In the last blog post about essential oil safety we talked about terms to know.
This week we will dig in to dilution a bit and the different carrier oils you can use to dilute your oils. I like to look at each oil for it’s properties and then choose my carrier oil based on the benefits it provides in relationship to what I am trying to achieve with my essential oils.
Many times fractionated coconut oil is recommended across the board. This is not an oil I personally choose to use. I do, however, use regular coconut oil frequently but because there are so many sources about the uses of coconut oil I picked out some alternatives to cover. Most of these carrier oils and butters are readily available in most grocery, or heath food stores. There may be a few you are not be quite as familiar with, but those you can not find locally are easily attainable through online resources.
Apricot Kernel Oil a light weight oil, gentle, great for dry, damaged, sensitive skin
Avocado Oil thick but easily absorbed, great for sensitive, dry skin or skin conditions such as eczema
Cocoa Butter thick and solid at room temperature, unrefined has the smell of chocolate, rich moisturizer, great for dry, damaged skin
Grapeseed Oil light thin oil with little to no scent, nourishing to the skin with mild astringent properties
Hemp Seed Oil similar in consistency to olive oil, contains anti-inflammatory properties, great for inflamed, dry, or irritated skin
Jojoba Oil oil consistency most resembles human sebum, great for balancing skin’s oil production, anti-inflammatory properties, usually used in combination with other oils
Neem Oil thick dark green oil with a strong aroma, great insect repellant, useful in haircare products and fungal or bacterial infections, usually used in combination with other oils
Olive Oil medium consistency, absorbs easily, readily available, great general use oil, has a stronger aroma
Shea Butter thick heavy consistency, strong earthy aroma, great for all skin types, especially healing to damaged skin
Sunflower Oil light thin oil that is easily absorbed, great multi purpose oil
Dilution:
1% dilution is equal to 1 drop of essential oil per teaspoon of carrier oil, 2 drops would be 2%, 3 drops 3% and so on. To make a larger quantity for future use 6 drops of essential oil for every one ounce of carrier oil to achieve a 1% dilution. You want to make sure your oils are always thoroughly combined into your carrier oil before application. The larger area that you are applying your oil to the lower dilution you need, because the absorption area is increased. I recommended always starting with the lowest dilution and working from there. This is particularly important with children and elderly individuals where it may be appropriate to start at a .5% dilution.
A lesson in dilution wouldn’t be complete with out mentioning NEVER add your oils directly to water, essential oils are lipid (fat) soluble and do not incorporate into water.
My goal is to help you learn to choose the proper oils to get the desired outcome you're looking for in you natural product selection. If you're ready to learn more pick up a coming of my new e-book Essential Oil Love, where you'll learn about carrier oil selection, how to choose essential oils, and properly dilute them for home use and so much more! Grab your copy of Essential Oil Love here.