Note: I am not a doctor, herbalist, aromatherapist or chemist. I am just an everyday mom trying to figure out how to live naturally. This recipe is one that works for myself and my family. Please consult your doctor before using any diy recipe or essential oils to confirm that they are safe for you. This holds especially important if you are currently pregnant.
DIY Room Spray With Essential Oils (homemade air freshener)
This DIY room spray using essential oils can be whipped up in under five minutes! A homemade air freshener to naturally give your room a lift! This homemade room spray requires only three ingredients and the scent options are endless!
I’m not going to go into detail as to why you should switch to homemade air fresheners. Just like soaps and lotions, they’re loaded with “fragrance” and often chemicals you can’t even get your hands on. In fact, fragrances have been linked to multiple health issues.
Learning how badly the products we use every day alter our hormones (and our fertility) was the biggest reason I started this journey (learn more about easy, natural household swaps to start with!)
Instead, use this DIY room spray using essential oils as an all-natural air freshener with ingredients you most likely already have.
Likewise, with so many different scent options (check out my eight favorite ones below!), it’s easy to adjust your room to your mood.
Don’t want to read? JUMP to the recipe.
Choosing Essential Oils
For this DIY room spray using essential oils, the best ones to use are… the ones you enjoy!
Below are a few of my favorite scent options but experiment with combinations you might personally enjoy.
When it comes to brand, I personally use DoTerra essential oils (here’s where you can find my favorites!). However, I am not a rep for them. I contrast, I’ve heard that Young Living oils are just as amazing and even have some myself.
If you’re curious about scents and how they relate to healing or your mood, below is a basic summary. Although, there are so many, DoTerra has a great list of mood-boosting essential oils more! Thus, it’s really just about playing with scents you love.
Citrus Essential Oils (orange, lemon, lime)- these are happy oils. They’re great pick me ups
Lavender Essential Oil – a great oil to help with anxiety, stress and generally induce calm
Peppermint Essential Oil – an oil that can help with headaches. Similarily, it can give you an energizing boost
Spray Bottle Options
I used mini bottles for this recipe which drives my husband bonkers. However, you can easily double it and use a larger spray bottle.
As a result, my mom recently got me these brown glass bottles and they’re a perfect size.
Hack: the nozzle tops you buy at the dollar store actually fit on old Perrier bottles- I find this a bit large for homemade air freshener but it does work!
Why I Use Witch Hazel In My DIY Room Spray
Witch hazel is actually a shrub that has been around forever. Its uses can be everything from reducing inflammation (which I use it for in DIY face toner) to helping with the reaction in bath bombs and of course, binding essential oils in water-based recipes like this DIY room spray with essential oils.
With this in mind, a lot of homemade air freshener recipes you’ll see just call for water and essential oils. Personally, I find that this doesn’t hold the smell long enough. Sure, the house will smell great for five minutes but then the scent dissipates. As a result, I’ve learned that it’s the witch hazel helps keep it around longer.
Its the witch hazel in the recipe that helps bind the essential oils. This is what helps the scent linger around the room.
On the other hand, you can also make this DIY room spray using vodka + essential oils. It works wonderfully.
That said, I just can’t bring myself to waste vodka on a homemade air freshener! That sh*t is for drinking and deliciousness. Witch hazel works fine.
Ingredients
- 4 oz Glass spray bottle
- 15 drops essential oils
- 1/8 cup Witch Hazel
- Distilled water (about 1/4 cup)
Note: this recipe fits into the small glass bottles. For the larger ones double the batch so that you don’t dilute the recipe too much!
How To Make Homemade Air Freshener
Add the witch hazel and essential oils into the glass bottle and fill the remaining bit with water. Then, shake & enjoy!
For the essential oils, use 15 drops total. Thus, if there are two oils you’d like to use, add 7-8 drops each etc. If you want one scent more prominent than the others, add more of that oil.
DIY Not Your Thing?
If DIY is just not your thing or you’re cringing about not having ingredients on hand, your solution is Primally Pure!
Primally Pure offers products with ingredients you can both pronounce and all-natural room spray purchase. And theirs is pretty awesome.
Plus, you can use code mamabear10 to save some money.
Don’t forget to pin this simple DIY room spray using essential oils!
Grab your printable
An easy DIY recipe to freshen up a room naturally! This homemade air freshener can be customized with any scent you like and is made with only a few ingredients! Reminder: this recipe is made using one of the smaller glass spray bottles. Personally, I enjoy these larger bottles. if this is the case for you, make sure you double up the recipe and don't just add more water! Otherwise, the solution will become too diluted. Not sure where to grab ingredients? Here's a roundup list of my favorite products (and brands) for diy beauty products and where to buy them!
Diy Room Spray Using Essential Oils
Ingredients
Instructions
Recipe Notes
Making the switch to a more natural house doesn’t have to be hard. Start with the basics and whip up a batch (or two!) of this three-ingredient, five-minute DIY room spray. Then, customize the scent with your favorite blend of essential oils and enjoy the knowledge that you’re reducing some chemicals in your home.
Likewise, stock up on just ten DIY ingredients and you’ll be able to make hundreds of simple DIY recipes.
What’s your favorite oil blend?! I always need some new ideas…
What size bottle in ounces do you use? The directions don’t specify the amount of distilled water. I was curious in case I don’t have access to the bottles shown. Thank you.
I use 4oz bottles! I didn’t even catch/think of throwing in the spray bottles- thank for you catching that!
Is there any substitute for witch hazel. I can’t seem to find it around my area. I see a lot of rose water though. Can I use that instead?
The reason I use witch hazel is that it seems to bind with the oils to actually maintain the scent of them. It’s an astringent which is why it works. I’ve never used rose water so I’m not sure how it would work but I don’t think it would hold as well. That said, the other option is vodka believe it or not haha it works well. There’s a bunch of no-name brands of witch hazel though (they come in a light white plastic bottle, blue branding) and they sell it at Walmart if that helps?
I see that you emphasized “glass bottles”. I have several plastic ones on hand. Does it make a difference between the two?
Hey Pam! The reason is because long ago it was said that enough concentration of essential oils if (pure grade) would erode the plastic. I truly am not sure if this is true but I use glass none the less (and for eco-friendly reasons). Also, plastic will absorb the scent of the essential oil more which means less might get into the air or if you change scents but use the same bottle (say for the next batch) it might make an interesting combo. But outside of that thought, plastic will work just fine so use what you have!
I know you stated witch hazel binds more with the oils, how would using rubbing alcohol be different?
I don’t think it would be different to be honest! I originally heard to use the recipe with vodka (but refuse to waste my vodka haha) so I think it would work fine but I do wonder if the smell of alcohol would linger because rubbing alcohol is so POTENT.
I love using Thieves, or a citrus blend in the winter. For Summer, I enjoy Geranium or Ylang Ylang blends. They are beautiful and have a great fragrance.
Ahh thieves is such a life-saver! And geranium is probably one of my all time favorite oils lol. I need to give it a try with yang ylang!