Your Ultimate Guide to Diluting Essential Oils
by Infused Essence
Everything you need to know about why and how to dilute essential oils.
When you start out using essential oils, one of the first things you’ll start to ask about is about dilution. That’s one of the most popular questions from customers for our Infused Essence customer service team members. And we get it - when you google diluting essential oils, a myriad of results come across your screen, each with different advice and rules about diluting essential oils. Here’s our breakdown on diluting essential oils. Why to do it, how to do it, and what happens if you don’t.
Why Dilute?
Since we already learned “what essential oils are” in an earlier post, we know that these potent extracts contain the pure chemical compounds of their origin plant. We want to make sure we’re staying safe while using these wonderful oils for our health and wellbeing.
To dilute an essential oil means to add them to a carrier oil or into another product that can help disperse the concentration of the oil. Other means of “carrying” the essential oil would be salts and sugars, such as a face or body scrub or epsom salts for a bath. Water can also be used, such as when creating your own room or body spray with essential oils.
Diluting the oils can be a mix of art and science. While there are general guidelines for diluting essential oils, there is room for experimenting with your dilutions.
Dilution rates can range from .1% to 5% depending on what oil you’re using and for what purpose. Generally, for daily use, you'll want a lower ratio and for more acute situations a higher ratio is used.
This dilution chart from the Tisserand Institute shows how much variation can exist when it comes to using essential oils. Hence the line between science and art.
Just remember, you can always add more oil to your blend, but you can’t take it out. So start out with less and add more as you go.
Generally, a safe dilution for most aromatherapy and personal care applications is 2%. A maximum 1% dilution should be used on children, pregnant women, and elderly persons.
What does “neat” application mean?
Neat is a term in the essential oil world that means an oil is safe to use without being diluted. Lavender, Frankincense, and Tea Tree are examples of oils that are commonly used “neat” or without a carrier oil and do not cause irritation in most people. Other oils for neat application include Ylang Ylang and Chamomile.
Some oils like spearmint and peppermint are up for debate. Some people can use it straight while others will be affected. Now, we’re all unique so if you already know you have sensitive skin or you have eczema or psoriasis, start with a small patch test of an oil to see how your skin reacts. If you don’t see any redness or itching within 5 minutes, you can continue using the oil without dilution.
What happens if you don’t dilute your essential oils
The most common adverse reaction is a skin irritation that may result in itching, burning or a rash. This doesn’t happen for everyone, and different oils will have different reactions for different people.
Does diluting essential oils make them less potent?
Not at all. Actually diluting them in carrier oils can actually increase the efficacy of the essential oils and the skin can more readily absorb the precious plant compounds.
As always, we’re available to connect and continue the conversation. Give us a call at 1 (800) 939-7547 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm Pacific Time, reach out to us on Facebook messenger, or email us at hello@infusedessence.com. We’re always here to help.
