We talked last time about diluting essential oils and why you should. It’s not a fun thing to have an allergic reaction to an oil. I had an itchy, horrible rash all over me when I reacted to an oil blend after overusing it undiluted. And now I’m sensitized to that EO and can’t use it again without having another reaction.
But, beyond the negative reasons, there’s a few good reasons to dilute as well. And I wanted to touch on those positive things.
Essential oils are highly volatile. That means they evaporate quickly, so when you use them on your skin neat (which is to say, undiluted), they disperse and float quickly off into aroma oblivion.?
However dilute them in a carrier oil and they are then allowed to penetrate your skin and enter your blood stream much more effectively.
What’s a carrier oil? Well, a carrier oil “carries” the essential oil into your skin and then into your blood stream. The carrier oil we use most often in our Rollies is Almond Oil which is a very nutritious, luxurious medium weight oil that’s excellent for “carrying” an essential oil.
Olive and Coconut oils are also good oils which are common and readily available. Our Walmart now sells fractionated coconut oil which is super light on the skin. Of course, organic, cold pressed oils are best, but, to be honest, we can’t always afford those and so often just use the stuff off the shelf in the oil preparations we dilute for our own uses. (Altho with that said, we never use vegetable oils or anything hydrogenated for diluting or cooking; very unsafe).
Another good reason you should dilute is because it’s extremely cost effective. I’m serious. By diluting them you’re using tons less of your oils than if you use them neat. I was soooo thankful when I figured this out! ? I mean, I was saving myself at least half again on oils (probably more!)
Honestly, you rarely need a large amount of any oil. Essential oils are THAT concentrated; that potent. One diluted drop will often git ‘er done. One of my favorite things to experiment with has become figuring out the least amount I need to get the effect I’m wanting from a particular oil. I mean, if one drop of diluted EO works well, then there’s no need to use more, which only has the very positive effect of saving me money! ?
A third reason diluting Essential Oils makes sense is it’s sustainable and will help preserve the precious oils for the generations to come. It takes hundreds of pounds of plant material to make a few ounces of essential oil. As the interest in using EO’s soars we’re going through some of these plants extremely quickly. No doubt some will become extinct in the years to come if we’re not careful. Diluting your oils slows down that process.? And really, once you get in the habit of it, diluting oils in a carrier is hardly any extra work.
Suggestions for containers for diluting at home: Small glass jars, like baby food jars or tiny jelly jars (like you get at Christmas sometimes). Small jelly jars. Old, glass candle containers. Glass spice jars. You really don’t want to use plastic to store EO’s in as they will eventually eat through it. Very simple to use a sharpie and mark what’s in the jar.
Also, just to let you know, we are selling empty bottles now that you can use to dilute. In fact, we see this as such an important thing that we’re selling them at just above our cost. Find them here.
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Disclaimer: The statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Keep out of reach of children. If pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or if you have a medical condition consult a physician prior to use.
Remember: Essential Oils really shouldn’t be used undiluted, externally or internally, no matter how pure or what brand. Anyone can become suddenly allergic with neat, full-strength, repetitive over-use.