This DIY Glow Serum recipe teaches you how to make your own face oil! This luxe blend features some of the best essential oils for skin and is so simple to make!
Today we’re making our own luxe face oil with this DIY Glow Serum!
So many skin supporting essential oils (EOs) are teaming up in this simple blend that can be used morning and night. They’re the real superstars of this oil and the hero ingredients in many of my fave luxe skincare products.
We’re using 4 essential oils in this recipe but you could easily make a glow serum using just one essential oil from the list.
This DIY Glow Serum uses essential oils known for their skin support benefits, including:
- Lavender - calming & healing for all skin types, promotes clear skin, gently moisturizing
- Frankincense - I use it for fine lines, great for all skin types especially mature/ aging skin
- Geranium - potent powerhouse, great for oily or dry skin, promotes smooth & toned skin
- Blue Tansy - the darling of luxe skincare, promotes radiant skin & is very balancing
Some helpful tips for preventing skin sensitivity
That being said, if you're new to essential oils or think you may have sensitive skin - you may want to choose just one of the essential oils on the list above and create a single-oil formula to see how your skin responds to each ingredient.
The same goes for a carrier oil, choose just one and see how your skin responds. This approach makes it much easier to pin point if the sensitivity you're experiencing is coming from just one oil or from the concentration you used in general.
What concentration of essential oils should I use for a face oil?
When I created this recipe I saw that a concentration of 1-3% essential oils for topical skincare is fairly typical. The rough breakdown I use for 1 ounce to stay within the 1%, 2%, and 3% zone is a total of anywhere between 9-27 drops.
That being said essential oils use (like food or anything else!) is very individual. You’ll see I listed in the recipe card that you can choose from a range of drops of each essential oil depending on your preference & comfort. Feel free to reduce the drops to the lower end if you’d like to have your serum stay at or below the 1% concentration.
Speaking of dilution & the concentration - I often see people sharing recipes online with much much higher concentrations. Aside from causing you to waste unnecessary amounts of your oils, the biggest concern I have when I see that is... holy skin sensitivity!
Since essential oils are very concentrated, a little goes a long way. Especially when paired with a carrier oil.
What carrier oils are best to use with my essential oils?
Use a quality carrier oil to dilute your essential oils for topical use - preferably organic, cold-pressed, unrefined oils. Think of carrier oils as a way to help your EOs absorb better into your skin. A good carrier oil maximizes your essential oil’s potential benefits and dilutes them to a non-irritating concentration.
This recipe uses jojoba oil - which is a very face friendly oil that absorbs fairly quickly. Making it easy to apply and wear under makeup. You can use it alone or wear it with another moisturizer if you have very dry skin or are experiencing dry conditions where you live.
Jojoba oil is considered a non-comedogenic oil - meaning it won’t clog your pores the way that a comedogenic oil (like coconut oil) might when applied to the face. A good general rule I use is to only use fractionated coconut oil to body products, and use jojoba for the face.
Here’s a few other face friendly carrier oils you could use with or instead of jojoba oil:
- Argan oil = my recommendation for anyone with oily or breakout prone skin, absorbs very fast, lightweight, non-comedogenic, and rich in Vitamin E
- Rosehip Oil = my personal favorite, I tend to do half jojoba oil and half rosehip seed oil in my homemade face serums since it’s rich in omegas + antioxidants, very restorative
- Pomegranate Seed Oil = my choice for dry, aging or mature skin, rich in fatty acids, moisturizing, you can blend this with jojoba and/or rosehip for a rich does-it-all blend. Pomegranate Seed Oil is much thicker than jojoba, argan, or rosehip oils. So I don't recommend using it alone. You can add a few droppers full of it to your bottle. I personally love this ingredient but wouldn't use it as more than ¼ or ⅓ of your total carrier oil volume.
Where can I get quality carrier oils & the dropper bottles?
I got my jojoba oil and these 1 oz bottles from amazon! Check your local health food store’s beauty and personal care section too. They very often carry carrier oils.
Make sure you’re getting a quality carrier oil to pair with your pure EOs - for jojoba oil look for organic, cold-pressed, unrefined, and it’s natural golden color. If the jojoba oil is clear - keep looking!
Be sure to use pure essential oils with no added ingredients
Some "pure essential oils" are diluted with things like coconut oil, which is not very face friendly. Or contain the kind of preservatives or synthetic fragrances that you may not be happy to have on your skin every day.
So it's definitely worth looking into the sourcing practices of the brand you choose.
Since I know many people are drawn to DIY to have more control over the ingredients they're using, double check to make sure the ones you're using don't contain any fillers or added synthetic chemicals in their oils.
DIY Glow Serum
Ingredients
- 1 oz dropper bottle
- organic jojoba oil *
- 3-6 drops frankincense essential oil
- 3-6 drops lavender essential oil
- 1-2 drops blue tansy essential oil
- 1-2 drops geranium essential oil
- see notes section below for more info
Instructions
- Add frankincense, lavender, and valor drops to the bottle
- Fill remainder up with organic jojoba oil, taking care to leave enough room at the top to be able to put the dropper back into the bottle
- Twist cap on and tip back & forth gently until well combined
- Apply to face a.m. and p.m. (after cleanser + toner / mist).
Notes
***These products and information are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Anyone suffering from disease or injury should consult with a physician. If you are currently on medication, please do not stop.
PIN THIS RECIPE TO MAKE IT LATER!
Lucia says
Hello, I normally use moisturizer after face serum. Should I be using moisturizer after this one?
Puggy says
After making the serum and using it, my face started to burn really bad. Is this normal?
Lauren Kenson says
If you're experiencing any discomfort or sensitivity, you may want to stop using it entirely until your skin has returned to normal. Without knowing how many drops you used or details like your chosen oils & brand etc, I can make a few general troubleshooting suggestions - but as always, be sure to consult a trusted healthcare professional for the best recommendations!
1) It's possible you may need to use a lower concentration of essential oils in your chosen carrier oil, perhaps try a total of only 3-6 drops of any essential oils for the entire bottle to start. EOs are very potent and a little goes a long way, diluting them in a carrier oil is important for safe use.
2) Also worth considering taking a slower approach to introducing new products & new oils to your skin, especially if you've never used any products with essential oils. After your skin has returned to normal, try introducing only one type of essential oil and one type of carrier oil at a time with a super simple formulation (ie: skip the Valor blend which has multiple oils in one bottle and try a glow serum that's only Frankincense or only Lavender). You can even try only using your carrier oil without essential oils to make sure you're using one that works well with your skin on it's own.
3) See if your chosen essential oils and carrier oils have any additional ingredients, like synthetic fragrances, coconut oil or anything you know has caused skin irritation for you in the past.
4) Consider interactions with your existing skincare routine and how it may be combining with them - for instance any exfoliants or products with actives in them, especially retinols, acne treatments or acids etc.
For DIY skincare, skin sensitivity to specific essential oils and preferences for one carrier oil over another is always possible - and just like with over-the-counter skincare products, using & introducing just one new thing at a time can help you know what does & does not work for your skin. Hope that helps!
Conny says
Hi Lauren,
which carrier oils are good for brightening or lightening skin?
Lauren Kenson says
Hi Conny, I haven't heard of a carrier oil that has a brightening effect but I would recommend rosehip oil as a great restorative carrier oil to pair a brightening essential oil with. Here's a few of my favorite oils to add to this serum - Lavender is a great all-around skin support oil, Frankincense is favorite choice for supporting mature skin and if you're looking for a luxe oil option then Geranium / Neroli / Blue Tansy are all very restorative options. Hope that helps!
Renee says
Hi Lauren
I'm new to the natural skincare game and would love to try make the serum as a gift.
Is it ok to add dried flowers to the serum?
Thanks so much x
Lauren Kenson says
Hi Renee,
This glow serum would make a lovely custom gift! And yes, you should be able to add fully dried flowers to your serum. I would add them to the glass bottle first and then add your other ingredients on top. Dried organic rose buds & petals, lavender buds, and calendula petals would all look beautiful in a clear glass vessel.
Did want to mention that larger flowers may be better for a dropper type of bottle (since smaller buds & petals may get sucked up into the dropper as you try to use the oil). Not a huge concern - it just means you'd have to pluck any smaller petals that transfer off your face during use. Similar to how some bath bombs are beautiful in the tub but involve a bit of clean up after they've fully dissolved and you're done bathing (can totally be worth it for that extra luxe experience!)
Can't wait to see what you end up creating - when you try it please pop back here to let us know how it turns out!
xo, Lauren
Sus says
Such a grt recipe!
What would you do if you use 3 carrier oils? What’s a good ratio? I want to use Pomegranate but I hear it’s thick so you would use less. Thx!
Lauren Kenson says
Hi Sus!
So glad you're enjoying this DIY recipe. Yes, you're right that pomegranate oil has a much thicker consistency - not quite as thick as how castor oil feels but definitely not as light as how say jojoba or argan oil feel on the skin. For this reason, I wouldn't use pomegranate seed oil as a stand-alone carrier oil - I would combine it with at least one or two other lighter carrier oils.
My personal preference is to do a mixture of half jojoba + half rosehip oil, and then just add a few droppers-full of pomegranate for the extra boost & benefits. If I'm making an oil for p.m. use then I don't mind it being a bit on the thicker, richer side - since it has all evening to really soak in. So if you're intending to use it as a night serum and don't mind that richer feel on the skin, then you could add even more to your glow serum recipe. Hope that helps!
xo, Lauren
Suz says
So helpful thank you! I didn’t realize that all you need is a few drops of the thicker one and you still get the benefits. Xo
Lexi says
Can I use almond oil instead of jojoba?
Lauren Kenson says
Hi Lexi!
You could use sweet almond oil if you want, I checked and it has a low comedogenic rating (scores a 2) so it shouldn't be pore clogging. Happy DIY-ing!
xo, Lauren
Lexi Katigbak says
Hello! What would be a good substitute for Valor? I don't use Young Living essential oils.
Lauren Kenson says
Hi Lexi!
Valor is a blend that contains blue tansy (as well as black spruce, camphor, frankincense, and geranium essential oils). Blue Tansy is a very luxe essential oil with a pricepoint to match, so I love valor as a more affordable way to get it’s benefits into my skincare. You can also just use Lavender + Frankincense if you prefer and increase the drops of each!
Excited for you to try this recipe, let me know how it goes with your glow oil!
xo, Lauren
Norma Cross says
Would you recommend MCT as a carrier (perhaps mixed with Almond or Jojoba)
I am anxious to try!!!
Lauren Kenson says
Hi Norma!
I haven't tried MCT oil for topical use but I avoid using coconut-oil derived ingredients on my face (since coconut oil can be pore clogging for facial use).
But a blend of almond or jojoba together would be great in place of just jojoba - hope that helps!!
xo, Lauren
Aimee says
I’m ready to try this instead of the expensive serums. Is valor the same as blue tansy? Thank you!
Lauren Kenson says
Hi Aimee!
Making your own face oil at home can be an awesome alternative to the more expensive serums - with just a few bottles of skin supporting essential oils and affordable carrier oils you can make SO many bottles of serum.
Valor is a blend that does contain blue tansy but it also has black spruce, camphor, frankincense, and geranium essential oils. Blue Tansy is a very luxe essential oil with a pricepoint to match, so I love valor as a more affordable way to get it's benefits into my skincare.
Excited for you to try this recipe, let me know how it goes with your glow oil!
xo, Lauren
Aimee says
Thank you!
Vivienne Paton says
Help I'm about to produce 300ml of facial serum and have been looking for inspiring recipes. I'm using a mix of two carrier oils and possibly three essential oils. From my research I am noting that the safe level for essential oils in any 1 oz blend (30ml) is 6-9 drops total per bottle, mainly 6. The glow serum formula could exceed this quite a bit. Can you clarify this for me please
Lauren Kenson says
Hi Vivienne!
I'm so glad you're doing your own research! When I created this recipe I saw that a concentration of 1-3% essential oils for topical skincare is fairly typical. The rough breakdown I use for 1 oz to stay within the 1%, 2%, and 3% zone is a total of either 9 drops, 18 drops, or 27 drops.
That being said essential oils use (like food or anything else!) is very individual. You'll see I listed in the recipe card that you can choose from 3-9 drops of each essential oil depending on your preference. Feel free to reduce the drops down to 2-3 drops of each oil if you'd like to have your serum stay at or below the 1% concentration. Hope that helps!
Also mixing two carrier oils is what I do too!! Happy DIY-ing!
Lauren
PS - I always encourage folks to chat with their trusted healthcare professionals about any specific concerns, XO
Lyn says
hi what is a good substitute for valor oil? its difficult to find it in cape town SA
Lauren Kenson says
Hi Lyn!
If you have frankincense and lavender, both of those alone would make an amazing Glow Serum! You can add whatever other skin supporting oils you happen to have access to - grapefruit, ylang ylang, orange, sandalwood, cedarwood, patchouli, and jasmine are just a few that come to mind.
Or you can DIY the valor blend. It's an essential blend specific to Young Living containing multiple different essential oils - like black spruce, camphor, blue tansy, frankincense, and geranium. Young Living does ship to South Africa if you're ever in need of restocking your oils. You can always use my link above to check them out and just select your country from the dropdown menu at checkout
xo Lauren
Gina Harmon says
Hi Lauren, I like your Glow recipe but I would not recommend to anyone to use the citrus oils and a few other in serums as they can be cause photosensitivity. Thank you for your helpful hints. I too am devoted to Young Living essential products.
Lauren Kenson says
Hi Gina! Hard to beat the quality of YL oils right?
You're right that citrus oils (like retinol) can cause photosensitivity. This is why they're best used for night serums - I should've added that detail in my previous comment, so thanks for reminding me! I'm linking below to a post that talks about this on the young living website. It talks about which of their oils are considered photosensitive + when to use them, but I'll chat a bit about it below too for anyone else who needs a quick summary!
Many of the store-bought clean beauty face serums and face oils I use contain low concentrations of grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, and orange oil (usually in brightening serums). So I am comfortable using those in safe amounts. As always, wearing SPF to protect the skin during the day + consulting your trusted healthcare professionals are great ideas too!
xo, Lauren
https://www.youngliving.com/blog/photosensitive-essential-oils-summer-safety-tips/
Maryke Fourie says
Hi, can I substitute the Jojoba Oil with Marula oil or Argan Oil? And Valor with rosehip oil?
Lauren Kenson says
Hi Maryke,
You can definitely substitute other carrier oils in place of jojoba oil (argan oil is a great swap! Personally haven't used marula but it's also a face-friendly carrier oil!)
Valor, however, is an essential oil & rosehip is another carrier oil (like jojoba, argan, marula, etc). So you could omit the valor if you don't have it or sub in another skin supporting essential oil (like lavender, ylang ylang, geranium, etc). Hope that helps!
xo, Lauren
Sam says
make your own blend of Black Spruce, Blue Tansy, and Frankincense
Lauren Kenson says
Thanks Sam! That works great too!!
-Lauren
Bing @MomFoodBlog says
I love Young Living Essential Oils. They help a lot in many ways for our family's well-being. My facial serum consist of frank, lavender, and nutmeg.
Thanks for sharing this, I will try this blend of yours.
Lauren Kenson says
Aren't they just fantastic?? Always blown away by how next level Young Living's oils are!
The blue tansy in this valor blend is EVERYTHING. I love mixing up this glow serum with different oils too - lots of exciting variations to share. Coming your way so soon!
xo, Lauren