Summer is a wonderful season, with sunny days, short sleeves, trips to the beach, and the beautiful sound of bird songs. Summer also brings us sunburns, bug bites, sweaty feet, and musty beach bags. It’s time to pivot to summer essential oil hacks that target specific warm weather needs, transforming your summer from sticky to sensational.
Whether you’re new to essential oils or already obsessed, these 11 summer essential oil hacks will surprise you with how simple—and genius—they are. I’m serving up DIY cooling sprays to odor fighting blends, with tips and tricks you’ll wonder how you ever lived without.
This blog is all about genius summer essential oil hacks you’ll wish you had sooner.
1. Make a Cooling Body Spray With Peppermint Hydrosol
This refreshing summer essential oil hack is a favorite during heatwaves or hot flashes.
You can use peppermint hydrosol on its own or combine it with lavender, chamomile, or eucalyptus hydrosols. Start with a 50/50 blend of your two favourite hydrosols (if you plan to mix them). Transfer to a spray bottle with a mister. Shake gently and spritz neck, chest, arms or feet for an instant cool down during heatwaves or hot flashes. Label and store your blend in the fridge for extra chill.
2. Lemon Oil for Sticker Residue (Hello, Garage Sales)
You’ll love this sunny summer essential oil hack if you’re a thrift store queen or garage sale fan. You will need witch hazel that contains alcohol and lemon essential oil. Mix one ounce of witch hazel with 2 drops of lemon essential oil and gently shake. Use a few drops on a cosmetic cotton pad and rub on sticky labels, price tags, or sap from trees. It removes goo and smells like sunshine.
3. DIY After Sun Skin Cooler
If you have spent a hot day outside, you’ll love this cooling gel. You will need a small PET plastic jar for this recipe. Blend lavender, peppermint, and sweet almond oil with aloe vera gel to calm skin after too much sun. Store it in the fridge to create a longer shelf life and to enhance to cooling properties of this recipe. It smells divine! Check out the full recipe here!
4. Bug Bite Itch Relief Roller
Next in the list of summer essential oil hacks, requires a small, 10 ml glass roller bottle. Mix 4 drops lavender, 2 drops chamomile and 1 drop of tea tree into the roller bottle with fractionated coconut oil or jojoba oil. Label your roller and store in a dark place. Roll onto bites as needed to soothe the skin.
5. Beach Bag Deodorizer
Tired of musty beach towels? Place a few drops of eucalyptus, peppermint or lavender oil onto a cosmetic cotton pad or reusable felt disc. You can even use my terra cotta diffusers, available here! Tuck it in your beach bag to keep it smelling fresh and mildew-free. You can place the cotton round in an organza bag to find it easily if you wish. Check your local dollar store or craft store for options. (Pssst! Works great for gym bags too!)
6. Sandal Spray for Stinky Feet
After a hot day of enjoying summer activities, give your feet some much needed TLC with this cooling foot spray. Combine 1 oz witch hazel, and 1 oz of your favourite hydrosol into a 2 oz glass bottle with mister. Spray into shoes or directly onto freshly washed feet after a summer day of fun. Great hydrosols to try are tea tree, lemongrass or peppermint. Your feet will love a short foot massage after using these cooling hydrosols.
7. All-Natural Bug Repellent Body Butter
.Keep mosquitoes away with oils like catnip, clove, citronella, palmarosa, or lavender mixed into your body butter base. This is one of my favourite practical summer essential oil hacks for the season. Grab my bug repellent body butter recipe here!
8. DIY Drawer or Closet Fresheners
Add a few drops of lavender, cedarwood, or grapefruit essential oil to a cotton ball, felt pad, or piece of fabric. Tuck it into your dresser drawers, or linen cabinets to keep clothes smelling clean and summery without harsh chemical scents. You can even use an organza bag to hang the cotton ball in your wardrobe. This summer essential oil hack keeps your clothes smelling clean, with no synthetic scents needed.
9. Aromatherapy for Road Trips
Need a quick mood lift on the go? Add 1–2 drops of peppermint and orange essential oil to a car diffuser or cotton ball clipped to your AC vent. It’s an invigorating summer essential oil hack for long drives, and may help ease motion sickness. You can experiment with fresh scents such as basil or rosemary. Be sure to avoid deeper scents, such as frankincense and cedarwood as it may be too relaxing.
10. Cooling Facial Mist
Spritz your favourite hydrosol onto a cosmetic cotton pad and use it on your face as a cooling facial toner. Make sure that you store your hydrosol in the fridge to get the longest shelf life possible, and to enhance the cooling effect of these beautiful floral waters. Great hydrosols to use for this are helichrysum, lavender, rose, labrador tea, or orange blossom. Use individually or combine them to create your favourite customer scent. This summer essential oil hack is perfect for heatwave beauty survival.
11. Mood Boost in a Bottle
Feeling drained? Long, hot days can zap your energy. Diffuse citrus oils such as mandarin, lemon or bergamot, in the morning for a natural, mood-lifting boost. This is one of the easiest summer essential oil hacks that boosts your mood naturally, and smells like sunshine.
Don’t forget to drink plenty of water this season and try to maintain a consistent and reasonable bedtime to help with overall wellness.
When we align our wellness rituals with the seasons, we create ease and flow. These summer essential oil hacks are perfect for keeping cool, fresh, and uplifted. From DIY sprays to fragrant closet refreshers, there’s a little magic in every blend. Keep a few go-to oils in the fridge, your roller bottles labeled, and your summer full of plant-powered solutions.
Disclaimer
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or substitute for professional medical advice. Always perform a patch test to check for allergic reactions. Essential oils are highly concentrated. Dilute properly and avoid contact with eyes or mucous membranes. Consult your healthcare provider before using essential oils if you are pregnant, nursing, on medication, or have a medical condition. These recipes are not formulated as tick repellents. If you experience a serious allergic reaction or skin irritation, discontinue use and seek medical attention. Always store essential oils out of reach of children and pets.