# IFRA Guidelines for Essential Oils



## Lindy Lou (Jul 27, 2021)

Hi all!    I just made a batch last night with a blend of EO's, and got some assistance with EO Calc.com.  In years past, before I ever heard of IFRA, I typically used about .7 or .8oz of EO PPO in a batch.  I was using EO Calc to look for blends with what I had and one of the oils was Spearmint, which I ADORE.  I had no idea that the amount I was want to use, which was about 50 percent initially of the blend, would come up with a warning sign not to use.. even at the lighter end, there was still a warning.  I kept tweaking and I think I ended up with about 10 percent of the blend, which was on the lightest amount, so as not to be in the danger zone.  CRAP!  Do you all pay close attention to the guidelines with EO's?  I also had Eucalyptus, Lemongrass and a bit of a Thieves oil type blend combo.  Please advise, thanks.


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## lsg (Jul 27, 2021)

IF I were selling to the general public, then I probably would.  As I just sell to friends, I use an essential oil calculator.  Brambleberry.com and Wholesale Supplies Plus both have them listed as fragrance calculators.


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## Lindy Lou (Jul 27, 2021)

lsg said:


> IF I were selling to the general public, then I probably would.  As I just sell to friends, I use an essential oil calculator.  Brambleberry.com and Wholesale Supplies Plus both have them listed as fragrance calculators.


 Thanks!  I did use EOcalc.com calculator, but will also check out the others.  I am not sellling, just making for myself and gifting.


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## AliOop (Jul 27, 2021)

I would definitely pay close attention to the Thieves Oil blend. That usually (not always, but usually) contains EOs that have very low skin-safe usage rates, including clove and cinnamon.


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## Lindy Lou (Jul 27, 2021)

AliOop said:


> I would definitely pay close attention to the Thieves Oil blend. That usually (not always, but usually) contains EOs that have very low skin-safe usage rates, including clove and cinnamon.


Yes, that blend had both of those, however a lesser amount I used in the blend Hopefully it wont be an issue this time, especially since a wash off product?  I mostly smell the lemongrass at this point. When using the calculator, I plugged in both cinnamon leaf and clove and checked the safe amounts and went from there.  Thanks!


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## soapmaker (Jul 28, 2021)

Lindy Lou said:


> Yes, that blend had both of those, however a lesser amount I used in the blend Hopefully it wont be an issue this time, especially since a wash off product?  Thanks!


Yes, I do consider in soap that it's a wash off product. Some E.O.s I wouldn't put in a lotion.


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## AliOop (Jul 28, 2021)

EOCalc.com takes into account whether you are using it in a leave-on or wash off product, whether it is safe for lips, etc. You just have to select the correct product code when before adding the percentage of each EO being used.


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## Mobjack Bay (Jul 28, 2021)

After a lot of reading here on the forum and on the web, including fairly dense IFRA documents, I bought Tisserand and Young’s book _Essential Oil Safety _for additional guidance.  It’s a bit pricey, but worth the money IMHO because they summarize a lot of the research in a way that I can understand.  I’ve noticed that some of the EOs that stick the best in cp soap, like spearmint, ylang ylang and basil, are also the ones that are problematic above very low usage rates. Luckily, they also tend to have strong scents and work well in blends.


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## Lindy Lou (Jul 28, 2021)

AliOop said:


> EOCalc.com takes into account whether you are using it in a leave-on or wash off product, whether it is safe for lips, etc. You just have to select the correct product code when before adding the percentage of each EO being used.


I did choose the CP Soap choice, so I guess it is what it is..


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## Lindy Lou (Jul 28, 2021)

Mobjack Bay said:


> After a lot of reading here on the forum and on the web, including fairly dense IFRA documents, I bought Tisserand and Young’s book _Essential Oil Safety _for additional guidance.  It’s a bit pricey, but worth the money IMHO because they summarize a lot of the research in a way that I can understand.  I’ve noticed that some of the EOs that stick the best in cp soap, like spearmint, ylang ylang and basil, are also the ones that are problematic above very low usage rates. Luckily, they also tend to have strong scents and work well in blends.


Thanks so much!


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## earlene (Jul 29, 2021)

Mobjack Bay said:


> After a lot of reading here on the forum and on the web, including fairly dense IFRA documents, I bought Tisserand and Young’s book _Essential Oil Safety _for additional guidance.  It’s a bit pricey, but worth the money IMHO because they summarize a lot of the research in a way that I can understand.  I’ve noticed that some of the EOs that stick the best in cp soap, like spearmint, ylang ylang and basil, are also the ones that are problematic above very low usage rates. Luckily, they also tend to have strong scents and work well in blends.


One of these days I may break down and purchase it;  I keep looking for a used copy at an affordable price, but so far no luck.


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## kstacy84 (Jul 29, 2021)

Another great resource is using essential oils safely (Facebook group, website). The aromatherapist who runs it is extremely knowledgeable and highly focused on safety. She doesn't recommend Thieves for use at all due to safety concerns. There are some things you can view for free and others you need to pay for. She does have a lot of free information available though.


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## Cat&Oak (Jul 29, 2021)

Yes I always adhere to IRFA guidelines because I sell. You can actually rent Tisserand's book on Amazon which is nice.


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## eoexpert (Jul 30, 2021)

You should always ask for IFRA Certificates from the Essential Oil supplier as each EO supplier (and batch of the same EO) may have different specifications/constitution of their Essential Oils. I'm attaching a sample of an IFRA certificate from a supplier called Moksha. They ship worldwide and provide detailed GCMS as well as IFRA and allergen reports for all products.


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## Lindy Lou (Jul 30, 2021)

Many thanks!


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## MLSB (Jul 31, 2021)

Same thing holds true for Fo’s as well!

next year 2022 all new suggested IFRA regulations coming


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## eoexpert (Aug 2, 2021)

MLSB said:


> Same thing holds true for Fo’s as well!
> 
> next year 2022 all new suggested IFRA regulations coming


IFRA 49th amendments are already in place for new creations/fragrances. For existing ones they come into effect May 2022. A lot of companies are already starting to shift over. The supplier I mentioned above (Moksha) has already migrated so their products are already conforming to the new regulations. I'm sure many more suppliers will be shifting over sooner than later as most Cosmetic/soap makers wont want to change their product formulations last minute. Even minutest change in constituents can cause a dramatic note change in the fragrance oils.


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## penelopejane (Aug 2, 2021)

Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security that because soap is a wash off product and EOs are “natural” you can put any amount of EO in soap. I, for one, (and I know I’m not alone) react to many EOs and other natural additives (like spirulina) in soap even after the scent or colour has faded to nothing. Also it’s really important to list your additives even if you are just giving your soap away. At least then people get some warning.
The guidelines are there for a reason.


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## MLSB (Aug 2, 2021)

Yep new changes. Stephanie Graham from Micas and More will be talking on the IFRA Regulations next year at the Florida Soap and Candle Conference, January 7-9, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. You can see all the speakers at the web site Agenda | FLSoap&CandleConf


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## HoppyCosmetics (Aug 8, 2021)

The max topical usage rate for spearmint is 1.7% if that helps. I suppose you could mix it with a bit of peppermint or eucalyptus to stretch it out, since they have higher usage rates.



earlene said:


> One of these days I may break down and purchase it; I keep looking for a used copy at an affordable price, but so far no luck.


I recommend an affordable book called "Essential Oil Safety Files by Lea Jacobson". It'll save you a lot of money rather than buying the tisserand book. The tisserand book is in-depth and alot of reading, but the lea jacobson book is basically just straightforward easy to read usage rates of every essential oil, up to date. I think she's an American aromatherapist.


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## AliOop (Aug 17, 2021)

@Hoppy_Cosmetics can you provide a link to where this book can be found? I found her site, but didn't see the book offered. I found another site that would allegedly allow me to download and read Tisserand's book for free. The site seemed sketchy so I didn't want to risk it.


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## MLSB (Aug 18, 2021)

lsg said:


> IF I were selling to the general public, then I probably would.  As I just sell to friends, I use an essential oil calculator.  Brambleberry.com and Wholesale Supplies Plus both have them listed as fragrance calculators.


Keep in mind those EO calculators really pertain to their products.  Each vendor has a recommended usage rate onTheir EO that they sell.  

Also the sage.com has their EO calculator as well. 

But seriously please use the recommended % usage rate from the vendor that you purchase from to be at the safe regulation usage in your products. As different products have different usage rates


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## HoppyCosmetics (Aug 19, 2021)

AliOop said:


> can you provide a link to where this book can be found? I found her site, but didn't see the book offered.


This link is here, and if you scroll down the page, there's a few different options. You can view it online, buy the ebook or a printed copy. I bought the ebook and put it in my kindle app to read. You don't have to be a member of her site, there are parts to click that say "not a member?" to buy other books too..... 









						Essential Oil SINGLES Safety Files
					

safety info and drug interactions for 242+ popular essential oils




					www.leajacobson.com


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## lynneandress (Jan 30, 2022)

I just purchased Robert Tisserands book and I don't see usage rates for soap or wash off products.  Please am I missing something?


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## DeeAnna (Jan 30, 2022)

Essential Oil Safety isn't an IFRA publication, so it does not list usage rates by IFRA category or by the type of product (soap, lotion, etc.). It does give recommended rates for dermal use. That's what you want to focus on.


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## lynneandress (Jan 30, 2022)

Thanks so much for the reply =)  Yes, I understand all you said however dermal use  does not explain how much to use in soap or other products?  Is there a formula I must use please?  Not the greatest at math, but I do have a calc.


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## DeeAnna (Jan 30, 2022)

There is no math formula you can use. The recommended dosages are based on health and safety information and institutional rules, none of  which can be explained with math.

If you're wanting info that is easier to apply directly to what you're making, I suggest using something like EOcalc.com. Essential Oil Safety is more of a research tool; it's not going to give you those easy numbers.

EOs are also covered in the IFRA guidelines if memory serves me. It's been a while since I checked, however, so I don't know if that data is behind a membership wall or pay wall nowadays.


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## lynneandress (Jan 30, 2022)

I don't know how to read the IFRA either.  That is why the EO calc came along.  EO calc does not have all the oils I am interested in.

There must way to do this, other than use EO calc.    I know that many many soapers use Tisserands book.  

Lynne


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## TheGecko (Jan 31, 2022)

I trust the IFRA about as far as I can toss and elephant.  They are a club, they aren't a regulatory or governing body.  That doesn't mean I just put whatever the heck kind of scent I want in willy-nilly, I do the research.


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## DeeAnna (Jan 31, 2022)

lynneandress said:


> I don't know how to read the IFRA either....  I know that many many soapers use Tisserands book. ...



I regret to say here's no middle ground, really, if you really want to use EOs in a responsible, safe way.

For the less common EOs, you will have to research the EO in depth using Tisserand, IFRA, and similar resources -- or find someone who will take the time to do the research for you.

The other alternative is to stick with EOs that someone has already researched and produced simple numbers, such as the info in EOcalc. If EOcalc can't do what you want for the EOs you want to use, then you're back to doing the research.

This situation is a lot like soap making -- either a person sticks with established recipes created by knowledgeable soap makers -- or they do the research to understand what fatty acids do and the proportions of those fatty acids that make a nice soap as nice as it is. There isn't much of a middle ground for soap makers either.


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## lynneandress (Feb 1, 2022)

Hopefully someone else pipes up then.


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## Mobjack Bay (Feb 1, 2022)

You can try the aromaweb.com website for additional information.  For example, here's the safety information provided for Allspice essential oil:

"Numerous sources indicate that Allspice Oil can act as a mucous membrane irritant. Tisserand and Young recommend a dermal maximum of 0.15%. They indicate that it may interfere with blood clotting. Reading Tisserand and Young's full profile is recommended. [Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 393.]"

Using a percentage calculator, like the one here, you can calculate 0.15% based on the oil weight in the batch. For example, 0.15% of 1000 g of oil yields 1.5 g of Allspice EO.  What you won't get using this simplistic approach is the safe usage rate for blends where multiple eos mixed together contribute to the total concentration of a limited constituent in the blend.


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## lynneandress (Feb 2, 2022)

Thanks Mobjack, so for soap I just use Tisserands dermal percentage for my oils, and just forget the IFRA categories?  I believe DeeAnn  was trying to say the same thing and I just read it wrong, sorry DeeAnn.


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## Mobjack Bay (Feb 2, 2022)

I stick with EOcalc (which is based on the IFRA guidelines) most of the time, but use Tisserand and Young’s book to research safe usage guidelines for any EOs not listed on EOCalc.  As I mentioned above, simple calculations done oil by oil are not going to give you safe usage levels for blends.


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## lynneandress (Feb 3, 2022)

"As I mentioned above, simple calculations done oil by oil are not going to give you safe usage levels for blends."

Yes, of course.  Some math for blends.


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