To use essential oils effectively, it is important to understand the individual properties of each essential oil that you want to work with, safety precautions, the recommended dilution ratios and methods of application.
It is also beneficial to educate yourself on carrier (vegetable) oils, their shelf lives and how they benefit different skin types.
Maintain thorough notes of the blends that you make so that you can review the results of each blend and replicate your blends in the future.
Ideally, your notes should include each ingredient, the quantity used, the date you prepared the blend, comments, and improvements to be made next time. Even if your blend is not for production, label test batches with the date the product was made, ingredients and instructions for use.
Because essential oils are concentrated, highly potent aromatic substances, it is important to learn how to formulate products that do not contain unsafe quantities of essential oils or essential oils that are hazardous.
The potential safety risk of an essential oil depends on the specific essential oil, its composition, the frequency of use, and the method of application.
If you intend to formulate products that include essential oils, we encourage you to consider the following two recommendations:
- Enroll in a reputable course that includes essential oil safety education and best practices for formulating with essential oils. The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapists, Alliance of International Aromatherapists, AromaWeb and the Handcrafted Soap & Cosmetics Guild are good sources for finding qualified educators.
- Obtain the book Essential Oil Safety, Edition 2 by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young. This book is a must-have for everyone who intends to create commercial products that include essential oils. We do not have it available for sale, but it is usually available via Amazon.
