Do you know what dilution number your essential oil recipe is? It is important to determine your dilution percentage when working with essential oils so you can stay safe and avoid undesirable effects. Don't worry, we made it easy...just use our essential oil dilution calculator.
Whether you are a newbie or an oily expert, you will find these calculators (yes, there are actually two!) very useful.
Be sure to bookmark this page for future reference and share it with your friends!
Diluting Essential Oils
It's no secret that essential oils need to be diluted before using. Essential oils are extremely powerful, this is one reason we love them so much.
Diluting essential oils is the best practice to follow when applying your oils topically. A few drops really can go a long way when diluted.
Dilution is a needed step in oil safety. Using undiluted essential oils is a quick way to get sensitized or irritated skin. It is also a waste of precious oils and money. Not to mention that essential oils are way more effective when they are diluted in a carrier oil.
Any carrier oil can dilute essential oils, making them safe for topical use. Some favorites are jojoba, fractionated coconut oil, and rosehip oil.
Essential Oil Drops as a Measurement
What is an essential oil drop? It is important to remember that drops are frequently used when making essential oil recipes but they are not an exact measurement. A drop is considered an approximated unit of measure.
Drop sizes can vary based on the device used to dispense the drop, oil viscosity, and other factors. These two calculators are based on the common thought that 20 drops are in 1 ml.
While drops may not be an exact measurement, they are good guidelines for safely making essential oil blends. Use drops when making homemade recipes and blends for personal use or even gift-giving.
When creating large batch essential oil blends (like when making products in bulk to sell), weighing your blend out on a scale would be a more exact method and less tedious than counting out hundreds of drops. Some also prefer to measure in ml or teaspoons.
What Dilution Percentage Should I Use?
Here is a general guideline to go by for diluting essential oils. Keep in mind that some essential oils have maximum dermal levels for safe use so that would need to be considered.
| 0.5% - 1% Dilution | For essential oils being applied on the face (facial tissue is more delicate), recommended at 1% or less dilution. |
| 1% Dilution | For children age 2+, pregnant or breastfeeding women, elderly, adults with sensitive skin. |
| 2% Dilution | For adults, children age 12+, daily use, great for massage oils, lotions and creams, long term issues. |
|
3% - 5% Dilution |
For spot treatments in roll ons, aches, bruising, congestion, and other temporary issues. |
| up to 10% Dilution | For RARE short term only, used on specific areas when lower dilutions were not effective. |
Essential Oil Dilution Calculator
You will find two different calculators below and it really depends on what you are wanting to determine. The first calculator will help you figure out how many essential oil drops you will need in your recipe to create your desired dilution percentage.
The second calculator will help you figure out what essential oil dilution your recipe is. This is especially helpful for recipes you may find on Pinterest, like roller bottle recipes, you may be shocked to see the dilution level they are recommending in the recipe.
How Many Drops Do I Need?
Add drops of essential oil to your recipe
What Dilution is My Blend?
This recipe is a % dilution
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Free Dilution Chart Cheat Sheets
Fill in the form to get an instant download of all the dilution charts for the top 6 sizes used: 5 ml, 10 ml, 15 ml, 1 oz, 2 oz, and 4 oz
