Crafting Relief: Essential Oil Recipes for Osteoarthritis

Natasha Bruce-Carline
Essential Oil Recipes For Osteoarthritis
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Explore our essential oil recipes for Osteoarthritis and find out numerous ways that you can make cream, lotions and oils entirely suited to your needs. We will show how to make natural, more sustainable and cost effective choices to take charge of your health and wellbeing. Harness essential oils with active properties like Lavender, Juniper, Roman Chamomile and Copaiba. Add warming aspects to your potions with essential oils like Black Pepper and Ginger. Boost yourself with feelgood essential oils like Bergamot and Geranium when you feel a bit low with it all.

Join us and make targeted treatments like: A luxe cream for your sore, stiff hands and feet. A gorgeous massaging cream for inflamed joints and knees. A versatile lotion for targeted pain relief. Luscious and relaxing bath oils for your back, hips and shoulders and finally a decadent, stress relieving massage oil for your neck.

This week, Liz will be doing her usual wonderful job of covering the scientific aspects of the best Essential Oils for Osteoarthritis. That means that I can leave all the brilliant science to her and we can focus on the fun stuff. Making luscious lotions and potions and exploring essential oil recipes for Osteoarthritis.

Why Make Your Own Essential Oil Recipes for Osteoarthritis?

It’s natural to ask questions like “Why bother making homemade arthritis pain relief cream”? I also appreciate some of you are unsure on how to use essential oils for arthritis too. Let me guide you through some of the best reasons to make your own essential oil recipes for Osteoarthritis?

Control Over Ingredients

There is a big shift of late, leading consumers to choose more natural remedies instead of over the counter remedies. Some are even choosing them over prescription medication, but this decision should always be made under supervision and in conjunction with your doctor.

Medication often comes with side effects, natural remedies have few, if any side effects at all. This alone is driving more and more people to choosing essential oils for arthritis. Using them to  ease arthritis pain and general pain and stiffness.

Making your own essential oil recipes for Osteoarthritis puts you in control over EVERY ingredient you wish to include. You can make organic and natural bases rather than relying on chemical and alcohol laden medicated creams and gels.

You are in control of every single aspect of the cream and can choose for yourself, what is best for you, your skin, your Osteoarthritis and your ethos. 

Targeted Relief

One of the great things about working with essential oil recipes for Osteoarthritis is that you can design a lotion just for you. How we experience Osteoarthritis personally, may be different from the next person. I will show you how you can design a product that is perfectly suited to you.

The base we choose is as important as the essential oils that we include. For example if you have Osteoarthritis at the base of your spine, a light lotion that is absorbed quickly will make application easier than a heavy cream that you have to work in for some time.

However, that heavier cream is perfect for working into sore, painful fingers with joint pain. It encourages you to massage it in, encouraging blood flow, assists with the breakdown of acids and is great for prolonging delivery. Especially, if you are in the middle of housework or tinkering with the car.

Using essential oils like Black Pepper and Ginger, you can add a warming aspect to a cream and encourage blood flow at the surface of the skin. Eucalyptus essential oil and Peppermint essential oil have the opposite effect and can cool hot, painful joints.

Just a few drops of an essential oil, chosen judiciously, can manage different types of arthritis. Reading Liz’s article will help you understand which ones to choose and why for your personal essential oil recipes for Osteoarthritis

Cost Effectiveness

Medically managing the symptoms of arthritis can be a costly exercise in the long term. Essential oil recipes for Osteoarthritis can work out to be very cost effective choice.

Small investments in basic ingredients and a handful of essential oils can literally last you a whole year or more, depending on how you use them.

Let me give you an example:

You could make 1 liter of Body Lotion with Lavender essential oil at a 2% safety dilution, you would only need 20 ml of Lavender essential oil. (10ml = $5.99)

You could add Juniper essential oil again at a 2% safety dilution, you would use 20 ml of Juniper essential oils. (10ml = $6.99)

I liter of Body Lotion is going to last you a very long time!

I would even suggest looking at buying 2-3 essential oils that seem right for you in larger sizes so you can use them in a variety of ways. Creams, lotions, bath oils, in the bath, in a diffuser perhaps? However you use them, they are going to build up and have a cumulative effect over time. 

Cumulative Effect

Let’s just talk about this cumulative effect for a moment, because it’s an important factor here.

We know if we take too many antibiotics, eventually they will stop working for us. Well, essential oils are magical wee things and do the exact opposite of that, in some instances. The more we use them, over a period of time, the more we bolster the effect and it builds and builds.

This is INTRINSIC when using essential oils for chronic and long term conditions like Osteoarthritis.  If you use them for a couple of days hoping to see drastic immediate effects, chances are you will be disappointed. You may notice small improvements in those couple of days.

Give it longer, a couple of weeks, a couple of months and gradually you will start to see improvements. So please, settle in for the long haul here.

Even when your Doctor goes to treat arthritis, be it rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis, they will tell you not to expect immediate results.

It can take time for the anti-inflammatory properties to really take effect and get a hold. But often after a period of time even in scientific trials participants reported less pain.

This scientific trial using Lavender essential oil, participants reported less pain, especially knee pain, in little more than a week.

Our Favorite Essential Oils for Osteoarthritis

Let’s explore our favorite essential oil recipes for Osteoarthritis and the essential oils that we recommend.

Please pop over to Liz’s article Essential Oils for Osteoarthritis for a full write up on the essential oils themselves.

    1. Lavender essential oil
    2. Juniper essential oil
    3. Roman Chamomile essential oil
    4. Copaiba essential oil
    5. Black Pepper essential oil
    6. Ginger essential oil
    7. Helichrysum essential oil
    8. Frankincense essential oil
    9. Wintergreen
    10. Geranium

You will also find further useful information on some of these essential oils, in my article from last week Essential Oil Lotions For Aches and Pains.

Our Favorite Essential Oil Recipes for Osteoarthritis

These are our favorite essential oil recipes for Osteoarthritis. I have tried to design them to address a number of issues.

Remember, your bases are as important as your essential oils and you can swap and change the bases and essential oils blends to suit yourself. Creating your own personal essential oil recipes for Osteoarthritis.

To make it easy I have designed every recipe to make 100ml of product. Therefore, any essential oil blend you wish to swap and change, will work in every base at the same safety dilution rate.

Note on preservatives - you may add preservatives if you wish. Each individual manufacturer supplies their own guidelines on how much to add and when. Therefore, please always follow their individual guidelines. 

Hands and Feet

People often search for an essential oil recipe for arthritis in hands and feet and it is understandable why. It is one of the most commonly experienced types of osteoarthritis.

Therefore, when we are looking for essential oils for osteoarthritis in fingers or essential oils for arthritis in hands and feet we want specific properties. Ideally we want to select essential oils with anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Here we are going to use Lavender, Juniper and Ginger essential oil.

We want a nice rich cream base here, one that encourages massaging in fully. That way we  encourage blood flow, cell renewal and it helps break down acids and remove toxins from the tissues. 

You Will Need:

    1. Hand or Electric Whisk
    2. Double boiler
    3. Silicone spatula
    4. Stainless steel stirrer or spoon
    5. Measuring jugs and spoons
    6. Large non reactive bowl
    7. 100ml / 3.38 fl oz jar
    8. Labels

Base Ingredients:

Essential Oil Blend

60 drops = 3% safety dilution rate. 

Safety:

    • Do not use during pregnancy (Juniper)
    • Always do a 24-48 patch test

Method:

PLEASE FOLLOW THIS PRECISELY, IT WILL HELP TO AVOID A LUMPY OUTCOME.

PART ONE

    1. Over a medium heat set a double boiler. Make sure the base of the upper pan is not touching the water. 
    2. Next, pop in the beeswax to the double boiler and let it melt slowly.
    3. Add your Shea Butter - You need to be cautious as you do not want to scorch or burn your precious butter, especially making such a small amount. (Actually, you want to heat your butter as little as humanly possible).
    4. Once your ingredients are all melted, remove from the heat and pour into a bowl that you can fit in the fridge.
    5. Place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. It should just start to solidify again, but is not solid.

PART TWO

    1. Carefully, measure out your carrier oils and ingredients.
    2. Put everything ready to hand, enabling you to work quickly.
    3. As soon as the wax and butters have started to solidify, remove the bowl from the fridge.
    4. Carefully, whisk the contents of the bowl, adding the carrier oils in a slow stream. Allow them to become fully incorporated before adding more.
    5. Next, take your time to whisk in the Glycerine until combined.
    6. Now, very slowly start to add the aqueous cream base to the butter, wax and oil, a good dollop at a time and whisk in thoroughly.
    7. Give your base a good and thorough whisk to make sure that all ingredients are fully incorporated.
    8. Decant into your jars and clean the rim carefully. Allow to cool fully (or it could go moldy - hear me on this) and then lid tightly.
    9. Label clearly with all ingredients accurately listed and date for safety reasons.
    10. Do a 24-48 hour patch test before using it on your body.

How To Use:

    1. Remember to do a  24-48 hour patch test beforehand.
    2. Work this into your skin liberally and pay particular attention to working it into your joints and digits.
    3. You can use this cream up to 8 times a day.

Inflamed Joints and Knees

Another request that we have regularly is for an essential oil recipe for joint pain and inflammation. Very often, we find this is because people are struggling with sore knees, ankles and elbows.

Again, when we are looking for essential oils for joint pain and inflammation  we want to select essential oils with anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Like Black Pepper, Copaiba and Roman Chamomile

I am using Tamanu carrier oil in this one because of its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. It is worth using this above all other carrier oils for this reason.

Again, I am going for a rich base, but this one has a slightly higher oil content to encourage you to really work it in and massage it well. If you don’t want it too oily, either reduce the oil or add up to tbsp of finely powdered kaolin clay.

You Will Need:

    1. Measuring jug, cups or spoons
    2. Mixing Bowl
    3. Stainless steel spoon or stirrer
    4. Funnel
    5. 100ml Jar with lid
    6. Label

Base Ingredients:

    • 60 ml of Aqueous Cream
    • 10 ml of Glycerine
    • 20 ml of Tamanu Carrier Oil (Calophyllum inophyllum L)
    • 10 ml of Rosewater

Essential Oil Blend

60 drops = 3% safety dilution rate. 

Safety:

    • Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy
    • Always do a 24-48 patch test

Method:

    1. Measure all of your base ingredients out carefully.
    2. Combine together either in a mixing bowl or a large measuring jug. (A jug makes it easier to pour into the jar).
    3. Add your essential oils and mix until thoroughly combined.
    4. Pour into your jar, a funnel makes it easier and less messy.
    5. Lid tightly.
    6. Label, listing all ingredients for safety reasons, and date.

How To Use:

    1. Remember to do a  24-48 hour patch test beforehand.
    2. Work this into your skin liberally and pay particular attention to working it into your joints and massage it in well for a few minutes if possible. Just the effect of massaging your joint can offer some relief.
    3. You can use this cream up to 8 times a day.

Pain Relief

This particular recipe is a wonderful homemade arthritis cream with essential oils. Chock full of essential oils with active properties and actions.

Lavender brings analgesic properties, Roman Chamomile offers both analgesic and anti-neuralgic properties, while Marjoram has nervine actions, which will soothe spiky nerves. It really is a wonderful homemade arthritis pain relief cream.

This is in a really simple base lotion. You can keep it thicker or slacken it off with Spring Water or hydrosol to make it thinner. Make it how you like it and to suit you and your targeted pain area. Small areas benefit from a thicker, creamier base. However, larger areas like the lower back are more easily massaged with a thinner, faster absorbing lotion.

You Will Need:

    1. Measuring jug
    2. Stainless steel spoon or stirrer
    3. Measuring spoons
    4. Funnel
    5. 100ml Jars or bottles with lid
    6. Label

Base Ingredients:

Optional: Spring Water or Hydrosol to thin down the consistency if preferred. 

Essential Oil Blend

60 drops = 3% safety dilution rate. 

Safety:

    • Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy.
    • Always do a 24-48 patch test.

Method:

    1. Individually, measure out all of your base ingredients.
    2. Combine each of them together in a large measuring jug, until well mixed.
    3. Then add in your essential oils, blend and mix thoroughly, until combined.
    4. Decide at this point if you want to make it thinner and add Spring Water or Hydrosol. Add small amounts, mix, assess the consistency and add more if needed. It’s easier to add small amounts in than try and thicken it off again because you put too much water in! 
    5. Pour into your jars or bottles, a funnel makes it much easier.
    6. Lid tightly.
    7. Label, listing all ingredients for safety reasons. 

How To Use:

    1. Do a  24-48 hour patch test beforehand. Don’t be tempted to skip this bit!
    2. Apply a liberal amount to the skin and work it in. Pay particular attention to your joints and massage it really well. Sometimes, just the effect of massaging your joints can offer some pain relief.
    3. You can use this cream up to 8 times a day.  

Back, Hips and Shoulders

Treating the symptoms of arthritis over a larger area can often prove a little tricky. It’s rather hard to rub a lotion or cream into the backs of your own shoulders and into your back. Often pain feels so deep into our joint sockets, that applying cream on the surface of the skin, may appear futile. It’s honestly not!

Remember that cumulative effect we talked about? Essential oils are absorbed by your skin and get carried into your bloodstream and end up in the places just where you need them. It doesn’t matter if you rub the lotion on your hands or your feet….. It will still help your back!

Where there is pain in the back, hips and shoulder this essential oil recipe for joint pain and inflammation should be just the trick.

You can either:

    1. Add this to the bath oils recipe below - as it is the easiest and best way to distribute essential oils over a larger area of skin.
    2. Alternatively, use the lotion in the recipe above to create a base perfect for you. The larger the area, the thinner the lotion should be,  to make it easier to apply and to be faster absorbing. 

You Will Need:

    1. Measuring jug
    2. 100ml dark glass amber bottle
    3. Funnel
    4. Waterproof Label

Base Ingredients:

Essential Oil Blend

60 drops = 3% safety dilution rate.

Safety:

    • Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy.
    • Always do a 24-48 patch test - because this is WARMING! DON’T SKIP THIS ONE!

Method:

    1. Measure out your carrier oils into the measuring jugs and combine well.
    2. Add your essential oils and mix until thoroughly combined.
    3. Using a funnel, decant into the bottle.
    4. Label clearly, listing all ingredients for safety reasons. A waterproof label is useful here.

How To Use:

    1. DO NOT SKIP THE 24 -48 HOUR PATCH TEST ON THIS ONE PLEASE! 
    2. Pour one tbsp under warm running water
    3. Take care getting into and out of the bath, use a non-slip mat.
    4. As you sit in the water, work the excess oil into your skin, relax and let go. 
    5. Let some of that pain, discomfort and stiffness wash away. 

Neck

When we learn how to use essential oils for arthritis, deciding the best delivery method can be key. This essential oil recipe for Osteoarthritis is based on one that I use myself.

My neck has cricked and crunched since I was a child. I remember being 7 or 8 when I first took notice of it and it still crunches like a good ‘un to this day. Perhaps, it is a symptom of congenital scoliosis. Perhaps, I just have a crunchy neck?

I find essential oils with highly active and varied properties the most useful. Lavender essential oil of course is right at the top of the list, I want Juniper essential oil to help break down any Uric and Lactic acids - these acids crystalize to create that disconcerting crunching experience.

Generally, my neck is worse when I am tense or stressed, so I also want a couple of essential oils to relax me, soothe me and help with any pain. I often plump for Sweet Orange or Bergamot and then deeply relaxing essential oils that I really like such as Geranium. There is science behind choosing an essential oils like Geranium, find out why in one of Liz’s articles - 10 Best Essential Oils For Arthritis: By A Clinical Aromatherapist.

A very simple massage oil is the best delivery method here, encouraging deep massage to release tension, encourage relaxation and ease pain. 

You Will Need:

    1. A Measuring jug
    2. 1 x 100ml dark glass amber bottle
    3. A Funnel
    4. A Waterproof Label

Base Ingredients:

Note: If this feels too fussy for you - just use some coconut oil instead. 

Essential Oil Blend

60 drops = 3% safety dilution rate.

Safety:

    • Do not use anything with Juniper during pregnancy. If needs be swap to frankincense.
    • Always do a 24-48 patch test - don’t skip this one, it is warming!
    • Sweet Orange is phototoxic so do not expose the skin to direct sunlight (or sunbeds) for 12 hours after use.

Method:

    1. Measure out all of your carrier oils and combine well in a measuring jug.
    2. Add your essential oils and stir until thoroughly combined
    3. Using a funnel for ease, decant into your bottle.
    4. Label clearly, listing all ingredients for safety reasons. A waterproof or an oil proof label is useful here. 

How To Use:

    1. Warm about a tsp of massage oil in your hands and work it into your neck using both hands and even movements and pressure on both sides of your neck. 
    2. Spend at least a couple, preferably a few minutes, working the oil into your neck and releasing any tension around the vertebra of the neck. 
    3. You can use this massage oil up to 4 times a day - any more than that is not overly kind to your skin with the heavy oil content!
    4. Avoid getting the oil on your clothes or soft furnishings. 

Spine

Last but not least and following on from Liz’s work with Frankincense, it would be remiss to not include this.  In her article she explains that Frankincense’s anti-inflammatory properties have an effect upon chondrocytes. These are cells that help to make up our cartilage, the spongy stuff that sits between our vertebrae and joints.

Frankincense can reduce inflammation and helps to maintain the strength, flexibility and elasticity of that all important cartilage. This is something we want to maintain as long as we can.

If you have Osteoarthritis in the spine, using this as either a bath oil or a massage oil is the most effective means of delivery.

For bathing: You can add a dispersant like Polysorbate 20 or 80, but I find 1-2 tablespoons of Castile soap is just as effective. Mix them together before adding to the bath. See below for the full instructions

You Will Need:

    1. A Measuring jug
    2. A Funnel
    3. A Waterproof Label
    4. 1 x 100ml dark glass amber bottle

Base Ingredients:

Optional - A dispersant like Polysorbate 20 or 80

Essential Oil Blend

60 drops = 3% safety dilution rate.

Safety:

    • Always do a 24-48 patch test.
    • Do not use it in the first 16 weeks of pregnancy
    • If using it as a bath oil, use a non slip bath mat.

Method:

    1. Carefully measure your carrier oils and combine well in a measuring jug.
    2. Once mixed, add your essential oils and stir in well.
    3. Using a funnel, decant into your bottle, it saves any oily mess!
    4. Label clearly and accurately, listing all ingredients for safety reasons. An oil proof label is useful here. 

How To Use: As A Massage Oil

    1. Do a patch test!
    2. Gently warm about a tsp of massage oil in your hands. (You can warm your oils more readily, using a small bowl set over another bowl of warm water, if easier).  
    3. Work the massage oil into your spine using both hands and even movements and pressure on both sides of your spine, as much as you are able. Ideally, get someone else to do it for you!
    4. Spend a few minutes, working the oil into your spine and releasing any tension around the vertebra.
    5. You may use this massage oil up to 2 times a day - any more than that is not overly kind to your skin with the heavy oil content!
    6. Please avoid getting the oil on your clothes or soft furnishings. 

How To Use: As A Bath Oil (with no added dispersant)

    1. Do a patch test!
    2. Take a small bowl and put 1 tbsp of your oil mix into it.
    3. Add an equal amount - 1 tbsp of Castile Soap to the oil and mix thoroughly.
    4. Pour the combined mixture under warm running water just before you get into the bath. (Don’t put it in first! Very hot water can degrade your essential oils, so always add them at the end of running your bath).
    5. Spend at least 20 minutes soaking up all the essential oils goodness and allow their properties to get to work. 
    6. Get in and out of the bath with caution and use a non-slip bath mat. 

The Final Word

Between Liz’s article and this one, I hope that you find all you need to know about essential oil recipes for Osteoarthritis to get you started.

Don’t be afraid to make that switch from over the counter preparations to a more natural approach. Appreciate it is par for the course that it is going to take a little time to get some noticeable results. Settle in for the long haul to experience that cumulative approach. I promise you it really is worth the wait.

If you said to me “What would you buy, if it were you”? My answer would be Lavender, Juniper and Copaiba essential oils. Between them, they have so many wonderful activity properties.

Analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, nervine, antispasmodic, local anesthetic, sedative and stimulates the blood flow. They really are an amazing trifecta to ease arthritis pain.

Work out what blends and bases are likely to work best for you and don’t be afraid to swap them to suit your needs…. Just remember, when you swap the essential oil blend, to take note of the safety considerations too. Have fun when you make essential oil recipes for Osteoarthritis work for you!

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