Although essential oils are very versatile, it's important to know how to use them safely. In this blog, I'll provide some guidelines and advice so you can use your oils safely and responsibly.


DILUTING

Essential oils are highly concentrated and therefore very potent. To use them safely, you need to dilute them. This makes your essential oil more absorbable by your skin and helps to reduce/prevent evaporation, allowing you to enjoy the oil's effects for longer. Diluting essential oil also reduces the chance of skin reactions. Your essential oils will also last longer, as you'll need less to use. It's not only safe, but also sustainable for the environment and, of course, for your wallet.

When diluting essential oil, you should consider the purpose of use, the user's age, and their health*. For example, consider medication use, pregnancy, and illness. There are various situations where you should not use certain essential oils. Make sure to get proper advice on this.

The body part where it's applied also plays a role in the degree of dilution. The following dilution table (for adults) can be used as a guideline:

% essential oil Number of drops of essential oil
Face 0.2 - 1.5% 0.3 - 4.5 drops per 10 ml
Body 1.5 - 3.0% 4.5 - 9 drops per 10 ml
Bath 1.0 - 4.0% 3 - 12 drops per 10 ml
Specific complaints 4.0 - 10.0% 12 - 30 drops per 10 ml
Acute pain / wounds 5.0 - 20.0% 15 - 60 drops per 10 ml

N.B. Always start with the lowest percentage and build up if necessary.
Source: Jacqueline van Liere, Makor Care.

💡 TIP: A simple guideline you can use is: 1 drop of essential oil per 1 teaspoon (approx. 5 ml) of carrier oil for a 1% dilution.

MIXING

As you may know, oil does not mix with water. So you need a substance that is fat-soluble, such as one (or a combination) of the products below:

  • A carrier oil, such as fractionated coconut oil, almond oil, or jojoba oil
  • A fat, such as shea butter, mango butter, or coconut oil
  • Another fat-soluble substance, such as alcohol (96%), Castile soap, or another (basic) soap

The following products are water-soluble and therefore do not mix with your essential oil:

  • Water
  • Hydrosols
  • Witch Hazel
  • Glycerin
  • (Epsom) salt

Of course, you can make products based on water-soluble substances. In that case, use an emulsifier to mix the oil part and the water part, which helps to spread your essential oil better. And preferably also a preservative, as water can cause all kinds of yeasts, molds, and bacteria in your end product.

BASIC TIPS

Ready to get started? Check out the following tips and information for making your own products.

Room spray
You can make a room spray based on alcohol (96%). Fill your bottle with drops of essential oil and top up with alcohol. Alcohol also acts as a preservative, so you can use your blend for a long time without it becoming 'dirty'.

> If you prefer to make a spray based on a water-soluble substance, such as witch hazel and/or a hydrosol, use an emulsifier to mix the water and your essential oil, for example the plant-based emulsifier solubol.

> If you prefer not to use an emulsifier, understand that your essential oils will float on the water surface, while the opening of your spray top's straw is at the bottom of the bottle. Shaking well before use is then very important to ensure your oils come out of your spray top.

Bath salt (Epsom salt)
If you want to make a wonderful bath salt, first mix the essential oil with a carrier oil before mixing it further with (Epsom) salt. For example, use fractionated coconut oil or almond oil.

It's important to know when making bath salt that you should only use essential oils suitable for bath use, and that you dilute them correctly by first mixing them with a carrier oil. As soon as you are in a warm bath, your skin opens up and becomes even more sensitive. The bath salt melts in the warm water, releasing the essential oils onto the water's surface. Since these do not mix with the bath water, it's important that they are diluted (by means of the carrier oil) before they come into contact with your warm, more sensitive skin.

Creams and balms
To make a cream, you often use a butter, such as shea butter or coconut oil. For balms, wax is often used, such as soy wax or beeswax. Of course, you can also combine butters and waxes.

Melt the butter and/or wax slowly in a bain-marie, so that the valuable properties are preserved and they don't burn. Once your butter and/or wax has melted, let it cool down a bit before adding the essential oil, so that they don't evaporate due to the heat.

💡 TIP: If you want to make your final cream a bit lighter, use a mixer to whip your finished product to a fluffier consistency.

Lotions
If you want to make a more liquid lotion, add a water-soluble substance to your oil/butter/wax mixture, such as (demineralized) water, hydrosol, or witch hazel.

To mix the water part and the oil part, you need an emulsifier, possibly a co-emulsifier to obtain a stable mixture and prevent separation, and a preservative for the shelf life of your blend. Making a lotion is therefore slightly more complicated to do, but certainly not impossible with the right products and a good recipe.

Heat the butter and/or wax together with an emulsifier (e.g. Olivem 1000) and co-emulsifier (e.g. Cetyl Alcohol) to 70°C. In a second bowl, do the same with the water-soluble substance. Once both mixtures have reached a temperature of 70°C, combine them and mix with a milk frother or hand blender until a milky mixture is formed. Let the mixture cool to 45°C and add the preservative (e.g. Cosgard (Geogard® 221)) and the essential oils. Mix well and let cool. The mixture will slowly thicken.

💡 TIP: If you like to make water-based (care) products, use a preservative to extend the shelf life of your product. Water can become 'dirty' over time, so you need to protect it from all kinds of yeasts, molds, and bacteria. One of the products you can use for this is Cosgard (Geogard® 221), an organic preservative.

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Disclaimer:

* It is very important that you use 100% pure essential oils and get proper advice on which oils you can take responsibly and which oils you cannot.

** There may be a possible interaction between medicines and essential oils, including an intensification of the side effects of medicines. Consult your doctor if you have any questions about implementing essential oils into your daily routine. Pay particular attention to what essential oil is safe to use during a (possible) pregnancy and when using blood thinners. Specific guidelines also apply to children. Consult a qualified doctor for this.

This information has been compiled with the greatest possible care. The information is not intended to make diagnoses, not intended to treat, cure, and prevent in case of illness, nor to replace medical advice from professional doctors and medicines. Anyone suffering from an illness or injury should consult a qualified doctor.

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