5 Handmade Essential Oil Gift Ideas for Father's Day

Father’s Day is the perfect opportunity to show the father figures in your life just how much they mean to you. This year, why not give him something truly special with a handmade essential oil gift? Whether it's an aromatherapy candle, beard oil, soap, aftershave, or a diffuser blend – these gifts are sure to bring a smile to his face and provide a calming and nourishing experience. Read on for five unique and handmade ideas that are sure to make Dad feel appreciated.

Gift idea 1: Essential Oil Aromatherapy Candle

Aromatherapy candles are great for promoting relaxation and creating a calming atmosphere – perfect for helping Dad unwind after a long day. Use this recipe modified from Cliganic to create your own from scratch!

What you’ll need:

• Three 4 oz glass canning jars (feel free to reuse existing candle jars)
• 3 cups of soy wax
• 3 candle wicks
• 5 drops of rosemary essential oil
• 5 drops of frankincense essential oil
• 3 drops of patchouli essential oil
• Ribbon for decorating

How to make it:

Pour 1 cup of soy candle wax in an empty coffee can. Set the coffee can in a stock pot and add a small amount of water to the pot. Bring the water to a slow simmer, until the wax in the can melts. Stir the wax with a spatula until it is completely liquid, no lumps. 

Cut the candle wick to 4 inches over the height of the 4 oz glass jar. Wrap the extra candlewick end around a pen or pencil and balance it over the jar, so the wick is centered and straight. Carefully pour the melted wax into the glass jar, making sure the candle wick remains upright. Add all essential oils before the candle sets. Repeat steps 1 to 5 with the remaining two candles. Let candles cool and solidify for approximately 2 hours. 

Once set, unwrap the pen or pencil from the candle wick and cut the wick to desired length. Decorate with ribbon and add a handwritten tag for extra personalization.

Gift idea 2: Essential Oil Beard Oil

Essential oils are renowned for their nourishing properties, making them an ideal choice for skin and hair care. Show Dad some extra love by making him an all-natural homemade beard oil tailored specifically for his needs. With this recipe from Parsnips and Pastries, you can create a luxurious concoction that will pamper his skin while providing calming relaxation benefits he’ll surely appreciate.

What you’ll need:

• 1 oz glass bottles with droppers
• 1 ounce jojoba oil
• 1/2 ounce avocado oil
• 1/4 ounce almond oil
• 1/4 ounce apricot oil
• 16–20 drops cedarwood essential oil
• 7 drops orange essential oil
• 7 drops tea tree essential oil

How to make it:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and funnel into glass dropper bottles. Personalize by adding a label and step-by-step instructions: Shake bottle before use, add 2-3 drops onto the palms of your hands and massage gently into facial hair. Be sure to conduct a patch test before use.

Gift idea 3: Essential Oil Deep Cleansing Soap

Essential oils can add beneficial properties to the soap, such as soothing and antibacterial properties to help keep Dad’s skin clean and healthy. This recipe from Savvy Homemade is deeply cleansing and smells divine.

What you’ll need:

• 6 oz (170g) sunflower oil
• 6 oz (170g) olive oil
• 5 oz (155g) coconut oil
• 2 1/2 oz (70g) lye (Sodium Hydroxide/Caustic Soda)
• 8 oz (230ml) Distilled water
• 2 teaspoons (10ml) grapefruit essential oil
• 1 teaspoon (6ml) orange essential oil
• 1 teaspoon (4ml) cinnamon leaf essential oil
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds

How to make it: 

Make sure the room you are making the soap in is well-ventilated. Oil a plastic mold and then line it with greaseproof paper. If you are using a silicone mold you won’t need to line or oil it. In a good size stainless steel pan melt the olive, sunflower oil, and coconut oil over low heat. Put on protective eyewear, mask, apron, and long rubber gloves. Pour the mineral water into a plastic bucket. Slowly, add the lye, using a plastic spatula to stir until dissolved. Use two jam thermometers, one for the lye mix and one for the oil mix. Make sure you are wearing protective clothing. 

When both mixtures are between 140 F and 120 F immediately pour the lye mix into the oils mixing with the spatula, stir continuously until well combined. Continue to stir until it has thickened enough, when a bit of the soap is drizzled over the top it leaves a line trace. Pour in the essential oils followed by the poppy seeds, stir thoroughly until they are evenly distributed. Pour the mixture into the mold that you prepared before.

Cover the top with cardboard, and place a towel over it to keep it warm, then leave for 24 hrs in order for it to set. Line a wooden board with greaseproof paper, put some protective gloves on, and turn the soap out onto the board. Use a carving knife to cut the soap into chunky bars. Wrap bars in parchment paper and decorate with ribbon.

Gift idea 4: Essential Oil After Shave

This Father's Day, give Dad the gift of relaxation and nourishment with a homemade after shave blend. High-quality essential oils from Cliganic, like cedarwood and patchouli are perfect for creating a musky scent while providing therapeutic benefits to skin. Follow this recipe from Cliganic:

What you’ll need:

• 2 oz lotion bottle 
• ½ teaspoon of jojoba oil
• ½ teaspoon of witch hazel
• 3 drops of vitamin E oil
• 7 drops of patchouli essential oil
• 3 drops of cedarwood essential oil
• Distilled water

How to make it:

Add all ingredients to the lotion bottle, filling the remaining space with distilled water. Shake the bottle until ingredients are incorporated. Decorate with ribbon and provide instructions to the giftee to add a small amount of after shave to the hands, rub hands together, and apply to newly shaved skin. Be sure to conduct a patch test before use.

Gift idea 5: Essential Oil Diffuser Blend

Creating an essential oil diffuser blend is another great way to provide Father's Day pampering with a handmade gift that he can enjoy throughout the year. Combining the uplifting scents of ylang ylang, orange, and lemon this blend will bring him focus and freshen up the home.

What you’ll need:

• 1 part orange essential oil
• 2 parts ylang ylang essential oil
• 1 part of lemon essential oil
• 10 mL essential oil bottle – feel free to reuse one you already have!

How to make it: 

Add essential oils to the bottle in the ratio indicated above. Screw the cap on tightly and shake. Add a handwritten label and instructions for diffusing: Shake before use. Add 2-3 drops of the blend to the diffuser (with water as directed) and diffuse in a well-ventilated area.

Closing Thoughts

Making your own gifts can be a fun and creative way to shower dad with love this Father’s Day. However, if you don’t have time, you can also opt to buy thoughtful ready-to-wrap gifts like essential oils diffuser sets and body oil sets. Either way he’ll be sure to enjoy the gift of self-care. To learn more about how you can use essential oils, take a look at this article: Aromatherapy: Do Essential Oils Really Work?