Table of Contents
- Essential Oil Dilution Calculator
- Why Dilute Essential Oils?
- Which Dilution Should You Use?
- Essential Oil Dilution Chart
- Common Oils With Lower Maximum Dilutions
- Choosing a Carrier Oil
- Baths, Sprays, and Other Water-Based Recipes
- When You Don't Need to Dilute
- Free Dilution Chart Cheat Sheets
- Keep Exploring
- FAQs
Updated November 2026
Diluting essential oils is simple: mix them into a carrier oil like jojoba or fractionated coconut oil before they touch your skin. I use 0.5% for kids 2 to 4, 0.5 to 1% for the face, sensitive skin, and kids 5 to 11, 2 to 3% for everyday use for adults and teens 12+, and up to 5% only for ages 15 and up, short term, on a small spot. No essential oils for babies under 2. For a 10 ml roller, that's 2 drops for 1% and 4 drops for 2%.
Below you'll find my free dilution calculator, which dilution to use for whom, my full dilution chart, oils that need lower limits, and a free printable. Jump to the calculator or the dilution chart.
Essential Oil Dilution Calculator
Use the first part to check the strength of a recipe you already have, and the second part to find out how many drops to add to a bottle.
1. What's my dilution?
Enter your total drops of essential oil and how much carrier oil you're using.
2. How many drops do I need?
Pick your bottle size and the dilution you want.
Based on about 20 drops per ml. Drop sizes vary between bottles, so treat results as a close guide. Some oils have lower limits, listed below.
Why Dilute Essential Oils?
Essential oils are extremely concentrated. That's one reason we love them so much, and it's also why diluting essential oils matters. It's the step that makes skin use safer and, honestly, more pleasant.
- It lowers the chance of irritation and sensitization, a lasting skin reaction that can show up after repeated undiluted use.
- Essential oils evaporate more slowly in a carrier, so they stay on your skin longer.
- It makes a blend easy to spread over a larger area.
- You use fewer drops, so your oils last longer.
- You get the skin-loving benefits of the carrier oil too. Oh yeah!
After reading these, how can you not dilute? And no, laziness isn't a good excuse.
Essential Oil Guide for Beginners - Getting Started
$ 5.99
Beginner's Essential Oil Guide - Download/Printable Learn how to safely and effectively make essential oils a part of your everyday life. Everything you need to know about essential oils. If you have ever been around anyone who loves using essential… Read More
Which Dilution Should You Use?
| Dilution | Who and What It's For |
|---|---|
| None | Babies under 2: no essential oils at all, including diffusing. Use hydrosols, carrier oils, and butters instead. |
| 0.5% | Kids ages 2 to 4, with the six starter oils only (lavender, cedarwood, frankincense, Roman chamomile, sweet orange, and tangerine or mandarin), after checking with your pediatrician |
| 0.5 to 1% | Face (including the jaw and temples), very sensitive skin, older adults, kids ages 5 to 11 (kid-friendly oils only), and pregnancy after 16 weeks or breastfeeding. In pregnancy, no oils on skin for the first 16 weeks. |
| 1 to 2% | Massage oils, body oils, lotions, body washes, and body butters, since they cover a lot of skin |
| 2 to 3% | Everyday use for adults and teens 12+, including hands, feet, and smaller areas |
| Up to 5% | Ages 15 and up only, for short-term use on a small spot, like a roller for a tight shoulder |
I never go above 5%, and never above an oil's own max.
A note on kids: no essential oils under age 2. Kids 2 to 4 use only the six starter oils above. Kids 5 to 11 use kid-friendly oils; see my kid safe essential oils list. Some oils have their own ages: peppermint is for 6 and up, rosemary (ct. cineole) and eucalyptus (radiata and globulus) for 10 and up, and clove and cinnamon for 12 and up. Clary sage and myrrh are 5+, but avoid both during pregnancy. These ages apply to diffusing and inhalers too.
Essential Oil Dilution Chart
Find your bottle or batch size on the left, then read across to see how many total drops of essential oil to add. If your blend uses three oils, the drops are shared between them.
| Carrier Oil | 0.5% | 1% | 2% | 3% | 4% | 5% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ml (1 tsp) | — | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 10 ml (2 tsp, roller) | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| 15 ml (1 Tbsp, ½ oz) | 1 to 2 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| 1 oz (30 ml, 2 Tbsp) | 3 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 24 | 30 |
| 2 oz (60 ml, ¼ cup) | 6 | 12 | 24 | 36 | 48 | 60 |
| 4 oz (120 ml, ½ cup) | 12 | 24 | 48 | 72 | 96 | 120 |
Please keep in mind this chart is a guideline, not a hard rule. When counting drops, I always get that one stubborn drop that won't come out, and then BOOM, two come out at once. Argh! It's OK. Drops aren't a perfectly exact measurement, because oils vary in thickness and droppers vary in size. Being a drop off won't make a meaningful difference.
Common Oils With Lower Maximum Dilutions
The chart above works for most oils, but some need a lower limit no matter what you're making. The maximum applies to that one oil, not your whole blend. These are the ones I see most often in home collections. The numbers come from Tisserand and Young's Essential Oil Safety (2nd edition). For 47 oils, see my full maximum dilution list.
| Essential Oil | Max | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Cinnamon bark (Cinnamomum verum) | Diffuse only | T&Y's limit is just 0.07%, so I keep it in the diffuser. Ages 12+, and avoid if pregnant or breastfeeding. |
| Cassia (Cinnamomum cassia) | Diffuse only | T&Y's limit is just 0.05%. Ages 12+, and avoid if pregnant or breastfeeding. |
| Clove bud (Syzygium aromaticum) | 0.5% | 1 drop in a 10 ml roller is already 0.5%. Ages 12+. Avoid if pregnant or breastfeeding, and check with your doctor if you take blood thinners. |
| Cinnamon leaf (Cinnamomum verum) | 0.6% | Gentler than bark, but still very low. Same cautions as clove. |
| Rose otto (Rosa damascena) | 0.6% | A little goes a long way anyway. |
| Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) | 0.7% | A common skin sensitizer at higher amounts. Skin use for adults only. |
| Jasmine absolute (Jasminum grandiflorum) | 0.7% | Ages 12+. See what is an essential oil absolute. |
| Ylang ylang (Cananga odorata) | 0.8% | 1 drop per 10 ml roller. |
| May chang (Litsea cubeba) | 0.8% | Lemony and strong. Ages 12+. |
| Oregano (Origanum vulgare) | 1.1% | A "hot" oil that can irritate. Ages 12+. Avoid if pregnant, and check with your doctor if you take blood thinners. |
| Thyme, thymol type (Thymus vulgaris) | 1.3% | Another "hot" oil. Ages 12+. Check with your doctor if you take blood thinners. Thyme ct. linalool has no special limit. |
| Spearmint (Mentha spicata) | 1.7% | Lower than peppermint, which surprises a lot of people. |
| Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) | 2.4% | Adults only. Avoid with aspirin sensitivity or blood thinners, and during pregnancy and breastfeeding. |
Oils like tea tree, frankincense, and myrrh don't have their own special limit, so the standard dilution guide above applies. Use fresh oil, since old, oxidized oil is more likely to irritate skin.
Sun-Sensitive Citrus Oils
Some cold-pressed citrus oils can cause a serious skin reaction if your skin sees sunlight or a tanning bed within 12 hours. These limits are for skin that will be in the sun. Steam-distilled and FCF (bergapten-free) versions don't carry this risk, and sweet orange, tangerine, and mandarin aren't sun-sensitive.
| Cold-Pressed Oil | Max on Sun-Exposed Skin |
|---|---|
| Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) | 0.4% (use bergamot FCF on skin) |
| Lime (Citrus aurantifolia) | 0.7% |
| Bitter orange (Citrus aurantium) | 1.25% (I keep it out of my skin blends) |
| Lemon (Citrus limon) | 2% |
| Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) | 4% |
Learn more in my photosensitive essential oils guide.
Choosing a Carrier Oil
Any good carrier oil works for diluting essential oils. These are the ones I use most:
- Jojoba: my all-time favorite. It's technically a liquid wax, very close to the oil your skin makes, and it keeps for a long time. Great for the face and rollers. See my jojoba spotlight.
- Fractionated coconut oil: clear, scentless, and stays liquid, with a long shelf life. A fan favorite for rollers and body oils.
- Avocado: rich and slow to absorb, lovely for dry skin, heels, and massage. See avocado oil as a carrier oil.
- Sweet almond: soft, smooth, and nourishing. A wonderful massage oil. Keep it in the fridge, and skip it if you have a nut allergy.
- Rosehip: a light, dry-feeling oil that's a favorite for mature skin. I mix a little into another carrier. Read my rosehip oil guide, or here's the rosehip oil I've used (affiliate link).
Compare more in my list of 25 carrier oils and best non-comedogenic carrier oils.
Baths, Sprays, and Other Water-Based Recipes
Oil and water don't mix, so essential oils dropped into a bath or spray bottle float on top in little undiluted droplets that can land right on your skin. Always disperse them first:
- Baths: Mix your essential oils into 1 Tbsp of castile soap or a solubilizer before adding them to the water. Carrier oil, milk, and bath salts alone don't disperse oils. If you're using Epsom salt, pour the soap and oil into the water first, then add the salt. Don't premix castile soap and Epsom salt in a jar, since they react. Here's how to use essential oils for bathing.
- Sprays: Mix your oils into high-proof alcohol or a solubilizer before adding water, and shake before each use. Water-based sprays have no preservative, so make a fresh batch every week or two. See homemade essential oil sprays made easy.
When You Don't Need to Dilute
When you're simply smelling an oil, like on a tissue, in a personal inhaler, or in a water-based diffuser, there's no need to dilute. Age limits still apply, though. Never add carrier oil to your diffuser, because it won't evaporate and it can clog the machine. Here's how to use an essential oil diffuser, and how inhalation compares to skin use in topical vs inhalation.
Dilution Safety Basics
• Patch test new blends on your inner forearm, covered, for 24 to 48 hours. Here's how to do a patch test.
• If a blend irritates your skin, apply plain carrier oil, wipe it off, then wash with gentle soap and cool water.
• No essential oils under age 2, including diffusing in a room they're in. Kids 2 to 4 use only six starter oils at 0.5%, after checking with your pediatrician, and kids 5 to 11 stay at 0.5 to 1%.
• If you're pregnant, check with your doctor or midwife first. For the first 16 weeks I use only six oils, and only in a diffuser or inhaler: lavender, sweet orange, lemon, ginger, cedarwood (Virginian), and frankincense. After that, skin blends stay at 0.5 to 1%.
• Never put oils on pets, and diffuse with a door open so they can leave. Cats are especially sensitive, including to tea tree, citrus, peppermint, eucalyptus, pine, wintergreen, cinnamon, clove, and ylang ylang.
• Never swallow essential oils. If someone does, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
• Store oils and blends cool, dark, capped, and out of reach, and label them with what's in them, the dilution, the date, and who they're for.
Free Dilution Chart Cheat Sheets
Get an instant PDF download of the dilution charts for the six most-used sizes: 5 ml, 10 ml, 15 ml, 1 oz, 2 oz, and 4 oz. If you find it helpful, please share this post so others can grab the free diluting essential oils guide too.
Share on Pinterest
Keep Exploring
- Maximum dilution for essential oils: safe limits for 47 oils
- Recipes for essential oil roller bottles
- Fractionated coconut oil vs jojoba for rollers
- Where to use essential oils topically
- 7 essential oil safety tips for beginners
- 5 best carrier oils for essential oils
Ready to start blending? My Aromatherapy Supply Kits have the bottles and supplies you need, and my free essential oil guides are a great place to begin.
