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 🙂