-long summer vacation, and while I enjoyed being away, there’s nothing like sleeping somewhere else to make me miss home!
The vacation itself tends to get all the glory, but for me, the best part is always coming home.
Going away gives me the chance to step away and gain some perspective so that when it comes time to go home, I’m actually excited about it! I’m excited to come back to this life that we’ve created with intention. I’m excited to get back to my garden and my kitchen and my desk where I get to create a life I love with my own two hands.
Sometimes we need that perspective that comes from a change of scenery and routine. I know that right now it’s harder than ever for so many people to get away as we’re being asked to stay home, but sometimes all it takes is a break from your every day routine to make you appreciate it. And if you don’t? Maybe it’s time to change it.
The moment that I don’t love coming home or coming back to my life and routine is the moment I’ll know I need to change something about how I’m living. But right now, being back home is the best feeling in the world... Even better than walking through beautiful fields of yarrow with my daughter while we were away. And that was pretty good too:)
.
.
.
#perspective #home #homeiswheretheheartis #theresnoplacelikehome
BBQ season has officially kicked into high gear, which means a whole lot more hamburgers on the grill! 🍔
I don't know about you but I hate the dry, cookie-cutter hamburger buns you get from the grocery store. Not only are they lackluster, but depending on the brand you buy, you may be getting all sorts of unwanted additives too.
That's why we decided to make homemade burger buns from scratch a few months ago. Not only are they delicious, they’re free of additives and they freeze really well too, so you can make a double batch and have them ready to go whenever you are!
Oh, and you’ll also need some tasty patties to go with your buns, so I’ve got you covered with my recipe for homemade beef and bacon burger patties. They’re made of 100% grass fed beef, bacon and spices. No bread, eggs or other fillers. And they’re quite honestly the most delicious homemade burger patties I’ve ever eaten.
Just in time for July 4th weekend, click the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/homemade-hamburger-buns/ to get my homemade hamburger buns recipe! There’s a link to the patty recipe in that post:)
.
.
.
#homemadehamburgers #july4th #bbq #july4thweekend #july4thbbq #fromscratch
First big harvest of the season! Of course it came the day before we had to leave for our one big summer vacation to the cabin.
I meant to post these photos the other day when we harvested them, but between getting the garden and animals ready, prepping or preserving all of the food that was ready for harvest, baking bread, making kombucha, doing laundry, getting the July issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine ready for publishing, finishing up this week’s blog posts and packing our bags, there was honestly no time to even post photos!
But now we’re on the road and I can rest easier knowing that we got everything out of the garden that needed harvesting before we left home.
I know that by the end of the next week I’ll be more than ready to go home and get back at it, but for now I’m pretty happy to be enjoying a change of scenery after a few months at home.
I’ve got some delicious recipes to share with you too, perfect for the kickoff of BBQ season this weekend, but I’ll get to those tomorrow. For now, it’s time to unplug and relax a bit. I hope you find some time over the holiday weekend to do the same!
Oh, and don’t forget to check out the July issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine! It hit inboxes today so if you’re subscribed go check it out, and if you’re not, you can subscribe for free through the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead or by going to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/magazine/
.
.
.
#harvest #gardenersofinstagram #humanswhogrowfood #peoplewhogrowfood #summeronthehomestead
This side of our house used to be a bit of a wasteland. The grass was overgrown, there were piles of old gardening and building materials strewn about, and considering this is around the side of our house and out of sight most of the time, we just continued to neglect it as time went on.
But this year we made it our mission to grow more food than ever before, and in order to do that we had to make use of all of the different areas around our property, including this otherwise unusable space.
We put in some raised beds (on account of the septic tank in the ground) and since this side of the house is southeast facing, it actually provides the perfect microclimate for many of our sun-loving plants like tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, basil and beans.
On the other side of our house we’ve got a lot of shade (see pic #2), which makes it hard to grow these types of plants. But by choosing edible plants that thrive in partially shady conditions (potatoes in our case), we’ve been able to utilize that space to grow food as well, freeing up even more space in our main garden (pic #3) for other food crops.
Come harvest time we’ll have increased our food production by hundreds of pounds this year, and I want to help you do the same!
I created a free video lesson on how to maximize your food production by learning to utilize the different microclimates that exist on your property. You can view it for free by clicking the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead, or by going to https://bit.ly/3dF2ZIb
But hurry because this lesson is only available for free until midnight tomorrow (Sunday) night!
It’s not too late to get growing more food than ever before, but time is ticking. Start now. I’ll show you how:)
.
.
.
#growyourownfood #modernhomesteading #peoplewhogrowfood
Summer evenings in the garden 🌱 ❤️
The peas are late this year, probably because of the unusually cool weather we’ve been having. Although that’s meant that the plants are really healthy and now that they’re coming on, we’re about to get a bumper crop.
Plus, I don’t really mind the wait. Because seriously, is there a vegetable on earth that produces prettier flowers than sugar snap peas??
Don’t think so;)
.
.
.
#peas #gardenersofinstagram #peoplewhogrowfood #humanswhogrowfood #springgarden #homegrown
“Gardening is the most therapeutic and defiant act you can do. Plus you get strawberries.”
- Ron Finley
In light of recent protests across the globe, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about where I stand, what I stand for and what form my activism takes.
I’ve been thinking about how protesting isn’t just about taking to the streets with signs and megaphones. It’s about the choices we make every day.
It’s about who (and what) we choose to support with our dollars.
It’s about how we use our voices, and what we say when we speak.
It’s about questioning the status quo and taking meaningful action to resist the parts that are corrupt and broken.
You see, homesteading 𝘪𝘴 my form of protest. Growing food is my way of resisting and rebelling against the status quo.
Whether we’re talking about systemic racism or the corporate food system, it makes no difference; They’re both broken spokes on the same societal wheel that’s keeping everybody trapped and dependent.
But growing food is a statement of freedom and independence. It takes power away from “the system” and puts it back in the hands of the people.
Make no mistake, growing food is one of the most influential forms of political activism there is, and at its core, that’s what the modern homesteading movement is all about.
Every homegrown vegetable; Every jar of homegrown food; Every loaf of homemade bread, even, is a small act of resistance, and those small acts add up. If enough people join the movement, we’ll eventually hit critical mass, and that’s when the real change happens.
If this aspect of homesteading appeals to you too, I invite you to read more and join the conversation (and the movement!) by clicking the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead or by going to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/growing-food-is-my-form-of-protest/
.
.
.
#foodsovereignty #foodsecurity #foodjustice #foodjusticeisracialjustice #overgrowthesystem #homegrownfoodrevolution
As the Black Lives Matter movement has gained momentum over the past couple weeks, it's had me thinking a lot about how the modern homesteading movement fits in, and made me question the status quo.
One thing that I've become painfully aware of is how there's a severe lack of representation of people of colour in the modern homesteading world. In fact, I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but I wasn't even aware of any black homesteaders (and very few non-white homesteaders in general) before all of this woke me up. Not in the online space anyway. Not within the mainstream modern homesteading movement.
But once I started actively seeking them out, what I found was a whole bunch of amazing farmers, gardeners, homesteaders and community leaders of colour doing some pretty incredible things.
Co-operative farmers bringing fresh produce to food-starved urban communities.
Community activists growing food in abandoned city spaces.
Black farmers, gardeners and homesteaders who've lived a different experience than white people, and who often have a different relationship with food and the land due to their unique shared history and culture.
So this week we're diving into the importance of cultural diversity within the modern homesteading community. I'm also sharing some different perspectives on the importance of food security, self-reliance and finding independence on the land, including a list of resources (books, blogs, podcasts, etc.) written and produced by black and BIPOC farmers, gardeners and homesteaders who are changing the game when it comes to food security and self-reliance in their communities.
I hope you find inspiration and hope in this week's post. I know I sure did.
Click the link in my bio or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/cultural-diversity-modern-homesteading to read the full post.
P.S. If you find this article helpful, please share it and keep the conversation going. This is too important not to talk about right now.
.
.
.
#blacklivesmatter #blackgardeners #bipocfarmers #diversitymatters #amplifymelanatedvoices #amplifyblackvoices
I’ve been mulling over my thoughts and words about what’s been going on in America for the past week.
I’m angry. So angry at the racial injustice and the police brutality and the authoritarianism that I’m seeing play out in real time.
I’m so many emotions, and there are so many words I want to say, but for now I think it’s important to make space for the voices of the people who are rarely, if ever heard.
I come from privilege. I haven’t always had it easy, but I’ve always had a voice. I’m going to continue to use my voice and believe me, I’ve got some things to say about what’s been going on. But right now I think it’s important to focus on those who have been silenced for too long. It’s time to listen, and it’s high time for justice to prevail in America and the world. .
.
.
#socialjustice #racialequality #revolution #amplifymelanatedvoices #blackouttuesday
I’ve taken to making Saturday “market day,” mostly because that’s the day when our local market is held! But also because if I stock up on local goods on market day, then I can avoid the grocery stores the rest of the week.
Quite honestly we could live off the food we have and produce at home for quite some time. But because we grow our own food (and rarely go to the grocery store), this frees up some funds that I can then spend on locally grown and produced foods to supplement what we don’t grow at home, even if they’re a little more expensive.
Th his means we get better quality food over all AND we support local farmers and small business owners in our community, which supports the local economy AND is an all-around more ethical way to shop and eat.
These are some locally grown mushrooms I got at the @comox_valley_farmers_market today. I also got cheese, veggies, mustard and bacon. What more does anyone need, really? 😉
In this time of crisis and hardship for so many, our dollars speak more loudly than EVER before! Every dollar we spend is a vote we cast for our health, for our communities, for our future and for our freedom from monopoly.
Every dollar we spend counts more than ever. Spend wisely. Shop local.
.
.
.
#shoplocal #votewithyourdollars #resist #eatlocal #buylocal #supportlocal #farmersmarket
Thank you! I was looking for a list of specifically Plant Therapy diy recipes and this helps me greatly! I can’t trust other companies to use safe dilutions and I’m especially careful when making blends for gifts.