If you want to take your essential oil game to the next level, you need to learn how to mix and dilute them properly. 

While using a single essential oil in a diffuser is great, there’s so much more to the world of essential oils waiting to be discovered. So follow along for a complete guide to mixing and diluting essential oils! 

Why Do You Need to Dilute Essential Oils?

While diluting essential oils may seem like an annoying and unnecessary step, let us assure you that it’s completely necessary. 

Undiluted essential oils are so strong and potent that they can damage the skin, cause burns, irritation, or even permanent sensitization. But they don’t just affect the outside of your body -- they can also cause systemic toxicity, including:

• Fetotoxicity
• Hepatotoxicity
• Carcinogenicity
• Neurotoxicity

In a sense, external reactions are easier to determine and manage since you can see the signs right away. Internal reactions, on the other hand, may remain hidden in the short term but cause a whole host of issues in the long term. 

As a result, even the most “gentle” essential oils of tea tree and lavender should never be used undiluted on the skin. 

How to Properly Dilute Essential Oils?

Clearly, dilution is an important component of using essential oils properly, but how do you do it? The best way to dilute an essential oil is to use a carrier oil. 

Carrier oils are used to safely “carry” essential oils to your skin without interfering with the oil’s properties and benefits. There are many different carrier oils to choose from, so try them all out and pick your favorites to use on a regular basis. 

The best carrier oils for essential oils include:

• Coconut oil
• Jojoba oil
• Sweet almond oil
• Olive oil
• Argan oil
• Rosehip oil
• Grape seed oil
• Avocado oil 
• Sunflower oil 

When choosing your carrier oil, you may want to consider the odor of the carrier oil -- some are stronger than others and may affect the scent of the essential oil. You should also consider the absorption capability of the carrier oil, as some are better absorbed into the skin than others. 

Finally, you need to consider your skin type as some carrier oils may irritate the skin or worsen skin conditions like acne, rosacea, eczema, etc. 

Once you have found the right carrier oil, it’s time to dilute!

When it comes to dilution, ratios are key. So here are some of the different dilution ratios that you should use with your essential oils:

• 1% dilution is used for children under the age of two, facial applications, long-term use, and daily use. To achieve this ratio, you should combine 10 milliliters of carrier oil with three drops of essential oil, 15 milliliters of carrier oil with four drops of essential oil, or 30 milliliters of carrier oil with nine drops of essential oil.

• 2% dilution is used for young children, bath products, and the ideal ratio for everyday use of essential oil. To achieve this ratio, you should combine 10 milliliters of carrier oil with six drops of essential oil, 15 milliliters of carrier oil with nine drops of essential oil, or 30 milliliters of carrier oil with 18 drops of essential oil. 

• 3% dilution is used for treating localized areas of pain or discomfort. To achieve this ratio, you should combine 10 milliliters of carrier oil with nine drops of essential oil, 15 milliliters of carrier oil with 13 drops of essential oil, or 30 milliliters with 27 drops of essential oil.

• 5% dilution is used for the short-term treatment of a specific concern that does not last longer than two weeks. To achieve this ratio, you should combine 10 milliliters of carrier oil with 15 drops of essential oil, 15 milliliters of carrier oil with 22 drops of essential oil, or 30 milliliters of carrier oil with 45 drops of essential oil. 

• 10% dilution is used for the short-term treatment for small areas of concern. To achieve this ratio, you should combine 10 milliliters of carrier oil with 30 drops of essential oil, 15 milliliters of carrier oil with 45 drops of essential oil, or 30 milliliters of carrier oil with 90 drops of essential oil. 

Why Should You Mix Different Essential Oils?

If you’re looking to combine the fragrances and essential oils’ benefits, you should look into mixing. Although each essential oil offers its own unique properties and benefits, they can be effectively combined to provide a whole host of advantages to your physical and mental health. 

Not all essential oils mix well, so it’s important to know and understand each oil before combining them for the best mixtures. 

How to Mix Different Essential Oils?

The main thing to keep in mind when mixing different essential oils is the fragrance. You want to find complementary scents and mix them for a lovely aroma. 

To do this, you need to identify the aromatic notes of your favorite essential oils. 

• Top note: The top note is what you first notice about an oil with a solid and short-term scent. 

• Middle note: The middle note lasts much longer than the top note -- for about one or two hours.

• Base note: The base note lasts much longer than the middle note -- for several hours or even the rest of the day. 

The best essential oil mixes will contain a top note, a middle note, and a base note for a complete trio that will fill your home with an appealing aroma. 

The Best Essential Oil Combinations

It can be hard to determine aromatic notes on your own as a beginner, which is why we have done the hard work for you to come up with this list of the best essential oil combinations for you to use: 

• To relieve stress, blend three drops of lavender, two drops of chamomile, and two drops of ylang-ylang. 

• To boost your mood, blend three drops of bergamot, two drops of geranium, and three drops of lavender. 

• To improve focus, blend three drops of peppermint, three drops of rosemary, and three drops of frankincense. 

• To boost your immune system, blend two drops of rosemary, two drops of clove, two drops of eucalyptus, two drops of cinnamon, and two drops of wild orange. 

• To promote better sleep, blend three drops of vetiver, three drops of lavender, and two drops of frankincense. 

• To get rid of a headache, blend six drops of peppermint, four drops of eucalyptus, and two drops of myrrh. 

• To breathe better, blend four drops of eucalyptus with four drops of peppermint. 

• To get rid of insects, blend two drops of lemongrass, two drops of thyme, two drops of eucalyptus, and two drops of basil. 

How to Use Mixed and Diluted Essential Oils

There are several different ways that you can use mixed and diluted essential oils, including:

• Diffusing essential oils throughout a room with an essential oil diffuser.

• Massaging essential oils onto the skin when diluted with a carrier oil.

• Adding a blend of essential oils to beauty products like moisturizers for added benefits.

• Creating a room spray by diluting essential oils with water to spray throughout a room.

• Adding a blend of essential oils to a nice warm bath to relax and heal.

Where to Find the Best Essential Oil Products

Even though the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate essential oils, there are things you can do to ensure their quality, safety, and effectiveness. You should always research the company and the specific product before you make a purchase. You should check out the company’s philosophy as well as customer reviews. 

If you’re looking for the best essential oils, check out WOW Skin Science. 

WOW is dedicated to producing natural and vegan products ranging from essential oils to moisturizers and shampoos. 

Final Thoughts on Mixing and Diluting Essential Oils

While mixing and diluting essential oils may seem confusing and complicated, it doesn’t have to be! It may take some trial and error to find the right system that works for you, but you can start enjoying the full range of benefits offered by essential oils once you do. 

Sources:

Blending 101: The Art of Pairing Essential Oils Drop by Drop | ACHS.edu

The Influence of Carrier Oils on the Antimicrobial Activity and Cytotoxicity of Essential Oils | NIH