Fall is here, and before we know it, Winter will be too. That means it’s time for lots of tea, candles, and everything pumpkin. In between jumping in the leaves and baking a pumpkin pie, take an afternoon to whip up some festive body care treats. You can treat yourself to a cozy spa evening or make them for your friends!

These recipes are intentionally simple so you won’t need to spend a lot of time or money getting everything together. You will need some tools to get started. You’ll want measuring cups, measuring spoons, mixing bowls, and either a double boiler or a pot and a heat safe bowl. A food scale is very handy as well, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry, you can easily work around it.

Before we get started, I’m going to give the usual disclaimer. Please be careful when you’re creating your lotions and potions. Be careful melting your oils and butters, and avoid getting anything in your eyes or mouth. These recipes are made with sensitive skin in mind, but if you do have sensitive skin, feel free to reduce the number of essential oils.

Store these creations in a cool, dark place, away from the sun. Use within a couple of months, as these do not have preservatives. It’s also best to store in well-sealed jars and use clean spoons to remove the product instead of your hands, as they can transfer bacteria.

Pumpkin Pie Body Scrub

Makes 2 cups

• 1 ¼ Cup Sugar
• ¾ Cup Melted Coconut Oil
• 20 Drops Cinnamon Essential Oil
• 4 Drops Clove Essential Oil
• 4 Drops Nutmeg Essential Oil

We’re starting off with the simplest recipe, and the Fall classic, a Pumpkin Pie Body Scrub! It’s a very moisturizing scrub, with lots of coconut oil to soothe your skin throughout the colder months.

All you have to do is add everything into a large bowl and mix with a spoon. You’ll want to use melted coconut oil as solid oil won’t mix very well. Once everything is thoroughly mixed, simply pour it into a sealable jar, and you’re good to go!

If you’re not going to use this right away, keep it in your fridge for maximum freshness. But be aware that coconut oil will harden when cold, so if you want to use it, you’ll need to let it warm up and soften first.

Spiced Chocolate Body Butter

Makes roughly 2 cups

• 325 g of Solid Cocoa Butter = 1 ½ Cup Melted
• ½ Cup Melted Coconut Oil
• 24 Drops Cardamom Essential Oil
• 16 Drops Cinnamon Essential Oil
• 14 Drops Clove Essential Oil
• 8 Drops Ginger Essential Oil

This spicy, chocolate body butter is a Fall essential. The cocoa butter reduces inflammation, moisturizes, and smells like chocolate! The coconut oil gives the butter a more lotiony feel and is super moisturizing. The essential oils are reminiscent of a spiced chai latte and combined with the chocolatey cocoa butter, the scent is heavenly.

If you have a food scale, you can weigh your solid cocoa butter before you start melting. This makes the process a lot easier as you won’t need to estimate and weigh the butter later.

You’ll start by melting your cocoa butter and coconut oil. If you have a double boiler, you’re good to go. If you don’t, fill a small to medium sized pot with water, about halfway. Place a heat safe bowl on top. The water shouldn’t be touching the bowl. You’ll add your cocoa butter and oil to the bowl, and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat to a simmer that’s hot enough to melt the oils, but not hot enough to boil over. Keep an eye on this, as you don’t want it to boil over and make a mess.

When the butter and oil are melted, pour into a mixing bowl and add your essential oils. Then you can pour the liquid into a glass jar and allow it to set for several hours. If you prefer a whipped body butter, you can use a classic blender, immersion blender, or hand mixer to beat the butter until it’s fluffy.

Orange Spice Lip Balm

Makes 100 mL

• 15 g Solid Beeswax = 1 TB Melted
• 30 g Solid Cocoa Butter = 2 TB Melted
• 2 TB Melted Coconut Oil
• 8 Drops Orange Essential Oil
• 6 Drops Cinnamon Essential Oil
• 6 Drops Ginger Essential Oil

This spicy lip balm was inspired by a cinnamon balm that’s perfect for Fall. While this recipe uses beeswax, you can substitute it for candelilla wax for a vegan alternative.

Just like the body butter, you’re going to want to melt the beeswax, cocoa butter, and coconut oil together. Once you’ve melted everything, simply add the essential oils and pour into your containers or lip balm tubes.

Winter Wellness Bath Bomb

Depends on the size of your molds, but makes about 3-4 traditional, round bath bombs. This is an adapted recipe from Wellness Mama.

• 1 Cup Baking Soda
• ½ Cup Citric Acid
• ½ Cup Epsom Salt
• ¾ Cup Arrowroot Starch
• 2 TB Olive Oil
• 2 tsp Water
• 10 Drops Orange Essential Oil
• 10 Drops Cinnamon Essential Oil
• 10 Drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil

When I set out to make bath bombs, I knew right away I was in a little over my head. I’ve created lots of DIY recipes before, but never bath bombs. So I adapted this recipe from Wellness Mama, and they turned out wonderfully. I used the more traditional spherical bath bomb molds that gave the finished product a more finished look, but you can also use ice cube trays, mini donut tins, or silicone pods.

The essential oils in this recipe are meant to be cozy and warm while helping you breathe a bit easier. They’re great to treat yourself, but also perfect for when you’re feeling a little congested.

These were surprisingly easy to make, and oh so fun to use. Simply mix the dry ingredients together in one bowl, and the wet ingredients in another. Combine together, and mix with your hands. Use gloves if you have sensitive skin.

If you’re using two bath bomb molds that will eventually be joined (to make a sphere), you’ll want to overfill each half of the mold. Then you can squish them together with your hands, using a lot of pressure. Once you’ve used all of the bath bomb mixtures, leave them to dry for at least an hour. Keep them out of the sunlight, and preferably in a cool place.

When you’re ready to remove the bath bombs, lightly tap on the outside of the molds with a spoon. The key here to be really gentle with them. Gently remove one half of the mold, and if there’s any resistance, tap it again with the spoon and leave it to dry a little longer. Once you’re able to remove one side of the mold, gently remove the other, and you’ll be left with a beautiful, totally natural (and unique) bath bomb!

I hope you give these recipes a try, and if you do, let us know how they work for you!