Homemade Body Powder Recipe w/EOs & Natural Ingredients (2024)

If you want a fast, easy way to soften your skin, look no further! My Homemade Body Powder recipe contains essential oils to smooth skin and leave it smelling great. Sprinkle this powder on your skin or even put some in the bottom of your shoes to deodorize.

The sky’s the limit! Use your body powder in the summer on areas that easily chafe. You can even use this DIY on babies. I know you’ll love this multi-tasker as much as I do!

Table of Contents

  1. 4 Reasons to Make Your Own Body Powder
  2. Homemade Body Powder Ingredient Options
  3. How to Make Homemade Body Powder

4 Reasons to Make Your Own Body Powder

DIYing body powder is easier than you may think. All you need is a base powder, deodorizing powder, herbs, and essential oils. Here are a few reasons you should try this recipe.

  1. Store-bought powders often contain talc. Talc can contain carcinogens that are horrible for your body. (1) My DIY version uses a safer base that won’t harm your body.
  2. Store-bought powders usually include synthetic fragrances. Synthetic fragrances are extra sneaky because the FDA doesn’t require manufacturers to tell buyers just what is in their “fragrance.” (2) With a rule like that, who knows what chemicals brands are putting in their products!
  3. You can customize your powder to fit your unique style and needs. If you need to relax, add some lavender. If you’re making this powder for the man in your life, add some masculine-smelling essential oils.
  4. Homemade Body Powder makes an excellent gift for a loved one! I recommend putting the powder in an attractive jar and including some other DIY products, such as my bath bombs or sugar scrub.

Homemade Body Powder Ingredient Options

Homemade Body Powder Recipe w/EOs & Natural Ingredients (1)

The best part about this recipe is how easily you can customize it! You can swap the base powders, herbs, and essential oils to create the best formula for your body. Just remember to get non-GMO ingredients. Need inspiration? Here’s all the information you need to get started!

Base Powder Options

Bentonite Clay: This natural clay helps detox the body by absorbing oils and bacteria. (3) Bentonite clay has been used for ages to beautify the skin! If you choose this option, apply the powder under your armpit or the soles of your feet to rid your system of harmful toxins.

Corn Flour: Yes, you can use this grocery store ingredient in your DIY recipes! Using corn flour as your base creates a light powder that quickly absorbs into the skin. Be sure to find a non-GMO version.

Kaolin Clay: Choose Kaolin clay base if you’re planning on using your body powder primarily on the face. Kaolin is the main ingredient in most acne-fighting face masks. Oily skin will benefit from this base powder! (4)

Garbanzo Bean Flour: You might not think of putting chickpea flour on your skin, but garbanzo bean flour works well and is all-natural! I recommend using the Bob’s Red Mill brand because it’s non-GMO.

Tapioca Flour: Another one of my favorites! Tapioca flour doesn’t break the bank and is easy to find at most grocery stores.

Oat Flour: If you have organic oats in your pantry, you have oat flour! Place a cup of oats in your blender and pulse until you get a powdery consistency. This is the cheapest base powder option, and it’s excellent for sensitive skin.

Rice Flour: Rice flour is full of phytic acid, which can help clear skin. (5) Just like oat flour, you can make this option from the comfort of your home. Take one to two cups of uncooked rice and blend until you get a flour consistency. Rice flour is another economical option that’s most likely right in your kitchen!

Deodorizing Powder Options

Deodorizing powders fight bacteria. These options can help prevent bacterial spores from growing, which can improve body odor over time.

Arrowroot Powder: Arrowroot powder helps absorb moisture, making it the perfect option for underarm use. This is my favorite deodorizing powder! You’ll notice this recipe doesn’t promise to stop sweat from happening altogether. This is because antiperspirants are dangerous to the body and can cause breast cancer, among other things. (6) It’s better to treat odor and not sweat.

Baking Soda: Baking soda is unique because it can fight off various types of bacteria that cause underarm odor. (7) If you have sensitive skin, you may want to stick with arrowroot or cornstarch.

Cornstarch: Cornstarch, like arrowroot powder, is effective at absorbing moisture. You may be able to find a non-GMO version at your local grocery store!

Herb Options

All herbs need to be ground finely for this body powder to succeed. You can use a mortar and pestle, Magic Bullet, or coffee grinder. Here are a few herbs that work beautifully in this recipe.

Essential Oil Combinations

Here are some of my favorite essential oil combinations. You can limit yourself to just one essential oil, which might be a good idea if the herb of choice is really aromatic. Play around until you find the combination you like best!

  • Cinnamon, Clove, and Vanilla: This combination smells like sugar cookies!
  • Lemon and Peppermint: Uplifting and energizing. The perfect blend to help you “get r done.”
  • Lime, Orange, and Lemon: Citrus scents are mood-boosting. We call orange oil our “liquid antidepressant!”
  • Lavender and Chamomile: A very calming blend. I recommend using these essential oils if you’re using this in place of baby powder.
  • Lavender, Bergamot, and Lemongrass: The light floral note complements the citrus perfectly!
  • Ylang Ylang and Clary Sage: Perfect for hormonal support! Note: Do not use clary sage if you’re newly pregnant. It can cause contractions. (8)
  • Bergamot, Vetiver, Nutmeg, and Patchouli: A few great options for men’s powder!
  • Lilac and Lavender: This blend reminds me of my grandma..in a good way! It’s comforting and ladylike.
  • Rose and Geranium: These two oils always remind me of Spring! Add a drop of vanilla EO to make it smell extra yummy.

*Here are some more great essential oil combinations. The possibilities are endless!

How to Make Homemade Body Powder

Here’s a basic step-by-step to get you started! Be sure to look at the notes to learn even more ways to customize your Homemade Body Powder.

Homemade Body Powder Recipe with Essential Oils

Homemade Body Powder Recipe w/EOs & Natural Ingredients (3)

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Author: Mama Z

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. If using herbs, grind them into a fine powder using a morter and pestle, food processor, or coffee grinder.
  2. In a mixing bowl, mix the base powders, herbs, and deodorizing powders.
  3. Add the essential oils slowly, mixing and breaking up any clumps.
  4. Store in a jar with a shaker top.
  5. To use, sprinkle onto the body and lightly massage into your skin.

Notes

Add moisture to your homemade body powder recipe with a little bit of silk peptides or aloe vera.

Some people like to use this powder as a deodorant. If that's your goal, mix equal parts baking soda with arrowroot powder and a little cinnamon.

If you have trouble with humidity making your powder clump up, add some uncooked grains of rice into the mix. It's the same idea as putting them into a salt shaker to absorb the moisture.

Step One: Grind the Herbs

Homemade Body Powder Recipe w/EOs & Natural Ingredients (4)

Using a food processor, coffee grinder, or a mortar and pestle, grind the herbs into a fine powder.

Step Two: Add the Powders

Homemade Body Powder Recipe w/EOs & Natural Ingredients (5)

Mix the base, deodorizing, and herb powders of choice until well combined. I like using a sifter to ensure everything is mixed evenly.

Step Three: Add Essential Oils

Homemade Body Powder Recipe w/EOs & Natural Ingredients (6)

Add the essential oils of your choice slowly, whisking continuously to break up clumps. I recommend storing your homemade body powder recipe in a glass jar with a shaker top!

References:

Homemade Body Powder Recipe w/EOs & Natural Ingredients (2024)

FAQs

How to make all natural body powder? ›

Homemade Body Powder
  1. 1 cup arrowroot powder or organic corn starch.
  2. 1 tbsp baking soda.
  3. 2 tbsp of white clay.
  4. 1/2 cup lavender buds.
  5. 50 drops lavender EO.

What are the ingredients in body powder? ›

Generally body powders are made of combinations of vegetable starches, clays and/or talc. The word "talc" has come to mean a "body powder" but it is actually a mineral and there have been some warnings against it due to negative effects of inhalation of the products.

What is the formula for body powder? ›

The basic recipe is 3 parts cornstarch to 1 part baking soda, so you can use that 3:1 ratio to make as much or as little as you need. Add more or less essential oil based on your preference. You can also use your favorite perfume to make a coordinating dusting powder.

What is the chemical formula for body powder? ›

Talc: What it is and How it is Used in Cosmetic Products

Chemically, talc is a hydrous magnesium silicate with a chemical formula of Mg3Si4O10(OH)2. Talc has many uses in cosmetic products and other personal care products.

What is the raw material of body powder? ›

Inorganic powder used in cosmetics raw materials are talc, kaolin, bentonite, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, titanium dioxide, Octyl chalk, Diatomite, and so on. Talcum powder is a natural silicate composed mainly of magnesium silicate containing water.

What to avoid in body powder? ›

Some talc may contain the known carcinogen asbestos, therefore it should be avoided in powders and other personal care products, unless it is known to be asbestos-free.

What are the main ingredients in powder? ›

Talc is the main ingredient in most baby powder and to this day is used in numerous cosmetic powder formulations including eyeshadows, pressed powders, and even some deodorants and soaps. 1 Talc has been widely used in the industry for decades, often in products you use daily.

What is the formula for making talcum powder? ›

Its chemical formula is Mg3Si4O10(OH)2. Talc is relatively pure in composition but can contain small amounts of aluminum, iron, manganese, and titanium.

Can you use baby powder as body powder? ›

Just as parents use baby powder to keep their infants' skin dry and free of rashes, some adults apply the product to their genitals, inner thighs, feet, or other parts of the body to absorb moisture and prevent chafing or skin irritation.

What does baking soda and cornstarch make? ›

But thankfully, I usually stock up when Sprouts has a sale and have some basic pantry supplies. And, cornstarch and baking soda can make air dry clay! So simple to make at home and the kids love making it as well.

How to make powder without talc? ›

Natural, talc–free powders are made from a blend dry plant based powders such arrowroot, kaolin rice powder and corn starch. They are then blended with a small amount of oil in a (clean) coffee grinder.

Is baking soda good for body powder? ›

Baking Soda

It is used in powders because it absorbs odor and moisture fast and well. Baking soda is an ingredient in natural deodorants instead of aluminum. Although baking soda is beneficial, it could be too harsh for those with sensitive skin. Additionally, it is widely available in grocery stores.

Is there a safe body powder? ›

The American Academy of Pediatrics has long recommended against the use of baby powders that contain talc, because of both inhalation concerns and potential cancer risks. But what about cornstarch baby powder? “If you have to choose between the two,” cornstarch baby powder is likely the better option, Spinner says.

References

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