Essential oils are incredibly potent plant essences. It can take hundreds of pounds of plant material to create a single bottle of essential oil! Below we’ve summarized dilution guidelines for common essential oil uses, as well as extra precautions to take with children and pregnant or lactating women.

Using essential oils on your skin

Recommended dilution ratios depend on the specific situation and use, as described in the graphic above. It is also important to consider the strength of the specific oil you are using, for example several drops of lavender can be used to every one drop of rose. Carrier oils (vegetable-based oils like jojoba oil or avocado oil or unscented lotion) should be used as a base when applying essential oils to skin.

Using essential oils in a bath

Essential oils can be added to a bath when combined with salts, milk, and a carrier oil like jojoba oil.

Salts

• 5-6 total drops of essential oils + 2 ounces of Pink Himalayan salt + 1 Tbsp of castile soap or a carrier oil such as jojoba.
• Mix well until blended before adding the mixture to your bath.

Milk

• 3-4 total drops of essential oil + 1 cup organic whole milk or cream + 1Tbsp carrier oil such as jojoba
• Mix well and add the mixture to your bath.

Carrier Oils

• 3-4 total drops of essential oil + 1 Tbsp carrier oil (We recommend jojoba oil).
• Mix well and add the mixture to your bath.

Using essential oils in a spray

• 10-15 drops of essential oils + 1-2 drops Solubol (Dispersant) for every 5 drops of essential oil + water or hydrosol to fill a 2 fl oz. spray bottle
• Spray freely in any room or on linens.

Using essential oils in a steam

• 1 drop of essential oil or 1 drop of an essential oil blend + one bowl of steamy water.
• Make sure that the water is just steaming, not boiling. CLOSE YOUR EYES and lean over the bowl to breathe in the oil. You can create a tent to hold the steam by tucking a towel around your head and the bowl. If it feels too hot, give the water more time to cool.

Using essential oils in an inhaler

For Adults

• 15-18 drops of essential oil + a cotton inhaler wick

For Children Over 5

• 4-5 drops of essential oil + a cotton inhaler wick

Using essential oils for children over 5 and pregnant or lactating women

Essential oils are very helpful for children as well as pregnant or lactating mothers, however, the safety information for each blend or essential oil should be carefully reviewed. We include safety information on all of our product pages. We also recommend reviewing our simple guidelines for using essential oils with pregnant or lactating women by reading our blog, Essential oils & pregnancy: What you need to know.