Essential Oils Dilution & Safety Guide
At Base Essentials, we’re passionate about high-quality, pure essential oil, which is why we go to great lengths to ensure all of our oils are 100% pure and included as part of our Premium Purity Guarantee. We conducting many tests, including GC/MS testing, on each batch of oil we offer and have each report approved by essential oil chemists and aromatherapists. Our unrelenting focus on purity means that we need to be careful as we consider the potency of these oils.
As you explore the use of essential oils, pay attention to how the different oils and methods affect you. If you are concerned with the outcomes speak to a qualified aromatherapist, naturopath or other medical professional.
HOW TO USE ESSENTIAL OILS SAFELY
Essential oils can be safely used to enhance your well-being and as part of a healthy lifestyle. They are used by millions of people every day throughout the world, most of them without incident. However, essential oils are powerful substances and can be harmful if not used with care and precaution. The essential oil in a bottle is 50-100 times more concentrated than in the plant, which is why most applications involve only a handful of drops.
While the increase and use of essential oils continues to grow it is important to still incorporate safety habits into your usage. Three primary considerations are dose (how much), concentration (how much dilution depending on purpose) and duration (how long you continuously use an oil, think of your diffuser here). It’s good to do your own deeper research but here are our top five tips on using Essential Oils safely.
Essential Oils should always be diluted when applying directly to your skin.
The most common adverse reaction, experienced by many people every year is a skin reaction due to undiluted essential oils being applied directly to the skin. Using a carrier oil such as Fractionated Coconut Oil or Jojoba oil allows the impact of the essential oil to be spread over a greater surface area and protects the sensitivity of skin. This is generally at a concentration level of no more than 2-5%. That means if you have one teaspoon of a carrier oil you would add 3 drops of pure essential oil. This would make a 3% solution that could be used on a portion of the body. The Tisserand Institute recommends the following general guidelines, but you should always take care due to the potency of oils and reduce concentration for more sensitive skin. (https://tisserandinstitute.org/safety-guidelines/ )
| END USE | DILUTION RANGE |
| Facial cosmetics | 0.2-1.5% |
| Body massage | 1.5-3% |
| Bath & body products | 1-4% |
| Specific problems | 4-10% |
Less is More.
The powerful potency of essential oils means that you don’t need to lather yourself in pure essential oils. In most cases a handful of drops is sufficient for the usage and benefit that you are seeking.
Diffuse Essential Oils Sensibly.
If you are diffusing essential oils, it makes more sense to do this intermittently rather than constantly, all day long. Ideally, diffuse essential oils for 30-60 minutes on, then 30-60 minutes off. The impact of the essential oils will linger in our bodies and nervous system, so you don’t need to have the diffuser going to continue to feel the benefit of inhalation. Be sure to diffuse in a well ventilated space.
Essential Oils should not be ingested without advice from a qualified/licensed practitioner.
The potency of essential oils means that careful considerations should be given to any ingestion of essential oils. Upon ingestion, essential oils come into direct contact with vital organs such as the tongue, mouth, oesophagus, stomach, etc. Because essential oils are miscible with fats, they attach to the mucous membrane which lines these organs. (https://roberttisserand.com/2015/08/robert-tisserand-interviewed-on-ingestion-dilution-and-other-safety-issues/)
Never let children use essential oils without the presence of an adult knowledgeable about their use.
You should keep essential oils in a place where young children cannot reach them, and never let them handle essential oils bottles. Even very young children can unscrew caps on essential oil bottles and drink the contents. The fact that the bottle contains an orifice reducer helps a little, but young children are used to sucking liquids. So store them somewhere safe.