Dilution and Safety
Essential oils are pure and powerful and need to be treated with respect.
For safety it is suggested that for topical application all oils be diluted as per the ratios below, but use discretion and common sense and dilute more if you are sensitive or using potent oils like Oregano, Clove or Cinnamon Bark.
Don’t use essential oils in your eyes, nasal cavity, mouth, never in your ears (around the ears is fine), your pits or your genitalia. Essentially, you want to take care around the thin membranes i.e. webbing of fingers and toes.
If you have a reaction or an oil or oil blend is too strong, dilute with carrier oil or milk – never water.
Diluting with milk is for when the essential oils are stinging or burning the thin membranes or elsewhere on the skin. Essential oils on fingers and hands means this can happen. In this case, e.g. in the eyes - you can dilute with a ‘milk shot’ over the affect area.
For larger areas of skin, a cooling, soothing cream can help like the dōTERRA unscented Hand and Body Lotion or extra carrier oil. A cool compress wet with cool water and/or aloe vera after the fat has diluted the oils can then be applied. One never uses water to dilute, it just makes it worse driving the oils in. The fats ‘pick up’ the essential oil molecules and they bond themselves to the fat - in this way applying a fat such as oil or milk to a cotton ball/pad, and gently swiping the oils, the essential oils bond to the fat and come off the affected area such as the eye.
Less is more with children. They need tiny amounts depending on their weight - you can slowly increase number of drops as they grow.
For safety it is suggested that for topical application all oils be diluted as per the ratios below, but use discretion and common sense and dilute more if you are sensitive or using potent oils like Oregano, Clove or Cinnamon Bark.
Don’t use essential oils in your eyes, nasal cavity, mouth, never in your ears (around the ears is fine), your pits or your genitalia. Essentially, you want to take care around the thin membranes i.e. webbing of fingers and toes.
If you have a reaction or an oil or oil blend is too strong, dilute with carrier oil or milk – never water.
Diluting with milk is for when the essential oils are stinging or burning the thin membranes or elsewhere on the skin. Essential oils on fingers and hands means this can happen. In this case, e.g. in the eyes - you can dilute with a ‘milk shot’ over the affect area.
For larger areas of skin, a cooling, soothing cream can help like the dōTERRA unscented Hand and Body Lotion or extra carrier oil. A cool compress wet with cool water and/or aloe vera after the fat has diluted the oils can then be applied. One never uses water to dilute, it just makes it worse driving the oils in. The fats ‘pick up’ the essential oil molecules and they bond themselves to the fat - in this way applying a fat such as oil or milk to a cotton ball/pad, and gently swiping the oils, the essential oils bond to the fat and come off the affected area such as the eye.
Less is more with children. They need tiny amounts depending on their weight - you can slowly increase number of drops as they grow.
doTERRA Safety Information
doTERRA has compiled an extensive selection of material to educate on the safe use of essential oils.
Dilution Ratio Guideline
Carrier Oils
A carrier oil is an oil or a wax (in the case of Jojoba, a fluid wax) that allows for an essential oil or oil blend to be placed on the body or in a roller bottle in a diluted and safe manner.
Carrier oils have the benefit of adding their own properties, which will differ depending on the carrier oil used, and part of the charm of making a blend is also considering how the blend will be used and what carrier oil will best support this use. See the table below detailing the carrier oils I use and recommend.
Benefits of a Carrier Oil
Carrier oils have the benefit of adding their own properties, which will differ depending on the carrier oil used, and part of the charm of making a blend is also considering how the blend will be used and what carrier oil will best support this use. See the table below detailing the carrier oils I use and recommend.
Benefits of a Carrier Oil
- Effectively transports the essential oils onto the skin and into the body
- Enables us to use essential oils safely on adults and children
- Saves money; up to 70-80% of an essential oil used neat will evaporate if it is not rubbed into the skin immediately
- Enhances the effectiveness of an essential oil or oil blend
doTERRA Fractionated Coconut Oil
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dōTERRA has their own carrier oil - a Fractionated Coconut Oil (FCO). Removal of most of the long chain triglycerides leaving mainly the medium chain triglycerides, gives FCO it a very long shelf life and greatly increased stability and great versatility as a carrier oil.
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