General* Dilution Rates for Essential Oils

up to 1% dilution       

For use on facial skin, sensitive skin, older adults, pregnant adults, children between 6 and 12

up to 2.5% dilution   For general body care use

* This is a general guideline. Check the IFRA (International Fragrance Association) Guidelines dilution rates for specific uses.  Some essential oils (citrus family) may cause rashes with sun exposure, others may cause rashes in sensitive individuals – for example calendula oil is not recommended for people with allergies to chrysanthemums or asters.   

Lavender essential oil is generally considered a mild and safe oil for use on most individuals, even at full strength; however, appropriate dilution is still recommended for all essential oils.

Special Dilutions

Using 2 oz (50 ML) of Base Oil

Dilution                                     Drops

0.5%                                            5

1%                                               10

1.5%                                            15

2%                                              20

2.5%                                           25

3%                                              30

Standard Dilution 2.5%

Base Oil Volume                         Drops

1 tsp (5 ml)                                  2-3

1 TBSP (15 ml)                             6-7

   1 oz (25 ml)                               12-15

2 oz (50 ml)                                25

3.5 oz (100 ml)                            50

Drops are an easy measure, but not as accurate as weighing the essential oils using calculation below.

Do not exceed 3% dilution rate for use on skin.

DO NOT INGEST ESSENTIAL OILS!

Calculating dilution percentages by weight

Determine the total weight of the end product or batch size, in this example, 50 ml. 

Determine the recommended dilution rate and convert to decimal, in this example

2% = 0.02

Multiply the batch size by the dilution rate,

50 ml x 0.02 = 1 ml

and subtract from the batch size.

The quantities for this product would be 1 ml of essential oil to 49 ml of base oil for a total of 50 ml.