Blending Essential Oils and Carrier Oils
FAQ | Recommended Beginner Oils | Blending Essential Oils & Carrier Oils
Mixing Essential Oils | Mixing Blended Oils | Worksheet and Safety Table | Correspondences
Essential oils are pharmacologically active substances. They have definite effects on the body’s systems, and so must be handled with respect and caution. Never use more 12 total number of drops essential oil to 1 tbsp carrier. (24 drops essence to 1 oz carrier; 1 tsp essence to 1/2 cc carrier).
This means that if you have a particularly complex blend (comprising more than 12 drops or parts in total) you will need to divide the total number of drops by 12 to determine how many parts of carrier oil will be needed at minimum to safely dilute the concentrated essences to a 4% solution:
Total number of drops divided by 12 = number of tablespoons of carrier oil needed for the maximum safe concentration per tablespoon of carrier oil.
Example:
3 parts rose = 12 drops
2 parts sandalwood = 8 drops
1 part clove = 4 drops
total # of drops = 24 drops divided by 12 = 2 tbs or 1 oz carrier oil (Jojoba or Almond)
Figure the recipe first, planning out the size of the bottle needed to contain the final blend including all the carrier oil. Measure the drops of essence into the bottle, and add the carrier to the essences. Cap tightly and turn the bottle gently to mix.
To prevent contamination of the stock bottles use drop-top bottles or clean, dry glass droppers or pipettes. Most Essential oils will keep indefinitely, but a few, particularly the citrus based oils (Lemon, Orange , Grapefruit, Tangerine…) may turn.
Your carrier oil stock will need to be checked monthly to insure freshness. If the scent of a bottle of essential oil or carrier oil suddenly changes or becomes unpleasant, throw it out and refresh your stock. Rancid oil has no place in magical oilcraft.
Using pure essential oils can be a lot more complex, expensive and messy. I’m recommending you use blended oils to begin your oil studies, which will eliminate the need for you to do complex planning at first.