CAN I USE ESSENTIAL OILS NEAT ON THE SKIN?
Essental oils must never be put neat onto the skin. Oils should always be mixed in a carrier (base) oil first. The exception to this is Lavender, Tea Tree and Lemon essential oils.
Lavender essential oil. One drop may be used neat for burns, spots, bites, blisters, bruises and cuts or try one drop on the temples to relieve a headache.
Tea Tree essential oil. One drop may be used neat for cuts, spots, cold sores, verrucae, warts and athlete’s foot.
Lemon essential oil. One drop may be used neat for warts and verrucae.
HOW MANY DROPS OF ESSENTIAL OIL SHOULD I ADD TO THE CARRIER OIL FOR MASSAGE?
The amount depends upon the strength of the blend you require. The strength of blend can be from 0.5% up to 3%. To see how this is worked out, please examine the following information:-
|
Blend
% |
10mls
of Carrier Oil |
25mls
of Carrier Oil |
50mls
of Carrier Oil |
100mls
of Carrier Oil |
|
0.5% -
Drops of Essential Oil > |
1 |
2.5 |
5 |
10 |
|
1% -
Drops of Essential Oil > |
2 |
5 |
10 |
20 |
|
1.5% -
Drops of Essential Oil > |
3 |
7.5 |
15 |
30 |
|
2% -
Drops of Essential Oil > |
4 |
10 |
20 |
40 |
|
2.5% -
Drops of Essential Oil > |
5 |
12.5 |
25 |
50 |
|
3% -
Drops of Essential Oil > |
6 |
15 |
30 |
60 |
For most people, a 2.5% blend is adequate for massage purposes or a blend for the bath, so, if you use 50mls of a carrier oil (such as Sweet Almond Oil or Grapeseed Oil), by looking at the chart above, you can work out how many drops of essential oil you can add. Look at the column for 50ml of carrier oil and then look along the row where it shows 2.5% drops of essential oil. Where they meet is the number of drops to use, in this case, 25 drops of essential oil. If you have 10mls of carrier oil, you would need to add 5 drops of essential oil and so on. For these blends you can add up to four different essential oils and any mixture of carrier oils (but please look at carrier oils on the essential oils page to check how much of each carrier oil you can use in any one blend).
For babies, children and pregnant women, the percentages must be greatly reduced. Please look at the information below to check the correct dosages:-
|
Blend
% |
10mls
of Carrier
Oil |
25mls
of Carrier
Oil |
50mls
of Carrier
Oil |
100mls
of Carrier
Oil |
|
Pregnant Woman
(1%) |
2 |
5 |
10 |
20 |
|
Babies
0-12 Months
(0.5%) |
1 |
2.5 |
5 |
10 |
|
Infants
1-6 Years
(1%) |
2 |
5 |
10 |
20 |
|
Children
7-11 Years
(1.5%) |
3 |
7.5 |
15 |
30 |
|
Children
12 & Over
(2.5%) |
5 |
12.5 |
25 |
50 |
Please check on the baby and child page for which oils are suitable for babies and children and look on the essential oils page for which oils should be avoided in pregnancy.
OTHER THAN MASSAGE, WHAT OTHER WAYS ARE THERE FOR USING ESSENTIAL OILS?
Here are some suggestions for other ways to use essential oils:-
wAPPLY AS A SKIN OIL (DILUTED FIRST)*
wADD TO BATHWATER (DILUTED FIRST)*
wINHALE VIA AN OIL BURNER, VAPORISER, BOWL OF HOT WATER OR HANDKERCHIEF
wADD TO WATER TO MAKE A ROOM FRESHENER OR LINEN SPRAY ADD TO VODKA TO MAKE A PERFUME
wADD ONE DROP TO PILLOW OR BEDDING TO AID SLEEP, HELP A COLD, GET IN A SENSUAL MOOD ETC.
*Essential oils diluted in carrier oil can be used as a skin oil or in the bath. When putting an oil blend in the bath, please be aware that the water needs to be agitated well and that the oils may make the bath slippery and may leave a ring around the bath. To avoid both, essential oils may be diluted in milk or vodka before adding to the bath. |
