This simple, all-natural Argan Plum Body Oil features two of my favourite carrier oils and some stunning antioxidants for an ultra-lovely skin treat that you can make in just a few minutes. You don’t need any heat—just measure, stir, package, and you’re done! I designed this formulation to be a body oil, but it can also be used on the face and hair if you want. Let’s dive in!

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Our starring ingredients are two of my favourite carrier oils; luxurious argan oil and fragrant plum kernel oil. Argan oil was the first carrier oil I ever fell in love with, and that love has never faded. I adore its silky skin feel, soft nutty scent, and how it leaves my skin feeling and looking.

Plum kernel oil is a newer love, but oh my, what a love. This stunning golden oil smells richly of marzipan and glides over the skin like satin. I’ve heard from some Bees that not all plum oils smell lovely, so make sure you’re reading descriptions and reviews to be sure whatever you’re buying will smell great. It’s not the end of the world if yours is unscented, but the scent is definitely one of my favourite things about this lovely oil, and part of what makes it worth the slightly higher-than-average price. My fragrant bottle is from Essential Wholesale (gifted).

I’ve mixed these two luxurious oils with some fractionated coconut oil. It’s a lightweight, inexpensive oil that helps lighten the formulation both in cost and skin feel. You could easily use a different lightweight inexpensive oil as an alternative; I think grapeseed oil, sunflower seed oil, and safflower oil would all be lovely alternatives. You could also use more plum oil and argan oil to create something extra indulgent!

1% of each Coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinone) and Tocopherol (Vitamin E) amp up the skin-loving benefits of this formulation. They are both potent antioxidants; Coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinone) in particular has anti-ageing properties and can help prevent & repair UV damage, which is perfect as we head into warmer, sunnier days here in the northern hemisphere!

The finished oil blend is surprisingly viscous, with a lovely golden hue and a soft marzipan scent that is downright indulgent. I packaged mine in a frosted glass bottle with a dropper top, but you can definitely choose something else. I’d stick with a bottle (rather than a jar, tub, or tube), but you could cap it with a treatment pump or turret cap. I love smoothing this over my skin after a hot bath or shower. Enjoy!

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Relevant links & further reading

• Argan Oil in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
• Plum Oil in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
• Fractionated coconut oil in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
• Coenzyme Q10 (Ubiquinone) in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
• Tocopherol (Vitamin E) in the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia
• Other body oil formulations:
  • Watermelon Mint Summer Body Oil
  • Cranberry Orange Body Oil
  • Rosé Shimmer Body Oil
  • Sugar Plum Body Oil
• How long will ______ last? What is its shelf life?
• Do I need to add a preservative to this recipe? How long will it last?
• A Guide to Carrier Oil Substitutions

Argan Plum Body Oil

7.6g | 38% plum kernel oil (USA / Canada)
6g | 30% argan oil (USA / Canada)
6g | 30% fractionated coconut oil
0.2g | 1% Coenzyme Q10 Q-MAX
0.2g | 1% Vitamin E MT-50 (USA / Canada)

Weigh all the ingredients into a small beaker, or directly into the bottle you’ll be storing the serum in.

If it’s a beaker, stir to combine, and pour the oil into your bottle. If you went straight for the bottle, cap and shake. I used a frosted glass bottle from YellowBee with a dropper top. A treatment pump top would also work well; this product will not mist well.

That’s it!

To use, spread a few drops over the skin as needed. I especially like using this body oil directly after a bath or shower. Enjoy!

Shelf Life & Storage

Because this body oil is 100% oil-based, it does not require a broad-spectrum preservative (broad spectrum preservatives ward off microbial growth, and microbes require water to live—no water, no microbes!). Kept reasonably cool and dry, it should last at least a year before any of the oils go rancid. If you notice it starts to smell like old nuts or crayons, that’s a sign that the oils have begun to oxidize; chuck it out and make a fresh batch if that happens.

Substitutions

As always, be aware that making substitutions will change the final product. While these swaps won’t break the recipe, you will get a different final product than I did.

• As I’ve provided this recipe in percentages as well as grams you can easily calculate it to any size using a simple spreadsheet as I’ve explained in this post. As written in grams this recipe will make 20g, which is about 25mL (just under 1 fl oz).
• To learn more about the ingredients used in this formulation, including why they’re included and what you can substitute them with, please visit the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia. It doesn’t have everything in it yet, but there’s lots of good information there! If I have not given a specific substitution suggestion in this list please look up the ingredient in the encyclopedia before asking.
• Argan oil and plum kernel oil are our star ingredients; if you change either of them you’re fundamentally altering the formulation. I would recommend other luxurious oils your skin loves—you’ll still make something lovely, it just won’t be this formulation.
• You can substitute another lightweight oil like sweet almond, grapeseed, or sunflower seed instead of fractionated coconut oil.
• You could replace the coenzyme Q10 with more vitamin E.
• If you’d like to incorporate an essential oil, please read this.