This post is part of the Humblebee & Me Archives
I’ve learned a ton since launching Humblebee & Me in 2011, so some older posts no longer live up to my formulation standards. This is one of those posts.
Rather than delete these posts I’ve moved them to the Humblebee & Me Archives so you can see the steps of my making journey—and hopefully avoid some of my missteps!
Essential Oil Headache Eraser
Headaches suck. I tried to think of some fun, interesting interlude to present as an introduction to this recipe, but that is pretty much the gist of my thoughts on headaches. They’ll ruin a good day or a good mood in a heartbeat, with little concern for what you need to accomplish. And now that a headache is no longer an acceptable reason to excuse yourself of your responsibilities, they are now the jerks of the minor malady world as well.
I had a headache at work a while ago, and a coworker tossed me a marker printed with “Saje”. His fiancée had given it to him, from a Canadian company called Saje that specializes in essential oils and what not. Their headache pen is a handy little marker filled with essential oils—whenever you have a headache you just dab the pen wherever it hurts, and let the essential oils do the rest. And best of all, it works. After the headache melted away, I’ve been planning to make my own ever since. (Bonus: it also works on other localized aches and pains—I love it for sore joints.)
These little 5mL roller bottles from Saffire Blue are super cute and useful—I’d recommend getting a few if you’re ordering from them.
The main essential oil in the pen is peppermint, with hints of cajeput, rosemary, lavender, and a few other headache-helping essential oils. The final result is a handy little roller that will erase a headache with as much speed as an ibuprofen, but minus the pill. Sweet.
Vetiver is a super strong essential oil, so if you are going to use it, just dip a toothpick into the bottle, tap off any excess EO, and swirl the toothpick in the essential oil mix. That way you won’t get smokey vetiver overload!
This is the bottle with just the essential oils in it.
Essential Oil Headache Eraser
20 drops peppermint essential oil (USA / Canada)
17 drops eucalyptus globulus essential oil
15 drops cajeput essential oil
10 drops rosemary essential oil
10 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops Roman Chamomile essential oil (optional)
1 drop Helichrysum essential oil (optional)
1 toothpick swirl vetiver essential oill (optional)~2mL Perfumery alcohol (or high proof vodka [at least 70% alcohol]) or carrier oil, to fill
Start with a 5mL roll on bottle or glass bottle (5mL= 1 tsp). An empty 5mL essential oil bottle will work beautifully if you don’t have the roll on bottle.
Add the essential oils to the bottle—they will add up to about 3mL.
Top off with perfumery alcohol or a light carrier oil of your choice. It’s really up to you what you use here. I used perfumery alcohol because I had it on hand, and it evaporates faster than the carrier oil will. If you don’t have perfumery alcohol, just go ahead and use a carrier oil like grapeseed or safflower.
Because of the high essential oil concentration in this, a glass roller bottle is an even better idea than a plastic one! These ones look beautiful, but they are 10mL instead of 5mL, so you’ll need to double the recipe to fill them 🙂
Looking for more headache remedies? Everyday Roots has 18 more here!
I just huff peppermint oil straight from the bottle. It usually works. 🙂 Except for those rare occasions that it makes it worse. . .
Hahahha 😛
Great idea! This will come in handy for headache times. Thanks for sharing.
You’re very welcome! Let me know if you give it a go 🙂
Do you think witch hazel would work instead of the carrier oil?
Hi Robin! Unfortunately, witch hazel will not work here. The purpose of the liquid is to dilute the essential oils. Essential oils will disperse in both alcohol and carrier oils, but not in witch hazel, which is basically just water. So, what you’ll end up with is a bunch of essential oils floating on top of your witch hazel, and it will be more likely to spoil (oil + water). Also, without the dilution, you may find the final product is entirely too strong/irritating for your skin to handle.
These are great oils to use for a headache, however as a nationally certified Aromatherapist, my training has taught me this is way too strong. Too many drops in such a little amount of carrier. You could become sensitized to it all and not be able to use oils again, or have major skin irritation. I love the ingredients, but will make a much lower dilution. 3% or 5%max
Thanks Allison—other people have mentioned this as well. I cut down the amount in the store bought one by 50% as I thought pure essential oils were too strong.
Agree. Too strong for topical application and unsafe to recommend using like this.
The original is sold completely undiluted for neat application, and it is a relatively large and very reputable company. I trust they’ve done their research here as I’m assuming they don’t want to be sued out of business or shut down by Health Canada.
What ratio would you recommend for a 10 ml roller blend I’m creating with the ingredients above, Jojoba oil included as a carrier oil?
Looks like this migt be a nice project. What does huff mean?
Sorry, basically huffing means breathing deeply. The word tends to get used in connection with breathing paint fumes or the aerosol part of Redi-Whip or hair spray to get high. I was being a little silly.
Yup, that’s us, getting high on peppermint essential oil… 😛
“Sniff” 😉
I assume since you have made you some, you have all of the ingredients. Would you like to sell one so that my daughter can try it and if it works, we will go buy everything needed. I just hate to buy it all for it not to work.
Hi Tina—I don’t sell anything I make (not nearly enough time for all the hassle!), but you can buy the original that this is based off of from Saje. There’s is $25/9mL (+ shipping & taxes). If you buy all the essential oils for this (leaving out the optional ones, and getting the smallest size available—see the links in the big grey box up above for my suppliers), it’ll cost you $12.75. That’s half the cost of the pre-made one, and that’ll get you enough to make WAY more than 9mL. The roll on bottles are $0.65/each and are re-useable, and 2mL of vodka can’t cost more than a cent or two. That’s it! So yeah, I would make your own 🙂
This is such a great breakdown and puts things into perspective for me. Thank you! I will certainly try to make my own. My husband gets nasty headaches that will put him out of commission for a couple of days. This will be so worth the effort if it works on him.
Here’s hoping! I certainly enjoyed this little roller on a recent flight where we were stuck on the plane for hours without taking off and I was sitting right next to the loo :/ It really helped freshen things up!
This sounds great, but as a massage therapist I would recommend reminding cleaning forehead first so wont contaminate whole bottle, or rubbing on clean hands before apply to forehead.
Good tips, Kathy 🙂 I think you would be ok if you use alcohol to dilute the oils as it is a very strong disinfectant, but it’s a good idea if you choose to use the carrier oil.
Where can I purchase the little bottles with the roller in the top?
As noted in the entry, I get mine from Saffire Blue 🙂
Would this be geared more toward tension type headaches or possibly migraines? The ingredients are seen in remedies for both… but just curious about your experience with what it’s been most useful for.
I really don’t have much experience with migraines (thankfully), so I can’t really say. I know it works for my tension headaches, though 🙂
I suffer from chronic migraines and headaches and I use the sage ‘wand’ for both types. It doesn’t got rid of the headache or migraine at all for me (mine are very bad) but more so provides a distraction and a cooling sensation – very welcome during a migraine attack!
Sorry to hear about your migraines 🙁 I had one once, and it made me want to walk off a cliff. I can’t imagine suffering from them frequently! You must be half super hero.
Great recipe but too much essential oil! One drop of each of the essential oils will work just as well! Essential oils are so highly concentrated, less is more. 1% to 5% essential oil in a blend is highly effective. The above blend is closer to 60% essential oil. “The Art of Aromatherapy” by Robert Tisserand is an awesome book about essential oils and mentions that Clove oil for example diluted 1000 to 10,000 times is still effective. I am an aromatherapist and just wanted to save you a little money. I love your recipe.
The original recipe was 100% EOs, and I thought that was far too much, so I diluted it down a bit. A big part of the effect here is from the menthol in the peppermint, and I do find you need a fair amount of it to get the cooling effect. I might just try topping my bottle off with some extra alcohol when it’s half done and see if it still works, though 🙂
Stacy did you end up making using a lower dosage and does it work. I’m wanting to try these. Do you recommend using the optional essential oils?
Stacy, Im asking since you are an aromatherapist and possibly guide me I am making these in the 5ml bottles and noted that you thought that was too many drops of each essential oil to use. For this bottle how many drops of each should I use to be effective and would you think it would be ok if I just use the Eucalyptus, Lavender, Rosemary, Cajeput (Tea Tree) and Peppermint. I don’t know since I am new to essential oils. I’ve dabbled but don’t know enough about it. Thanks for the help!
Natalie
New to this. What is perfumey alcohol? Where would I find it?
It’s a low-scent, non-consumable alcohol—like rubbing alcohol, but less stinky. I got mine from Saffire Blue.
I’ve got everything on hand except for the Cajeput and optional oils. How necessary is the Cajeput?
Try replacing the cajeput oil by with half peppermint and half eucalyptus—I think that’ll work 🙂
I would think the more common Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) could be used in place of Cajeput oil (Melaleuca leucadendra). It’s not exactly the same but has many similar/familiar properties. What do you think?
I won’t recommend it, but mostly because I don’t love the smell of tea tree. Cajeput is light and fresh, but I find tea tree to be overwhelming and quite medicinal.
I’m new to all of this, but VERY interested. I, too, would like to know what “perfumey alcohol” is, and where can I find it?
Perfumery alcohol is just a non-consumable, low-scent alcohol. Sort of like rubbing alcohol, but less stinky. I got mine from Saffire Blue. You can also just use vodka 🙂
How can I purchase from you?
I don’t sell anything I make, Beani, but you can buy a pen similar to this one from Saje for $25 (though it is way cheaper to make your own).
I made this last night LOVE it!!! I was unable to find Helichrysum or Cajeput anywhere but online so I made it without those 2 ingredients and it’s still wonderful. Thank you 🙂
Awesome 🙂 I got my helichrysum & cajeput (along with everything else) online, and I would definitely recommend giving online shopping a go for your DIY ingredients—compared to the shops in my town things are generally 1/4–1/10th of the price. Yipes!
I went online and it only seems like they ship from Canada do they not have a US based location to ship from? I would love to order from Saffire but looking for a US company shipping base. Any suggestions, please help!
Thanks
If you click the “You are in the Canadian Store” link in the top left corner you can toggle over to the US store 🙂
I am selling these this year at my booth at the Fall Festival in Clinton, MI and excited to see what the response is. So excited for these magical wands. I suffer with headaches frequently and this is such a blessing. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
We love essential oils and use them to relax and to create a healing atmosphere in our home through a diffuser. Your headache roll sounds like a great thing to try the next time a tension headache comes up.
Thanks for the recipe ~
Awesome! Thanks for reading 🙂
Hi, I like your blog 🙂 Flew in through Frugally Sustainable. I’ve gotten started making a few things ..and the more I learn the more I am fascinated by EO’s and all the magic things they do! It’s so much fun to find resources and inspiration from others who share the same interests !
Great post! I will try some of the EO’s you put in your headache oil …I make one myself, with 1 tbsp jojoba oil…Adding peppermint, lavender & birch …Birch has pain reliever properties ……it makes for a substantial and effective batch..that I can transfer into 3 (10ml) roller bottles…But I think next batch I will add Rosemary and Eucalyptus and Chamomile like yours…I don’t have the others lol otherwise I would try them too lol…
I look forward to reading more of your blog 🙂
Thanks, Monette! I’m glad you flew in 🙂 Your headache reliever sounds lovely. I have yet to buy birch EO because it has so much in common with Wintergreen (which I already have), but I do have birch tar, which I just adore. Let me know how your next batch turns out, and be sure to subscribe to my blog so you don’t miss anything 🙂
I have the Saje blend you are talking about! It is called Peppermint Halo and works well if I get my headaches early enough before they become migraines. I can’t wait to try this!
Awesome! I’ve done the math and my homemade version is soooo much cheaper than the Saje one, so if you use it a lot, you’ll enjoy some pretty great savings 🙂
I will have to try this. I have a blend of:
4 part Peppermint
3 parts Lavender
3 parts Wild Marjoram
It works really well.
OOh, nice! I will be sure to give this a try if I ever add marjoram essential oil to my collection 🙂
What would be considered some carrier oils? I may interested in that over alcohol, but I don’t know what to use…thanx!
Carrier oils are actual oils/butters, not essential oils (olive, grapeseed, safflower, shea butter, coconut, etc.). For this one something thin & fast absorbing with a low scent of its own is a good choice—grapeseed, safflower, and sunflower come to mind. You can learn more about carrier oils here!
Each week my medicine cabinet is starting to look more like an apothecary shop! Seriously think I should start sending you my copays 😉
This has been my little miracle roller. Helped my husband through the flu, relieved aches so I could get a good nights rest, and just passed it on to a mom with a severe head cold. Works faster than tylenol or ibuprofen and without having to pop pills. Sometimes it’s hard to see the immediate benefit of going natural, but this is definitely a worthy little contender! Thank you 🙂
Yay! I love hearing success stories like this (though I am, of course, sorry to hear about the assorted colds/flus/aches/pains). I’ve been carrying this in my purse instead of painkillers lately, and it really is awesome.
Yes! My purse is starting to get filled with little rollers, sprayers and lip balms. I even whipped the eraser out for someone with arthritis. Now to just hoard a few more rollers cause shipping only 5 at a time isn’t reasonable. 8)
My purse is like a miniature apothecary, lol. My coworkers have started coming up to me and asking for lotions, salves, and what not 😛
what is the difference between Cajeput and Tea tree EOs?
Could I add Wintergreen to the recipe to use for headaches, aches, and arthritis? How much should I use?
Thanks for the brilliant recipe!
They’re both part of the Melaleuca family, but the scents are quite distinct. Cajeput is much more camphorous than tea tree—NDA says it smells more like rosemary or cardamom EO than tea tree. It possesses many of the same antibacterial properties as tea tree, but when it comes to topical use the two aren’t interchangeable.
I actually have an aches & pains roller recipe using wintergreen EO & a few others coming out soonish (May…). For this recipe I’d trade out the lavender for wintergreen if you want it to be more for topical aches than headaches.
Hey,
I like very much the idea of this recipe but I don’t have the Cajeput essential oil.
Do you think that all the rest will work with headaches ?
It’s worth a try! If it doesn’t work, save it, and just add the drops of cajeput EO whenever you happen to get some 🙂 It’s quite inexpensive and also super useful in tiger balm.
p.s. Your blog is wonderful !!!! Congratulations !
Thanks! And thanks for reading 🙂
I found another recipe that we use called “Headache Buster” which is:
In a 10ml glass rollerball bottle:
30 Peppermint EO
30 Lavender EO (I use Bulgarian)
10 Frankincense
10 Wintergreen
10 Birch
Top up with Fractionated Coconut oil (or Sweet Almond, or Jojoba).
CANNOT live without it.
Sounds divine! I am loving wintergreen EO these days for my sore wrist—it’s an amazing painkiller!
thanks for this blend. I tried the ‘headache buster’ one with birch and it did not work. In fact my headache got worse. But this blend has worked every time. Love your blog and thanks again.
Hi Beth! I’m so thrilled to hear that this blend works so well for you 🙂 Thanks for reading & DIYing with me!
I was curious on your thoughts on using the 3% dilutions of Roman Chamomile and Helichrysum for this, or would you recommend I get the pure oils for this?
I’d definitely recommend the pure oils—3% is just a whiff of the real thing, and if you have a 5mL bottle there isn’t even 1mL of the essential oil in it. They are optional, though, so you can just leave them out 😛
Thanks for sharing our miracle headache remedy! This is our best seller and a favourite among Sajers.
Thanks for reading! I’m honored that my wee corner of the web caught your eye 🙂 I hope you like my tribute to your awesome creation—I sure had fun working with the idea and tweaking it to my tastes!
Marie,
I already have on hand Peppermint Japanese (from NDA). I’ve read about different components in the other peppermint EOs from NDA. Since I’m still learning (and your help has been wonderful) could I use what I’ve got or get the Peppermint organic?
I truly love the help you’ve been!
Liz
Hi Liz! The main component of peppermint we’re concerned with here is the menthol, which gives that wonderful and soothing cooling sensation. The organic variety does look like it has the highest concentration of menthol (~70%), but when I developed this recipe I used the Supreme peppermint (~40%). The Japanese peppermint is close to 40% as well, so that would be a great choice 🙂 If you do want to try another, the only two I have are the Japanese and the Supreme, and I do prefer the smell of the Supreme, though they’re both awesome! Thanks so much for reading & DIYing with me!
Thanks again Marie. I guess I can consider myself officially addicted…
Liz
There are definitely worse addictions to have! 🙂
I tried this with vodka. Maybe it was just the one I had, but unfortunately, there was too much water content in the vodka. All the oils just sat on top.
Hmm… what alcohol percentage was your vodka? In my experience a bit of shaking should get the EOs to disperse enough, and for long enough, to use.
OK I LOVE this! You wouldn’t happen to be making the sleep one would you?
Thanks, Victoria! And I don’t think so 🙂
My hairs R very frizzy tell me some vest natural solution for mosturizing them n make them straight they R wavy also
Check out my hair section for some good moisturizing recipes 🙂 You cannot straighten hair with just a natural cream or serum, though. That generally requires heat and/or chemical relaxants.
I made this and love it. I did it first without the helicrysum and cajeput because I get headaches pretty frequently and needed SOMETHING to help me. A million years ago I had a thyme and peppermint lotion you put on your temples for headaches/alertness and it was WONDERFUL. I was hoping that this would be similar. It was very effective with and without the unusual oils. I ordered both helicrysum and cajeput online and added them to my next go at it. I finally have some vetiver and that will go in next time.
Given the warnings from the aromatherapists I may add some vodka to the roller ball today to dilute it some. One could conceivably put all 79 drops into a storage bottle and then put 38 or so into the roller ball and fill with alcohol to have it diluted by half from the beginning.
I love this blog so very much. I really hope there is some way that you are getting an income from all the work you’re putting into it! I know that NDA and Rose Mountain (for US fans) are getting more of my money than they ever would have without your blog!
Hi Kathie! I’m so thrilled you’re loving this roller as much as I do 🙂 I am wondering about your comment about dilution, though—mine is diluted by about half, so are you planning on diluting it more? I’d be interested to hear how that works out if you do.
If you want to help me make some money you can make sure you turn off your ad blocker for my site 🙂 It’s not much, but it helps a little.
my only problem with EO is the smell. Some of them smell really bad and if you have to put them on the skin and walk around somewhere other than home, it’s not good.
This essential oil blend does smell quite nice—mostly of mint. And, since they are all essential oils, they are quite volatile, and I find the scent does not stick around too long (nothing like fake fragrances in shampoo or hand soap). However, if you are very sensitive to scents in general, this probably isn’t the remedy for you.
why is Saje being mentioned here? They are an excellent company. Sounds like u r copying,their stuff
This is my interpretation of a product they make. They inspired me, so they’re part of the story. They are certainly not the first place to suggest peppermint essential oil for headaches, but they did inspire me. They actually wrote me and thanked me for mentioning them and their product (and they commented above ^), and I blog with them now.
I made this tonight with 2 roller balls filled with vodka and the oils just floated up top. Hmmm…I used 80 proof. I also noticed that it changed the same to something urberly funky. I tried it again using a carrier oil – apricot to be exact and oh! It turned out wonderful and smells like I expected it too. From now on I’m making this with with an oil 🙂
If you leave the alcohol version for a while it should dissolve, but 40% alcohol is pretty low… see if you can get at least 70% next time if you try it again 🙂 Otherwise it sounds like your oil version is working brilliantly! Thanks for DIYing with me 🙂
I came across your site yesterday when I got it in my head to see if I could find a tiger balm recipe (and yes I did!). I kept looking around and found this and can’t wait to try it. I’m adding items to my shopping list right now.
I have an EO roller bottle from Rocky Mountain Soap that was labelled for Headache and it works wonders (i get *a lot* of headaches). It looks like the ingredients are pretty similar to what you have here, and I always love making things for myself if/when possible.
Thank you!
Hi Lori! Welcome to my blog 🙂 I look forward to hearing what you think of this roller, I love it!
Another wonder recipe. I suffer from a lot of aches, pains, headaches and migraines and this is an easy, quick one to make up. Couldn’t find any roller bottles locally (New Zealand) so ordered some beautiful blue ones from the US and they look so lovely.
As for the recipe I made this up as soon as I got home (bottles arrived today!) and applied, within minutes I was feeling better 🙂 The blend has a wonderful mix of scents that compliment each other and do not overwhelm the senses when applied. I hope I don’t need to use often but know it is going to help when I do.
I’m so glad you’re loving this recipe, Janine! It’s definitely a must for me as well 🙂
Marie
I have made a balm version of it using bees wax and coco butter, sorry didn’t have roller and couldn’t wait. I absolutely love it love it love it. You are genius.
Thank you very much.
Laxmi
Cool! Enjoy 🙂
Hi, I am new to EO’s and would like to try this blend. I have noticed the comments stating that maybe the amount of EO’s should be reduced. If I had a 10ml roller ball and topped up with Sweet Almond Oil, what should be the total drops of EO’s?
Thank you for any comments.
Hi Karen! I’ve written an FAQ on the EOs and on percentages 🙂 5% of 10mL would be half a mL—maybe 10 drops? I HIGHLY doubt you will have good results making this recipe with such a drastically reduced amount of EOs, though.
I did a google search to further look in to Witch Hazel as an alternative carrier. This came up at the very top of the search.
Tip: Witch hazel works wonders in a body spray, as it helps the essential oils to mix with water. Use 1-2 tablespoons of witch hazel per 8 ounces of purified/distilled water. Simply pour the water into your container, add witch hazel and essential oils (5-30 drops depending on the oils you are using) and shake well!Jun 24, 2014
It seems to me that as long as you shake well prior to use, this should work fine as an alternative option.
Hi K! From my experience with witch hazel, I really wouldn’t recommend this. Witch hazel is not any better than herbal tea as an emulsifier. I’ve made sprays with witch hazel, and the EOs disperse no better than they do in pure water. If the witch hazel contains alcohol you might see a slight improvement, but that’s the alcohol, not the witch hazel. Because you wouldn’t get even distribution and you’d get very quick separation, you wouldn’t get even application, and risk applying straight EOs to your skin, which could be quite irritating. I really recommend sticking with either a carrier oil or high-proof clear grain alcohol.
My 16 year old daughter has been suffering with chronic daily headaches and fatigue now for over 3 years. We have gone to every doctor possible but to no avail. She has resorted to online schooling and her social life is nonexistent. It is so sad to watch this once outgoing, beautiful, competitive dancer essentially lose 3 years of her life. She is currently on no medicines as we haven’t found anything that works yet. We feel like we have tried virtually everything, but we haven’t tried essential oils yet. Knowing all of this, what would you recommend at this time for my daughter? Have these oils been able to help others with the same scenario as my daughter’s? I would love to talk to them. Thank you for your help!
I’m not a doctor, but honestly—why not give it a go? If it helps, fantastic. If not, no harm done. There are lots of comments on this page from people who have tried it to give you an idea 🙂
For the life of me I cannot find the American distributor. I don’t want to pay $30 for shipping from Canada for SaffireBlue is there a link?
The main menu has a big link to “Where to Buy Ingredients” 🙂
About the amount of oil used. It actually says on the how to use label of the product from saje , to mix 20 drops with 10 ml of a carrier oil and then use as needed.
The pen is the version I used and it contains no such note (or dilution in the formula). I’m not sure how you’d get drops out of the felt tip 🙂
Hi! Would this formula work without any alchol/carrier oil? I have all the ingredients except for the alchohol or carrier oil… Any other alternatives? Where can I get some decently priced carrier oil? I can’t wait to make this on my own I’ve loved the Peppermint Halo recipe for years!
Hey Anna! You really, really should not apply straight essential oils to your skin, so please don’t. But a carrier oil can be something like canola oil or olive oil—I’m betting you have one of those in your house! What do you cook with?
Hey, I feel bad asking this because this is an older post, but I have a question about peppermint essential oil! The only peppermint eo I have is the 2nd distill version (from Brambleberry). The menthol concentration is higher and I believe it is overall slightly stronger and more concentrated compared to oils from 1st distills. If I were to use it in this recipe, would it be wise to start out by halving the amount of peppermint eo? Thanks!
Hey Ashley! There’s no such thing as old posts here 😉 All the comments end up in the same queue to be replied to, and really, a good recipe is never old 😛 The peppermint I used had a menthol content of about 37%. If yours is close to that (say 50% or less) I wouldn’t worry too much about adjusting it, but if it’s much more than that, it would be a good idea to reduce it so you don’t find the final product too chilly! Happy making 🙂
Thank you so much, I will look into the exact menthol content!
Happy making! 🙂
I came here because I’m trying to come up with a signature scent. Above all, I didn’t want to be one of those people that irritate everyone else and make them sneeze every time I enter the room, haha. I thought, since people often complain about perfume giving them headaches, why not wear a headache eraser oil as a perfume?
How would you describe the scent? Do you think it’d be good as a perfume, or just go with one of your other perfumes?
This smells mostly like mint, and pretty medicinal. I wouldn’t really call it a perfume unless you want to smell like a really cold clinic, I guess 😛
Marie, you have saved me and my liver from a lifetime of Advil abuse. I can’t believe how well this blend works on my headaches, and I have at least one a week. I am going to make a stash of these for the house and cottage, and give some to my daughter, who unfortunately got my headache gene.
Yay! I’m so happy to have helped 🙂 Happy making and I hope those headaches subside!
I followed your instructions and used the EO’s that were listed on the Saje bottle only, as I was really hoping to have a substitute of the brand name version. But I can’t help but feel when I apply it the tingly sensation is not nearly as strong as the one I have when I apply peppermint halo. Is there anything I can add or do to make it equal in strength? Should I add more peppermint? I feel like I’m missing something. Could my carrier oil (grapeseed) be cutting the effect more then another type of carrier oil? I know Saje founders often talk about jojoba as a good carrier oil, but that doesn’t imply that they use jojoba in their peppermint halo blend. Do you have any suggestions?
The tingly sensation comes from menthol, and different peppermint EOs have different menthol concentrations. You could try sourcing one with a higher menthol concentration than whatever one you’re currently using, or add some pure menthol crystals to increase the tingle. Given the original does not contain any oil at all (it’s completely undiluted), that will also contribute to the strength of the original vs. yours. The oil will further reduce the menthol sensation—mine is quite chilly without any added menthol, but I used alcohol, not oil. Hope that helps!
GASP! The peppermint halo (rollerball) is undiluted? Is Tisserand peppermint oil not a well concentrated EO in your opinion? I’m completely in love with Saje peppermint halo, so I’m trying to recreate the blend as close as possible but living in the UK complicates this for me as I can’t justify the cost on shipping it here :<
Also I looked at Saffire Blue for perfumery alcohol, would any perfumery alcohol work from amazon?
Thank you so much for your time.
Yup! Check the ingredients, it’s 100% essential oils. I’m afraid I couldn’t find any data on the menthol concentration of that particular peppermint EO, and that’s all that matters for the cooling sensation. I’d recommend getting some menthol crystals, that’ll boost the menthol concentration really easily 🙂 And yes, as long as it’s perfumery alcohol, it’ll work!
Here I can see a big discussion and hopefully I can find an answer.If anybody knows smth about strict contraindications for using EO with headache? thanks !
I checked Tisserand and turned up that orally taken Basil (holy), basil (pungent), bay (W. Indian), betela, cinnamon leaf, clove bud, clove leaf, clove stem, parsleyseed, parsnip, pimento berrya, pimento leaf, sweet vernalgrass, tejpat + Pethidine (meperidine, demerol) (opioid analgesic) can cause a headache. There are also multiple other passages looking at what doses and usages of EOs can cause headaches—many of those cases are EO poisonings or extended, high-dose exposure. There is nothing regarding using EOs to treat headaches. Hope that helps!
Hey Marie,
I’m excited to share that I just received my Cajeput, Eucalyptus and Rosemary EOs (and the rest I’ve already had), and right away I’ve made this mix and filled a 5ml bottle with 70% alcohol. The oils do sit at the bottom as the density of alcohol is lower, but a little shake solves the problem! I like the smell very much! 🙂 Just have to wait for a headache now to check the new mix lol it’ll be hilarious if I won’t have one for months now..
I was wondering, what is the shelf life of this mix?
Yay! Fingers crossed you do not have to test it anytime soon, but I suppose if you are looking for an excuse, you could always go out for a night of heavy drinking 😛
The shelf life should be pretty much indefinite in terms of spoilage because of the high alcohol percentage, but you may notice a diminish in efficacy after a few years. My original is still going strong, though!
LOL 😀 I’ll keep this baby close then, in case that happens 🙂
Thanks a lot!
No worries—happy making!
Hi, Marie. You have given me so much information, for a long time now. I find if I use a metal roller ball, keep this headache eraser in the fridge, it add to the coolness. Is there some reason not to use metal vs plastic roller balls?
Thanks again. Are you working on another book?
Hey Lois! With all roller balls I’d probably recommend storing it upright as the high EO concentration can eat away at the ball—and metal will get eaten away more noticeably than plastic 🙂
Thanks, Marie. I will remember to keep it upright.. And remind anyone else using it to be cautious also. By the way, this works for me.
Awesome! Enjoy 😀
Hi Marie,
Just wanted to say that I recently discovered your blog and am now obsessed with learning about how to make my own skincare and makeup! I think this is my new hobby! The first thing I’ve made from your blog was this headache eraser today. And it has worked quite wonderfully; thank you! My headache is not quite gone, but it is definitely more bearable!
I am excited to try more recipes and got your beautiful book in the mail a week ago so have been looking at all the wonderful things to create.
I also think it is wonderful that you are a fellow Albertan! I’m an Edmontonian but think Calgary is awesome! 🙂 (Nothing against Calgary; haha!) I was wondering if you will be having more makeup and soap workshops in Calgary in the future? Unfortunately I can’t make it to the makeup workshop this Saturday but would love to drive down to Calgary another weekend. Thanks!
Thanks, Charlotte! It’s always great to find a fellow Albertan on the great wide interwebs 🙂 I don’t have any workshops planned, but I am talking with a few different people/groups about perhaps doing some, so all I can say is stay tuned to my emails—I always announce everything there! Happy making and thanks for buying my book!
I absolutely love this headache eraser and use it regularly. The one minor problem I have is that it’s so runny that when I apply to my head it dribbles down. Is there anything I could use to thicken it very slightly to stop the dribble?
Hmm. Perhaps try mashing the EO blend into a butter, like mango? A gel make work, too, but I do wonder if the high percentage of EOs would destabilize it. Hmm.
Hi Marie, I made this up for a friend, she really found it to be effective; I’d love to make one for my husband, but he has allergies to menthol and all related things, so peppermint is out, eucalyptus too – I thought I might try to substitute those two with rosemary and sage,…do you have any suggestions?
Hmm. That’s a tricky one because the menthol is the key active ingredient here for painkilling. I’m honestly not sure if you’ll have any success eliminating it, so make sure you work with very small batches!
What alcohol do we have here that is 70% (besides the rubbing alcohol lol). I went to the liquor store the other day to buy some vodka for another recipe I found online and the highest percentage they had was 100 proof or 50% alcohol? Do you HAVE to use the perfumey (?) alcohol or can you just use the rubbing alcohol?
I’ve heard Everclear fits the bill, though I think that’s just an American thing. Rubbing alcohol will work, but it does smell like rubbing alcohol, which is kind of a bummer 😛
Hi Marie, Would Isopropyl alcohol work or do you think it would simply be too stinky and likely to evaporate if the lid was accidentally left off of the roller ball bottle?
It wouldn’t be my first choice, but it should be ok. A lightweight carrier oil would also be a good option.
Is perfumery alcohol the same as body spray base?
The INCI for perfumery alcohol is “SDA 40B 200 proof, isopropyl myristate, isopropyl alcohol”—compare that to the product you’re looking at 🙂
Hi Marie I have tried making this with fractionated coconut oil. I’m not really a fan of eo’s and don’t use them regularly because of this. I just bought the ones you listed in your recipe specifically to make this. I’m not fond of the end scent and for some reason I don’t get a minty scent at all or a tingly sensation. Help! I see that you recommend using menthol crystals. Can you suggest at what percentage?
Hey Wendy! I’d suspect your peppermint EO has a lower menthol concentration than mine, so including some more menthol (start at 1%) may bring the tingle for you. You may also want to further dilute the mixture if you are adding more essential oil type things 🙂
Is this the exact recipe of the peppermint halo by saje? It works wonders for me and I’m afraid to add EO’s not included in the recipe of saje’s (ex. The Eucalyptus scent makes me puke) as it can be overpowering for me. I have peopermint, rosemary and lavender on hand. Will that work?
Howdy Michelle!
I’m not familiar with the peppermint halo by saje. The wonderful thing about a DIY formula, is that you can alter it to your desired specifications! Just remember to check all safety limits as recommended by IFRA, Marie has a handy FAQ section that covers a lot of info and here’s a link for the essential oils.
Hi there, thanks for the article. I still have a question though. Do you happen to know if essential oils can be used in a CPAP machine? My wife just ordered some so I’m trying to get some info about them. Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated.
I would definitely not recommend it, but I am far from an expert in that area. I would ask your doctor and the manufacturer of that expensive device!
I realize this is a really old post, but I was wondering if you could comment on whether you think adding a few drops of orange oil to the mix would compliment it?
The predominant scent here is mint, so if you like orange + mint you might like it 🙂 Happy making!
I am new to essestial oils. I do like Peppermint Halo from but really would like find the closest EO roll on blend that is close to this one. Would you say Headache Eraser is the closest to peppermint halo? I like Halo because of the tingling it gives. Will the perfumery alcohol give this sensation or should I get method crystals? Is one better than the other? Which one would you suggest? Last question, there is some talk about how many drops should go into a roll on. Some say only 10 drops but other others put more drops in. I prefer more, is it okay to put more in? Is it safe with more drops? What are your thoughts on this? Thanks so much for your insights on this. I really appreciate it.
Hi Maria, would you know if you can you substitute Spearmint instead of Peppermint oil? Is peppermint oil better for headaches or are they both will work on headaches? I haven’t tried tried the headache eraser yet. I am waiting for the purfumery oil that I just ordered, thanks to your suggestion.
You can certainly try it; peppermint is much more cooling on the skin, though.