This Article has been up dated and is now located on the this page. How can Essential Oils Help me with my health?
To the Top of the PageI know it is Mid October but before long you will be busy making those personal gifts we all like to make for our friends and relatives.
Again, it is a wonderful and fun way to introduce them to essential oils. Soon they will see why you enjoy the wonderful benefits these precious oils provide. And you get to have fun along the way too.
We are often asked how much essential oil to add to unscented lotions, shampoos, and massage oils. Also about how much to add to other liquids where they are applied to the body or used into the air (Spray misting).
The general rule of thumb in aromatherapy is to use a 2% dilution of essential oils when added to any finished product that is to be applied to the skin. Of course there are exceptions.
The simple thing to remember about adding essential oil to your final product is if the final product is going to remain on the skin or will it be washed off.
Any essential oils in the blend should be about a 1- 2% dilution or less if it will be left on the skin such as in a lotion or cream or body spray. If used on a baby or the elderly reduce the dilution to .5% to 1%.
If your blend is going to be used in a product that will be washed off or rinsed away, you can blend it stronger up to a 5-10% dilution.
Products that are washed off or rinsed away include: Shampoos, Hair Conditioners, & Shower gel. Again, though if you are using it on a child less then 5 years or the elderly reduce the dilution to 2-5%.
Lotions or products used on and left on the skin such as toners and massage oils should only be blended in a 1- 2% dilution, again less if used on babies or the elderly.
Here are some general guidelines that are easier than having to do the percentage calculations. Remember these are guidelines and usually will give your finished product a nice scent.
Although the particular essential oils used in the blend may need to be adjusted. Some essential oils such as Peppermint are very strong and you may only need a drop or two to make a wonderful smelling blend. Others are much softer and may end up being the bulk of the percentage of your blend.
The suggested amounts of essential oils to use in most base products are:
6 drops per ounce of carrier base. This is about 1% dilution - you can triple the drops per ounce to make a 3% dilution but do be careful as 3% is a fairly strong blend for a general massage.
10-12 drops per ounce of product base. Because this will be washed off you will see that you can increase the amount of essential oils used in these types of products.
- 6 drops per ounce of carrier base. This is about 1% dilution and makes a nice light scent because this is something that is left on. Remember use less if for babies or the elderly
for use on the skin of the face 2-3 drops per ounce of liquid.
You dont want this to be very strong as these are typically left on until your face dries. And too much oil that close to your nose may be over powering. (This might be too strong for some folks you might only need 1 drop per ounce)
no more than 5 drops to 2 cups of hot water.
added to distilled water or our Room spray base Varies with the essential oils used but not unusual to be as high as 50 or more drops per 4 ounces of water. Make sure you use an emulsifier to help keep your essential oils in suspension in water based liquids.
added to distilled water or Linen Spray base Again, since this is usually a bed pillow or bed sheet you will want to keep the dilution or concentration lower. You dont want to have the scent too strong for sleeping. Use about 10-12 drops per ounce of liquid.
Keep the percentage to 1%. Use only 20-24 drops per 4 ounces of liquid base.
You have to make sure your directions are clear to the recipient of your bath salts especially if you are making them a jar full of Bath Salts.
The rule is that in a bath tub you should use no more than a combined total of 8 drops of essential oils to the tub. If they are to add ½ cup of Bath salt then your blend should contain 8 drops of essential oils.
But if you want them to use 1 cup of bath salts then the Bath Salt needs to again be blended so that the 1 cup of bath salts would contain just 8 drops of essential oils.
Personally I like more Salt in my Tub since we have an extra large tub and to stay within the recommended guidelines I use my Bath Salt Base blend (its just a wonderful blend of Sea Salt, Epsom salt and Sodium bicarbonate) and just add upto the 8 drops of pure essential oils to my tub.
My favorite: Calming Blend of course. Unless Im under the weather then its 4 drops of Four Robbers blend and 4 drops of Pure Cleansing blend in a nice hot tub!
Hope this will help you decide on how much to use in your blends. As always, if you should develop any kind of irritation, then you should discontinue use and reformulate your recipe for next time.
Also for beginners - start with a little just a couple drops of essential oils and only add more to your blends as needed. You can always add more to a formulation but its really tough to take it out!
Last but not least WRITE YOUR FORMULATIONS down!! This is a must so you dont have to repeat your experimentations later! Happy Blending!
For more recipes see our Recipes Files or page through the Book - "Aromatherapy Recipes using Pure Essential oils Volume 1 by Penny Keay
Spruce needle 10 drops
Lime 10 drops
Frankincense 10 drops
Blend in a glass bottle. Then use in a Personal inhaler or diffuse in the room. This blend is good to help you be more productive and creative.
Mandarin 15 drops
Ylang-Ylang 10 drops
Sandalwood 5 drops
Amyris 5 drops
Blend in a glass bottle then use in a Terra Cotta Disc placed near the head of your bed. This can be used in a relaxing bath, just put 6-8 drops in the tub as it is filling. Dont forget to add some Bath Salts too.
Peppermint 20 drops
Spruce needle 20 drops
Eucalyptus citriodora 5 drops
Lime 5 drops
Rosemary 5 drops
Polysorbate 20 emulsifier 1 teaspoonful
Room Spray Base or Distilled water 2 oz
Blend essential oils in a 100 ml Glass Beaker then add the emulsifier. Stir and blend well.
Then add your Room spray or distilled water. Stir again well then pour into your Spray or misting bottle. Shake well before spraying the room.
Cassia 3 drops
Clove bud 1 drop
Orange 3 drops
Tangerine 2 drops
Blend in a glass bottle and diffuse in a Ceramic Tealight diffusersor other Tea light diffuser.
Remember to use a soy wax tart in your diffuser to keep your essential oils from burning and to protect your tealight diffuser from breakage.
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