30 Essential Oil Uses for Empty Essential Oil Bottles

If you love to use essential oils like I do, then you probably have A LOT of empty essential oil bottles.

And if you don’t, you will soon.  It doesn’t take long to build up a pile of empties.

 

“One’s obsession with oils is not measured by how many oils they have, but rather, how many empty bottles they can’t bear to part with.”

I love this quote from Essential Oil Style!  It’s so true.

 

So what can you do with all those empty essential oil bottles you can’t bear to part with?  Here are 30 creative & practical essential oil uses for those empty bottles.  There are ideas for using up the last few drops at the bottom of an essential oil bottle.  There are ideas for making essential oil sprays, roller bottles, diffuser blends, bath salts and more using the empty (and almost empty) essential oil bottles.  And there are even ideas for upcycling the empty essential oil bottles into things unrelated to essential oils (such as magnets, lights, vases, and more).

 

 

30 essential oil uses for empty (or almost empty) bottles! So many great essential oil recipes including hand sanitizer, pillow spray, diffuser blends, owie spray, personal inhalers, "Lysol" disinfecting spray, skin toner, face serum, bath salts, air freshener, anti-itch spray, perfume, and LOTS MORE!! {essential oil recipes, essential oils for beginners, Young Living, doTERRA, essential oil DIY}

 

 

essential oil use #1:  Stinky Shoe Eliminator

Do you have an almost empty bottle of tea tree essential oil?  Use it to get rid of that stinky shoe smell.

Here’s what you do:

  • stuff a cotton ball or two into the essential oil bottle
  • put cap back on
  • leave the cotton balls in there for a day or two — cotton ball will absorb any leftover essential oil
  • after a couple days, pull cotton ball out of essential oil bottle (use tweezers if needed)
  • insert essential-oil infused cotton balls into shoes (one into the toe area of each shoe)
  • leave them in shoes 1-2 days (at least overnight)
  • remove cotton balls and enjoy your clean & fresh-smelling shoes

Don’t have a nearly empty tea tree bottle?  No worries.  While tea tree is probably the best stinky shoe eliminator, there are other antibacterial and antifungal essential oils that can be used as a substitute.  Give one of these a try:  cinnamon, clove, thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary, peppermint, lemon, eucalyptus, or pine.

 

 

essential oil use #2:  Travel Essential Oil Set

Do you have favorite essential oils that you like to travel with?  Use your empty (or nearly empty) bottles to create a set of travel essential oils.

Here are some of my favorite essential oils to travel with:

  • lavender (sleep, calming, tension relief, minor cuts & burns, bug spray and more)
  • tea tree (wipe down hotel room switches/door knobs, deodorizer, immune support, and more)
  • lemon (wake-me-up, focus, immune support, treats grease stains, anti-itch, odor eliminator, sanitizer, and more)
  • peppermint (tummy tamer, tension relief, wake-me-up, focus, jet lag, bug repellent, and more)
  • bergamot (uplifting, relieves stress, energizing, jet lag and more)
  • lemongrass (muscle soreness, bug repellent, deodorizer, immune support, clear breathing, muscle relaxer, tension relief, and more)
  • eucalyptus (clear breathing, immune support, stress relief, muscle soreness, cleaning/sanitizing, and more)
  • frankincense (jack of all trades– great for pretty much everything)
  • fractionated coconut oil- carrier oil so I can easily dilute essential oils while on the road

 

 

essential oil use #3:  Carrier Oils for Purse or Travel

Essential oils are extremely concentrated, which is why it’s so important to dilute them with a carrier oil (like fractionated coconut oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, or olive oil).  I keep my favorite roller bottle blends in my purse and I travel with them as well, but sometimes you need to dilute essential oils on the go.  So I like to keep a little bottle of carrier oil (fco) in my purse at all times.  That way I’m always prepared.  This has come in very handy over the years!

To clean your empty essential oil bottle in order to reuse it for a great on-the-go bottle of carrier oil, here’s what you do:  remove all labels, remove the cap and orifice, let soak in a bowl of hot soapy water overnight, then I run them through the sterilize cycle on my dishwasher (you could boil them on stovetop instead to sterilize), and let dry completely.

Here’s a quick rule-of-thumb guide to the dilution rates I try to use:

kids 6 months-2 years:  1-2 tablespoons carrier oil for 1 drop essential oil

kids 3-10 years: 1 teaspoon carrier oil for 1 drop essential oil

kids over 10: 1 teaspoon carrier oil for 2 drops essential oil

regular use by healthy adult:  1 teaspoon carrier oil for 2 drops essential oil

occasional use by healthy adult:  1 teaspoon carrier oil for up to 5 drops essential oil

 

30 essential oil uses for empty (or almost empty) bottles! So many great essential oil recipes including hand sanitizer, pillow spray, diffuser blends, owie spray, personal inhalers, "Lysol" disinfecting spray, skin toner, face serum, bath salts, air freshener, anti-itch spray, perfume, and LOTS MORE!! {essential oil recipes, essential oils for beginners, Young Living, doTERRA, essential oil DIY}
Disclaimer: Please know that this website contains affiliate links. This means that should you click on certain links, and then subsequently purchase a product, I will receive a small commission. The price is exactly the same for you as it would be without the affiliate link.  

 

 

essential oil use #4:  Natural Hand Sanitizer

This is one of my absolute favorite ways to use up the last couple of drops of essential oil in an almost empty bottle.  It also works great with cleaned and sterilized empty essential oil bottles.  I keep these little hand sanitizers everywhere: in my purse, in my desk, glove compartment, picnic basket, school bag, gym bag,

Hand sanitizer recipe for 15 ml essential oil bottle:

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  • fill bottle about 3/4 full with witch hazel
  • add 3 drops of essential oil if starting with cleaned and completely empty bottle (or add 1-2 drops if starting with empty but unwashed bottle that still smells of the essential oil).  Here are some combinations that work great for hand sanitizers:
    • tea tree, lavender, and lemon
    •  eucalyptus, rosemary, and lavender
    • clove, cinnamon, and lemon
  • optional- as hand sanitizer can be a bit drying to skin, add a drop or two of one or more of these great moisturizers to keep your hands nice and soft.  You can add all of these, or none of them, just use what you have on hand.
    • carrier oil (fractionated coconut oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba, etc)
    • vitamin e
    • glycerin
  • put on a spray top
  • gently shake or roll the bottle to mix

get spray tops for empty 5ml and 15ml essential oil bottles here

To use:

  • shake again each time before use
  • spray hands
  • rub hands together

 

 

essential oil use #5:  Dry Shampoo for Stinky Dogs

No more stinky dog!  This homemade non-toxic dry shampoo for dogs is super simple to make and gets rid of pet odor fast.

This is a great use up for an empty (but not yet washed out) bottle of lavender essential oil bottle.

How to make it:

  • fill empty (or almost empty) essential oil about 3/4s full with baking soda
  • if the bottle had been washed out and is completely empty of essential oil, then add 1 drop of lavender essential oil.  (if the bottle was empty, but hadn’t been washed out yet and still has the smell of essential oils, then do NOT add any essential oil.)
  • shake to mix
  • put cap back on
  • let it let sit overnight so the baking soda can absorb the essential oil

When you’re ready to use:

  • pour contents into a shaker or into a small strainer
  • shake the dry shampoo over the dog’s coat, starting at its bottom and staying away from the dog’s head
  • wait about 5 minutes
  • then brush dog’s coat to evenly distribute the dry shampoo mixture throughout her fur

 

 

essential oil use #6:  Sleepy Pillow Spray

Fall asleep fast with this calming DIY pillow spray.  All it takes is water, a couple drops of essential oil (suggestions below), and Epsom salt (optional).  Simply mix, shake, and spritz, and you’ll be dozing off to dreamland in no time.

Here are some great essential oils to use in this sleep spray.  Choose one or use a combination of 2 or 3 of your favorites.  –> lavender, orange, cedarwood, vetiver, marjoram, frankincense, Roman chamomile, bergamot, patchouli, and sandalwood.  A blend of lavender and cedarwood is my favorite!!  I fall asleep quickly and sleep soundly all night every time I use that combination.  Just a whiff of it, and I start to get sleepy.

How to make a homemade sleep spray with essential oils:

  1. start with an empty (or almost empty) 15ml essential oil bottle
  2. add 2-3 drops of essential oil to the bottle
  3. fill the rest of the 15ml bottle with distilled or cooled boiled water (make sure you leave a little room at the top for the sprayer)
  4. add a pinch of Epsom salt, if you have it (this will help the essential oil to mix a little better with the water)
  5. put on the new spray top
  6. gently shake or roll the bottle to mix the water and essential oils

get spray tops for empty 5ml and 15ml essential oil bottles here

To use:

  1. shake again each time before use
  2. spray lightly on pillowcase

 

 

essential oil use #7:  DIY Mattress Refresher

I love this mattress refresher.  I use it every time I change my sheets.  Using this refresher and vacuuming help to reduce dust mites, dead skin cells, and germs.  Plus it is a great deodorizer!

How to make DIY mattress refresher with essential oils:

  • fill empty (or almost empty) essential oil bottle about 3/4s full with baking soda
  • if the bottle had been washed out and is completely empty of essential oil, then add about 4 drops of essential oil.  (if the bottle was empty, but hadn’t been washed out yet and still has the smell of essential oils, then just add about 2 drops of essential oil).  Here are some great antimicrobial/antibacterial/antiviral essential oils to use for cleaning a mattress:  lavender, lemon, orange, tea tree, cinnamon, eucalyptus, grapefruit, lime, peppermint, spearmint, orange, tangerine, and rosemary.  Choose just one or a favorite combination of 2-3 oils.  Here are a few combinations I love using to clean my mattress:
    • tea tree, lavender, and lemon (very fresh and clean smelling)
    • eucalyptus and spearmint (very relaxing, and relieves stress)
    • tangerine, lime, and spearmint (smells like a citrus mojito)
  • shake to mix
  • put cap back on
  • let it let sit overnight so the baking soda can absorb the essential oil

To Use:

  • remove pillows, sheets, and blankets from bed
  • pour baking soda/EO mix into a shaker or into a small strainer (if you have a king-sized bed, I would use at least two 15ml bottles of the baking soda/eo mixture)
  • sprinkle on mattress
  • leave on for a couple hours (perfect timing to wash and dry the bedding)
  • then vacuum off

 

 

30 essential oil uses for empty (or almost empty) bottles! So many great essential oil recipes including hand sanitizer, pillow spray, diffuser blends, owie spray, personal inhalers, "Lysol" disinfecting spray, skin toner, face serum, bath salts, air freshener, anti-itch spray, perfume, and LOTS MORE!! {essential oil recipes, essential oils for beginners, Young Living, doTERRA, essential oil DIY}

 

essential oil use #8:  Make Essential Oil Roller Bottles

Using a roller ball insert like this it’s really easy to turn your empty (or almost empty) essential oil bottles into roller bottles.  click here for the rollerball inserts – these work on doTERRA and Young Living 5ml and 15ml bottles

Here’s how to do it:

  1. start with an empty (or almost empty) 15ml essential oil bottle
  2. choose the essential oil roller bottle blend that you want to make

Immune Booster

Tummy Tamer

Muscle Soother

Owie Stick

Anti-itch Stick

Seasonal Stick

Tension Tamer

Deep Breath

Anti Stress

Good Night Sleep Tight

Nourish

Clear Skin

Calm & Relax

Ground & Balance

Uplift

Comfort

Gratitude

Optimism

Energize

Refresh

Build Confidence

Motivate

Focus & Concentrate

3.  add the drops of essential oil to the empty essential oil bottle

4.  fill rest of 15ml bottle about two-thirds full with a carrier oil.  It’s helpful to use a little funnel like these when filling the roller bottles with carrier oils.

5.  snap on the new roller ball insert

6.  gently shake or roll the bottle to mix the carrier oil and essential oils

click here for the rollerball inserts – these work on doTERRA and Young Living 5ml and 15ml bottles

 

 

essential oil use #9:  Car Diffuser

Do you love diffusing essential oils?  Well, guess what- that doesn’t have to stop when you leave your house!

Here’s how to use an almost empty essential oil bottle to make a diffuser for your car:

  • stuff a cotton ball into essential oil bottle
  • put cap back on
  • let it sit for a day or two so that cotton ball can absorb any leftover essential oil
  • pull cotton ball out of essential oil bottle (use tweezers if needed)
  • use paperclip to attach cotton ball to car’s AC/heat vent
  • scent should last for 2-3 days, then you can add another drop or two of essential oil to refresh the car diffuser

 

 

essential oil use #10:  Always Have EOs Nearby

Always have essential oils right where you need them.  Make up extra partial bottles for office, school, kitchen, bedroom, etc

 

 

essential oil use #11:  Freshen as Your Vacuum

Using essential oils when you vacuum is a simple way to make your whole house smell fantastic!

Here’s how to use up the last bit of essential oil from an almost empty bottle to make this vacuum refresher:

  • stuff a cotton ball into almost empty essential oil bottle
  • put cap back on
  • let it sit for a day or two so that cotton ball will absorb any leftover essential oil.
  • pull cotton ball out of essential oil bottle (use tweezers if needed)
  • place scented cotton ball on the floor
  • then vacuum it up

 

 

essential oil use #12:  Homemade All-Natural “Febreeze”

There’s a great one to use up those last few drops of essential oil in the bottom of a bottle.  Simply add a spray top like this to your empty (or almost empty) essential oil bottle and turn it into a homemade all-natural “Febreeze” fabric refresher.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. start with an empty (or almost empty) 15ml essential oil bottle
  2. choose the linen spray that you want to make– click here for 21 of my favorite DIY essential oil linen spray recipes
  3. add 2-3 drops of essential oil to the bottle
  4. fill the rest of the 15ml bottle with vodka (make sure you leave a little room at the top for the sprayer)
  5. put on the new spray top
  6. gently shake or roll the bottle to mix the vodka and essential oils
  7. shake again each time before use, spray lightly on fabric and allow fabric to dry completely

note: you can substitute witch hazel or water for the vodka, but it’s best to use alcohol if you can in this recipe.  Alcohol has a faster evaporation rate than witch hazel and water, and as a result, is less likely to cause mold or mildew in fabric.  If you do need to substitute witch hazel or water, give the fabric extra time to dry, and if possible, use a fan to circulate air over the fabric until it is dry.

get spray tops for empty 5ml and 15ml essential oil bottles here

 

 

essential oil use #13:  Instant Deodorizer

Everybody has at least one stinky spot in their house, and if you’re like me, you’ve probably got a few less-than-fresh-smelling spots around your home.  Laundry room, closet, bathroom, refrigerator, shoe cubbies, basement… I could go on and on and on.

No worries.  Use an empty essential oil bottle to deodorize and freshen those stinky spots up in no time.

Here are some great deodorizing essential oils to use:  tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus, geranium, peppermint, fir, lemon, orange, pine, tangerine, rosemary, lime, citronella, and lemongrass.

I think this one is just about the easiest thing you can do with an empty essential oil bottle before you clean it and upcycle it into one of the other uses in this post.

Here’s how you turn your empty essential oil bottle into an instant deodorizer:

  • take cap and dropper off
  • place bottle in a spot that needs a little deodorizing (laundry room, bathroom, closet, refrigerator, etc)
  • that’s it; you’re done.  Let the bottle stay in there for a few days to do its work.  When the scent is gone, clean and sanitize the bottle and upcycle it for another DIY project on this page.

 

 

essential oil use #14:  Smelling Salts (“Breathe Better” Blend)

Feeling a little congested?  Here’s a great way to upcycle your empty essential oil bottles to help support clear breathing.

How to make essential oil smelling salts:

  • start with a cleaned and sanitized essential oil bottle
  • fill bottle with Epsom salt
  • add 4 drops of essential oil (a blend of 1 drop each eucalyptus, peppermint, lemon, and lavender works great, but you can use all peppermint or all eucalyptus if that’s all your have)
  • shake to mix well
  • put cap back on bottle in-between uses

To use:

  • uncap bottle
  • hold bottle up close to nose (but not touching nose)
  • inhale deeply
  • repeat as needed

 

 

essential oil use #15:  Make Ahead Master Essential Oil Blends

Do you have a favorite diffuser blend?  An essential oil blend that you go to again and again to use in your diffuser, inhalers, or diffuser jewelry?  It can get a little old, pulling out the same bottles over and over again and counting 1 drop of this, 2 drops of that, another drop of this, etc.  Instead, use an empty essential oil bottle to make up a master blend.  Then whenever you want to use that blend, all you need to do is grab one bottle and put a few drops in your diffuser.  Super simple.  You do the work once, and then you’ll always have your favorite blends ready to go.

Here’s how to do it:  Use an empty (or almost empty) essential oil bottle to make up a batch of your favorite essential oil blend.  Want some ideas of new blends to try?  Check out these posts for blend ideas and then when you find one you like, you can just multiply the amounts to make as much (or as little) as you want.  For reference:  a 5ml essential oil bottle holds about 85 drops and a 15ml bottle holds about 250 drops.

relaxing & calming blends

blends for sleep

uplifting blends

energizing blends

blends for focus & concentration

blends that support clear breathing

blends for immune support

spring blends

summer blends

fall blends

winter blends

Christmas blends

 

 

essential oil use #16:  No More Trashcan Stink

Trashcans can be one of the smelliest places in a home.  But they don’t have to be.  Use this simple essential oil hack to have your trashcans smell fresh and clean in no time.

  • stuff a cotton ball into almost empty essential oil bottle (lemon, tea tree, pine, fir, lavender, orange, grapefruit, lime, cinnamon, eucalyptus, peppermint, and spearmint all work well for deodorizing)
  • put cap back on
  • let it sit for a day or two so that cotton ball will absorb any leftover essential oil.
  • pull cotton ball out of essential oil bottle (use tweezers if needed)
  • place scented cotton ball in the bottom of trashcan

 

 

essential oil use #17:  Travel Size “Lysol” Disinfecting Spray

I use a much larger version of this “Lysol” disinfecting spray at home (get the recipe here), but this upcycled 15ml size is great for short trips away from home.

How to make travel-size disinfecting spray using upcycled 15ml essential oil bottle:

  • start with an empty (or almost empty) 15ml essential oil bottle
  • add 2 drops tea tree, 1 drop lemon, 1 drop lavender, and 1 drop eucalyptus essential oil
  • fill the rest of the 15ml bottle with distilled water or vodka (make sure you leave a little room at the top for the sprayer)
  • put on a spray top
  • gently shake or roll the bottle to mix

get spray tops for empty 5ml and 15ml essential oil bottles here

To use:

  • shake again each time before use
  • spray on hard surfaces
  • allow to dry

 

 

essential oil use #18:  Carpet & Rug Deodorizer

How to make a mini carpet & rug deodorizer:

  • fill empty (or almost empty) essential oil about 3/4s full with baking soda
  • if the bottle had been washed out and is completely empty of essential oil, then add 3 drops of essential oil.  (if the bottle was empty, but hadn’t been washed out yet and still has the smell of essential oils, then you don’t need to add any essential oil).  I love to use citrus and floral essential oils for this, but any essential oil aroma that you love works great.
  • shake to mix
  • put cap back on
  • let it let sit overnight so the baking soda can absorb the essential oil

To Use:

  • pour baking soda/EO mix into a shaker or into a small strainer (if you want to deodorize an entire room of carpet, you’ll want to use several bottles of this mixture, but one bottle is plenty for a small area and entry rug)
  • sprinkle on carpet/rug
  • then vacuum up
  • the carpet and room will smell amazing!

 

 

essential oil use #19:  Face Serum

It’s really simple to make a face serum.  Just 2 ingredients and 3 very simple steps.

After you see the basic recipe, be sure to click here to see how to customize the face serum to be just right for your skin type.  There’s a list of the best carrier oils and best essential oils for each skin type as well as a suggested face serum recipe for dry skin, sensitive skin, oily skin, acne-prone skin, mature skin, and normal skin.

How to make essential oil face serum:

  1. fill 15ml essential oil bottle most of the way with a carrier oil (sweet almond oil, grapeseed, apricot kernel oil, etc)
  2. add 5 drops essential oil click here to find the best essential oils for your skin type (normal, dry, acne, sensitive, oily, and mature)
  3. put cap back on
  4. gently roll bottle in your hand to mix

How to use face serum:

Step 1:  cleanse face (find my favorite DIY face wash for your skin type HERE)

Step 2:  apply a drop of serum to forehead, each cheek, and chin

Step 3:  gently massage in using small, soft upward strokes

store bottle in a cool, dark place

 

 

essential oil use #20:  Face Toner

Do you use toner as part of your skincare cleansing routine?  If you give this easy DIY essential oil toner a try, you’re skin will love you for it!!

Why use a toner?

  • remove the last traces of dirt and makeup
  • tighten and shrink the appearance of pores
  • soothe skin
  • restore natural ph balance
  • improve skin texture
  • restore moisture
  • feels refreshing

How to make DIY essential oil toner?

  • This is a great use up for the last little bit of oil left in an empty tea tree or lavender essential oil bottle.  If you have one of those almost empty bottles use that, otherwise you can also make this toner using a clean and sterilized essential oil bottle for a travel travel-sized toner.
  • fill a 15ml bottle about 3/4 full with witch hazel
  • add 1 drop of vitamin e
  • add a couple drops of aloe vera gel
  • use 1 drop tea tree oil and 1 drop lavender essential oil (note: if starting with an almost empty tea tree or lavender bottle, then skip that EO and only add 1 drop of the other EO)
  • put on a new spray top
  • roll bottle in your hands or shake to mix

get spray tops for empty 5ml and 15ml essential oil bottles here

To use:

 

 

essential oil use #21:  Flavored Sea Salt

Here’s a great little use-up for those last couple of drops at the bottom of an essential oil bottle –> Homemade Flavored Sea Salt for Cooking

Use these finishing sea salts to boost the flavor in your favorite dishes.  They’re great on popcorn, grilled meats, homemade potato chips, roasted vegetables, baked potato, roasted chicken, baked goods, and more.

Here’s how to make it:

  • add sea salt to an almost essential oil bottle (use a bottle where you can’t get any more drops out of the bottle but you can still smell the essential oil)
    • be sure to only use 100% pure therapeutic grade essential oils that are labeled for internal use
    • here some essential oils that would well for flavoring sea salt–>  basil, thyme, rosemary, lime, lemon, grapefruit, and orange
  • shake gently
  • allow mixture to absorb essential oil overnight
  • then spread salt out on a plate and allow it to dry completely (at least a couple of hours)
  • (optional) mix in dried herbs or spice
  • package it up in airtight glass jar

 

 

essential oil use #22:   Sample Bottles

Do you love to share your oils with friends and family, or maybe even complete strangers you meet in line at the grocery store?  Save yourself a little money, and reuse your empty (or almost empty) essential oil bottles as sample bottles.

 

 

essential oil use #23:  Personal Inhaler

Use an almost empty essential oil bottle as a personal inhaler.

Here’s what you do:

  • open the bottle
  • hold the essential oil bottle close to your nose (but not touching your nose)
  • inhale deeply
  • repeat throughout day as needed

Suggestions for personal inhaler uses:

  • calm/relax inhaler–> lavender, cedarwood, bergamot, patchouli, ylang ylang, geranium, sandalwood, orange, frankincense, eucalyptus
  • uplifting inhaler –> bergamot, orange, lime, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon,
  • focus & concentrate inhaler –> rosemary, lemon, peppermint, orange, basil. lemongrass, cypress, black pepper, sandalwood
  • more energy inhaler –> peppermint, spearmint, grapefruit, lime, lemon, orange, fir, pine, spruce, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon
  • clear breathing inhaler –> peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender, rosemary, thyme, cedarwood, lemon, cypress, fir
  • immune support inhaler–> cinnamon, clove, orange, lemon, eucalyptus, rosemary, arborvitae, cassia, cardamom, lavender, frankincense, tea tree

 

 

essential oil use #24:  Owie Spray

Homemade owie spray for minor cuts and scrapes

How to make:

  • fill 15ml bottle about 3/4 full with fractionated coconut oil
  • add the following essential oils:
    • 3 drops lavender
    • 3 drops frankincense
    • 3 drops melaleuca
    • 2 drops helichrysum
  • put on a spray top
  • shake to mix

get spray tops for empty 5ml and 15ml essential oil bottles here

To use:

  • before use clean scrape and surrounding skin
  • shake well and then spray onto cleaned skin
  • if needed, cover scrape with bandage
  • reapply as needed

 

 

essential oil use #25:  Class Display

Put almost empty essential oil bottles on display at a class or fair so that people can smell the oils. That way, if someone walks off with one of your bottles, you only lose an almost empty bottle and not a full bottle of expensive essential oils.

 

 

essential oil use #26:  Bath Salts

This is an easy essential oil DIY for those bottles with just a few drops left.  find more essential oil bath salt recipes here

How to do it:

  • Add almost empty essential oil bottles to a container of Epsom salt.
  • Cover the essential oil bottles with the Epsom salt.
  • After a few days the salt will have absorbed the essential oil.

To Use:  Depending on the size of your tub, use about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of this salt blend per bath.

 

Here are some ideas for essential oils to use in your bath salts:

relaxing bath salts

–>  lavender

–> lavender + cedarwood

–> patchouli + orange + frankincense

–> lavender + bergamot + ylang ylang

–> eucalyptus + spearmint

energizing bath salts

–> peppermint + orange + lemon + lime

–> lemon + peppermint

–> grapefruit

–> orange + lemongrass

uplifting bath salts

–> lemon + orange + grapefruit

–> lime + spearmint

–> lavender + clary sage + bergamot

–> geranium + lemon + orange

bath salts that support clear breathing

–> peppermint + eucalyptus + lavender

–> rosemary + eucalyptus + lavender

–> thyme + lime + eucalyptus

–> cedarwood + rosemary + orange + frankincense

–> lemon + eucalyptus

click here for even ideas and recipes for making essential oil bath salts

 

 

essential oil use #27:  Anti-Itch spray

How to make:

  • fill 15ml bottle about 3/4 full with fractionated coconut oil
  • add the following essential oils:
    • 3 drops lavender
    • 3 drops peppermint
    • 2 drops frankincense
    • 2 drops tea tree
    • 2 drops lemon
  • put on a spray top
  • shake to mix

To use:

  • shake well
  • spray onto skin
  • rub into skin
  • reapply as needed

get spray tops for empty 5ml and 15ml essential oil bottles here

 

 

essential oil use #28:  Refrigerator Refresher

Keep your refrigerator smelling fresh and clean with this simple DIY project.  This is an easy DIY for those citrus essential oil bottles with just a few drops left.

How to make:

  • start with add an almost empty bottle of citrus essential oil like lemon, lime, tangerine, orange, grapefruit- whichever is your favorite.
  • fill the bottle about 3/4 full with baking soda
  • put the cap on the bottle
  • shake to mix

To us:  Set the open bottle in the refrigerator where it won’t get tipped over.  This mini size refresher lasts a few days to a week.

 

 

essential oil use #29:  Air Freshener

You think everything is out of the bottle.  Not a drop left.  But you can still smell the essential oil.  That is a great time to try this ultra simple DIY air freshener.

Just add water to the bottle, shake, and put on a spray topper.  You just made a homemade, all-natural, non-toxic, great smelling room spray!

Spritz it around the room and enjoy.

This size is great to keep in the car, too.

get spray tops for empty 5ml and 15ml essential oil bottles here

 

 

essential oil use #30:  Perfume

It’s easy to make your own essential oil perfume.  All it takes is two ingredients and a little time.

Here’s how you do it:

  • fill a 15ml bottle most of the way full with vodka
  • add 8 drops essential oil
  • put lid on the bottle and shake well
  • place bottle in a cool dark place for several days (or up to several weeks) to let the scent develop.  This allows the alcohol scent to fade and the scent of the essential oils to develop and intensify.

Here are a few perfume blends to try:

  • 5 orange + 2 patchouli + 1 clove
  • 3 ylang ylang + 3 orange + 1 patchouli + 1 sandalwood
  • 4 lavender + 4 lemon
  • 4 lavender + 3 lime + 1 Copaiba
  • 3 drops sandalwood + 3 drops grapefruit + 2 drops vanilla extract (not an essential oil)
  • 2 drops spruce + 2 drops juniper berry + 2 drops cedarwood + 2 drops vetiver

note: be careful, and don’t apply citrus oils on any skin that will be exposed to the sun as that can cause phototoxicity  resulting in rash, sunburn, and/or blistering.

get spray tops for empty 5ml and 15ml essential oil bottles here

 

 

click here for a free printable of all 30 uses for empty essential oil bottles

30 essential oil uses for empty (or almost empty) bottles! So many great essential oil recipes including hand sanitizer, pillow spray, diffuser blends, owie spray width=

 

 

You might also like these other posts on essential oils:

How to Make an Essential Oil Diffuser Necklace for Less Than $1

20 Favorite Roller Bottle Recipes with Free Printable Labels

31 Genius Essential Oil Tips & Hacks

8 favorite cleaning recipes using essential oils

click here for 25 ways to diffuse without a diffuser

diffuser blend recipes for…

energy

relaxing, stress relief

sleep

immune support

clear breathing

spring

fall

winter

Christmas

 

 

Interested in more recipes, tips, and ideas for how to use essential oils?

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Sarah Lewis

A little thing about me: I 💙 essential oils. I also love using my background in research to help people learn more about essential oils and all the wonderful ways they can be used. I share DIY recipes for natural cleaners that really work, non-toxic beauty solutions, and holistic wellness. My essential oil recipes, info, and tips have been viewed more than 20 million times. I've been featured on MindBodyGreen, Health & Natural Living, All Natural Ideas, This Natural Home, Natural Living Ideas, and Passion for Savings.
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2 thoughts on “30 Essential Oil Uses for Empty Essential Oil Bottles”

  1. Wow, love essential oils and wondered what I could do with my empty bottles, but must say in the back of my mind was thinking of ways to reuse. Thanks for your handy hints

  2. Thank you. This is an excellent and well written article. I love the ideas and tips. I am an essential oil lover and I have many empty essential oil bottles. I look forward to trying your recipes.

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