Big fan of essential oils? Chances are, you go through bottles quickly, whether you’re making DIY essential oil cleaners, trying essential oil uses for beauty or incorporating them into your health routine. And that means you’ve probably built up quite a collection of empty or almost-empty essential oil bottles.
Cute and seemingly useful, it seems a shame to just toss them into the recycling bin. So why not give your bottles a second life? There are endless ways you can use empty essential oil bottles – all you need is a little creativity. We’ve rounded up 10 nifty ideas for sprucing up and reusing your bottles. Once you get the hang of it, feel free to modify any of these ideas or come up with your own. The sky really is the limit here!
A quick note before beginning: If you’ll be using a bottle for something that you wouldn’t want scented, be sure to give it a thorough wash prior to reusing. A good way to get rid of lingering oils and scents is to wash the bottle with hot water and dish soap, then boil for 15 minutes. This will completely remove residue and aroma.
10 Uses for Essential Oil Bottles
1. Travel set
Reuse small essential oil bottles by refilling them with your favorite oils and creating a travel set to bring with you on the road. Pack them in a small carrying case and keep it handy for trips – or stash it in your car. This way, you’ll have a small sampling of oils with you wherever you go.
2. Carrier oil container
Essential oil users know that, for topical application, they to be combined with a carrier oil for safety. Carrier oils (such as jojoba oil, coconut oil or almond oil) often come in larger bottles. For your travel set, or just to keep carrier oil handy, refill an old essential oil bottle with the carrier oil of your choice. You could also pre-mix carrier oils with the right ratio of essential oils for your intended use. No mixing when it’s time to apply!
3. Roll-on bottles
Roll-on essential oils are popular, and they’re surprisingly easy to make. All you need are rollerball inserts, and you can pop them into a bottle for use. Fill it with your favorite wearable essential oil for a seriously convenient addition to your purse. Just make sure to use a carrier oil if you’ll be rolling directly on your skin. (Note: Vitacost also carries ready-to-use roll-on bottles; you can always get one and refill when your oil blend runs out!)
4. Anxiety relief smelling salt
In an empty bottle, combine 10-20 drops of essential oil with a tablespoon of Epsom salt. Whenever you feel the need to de-stress, simply open the bottle and breathe in some instant anxiety relief. Popular anxiety-reducing oils include bergamot, chamomile and lavender. But experiment with different combinations to find the one that’s most soothing to you!
5. DIY perfume
Time to get out the vodka. Not for drinking, though! Fill an empty essential oil bottle almost to the top with plain vodka, then add 8-10 drops of essential oil. Shake well and let the mixture sit for about a week. This will allow the essential oils to take over and make for a beautiful perfume. Light and floral essential oils such as lavender, orange and patchouli make lovely perfumes.
6. Portable hand sanitizer
Whether you have a big jug of sanitizer to distribute or you want to make some hand sanitizer of your own, go ahead and fill up your empty essential oil bottles with a germ-killing solution. You might also purchase a spray topper or mister bottle for a multi-purpose sanitizer.
7. Simple diffuser
This idea is perfect for your almost-empty bottles. Add a couple of cotton balls to the bottle, screw on the lid on and let it sit a day or two to soak up all that leftover goodness. Then you can place the cotton balls wherever you’d like – in your car, closet, drawers, cabinets or wherever you’d like to distribute your favorite aromas.
8. An even simpler diffuser
Another great way to make as almost-empty bottle last? Simply remove the lid and let the bottle slowly release the oils. This is best done in a smaller room, like your bathroom or a hallway, so the aroma don’t get lost in the air.
9. Flower or herb vase
Minimalism is in, and lucky for you, your essential oil bottle can easily doubles as a vase. Just small enough for a dainty flower or two, the simplicity of the bottle makes it a perfect holder for fresh blooms. Add some blades of dried grass or sprigs of herbs for a touch of character.
10. Mattress refresher powder
Fill an almost-empty bottle ¾ full with baking soda and let it sit for a day. Sprinkle the aromatic powder directly on your mattress (no sheets!) and let it rest for an hour or two. Finally, vacuum up the powder to reveal a fresh, rejuvenated mattress.