I wanted a DIY Essential Oil Spray without Alcohol
So I've been on a bit of a lavender kick lately. But there's so many ways I can use lavender to help me sleep. No joke, I use a lavender balm or lotion, diffuse lavender, and sleep with a lavender eye pillow almost on a nightly basis.
The one thing I've been missing is a natural lavender sleep spray. I've got a bottle I bought from the bath store at the mall that shall remain nameless. But it's synthetic and made with alcohol and chemicals that irritates my sensitive skin.
So many of the essential oil sleep spray recipes I found online had alcohol in it. Look, people, I just want something all natural. I finally merged two recipes I found and made my own homemade lavender sleep spray. It's easy and only has four ingredients!
What You'll Need to Make Your Homemade Lavender Sleep Spray
This is a super easy recipe to make. And even though it only has four main ingredients, the container you use is vitally important. It's important to use a non-reactive container like a glass bottle with a fine mist spray pump.
- 2 cups distilled water (You can boil tap water for 5 minutes to use in place of the distilled)
- 3/4 cup organic dried lavender flowers
- 1/4 cup witch hazel (I used this one that has natural lavender in it for an extra boost of scenty goodness)
- 70 drops lavender essential oil
- 10 drops grapefruit essential oil
- 16 ounce dark colored glass bottle with fine mist sprayer
- A fine strainer (I actually used a coffee filter!)
To help you out, I've put together a shopping list of everything you'll need to make your homemade lavender sleep spray.
If I only had one tip to tell you about this recipe, it's don't leave out the grapefruit EO. I added the grapefruit essential oil as a preservative to keep mold at bay since it doesn't have alcohol in it.
Okay, maybe I need to tell you one more important tip. Keep everything clean! Containers, spoons, hands - everything! This is to keep from introducing germs that could potentially turn into mold later.
I think what makes this aromatherapy sleep spray recipe special is the double whammy of lavender you get. It doesn't just use lavender essential oil, it uses lavender tea. It really makes the difference between using a hint-of-lavender sleep spray to oh my gosh, I'm-sleeping-in-a-lavender-field sleep spray.
Just be sure to use quality dried lavender flowers that are organic like these:
Organic Lavender Flowers (Extra Grade - Dried) - 4oz Resealable Bag - 100% Raw From France
bMAKER Dried French Lavender Flower Ultra Blue Grade, 1 lb - Edible Food Grade- Best for Cooking, and Crafting
This is a super easy recipe to make. Making the lavender tea is the most involved step, but after that you're home free!
Related: How to Use Lavender Oil to Get your Best Sleep Ever!
Extra Strength Lavender Essential Oil Sleep Spray Recipe...in 2 Easy Steps!
Bring the 2 cups of water to boil. If you're using tap water, let it boil for five minutes.
Remove from the burner and add the dried lavender flowers. They like to float, so stir them into the water to make sure they're submerged. Cover the pot with a lid and let steep 30 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
Stir the dried lavender buds into the boiling water and let steep.
Next strain the lavender buds. You can use a slotted spoon, cheesecloth, or a fine sieve. I didn't have a sieve or cheesecloth, and the slotted spoon didn't get it all, so I improvised. I used a coffee filter!
Make your own strainer using a coffee filter!
To use my method, you'll need a large glass with a wide mouth, a rubber band, and a coffee filter. Place the filter over the glass and fasten the rubber band. Loosen it a bit when it's on so there's about a one inch deep well inside the glass. Slowly pour the lavender tea in to strain the flowers, like this...
Slowly strain the dried lavender buds.
Pour the witch hazel, lavender and grapefruit essential oils into the glass spray bottle. Screw on the cap and shake to mix well.
When the lavender tea is cool, pour it into the bottle with the tonic mixture. Screw the lid back on and shake again to mix it all together.
Add all liquids to the spray bottle to mix well. Voila! Homemade lavender sleep spray!
This makes 16 ounces of lavender sleep mist. Shake before each use.
*Don't lose any lavender goodness! Pouring the liquids into the spray bottle without spilling anything is hard. I recommend using a small funnel, like this one, if you don't have a steady hand.
I made a mess pouring mine in because I have no steady hand and my funnel was eaten by the dishwasher. 🙁 Don't be me. Use a funnel.
Tips for Using your Lavender Spray for Sleep
This spray really packs a lavender kick, but what is the best way to use it?
Personally, I use it as a body spray whenever I get out of the tub. It's so strong, I smell lavender long after I've gone to bed. If you're looking for a way to help night sweats, keep your spray in the refrigerator and spritz yourself when you're roasting.
You can use this as a linen spray, but you have to be careful because of the tea. Spray it on your bed sheets, but only if your sprayer has a fine mist.
I tried it on my white sheets with a fine mist and it didn't leave any marks. A thicker stream made dark puddles. The plus side is this is a very concentrated lavender sleep spray recipe so you won't need much to make your sheets smell great.
Can you Customize this Recipe to Make other DIY Sleep Mists?
Yes, you can!
It's totally possible to use this as a base recipe to make other sleep sprays. You can either mix other sleep promoting oils with the lavender tea, or replace the tea with plain distilled water.
It can be hard to know how to use aromatherapy for insomnia or which essential oils are good for sleep if you're not familiar with them.
I've made a chart to help you out, just replace the lavender essential oil with one (or more) of these sleep promoting essential oils:
Valerian Essential Oil
Ylang-Ylang Essential Oil
Bergamot Essential Oil
Sweet Marjoram Essential Oil
Wide Awake at Bedtime
Stress and Anxiety
Waking Up in the Middle of the Night
Restlessness
There's many more essential oils that may help sleep. In my Essential Oil Sleep Guidebook, I go into detail of nearly sleep promoting 20 essential oils and how to use them in over 40 recipes like this one.
You can blend these together to suit your insomnia symptoms if you like, or you can just use one of them. Some are strong, like the sweet marjoram, so you may not need the full 70 drops. My best advice is to add and sniff as you go.
If the thought of mixing essential oils on your own leaves you feeling a little freaked out, you can buy premixed sleep blends to use in your aromatherapy sleeping spray instead.
Good Night Essential Oil Blend 10ml - 100% Natural Pure Undiluted Therapeutic Grade for Aromatherapy, Scents & Diffuser - Natural Sleep AidGood Night Essential Oil 100% Pure, Best Therapeutic Grade - 10ml - Includes Chamomile, Copaiba, Lavender, Sandalwood & MorePlant Therapy Sleep Aid Synergy Essential Oil Blend. Blend of: Mandarin, Ylang-Ylang, Valerian, Lavender and Neroli. 10 ml (1/3 oz).
Remember, this is a Homemade Lavender Sleep Spray so...
There's no preservatives in this lavender essential oil sleeping mist recipe, so it doesn't have a long shelf life. The grapefruit essential oil and witch hazel does act as an antimicrobial, but it can still go all moldy after a time.
Here's some things I've done to make my lavender mist last longer:
- Keep it in the fridge. It's good for about 6 months this way.
- Boil water for 5 minutes if not using distilled. Kill bacteria at the beginning!
- Remove ALL lavender flowers. Any left behind can deteriorate and make your insomnia spray slimy.
Enjoy your Homemade Sleepy Time Spray!
If you love lavender, I know you're really going to enjoy your homemade lavender sleep spray. It smells ah-mazing, and it's therapeutic because it's full of NATURAL lavender instead of synthetic chemicals found in the mall store that shall remain nameless. 🙂
Wasn't this a simple recipe to make? If you enjoyed this recipe and want to try other essential oil sleep recipes, I recommend these easy to make DIY's:
In my ebook, The Insomniac's Essential Oil Guidebook, you'll find over 40 more recipes like this one to help improve sleep. Even better, you'll learn exactly which essential oils may promote sleep and how to make your own custom blends!
Definitely a must try!!
should i use an emulsifier?
If you think you need one, you can. I just shake it up before I use it.