Can I put essential oils directly on my skin?
No, it is not something that we recommend as essential oils are incredibly potent and take a huge amount of plant material to distil small amounts. As they are so potent, they are irritating in their neat form, some oils more than other depending on their different individual components.
Can I add them to food?
No, we do not recommend adding them to food as they are incredibly potent and have the capacity to cause internal damage, burn your oesophagus or send you to the hospital if ingested (If you want to ingest essential oils we recommend you go to a clinical aromatherapist).
Can I use them on my baby?
No, we do not recommend using any products containing essential oils for babies. Or children under the age of 7. The one exception is via diffusion at a very low amount, but for any skin complaints we recommend using hydrosols or infusions.
Can I dilute them in water?
No, essential oils are volatile oils and therefore will not dilute in water. To dilute them in water is equivalent to using them neat. Dilute them in a vegetable oil.
How many drops do I need to dilute them with?
For a safe topical dilution for everyday use or to use often we recommend 4 drops to 10 mls of carrier oil, this can be sweet almond oil, olive, coconut, avocado, etc. If you are using them for a specific purpose – for example you have a bad stomach ache and would like to see if the lavender blend will help you can add 10 drops to 10 ml of carrier oil as an answer for an acute issue. However you should only use this amount for a maximum of a week.
What products can I mix it with?
Essential oils are best mixed with oils, but can also be blended with oil containing products – i.e. a cream, lotion or conditioner or a surfactant containing product – a liquid shampoo or soap but be careful with adding too much. We cannot advise you here as we do not know the formulation or quantity of oil in your product, so we would advise you to add with caution, knowing too much may cause irritation.
If I use essential oils neat will they irritate my skin?
Perhaps not straight away, and it depends which oil - the lavender blend is less likely to irritate then the citrus one. However we do not recommend that you use any essential oil neat. Using neat or very strong dilutions of essential oils on the skin can cause, irritation, sensitisation, and may cause long term allergies, topical rashes and or other issues. Please bear in mind that they are incredibly potent.
Can I put it on my face?
They can be used on the face at an even lower dilution then that for the body, we recommend 2 drops per 10ml of carrier oil for using on the face.
