Essential oil safety should be first on your list, especially when first starting out on your aromatherapy journey.
—–> Before using any essential oils, please read these helpful primers: Cautions & Warnings before Using Essential Oils, AND How to use Essential Oils:.
Almost all pure essential oils should be used diluted (mixed with a carrier such as sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, etc.), especially if you will be using them on the skin. Remember that essential oils are extremely concentrated, as they include the whole spirit or “life blood” of the plant, flower, resin or root they originated from. 
Did you know that it takes 30 large roses to make 1 drop of rose oil, and 60,000 roses (about 180 lbs. of rose petals) to make 1 ounce of Rose oil?
Now you know why it is so expensive!
Really, none of the essential oils should be applied neat (undiluted) with the exception of lavender or tea tree essential oils. Essential oils can cross the blood/brain barrier¹ and get into your blood stream through the skin, so get good oils!
And remember too, that they come from natural plants so some may be allergic to their properties.
How do you know if you’re allergic to a specific essential oil?
Please try a patch test before using any essential oil blend on your skin by applying 1 drop of essential oil diluted (in a carrier like olive oil, coconut oil, jojoba, etc…) to the inside of your elbow, cover it with a band-aid and leave for 24 hours to check for allergic reaction.
Dilution Ratios for Blends and Essential Oil Recipes
Using the following ratios for your essential oil blends and recipes should keep you within the safe zone.
- 60 drops e.o. / 1 oz. carrier = 10% dilution ( for room sprays, aromatic spritzers, + aromatherapy inhalers)
- 30 drops of e.o. (like rose, jasmine, neroli, sandalwood, etc.) to 1 oz carrier such as Fractionated Coconut Oil or Jojoba makes 5% dilution.
- 20 drops e.o. / 1 oz = 3% dilution.
- 15 drops essential oils / 1 oz of carrier is called a 2.5% “normal” dilution.
- 9 drops essential oils / 1 oz of carrier would constitute a “light dilution”, also called a 1.5% dilution.
- 6 drops e.o. / 1 oz carrier is 1% dilution
- FOR INFANTS or SMALL CHILDREN, ELDERLY or PREGNANT use 3-6 drops e.o. / 1 oz of carrier for a 0.5-1% dilution
There’s about 600 total drops in 1 fluid ounce if you want to figure out a different dilution percentage.
Body sprays can handle up to 60 drops of e.o. per every 4 ounces of carrier,
Room sprays, up to 100 drops per every 4 ounces of water (or carrier) is the normal range .
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Dilution Ratios for Topical Applications
WARNING! Using these essential oils applications may become addicting, and promote further uses and studies of nature’s little wonders. 
The Prescription for Nutritional Healing recommends the following dilution ratios:
- Baths: 8 drops essential oil for one tub of water
- Body Lotion: 25 drops essential oil for 8 ounces
- Carpet Freshener: 25 drops essential oil to 16 oz of water
- Cleaning: 25 drops essential oil to 2 gallons of water
- Facial Oil: 6 drops of essential oil to 1 ounce of jojoba oil
- Hair Conditioner: 1 drop of essential oil to 6 oz of unscented conditioner
- Massage Oil: 25 drops of essential oil to 2 ounces of almond oil.
- Perfume: 12 drops essential oil to one half oz of fractionated coconut oil or jojoba oil, or water.
- Room Deodorizer: 25 drops of essential oil to 16 oz of water
- Shampoo: 12 drops of essential oil to 16 oz of unscented shampoo
RESOURCES & More Reading;
- Cautions & Warnings before Using Essential Oils, AND How to use Essential Oils:.
- ¹An investigation of the ability of elements to pass through the blood-brain barrier and its effect on brain carcinomas. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2009;61:1653–1656. [PubMed],Wu XS, Xie T, Lin J, et al.
- Prescription for Nutritional Healing
