How To Dilute Essential Oils Guide + How and Where To Apply | Top 15 Essential Oil Questions | Video 9
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Today, we're talking about how to dilute your essential oils, and how to apply them.
Your guide to diluting essential oils for beginners
We get asked all the time: Do essential oils need to be diluted? The answer is yes, but how much and what you use to dilute them with depends on how you want to use them!
How to dilute essential oils with carrier oils:
When you’re diluting essential oils with a carrier oil, like coconut oil it’s actually really easy. Just add the essential oil(s) and mix thoroughly. That’s it!
Once your essential oils are diluted in a carrier oil, you can add the diluted mixture to a roll on bottle, a DIY, or just add about a tablespoon of carrier oil and a drop or two of essential oil directly to your palm for an immediate and quick use.
If you want to learn more about carrier oils, be sure to go back and check out video number 8 in the series, which tells you everything you need to know about carrier oils!
How to dilute essential oils with water:
If you’re wondering how to dilute essential oils with water, it’s a little more complicated than other options. You don’t ‘dilute’ essential oils in water, you have to add an emulsifier, like Solubol or Polysorbate, in order for the oils to properly disperse. Emulsifiers are generally used at 0.5-1.5% dilution, and you should also consider adding a preservative if your product isn’t going to be used right away. So if you’re going to use your oils in the bath, dilute them in your favorite natural body wash instead of just adding them to the water!
How to decide which dilution to use:
The second question we get a lot is: How do I decide which dilution to use? While there is no solid rule set-in-stone for diluting essential oils, there are some guidelines you should follow based on age and how your using the oils.
For normal, daily use of essential oils for adults, we recommend a 2% dilution [Retha adds and example of an oil she dilutes at 2%].
For acuate situations for adults, you can temporarily go up to a 5-10% dilution for a short period of time. Make sure you still keep in mind the maximum dermal rates of the oils you’re using [Retha to add an example of an oil/situation she uses this dilution]
For children, oftentimes a 2% dilution or lower is recommended.
For babies between 0-3 months, we recommend a general dilution of 0.1%-0.2% (1-2 drops of essential oil per 1 ounce of carrier when being used for whole body application. For spot usage, you can use 3-9 drops of essential oil per 1 ounce of carrier.).
For children ages 3-24 months, we recommend a general dilution of 0.25%-0.5% (2-4 drops of essential oil per 1 ounce of carrier when being used for whole body application. For spot usage, you can use 9-27 drops of essential oil per 1 ounce carrier oil.).
For children 2 and older, a 2% dilution is recommended.
When applying essential oils to the whole body, like in massage, we recommend maintaining a low, 1%-2% dilution for adults, and a 1% or lower for children.
When adding essential oils to the bathtub, we recommend diluting to no more than 2% in a carrier oil or unscented body wash. Be sure to avoid hot oils like peppermint, cinnamon, and oregano in the bath!
When cleaning with essential oils, a 5% dilution is good for a spray bottle cleaner and for linen sprays we recommend a 2 - 3 % dilution.
Where to put essential oils and the best areas to apply
How to apply essential oils topically:
After you dilute your essential oils, they can be applied to the body, but it’s important to know how to apply essential oils topically. They can be rubbed on the body, they can be massaged into the skin, or they can be rolled on if using a roller bottle.
Best areas to apply essential oil & Where to rub essential oil:
There really is no “best” area to apply essential oils. Generally speaking, diluted essential oils are best applied to the area of the body you’re having trouble with.
If you’re having discomfort in your back, you can apply the essential oils directly to your back! If you’re wanting to support healthy hair growth, like me, then massaging essential oils diluted into your favorite shampoo directly on the scalp would work best.
If you have any questions about dilution, please leave a comment below and we’ll be sure to help you out!
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