Scents & Sensibility: A Beginner’s Guide to Diluting Essential Oils + DIY Recipe for Stress

If you’ve ever opened a bottle of essential oil and thought, “Wow, that’s strong!” — you’re absolutely right. Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts- powerful enough to soothe stress, ease headaches, or freshen the air. That means just one drop can pack serious therapeutic punch — but also carries risk if used improperly.

Before you apply them to your skin, there’s one golden rule: dilution.

Diluting essential oils in a carrier oil (like coconut, jojoba, or sweet almond) makes them safe and effective. Here’s everything you need to know:

Why Dilute in the First Place?

Diluting essential oils in a carrier oil (like jojoba, fractionated coconut, almond, or olive oil) isn’t about watering them down — it’s about making them safer and more effective. When essential oils are diluted, they:

• Absorb better into the skin

• Reduce the risk of skin irritation or sensitization

• Allow the body to process the compounds more gently

• Stretch your oil — making each drop go further!

Neat (undiluted) application is almost never necessary and often causes more harm than good over time- even causing an allergy to develop to the specific plant! 

The Basic Math: What Does “2% Dilution” Mean?

Dilution is usually expressed as a percentage of essential oil in a carrier. Here’s the general guideline for adults:

Dilution	Purpose	Drops per 1 oz (30 ml) carrier oil
0.5–1%	Children, facial use, pregnancy	3–6 drops
2%	Daily use, general body application	12 drops
3–5%	Short-term use (pain, illness)	18–30 drops

Pro tip: There are about 600 drops in 1 ounce, so a 2% dilution = 12 drops (2% of 600).

Real-Life Application: How to Make a Safe Roller Blend

Let’s say you’re making a 10 ml roller bottle (a little over 1/3 ounce). Here’s what you’d use:

• 1% dilution = 2 drops essential oil

• 2% dilution = 4 drops

• 3% dilution = 6 drops

Just add the essential oil drops to your bottle, fill the rest with a carrier oil, and you’re good to go. Shake gently before use.

What About Kids or Sensitive Skin?

Children and pregnant women need extra caution:

• Under 2 years old: 0.25–0.5% dilution (that’s 1–3 drops per 1 oz)

• Ages 2–6: 0.5–1%

• Sensitive skin or facial use: Stick to 0.5–1% even for adults

And remember, some oils aren’t safe for kids at all- like eucalyptus, wintergreen, and rosemary- so always check age-appropriateness.

There are also many more oils not safe for pregnancy and/or breastfeeding, I recommend staying away entirely from them, especially in the first trimester, unless under the care of a certified aromatherapist or professional adequately educated in oils. 

Side note- I work with many clients during pregnancy, and am always happy to answer specific questions, so feel free to reach out to me at racheldufouraromatherapist@gmail.com or book a consult at rdaromatherapy.com to address issues you’re experiencing or supplement your labor and delivery experience!

Oils That Need Extra Caution

Some essential oils can cause skin reactions even when diluted, especially “hot oils” like:

• Cinnamon

• Clove

• Oregano

• Thyme

I recommend when wanting to use these “hot” oils, keeping the dilution to maximum of 0.5%, which is usually 1-2 drops to 1 oz of carrier oil. The nature of these hot oils being so strong also means they’re effective in very small amounts, so don’t worry about missing benefits by keeping the number of drops low. 

Others, like citrus oils (lemon, bergamot, lime), can make your skin extra sensitive to sunlight. If you're applying these topically, protect against sun exposure for 12–18 hours afterward as well as keeping the dilution low. 

Bottom Line

If you remember one rule: dilute before you apply, you’re already ahead of the game.

Essential oils are powerful tools for wellness, but they’re not “more is better.” In fact, when it comes to oils, less is often more. With just a few drops and a good carrier oil, you can make safe, effective blends that support your health — and smell amazing too.

Want to try a safe roller recipe? Here’s a simple calming blend for stress (3% dilution):

• 4 drops lavender

• 2 drops sweet orange

• 10 ml fractionated coconut oil

Roll onto wrists, temples, or neck and breathe deeply.

Bonus

As a bonus, click here for a quick and easy (printable!) dilution chart for quick reference!

Have a question or want me to feature your favorite oil in the next column? Let me know — I love helping you make sense of scent!