Dilution of essential oils is the most important thing to learn in aromatherapy.
Image by Photo Mix from Pixabay
Dilution of essential oils is sometimes tricky, what size bottle, jar or tin are we using? Did we double or halve the recipe?
Most of the time, that is an easy equation to figure out: 5-6 drops per 30 ml of carrier.
That should be the end of my blog…but it is not.
What about the oils that we must use in low dilution? Say a .07%? How do we figure that out?
I do not want to make 30 ml of anything, just a 10 ml rollerball…. how much essential oil is that?
Or a 5 ml bottle—I use those a lot.
Uses for essential oils are in the chart below, note the dilution rate for specific issues.
| Dilution | Used for |
|---|---|
| 1% | Face, children, pregnant women, immune compromised |
| 2% | Daily use, massage oils, larger area of body |
| 3% | Specific injury of muscle, tendon or bone |
| 4% | Local area such as chest congestion |
| 5% or above | Severe pain, muscle cramps, bruising |
Easy to use dilution tables for various sizes of bottles:
| Dilution | Bottle size | Drops of stock blend |
|---|---|---|
| 1% | 5 ml | 1 drop |
| 2% | 5 ml | 2 drops |
| 3% | 5 ml | 3 drops |
| 4% | 5 ml | 4 drops |
| 5% | 5 ml | 5 drops |
| 10% | 5 ml | 10 drops |
| Dilution | Bottle Size | Drops of essential oil |
|---|---|---|
| .50% | 10 ml | 1 drop |
| 1% | 10 ml | 2 drops |
| 2% | 10 ml | 4 drops |
| 3% | 10 ml | 6 drops |
| 4% | 10 ml | 8 drops |
| 5% | 10 ml | 10 drops |
| 10% | 10 ml | 20 drops |
| Dilution | Bottle Size | Drops of essential oil |
|---|---|---|
| 1% | 30 ml | 5-6 drops |
| 2% | 30 ml | 10-12 drops |
| 3% | 30 ml | 15-18 drops |
| 4% | 30 ml | 20-24 drops |
| 5% | 30 ml | 25-30 drops |
Do your research on oils that have dermal restrictions, such as Phenols or Aldehydes.
Image by Irina Ilina from Pixabay
Using these dilutions is important in helping to modulate various issues that may arise.
Whether it is a pulled muscle that needs a massage oil or a cough that just won’t go away. The dilution that you use will help get the results that you are looking for, all with safety in mind.
Happy blending,
Crystal