How to Reuse Essential Oil Bottles
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If you have been using essential oils for years like me, you have ended up with a stash of used bottles! Hopefully you haven't recycled them because you can REUSE them!!!
I will admit my first few empties, I promptly tossed in the recycling, never thinking that I could reuse the bottles. Now that I know better, I have a huge stash of empty, clean essential oil bottles that I can use to make my own blends, make roll ons and more!
Are you looking for amazing essential oil recipes? Check out our e-book, Oh Lardy's Guide to Essential Oil Home and Beauty Recipes!
How to Reuse Essential Oil Bottles
- Take your empty bottles and peel as much of the label off as you can. Don't go nuts about, just peel what comes off fairly easily.
***Update for the new Young Living labels. Skip this step! After a soak, the label easily peels right off!!! - Remove plastic orifice and plastic cap.
- Place bottles, and plastic parts in a bowl of warm soapy water.
- Let soak overnight.
- Drain and discard soapy water and papery bits that are in the water.
- Remove the rest of the labels from the bottles. These should come off quite easily. Any stubborn spots can be removed with a bit of Lemon Essential Oil
***Update for new Young Living bottles: After a soak, the new label peels right off without leaving any residue. If there is a slight residue, lemon oil will take it right off!!!
- If the bottles still have a smell, put them in a bowl of water with 1 capful of Thieves cleaner OR into a bowl of half water and half alcohol (rubbing, vodka, etc) or vinegar. *I was amazed at how the Thieves cleaner actually worked better than the alcohol and vinegar at removing the smell.
- Let soak overnight again.
- Rinse and air dry.
- Voila…clean essential oil bottles ready for you to use!
What to Do With Your Clean Essential Oil Bottles
Make your own blends.
- I love making my own blends. Young Living has so many awesome ones to choose from, but I have had a lot of success with focus blends and our immune supporting recipe!
Make your own roll ons.
- Having roll ons is such a great way to use your oils. I make diluted blends of oils such as PanAway, Lavender, homemade face serum. The choices are endless!
- If you use Young Living bottles, you can purchase roll on fitments direct from the company!
Create a travel kit of oils.
- While you can easily purchase small bottles for travel, what a great way to reuse bottles you already have!
Make additional bottles to keep in other rooms, car, etc.
- I don't know about you, but I have a drawer full of oils in my kitchen. Sometimes, I want an oil in my bathroom, my bedroom, my daughter's room, my purse. I can't afford to purchase 5 bottles of every oil I use, so I use my spare bottles to put 30 drops or so and keep them where I need them!
Make mini sprays
These adorable spray tops fit 5 ml and 15 ml bottles so you can make your own travel or purse size spray bottles!
Here are a couple ways Tamara reuses her essential oil bottles!
Do you have any tips for reusing your bottles? What do you use them for?
Are you looking for some great recipes to make with your essential oils? Check out Homemade Mommy's Beauty Essentials: 35 DIY Beauty Recipes to Use Everyday.
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Before I clean them out, I like to make a “potpourri” of oils Epsom Salt bath. Just stick all of your finished, uncleaned bottles into a bowl of epsom salt or sea salt and let sit overnight. All of the remaining oils get soaked up (and there is surprisingly a lot of oil left over in those jars you thought were done) and you have yourself an awesome bath salt.
PS I only do this with Young Living Oils since its the only one I really trust to be 100% therapeutic grade.
That was really helpful, thanks for the post! I really wanted to reuse my oil bottles, but I didn’t know how until now.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Where can you get roll on bottles to create blends?
Check out this page: https://ohlardy.com/oily-accessories/
Always like new ways to use oils
Your idea is so wonderful. I love it. By using your way, we can protect environment and we can save many bottles when we want to use them one more time. Thank you