DIY Cuticle Oil Recipe with Essential Oils | Strengthens Nails

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A nail strengthening cuticle and nail oil recipe with essential oils you can DIY at home in just a few minutes.

homemade cuticle oil recipe

This homemade, natural, essential oil cuticle recipe is so good, you could sell it.

This is the very same cuticle oil recipe I used to sell when I had my own soap and body products business. I would take this nail strengthening cuticle oil to markets and craft shows and always sold out. My customer’s RAVED about this cuticle oil. They said it smelled divine (it really does), worked wonderfully and quickly on rough cuticles, and strengthened their nails.

I originally came up with this homemade cuticle oil for my mom, who called me from the store one day to ask which cuticle oil she should buy. After she read me some of the ingredients on her top choices, I told her to put them all back and that I would make her one. They were all filled with chemicals, preservatives and artificial fragrances – yuck!

Do you want to know the best part about this cuticle oil recipe? It is SO EASY to make. Plus, it’s made with completely natural and good for you ingredients (okay, that was 2 best parts, but I couldn’t pick just 1). This recipe will be ready in minutes and your cuticles (and nails!) will be thanking you.

DIY cuticle oil recipe with essential oils

What are The Best Oils for Cuticles?

There are lots of wonderful, skin-healthy oil choices to use in your homemade cuticle oil. I’ve chosen olive, avocado and jojoba oils as the base because they are nourishing, absorb well and are all relatively easy to purchase. If you haven’t tried jojoba oil for nails before, you are going to love it in this cuticle oil! It is a rich and nourishing oil that is so wonderful in homemade skincare products.

Fun fact: did you know jojoba oil is the closest of any oil to the oils your own skin creates?

If you don’t have all of these on hand, don’t worry! You can use pure olive oil for your cuticle oil and it will still turn out lovely. Almond oil is also a very nice substitute for either avocado or jojoba oil.

You can also leave out the jojoba if you need to (although it is SUCH a wonderful addition, I hope you don’t ;). I have made this recipe with half olive oil and half avocado before and it did the job well.

note: When choosing an olive oil for skincare products, I look for a mild or ‘pomace’ oil that is lighter in color and scent. I keep a small bottle of mild olive oil on hand specifically for making my own skincare products at home.Β 

Looking for the perfect hand cream to pair with your homemade nail oil? Try this Wild Rose hand cream from NYR Organics. It’s so nourishing and works like a charm!wild rose hand cream nyr organic

What Essential Oils are Good for Cuticles and Nails?

There are a number of great essential oils to choose from that are beneficial to cuticles and nails. The 3 I have selected for this recipe are lavender, rosemary and lemon. These 3 essential oils smell fabulous mixed together, they are known to strengthen nails and are all antibacterial.

Other amazing essential oils for nails and cuticles to consider are:

My absolute favorite essential oils are from Plant Therapy. They are high quality, reasonably priced and they have a wonderful selection. I especially love their KidSafe line, with special blends that include only kid safe essential oils.

If you’d like to purchase direct from Plant Therapy, you can get 10% off sitewide with a $60 purchase plus get free shipping. Use code 10OFF60.

DIY Homemade Cuticle Oil Recipe

DIY homemade cuticle oil recipe with essential oils

This recipe fills 2 regular size (0.35 oz) roller bottles. I prefer to put cuticle oil in roller ball bottles for ease of application, but you could also use a glass dropper bottle, empty nail polish bottle, or even an old lip gloss tube.

I do like to reuse containers for projects like this whenever I can, so if you have something around the house that will work for you, please give it a try and let me know what you used!

  • 3 Tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 Tsp avocado oil
  • 1 Tsp jojoba oil
  • 10 drops Vitamin E
  • 12 drops lavender essential oil
  • 12 drops rosemary essential oil
  • 12 drops lemon essential oil

Blend ingredients together and pour into containers.Β  What did I tell you – this cuticle oil recipe couldn’t be any easier!

I used my favorite aromatherapy book for guidance on the essential oils to use in this cuticle oil recipe.Β  I have had this book for 10 years and it never fails me!

Make it a Mani-Day

Pair this nourishing, DIY cuticle oil withΒ  an herbal nail soak to strengthenΒ nails and a easy, exfoliating hand scrub. You’re hands and nails will look (and feel) so good you’ll forget you skipped the salon!

DIY cuticle oil recipe with essential oils

homemade cuticle oil recipe strengthens nails and softens cuticles

82 thoughts on “DIY Cuticle Oil Recipe with Essential Oils | Strengthens Nails”

  1. TY I just made it and Love it. The only thing different is I use Young living oils only πŸ™‚ I am an oil snob, I tried not to be it happened. ty again

    Reply
  2. Hi Karla, I made it and it’s wonderful, but my daughter wants me to make if for her whole body (she can’t get enough of the scent! Do you have a moisturizer for the body?) Thank you so much for the recipe. I look forward to making some of your other products.

    Reply
    • I’m so glad you and your daughter are enjoying it! You can use this recipe as an body oil if you like the consistency for all over. Or you can use the essential oil combination in a whipped body butter (https://ecolivingmama.com/diy-lavender-whipped-body-butter/) or solid lotion bar (https://ecolivingmama.com/basic-lotion-bar-recipe/) – just replace the listed essential oils with a lemon, rosemary and lavender combo.

      Reply
  3. I use olive oil, canola oil, and coconut oil. For the essential oil I used lavender, lemongrass, and eucalyptus. Will this still work?

    Reply
  4. Hi I just made ur cuticle oil.& Now it’s part of my Mani Sunday. ohhh it feels so nice on nails & cuticles.after I use ur herbal nail soak of course lol that is also wonderful my nail feel sooo good after! TFS!

    Reply
  5. Hello! It’s been awhile, but I was wondering if you have tried using castor oil in your blend? This formula is very similar to what I use for oil cleansing!

    Reply
    • Hi Brittany, I haven’t used castor oil, but I do think it would be a nice addition! I’d keep it to 20% of the recipe or less since it’s such a rich oil.

      Reply
  6. Hey Karla,
    Thank you so much for the recipe!

    we’ve been using it since last month now and it’s really awesome. Also, I was wondering if I want to add some more carrier oils, then what would be them.

    Reply
    • So glad you like the cuticle oil recipe! Adding additional carrier oils will change the final product, so I recommend keeping it as is. However, avocado oil is a good substitute.

      Reply
  7. Hi Karla,
    Isn’t the quantity of carrier oils much less than the quantity of essential oils? I mean just 3 and half TSP on 12 drops of each essential oil ? Or am I supposed to fill up the roller bottle with all 3 carrier oils then start adding 12 drops of the 3 essential oils?

    Reply
    • When I make facial/body products, I use 1% (6-9 drops) of essential oils per 1 oz. of carrier oil. You do not want to use a lot of e.o. because you can harm yourself with lemon essential oils..(citrus oils are photosensitive) if you are fair skin or tend to get sun burns easily. Any rosemary essential oil is one of the strongest essential oils out there…if used too much, like any other essential oils, you can desensitize your skin. So I would use 5 drops lavender 3 drops lemon and 1-2 rosemary. You would still receive the same benefits..and it wouldn’t be so overpowering.

      I am Upper Skagit tribal member and work as a Traditional Plants/Foods Coordinator at Northwest Indian College. I have been making medicines using plants and e.o’s, etc. for 17 years πŸ™‚

      Reply
  8. Hi lovely!
    Im so sorry this is my first time making my own cuticle oil! For the jojoba, avocado, and olive oils, is that like the carrier oils? xx

    Reply
    • Yes, those are carrier oils! Those are your main oils that make up the bulk of the product. The essential oils are used in very small amounts.

      Reply
  9. Hi Karla,
    Thanks so much for the recipe! I’ve been using it for about 2 months now and it’s great. I was wondering if I want to add some vitamin E oil, what would be the recommended amount?
    Thanks,
    Janeth

    Reply
    • The oils all work together to make the mixture nourishing, easily absorbed and great for your nails! Jojoba oil is wonderful for nails and skin, but it is very thick and rich and would be too much used alone. It is typically used as a small percentage of recipes for skin, and that’s all you need to get the benefits. Olive oil is a great base for the recipe because it’s easy to find and it’s lightweight, which counters the richness of the jojoba oil. Avocado oil also gives a richness and is great for skin, but I don’t love it by itself (I find it doesn’t absorb quickly!). So all 3 oils together make a very nice consistency, and you get the benefits of each oil that you wouldn’t get from a single oil!

      Reply
    • Hi Kelle – no, I don’t think regular coconut oil would work since it’s solid at room temperature. It would likely solidify in the roller ball! You could try a liquid coconut oil, or avocado oil would also be nice in this!

      Reply
  10. Karla,
    I know this nail oil recipe is geared towards the cuticles. Is it also good for nail growth or do you have a different formula for nail growth? I ask because my nails grow at a snail’s pace and they break and peel all the time.

    Reply
    • Yes, this recipe will also help your nails grow stronger, less likely to break and can help them grow longer as well since they will be stronger πŸ™‚ I don’t have another recipe since this one works so well for cuticles AND nails πŸ™‚

      Reply
      • Hi Christina, I stick with essential oils mostly, which are not usually fruity, but you could try vanilla or almond extract for a sweeter smell. These are typically alcohol based, so they won’t dissolve quite as well as essential oil – make sure to stir vigorously!

        Reply
  11. Thanks for this recipe. Smells amazing! I didn’t have any jojoba oil so I used a little argan oil. All I had was an empty medicine bottle so I used that and apply with a cotton swab. I dip one end for one hand and the other end for the other hand as to not contaminate

    Reply
  12. I just made this cuticle oil two days ago, and have used it once, maybe twice each day. My cuticles already look MUCH better. My cuticles vary from either not growing on one finger or over growing on others. The nail where I have issues with my cuticle not growing, the cuticle has started growing!

    Reply
  13. Hi,
    I’m wondering if I can substitute the Avocado oil for Flax seed oil. Also I don’t have rosemary so could I use Myrrh or Frankincense?
    Thank you in advance

    Reply
    • Hi Jessie, I think those substitutions should be just fine, although I have not not made it that way myself. I don’t use flax oil often, but if you like it on your skin then give it a try in this recipe! Frankincense would blend nicely with the lavender and lemon and is a great oil for skin so sounds great!

      Reply
  14. This looks wonderful! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
    Do you know whether this will weaken the adhesive/nail glue used with press-on nails?

    Reply
  15. I just want to make sure of something. Does Tsp stand for tablespoon or teaspoon? We don’t have avocado oil. What can I use as a substitute?

    Reply
  16. Hi Karla,
    Thanks for this awesome recipe, Im excited to try. What would you say is the shelf life of a concoction like this? Im thinking of making this for myself but if I made enough, maybe they could make great gifts too but want to make sure they last.

    Reply
    • Hi Emily! This will keep for at least 6 months and up to a year. If you use high quality ingredients that are not old, it will last longer πŸ™‚
      Hope you love it – let me know how it turns out!

      Reply
  17. Hi Clara. Great recipe.
    My nails feel so much healthier. Thank u. I had no access to jojoba oil and avocado oil so replaced them with almond oil and it turned out great. Thank u so much.

    Reply
  18. Hello Karla,
    I don’t have on hand olive and avocado oil. Can I use almond oil and jojoba oil? If so, How much should I measure for both oils? Thank you in advance for your reply.

    Reply
    • Hi! Yes, almond oil and jojoba oil would work nicely! I would keep the jojoba oil the same and replace both the olive and avocado oils with almond. So 3.5 tsp almond oil and 1 tsp jojoba oil πŸ™‚ Let me know how it turns out!!

      Reply
      • Can I use this with my SNS dip nails? I can’t find any info if nail serums using essential oils will weaken or damage the SNS or acrylic nails.

        Reply
        • Hi Holly – great question! I have never used SNS dip nails before, so can unfortunately not speak from first hand experience on this one. But my gut tells me it would not damage it. Especially since SNS needs to be removed with acetone, that makes me think essential oils would cause no harm. I have used this cuticle oil over regular nail polish with no issues. But again, I can’t speak from experience on this, so if you don’t feel comfortable using the essential oils you could always leave them out while you have the SNS nails on. The other oils alone would still be a nice softening blend, and you could add the essential oils to use as a treatment when you remove the SNS.

          Reply
        • Hello I am a License Nail Technician. Cuticle oil is perfectly fine to use with nail enhancements. As nail techs we love it when our clients keep up with their cuticles. They wont be any lifting or anything because its already sealed (if tech prepped your nail enhancements correctly)

          Reply
  19. Thanks for the information. I was wondering if you could answer something for me. Can you use essential oils everyday? My wife just ordered some so I’m trying to get some info about them. Thanks in advance for your answer!

    Reply
    • Hi Elliot – I do use essential oils every day! I make sure not to ingest them and take care to not use certain oils around my kids. I have found this book to be super useful in my essential oil education: The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy https://amzn.to/2G7as6h
      Best of luck!

      Reply
  20. Thank you for sharing your recipe! I’ve searched high and low for a good cuticle roller recipe and I haven’t found any that I’ve loved. I’m excited to try this one — it seems like it really really nourish my cuticles. It’s so dry right now they need care every day! πŸ™‚ Great post — thank you so much for sharing!!

    Reply
    • Thank you so much Amanda! I think this cuticle oil will do the trick, it is super nourishing and you can feel a difference right away πŸ™‚ Let me know if you try it out!!

      Reply
  21. I made your nail oil this morning I used Grapefruit, Lavender, Euccalyptus, with Olive and Avocado oil, used it and can already tell a difference in my nails.

    Reply
    • Wonderful Terri! So happy to hear it is working well for you. Your combination sounds lovely – I always love grapefruit in anything for the skin πŸ™‚

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    • Hi Brenda! You can use this oil as often as you need, and it will probably be a little different for everyone depending on your own skin and nails. I use it daily when it’s dry out or when my nails are in need of extra TLC. However most of the time about 3 times a week is plenty for me. I’d start with daily use, especially if you’re working on strengthening your nails, then you can probably scale back a little once you begin to see results.

      Keep me posted on how this works for you!!

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    • Hi Meaghan, yes you could substitute either of those if you’d like. Since Tea tree is such a strong oil, I would probably use half the amount.
      Let me know how it turns out!
      Karla

      Reply
  22. Can I use lemongrass in exchange for lemon? And i have a bottle of organic avacodo and olive mix for cooking…is that the same?

    Reply
    • Hi Christine! I have not tried lemongrass in my cuticle oil, but if it’s an oil you enjoy then I say go for it! Since it is such a strong oil, I might start off with a little less than I would use of lemon to see how you like the smell, and then add more if you’d like.

      I have not used a pre-blended oil mix before for this recipe, as I like to control how much of each I’m using. You could certainly give it a try, I’d just make sure there is nothing else mixed in or added as fillers. You want just pure avocado and olive oil for the best results.

      As long as your ingredients are high quality I think it will turn out well. This is a very forgiving recipe that can turn out wonderfully with lots of variations.

      Let me know how it turns out for you! I’m always curious to know what combinations others use πŸ™‚

      Thanks so much for checking out my recipe!
      Karla

      Reply

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