Dilution Ratio

[AF_SOAP]

I was wondering if anyone knew of a good dilution rate for essential oils in a carrier oil.

Say for instance if I have my EOs of lemon, sweet orange, and patchouli, what rate would I dilute it at to make it any easier to handle FO so to speak. I got a lot of inspiration from a woman here locally that makes her own scents that are so unique, they blow designers out of the water. She neglected to tell me what rate she does her cologne and perfume oils at.

I just want to have this stuff on hand. I have bottles from previous purchases of cologne oils(glass) that I have sterilized but want to make the same 4 oz of liquid so i can easily measure out the oils in my soaps rather than have to sit there and measure drips everytime.

Further more, does anyone know the best carrier oil? I have searched and really have not found a clear cut answer. The best that I could come up with is sweet almond but I was wondering if anyone knew of another one. Color really is not an issue, neither is skin benefits. I am more looking for price than anything else.

 

[ilovesoap2]

I like grapeseed oil, the price is reasonable, no smell and almost no color. Slightest hint of yellow. Thinner than olive oil so it pretty much just glide on your skin.

oops...I see it's about fo also? sorry, no idea about the dilution ration or making fo for soaps.

 

[AF_SOAP]

Well I will be using EO to create the scent. FO that I buy are diluted I am assuming. I doubt at the prices they sell them for ~$3 OZ is going to be pure EO or FO. I actually have some Grapeseed oil, so I think I am going to play scientist tonight ha ha.

 

[AnnaMarie]

Recommended dilution rates for eo's in 1 oz of carrier oil (either is fine):
1% dilution rate- 6 drops per 1 oz of carrier oil
2% dilution rate- 12 drops per 1 oz carrier oil
If you are looking to deal with larger quantities of carrier oil, such as in soap making, then Brambleberry has a fragrance calculator which also gives you the amounts for eo's to use in your recipe.
Almond is a great carrier oil because (as I understand it) its properties are very similar to our own skin.
Hope this helps!
Cheers!
Anna Marie

 

[AnnaMarie]

I should add that if you are using several eo's their combined total should equal the proper ratio. For example:
At 2% dilution rate of 12 drops
-4 drops orange
-4 drops lemon
-4 drops patchouli
Total drops used equals 12.
Cheers!
Anna Marie

 

[AF_SOAP]

Is %2 considered to be a strong scent or light? Or is this depending on the EOs use herself.

 

[AnnaMarie]

The 2% would be the stronger scent.

 

[cmzaha]

If combining eo's do remember some such as peppermint have to be used in much smaller dilution rates. Peppermint can and will burn skin if used at to high a percentage rate as compared to lavender or patchouli, the same goes for clove and cinnamon. There are a few more but the brain is not fully awake yet. I find a good aroma therapy reference book is good to have around.

 

[AF_SOAP]

Thanks for all the input! Another question I ran into is since now I make my own fragrance oil(which by the way was a huge success, first try was a match made in heaven), is this going to act like any other fragrance oil? It is %2 concentration and the oil used is Fractionated Coconut Oil with a little vitamin E. I am thinking about .75 ounces per lb of soap to start out with and I'll see how that goes in terms of strength. Thoughts......???

 

[judymoody]

Well I will be using EO to create the scent. FO that I buy are diluted I am assuming. I doubt at the prices they sell them for ~$3 OZ is going to be pure EO or FO. I actually have some Grapeseed oil, so I think I am going to play scientist tonight ha ha.

I would ascertain whether your EO or FO is pure before proceeding further. Price is not necessarily the standard. Typically I pay less than $3/ounce for most EO or FO that I use but I also buy direct from suppliers on line, not from health food stores.

Fractionated coconut oil is a good choice for a base because it has a very long shelf life.

 

[AF_SOAP]

So if the dilution for essential oils is so many drops per ounce to get a 2% concentration, what about when adding to CP soap at the same ratio.

Most recipes call for an ounce PPO.
Would you use 2 oz to maintain the same ratio and would it be a strong enough scent?

Ive heard people use an ounce of EO PPO which seems like an awful lot, almost overpowering. For fragrance oils I could understand that but I use EO in FCO so I'm unsure how much to add PPO.

 

[AnnaMarie]

I use Brambleberry's fragrance calculator to determine eo amounts, and yes, the amounts are a lot. I go heavy on the eo's in soap because the scent tends to be weaker than fragrance oil and fades more quickly (IME). Also, soap is a wash off product, so I think the rules are a bit different for eo amounts.
Cheers!
Anna Marie

 

[twinkiesmommy2009]

Now I'm confused. Do you dilute essential oils before adding them to your soap?

 

[grayceworks]

No, you don't dilute either EO or FO before adding to your soap. The soap batter is what dilutes them in this case. Same with formulating lotions. You DO however dilute them for things like perfume oils that you will be applying to skin, as then there's no other product diluting it.

So for soap, you might use .5oz in 16oz of oils. For lotions, a leave-on application, you would use less, depending on the manufacturer recommended dilution rate, but you count the total weight of your lotion in figuring that. For perfume oil, you decide how much oil, carrier oil, vit E, etc that you are using, and then base the dilution rate on that, again according to the correct usage rates from the manufacturer.

You cannot just arbitrarily say that all EO's get 6 drops per ounce of oil for perfumes, because that varies from scent to scent, and even from brand to brand for the same kind of EO, depending on the manufacturer's processes, EO strength, and whether it's already been diluted or not, like with rose absolute or frankincense oleoresin.

It's very important to understand proper usage rates or you can inadvertently cause harm.

 

[twinkiesmommy2009]

I know all about using essential oils in aromatherapy and I (almost) never use them without dilution but I didn't think it was necessary for soap. Then I read the post and wasn't sure. Thanks for clarifying!!

 

[AnnaMarie]

No, you don't dilute either EO or FO before adding to your soap. The soap batter is what dilutes them in this case. Same with formulating lotions. You DO however dilute them for things like perfume oils that you will be applying to skin, as then there's no other product diluting it.

So for soap, you might use .5oz in 16oz of oils. For lotions, a leave-on application, you would use less, depending on the manufacturer recommended dilution rate, but you count the total weight of your lotion in figuring that. For perfume oil, you decide how much oil, carrier oil, vit E, etc that you are using, and then base the dilution rate on that, again according to the correct usage rates from the manufacturer.

You cannot just arbitrarily say that all EO's get 6 drops per ounce of oil for perfumes, because that varies from scent to scent, and even from brand to brand for the same kind of EO, depending on the manufacturer's processes, EO strength, and whether it's already been diluted or not, like with rose absolute or frankincense oleoresin.

It's very important to understand proper usage rates or you can inadvertently cause harm.

I absolutely agree that variation does exist in essential oil usage, but to be fair I didn't just throw out a random number when I listed 1 and 2% dilution rates- the info comes from a reputable source and is meant to be a starting point which is what I sensed the question was (but maybe I misinterpreted???) Of course, research and common sense should prevail whenever using essentials oils because they are very powerful and some toxic. Just wanted to clear that up
Cheers!
Anna Marie

 

[grayceworks]

LOL, yes, I know that, and YOU know that, but I didn't get the sense that the OP knew that, or some of the others asking about it, so I was just clarifying, since this forum is a source of info for a lot of people still trying to figure out what's what.

 

[jenneelk]

Yes I agree with all the above.. I have about 30 different essential oils I use to make many different products and they are all added at different ratios depending on the product being made the EO I'm using. The 1% and 2% is always a good base starting point and some can go over (like lavender typically) while others that are more pricey or have different usage rates and I stay at that % with.
With soaping.. I take a small portion out before I think I'll hit trace and mix with that then add back in. This just makes me feel like it blends in better since I'm using smaller amounts.
That being said.. I don't use but a small handful for soaps.. too pricey and the smell just doesn't pull through or the medicinal properties IMO. But that's just me.

 

[AnnaMarie]

I would use the guide with your "basic" essentials oils such as lavender, tea tree, orange....but wintergreen would be another category