What you should know before purchasing essential oils

Not all essential oils are created equal. Most of the essential oils on the market are what is called "perfume quality" or "fourth & fifth quality" oils. This includes oils found in health food stores. Perfume Oils”, “Fragrant Oils” or any "Aromatherapy Oils" that do not call themselves “Essential Oils” often are not pure at best and most are either cut/stretched and adulterated with added ingredients, or they are synthetic.

"Perfume Oils" and "Fragrant Oils" are almost always artificial. They may smell nice, but they do not have the natural and therapeutic properties of a natural, pure essential oil. Pure unadulterated essential oil is very hard to come by & can be very expensive.

DO NOT use essential oils directly on the scalp! Always dilute with a carrier oil and or with water.

How long will essential oils last? Unfortunately essential oils do not have date stamps when sold, so it is impossible to tell how old they are when you buy them. Most experts say it's about two years.

How/where to store essential oils? Essential oils should be purchased and stored in dark-colored glass bottles such as cobalt blue or amber with have tight seal and with droppers. The dark glass protects the essential oils from the light but you need to store them away from direct sunlight and away from any heat source, preferably in a cool and dark cabinet. Your oils can evaporate so always keep the cap screwed on tight. Also, be cautioned that essential oils can harm some varnished wood surfaces and some plastics.

What is the ratio of essential oils to carrier oils? As a rule, I use about one drop of an essential oils to every 2-3 teaspoons of a carrier oil.

4 levels of therapeutic oils

PURE - This means the oil was not diluted with a lesser quality essential oil. "Pure" does not mean it has no chemicals added to it. In the U.S., all you need is 5% of essential oil in the bottle in order to label it "100% pure."

NATURAL - This means the oil was not adulterated with vegetable oils, propylene glycol, SD Alcohol 40 or other chemicals.

COMPLETE - This means the oil was distilled at low heat & low pressure so that all the therapeutic properties are there. Essential oils are often redistilled to make a small amount of oil go farther. They can make more profit that way. The problem is, when you redistill the oil you lose the therapeutic properties. It's like using a tea bag over & over again.

GENUINE or GRADE A - These are the cream of the crop and quite rare. These oils are made never has chemicals put on it.

 

Dilution of Essential Oils

Normal Dilution by 2.5%
You’ll need (x) ml carrier oil/2 = total drops of essential oil. Example - (Essential) 5 drops Sandalwood, 3 drops essential oil, 2 drops orange in 20ml carrier oil.

Low Dilution by 1%
You’ll need (x) mil carrier oil/4 = total drops of essential oil
Example - 3 drops essential oil per 20 ml carrier oil.

Extremely low Dilution by 0.5% (very sensitive skins)
Example - 1 drop essential oil per 10ml of carrier oil.

Conversions:
5ml = 1 teaspoon
30ml = 1 fluid oz
1ml = 20 drops of essential oil
600ml = 1 pint

ESSENTIAL OILS

Essential oils are the highly concentrated, volatile, aromatic essences of plants. It is non-oily and highly fragrant which is extracted from a plant and evaporates quickly.

Popular Essential Oils For The Hair:

Basil: Promotes hair growth.

Cedarwood: Antiseptic, astringent, tonic reduces the production of sebum, normalizes both dry and oily skin and hair, stimulates the scalp and hair follicles; used in hair care to treat dandruff and hair loss.

Chamomile: Conditions the hair, helps withy making sheen.

Eucalyptus: A powerful antiseptic, helps to get rid of dandruff.

Frankincense: Great for dry scalp.

Jasmine: Used mostly for the scent.

Lavender: Scalp treatment for itchiness, dandruff, and for the smell.

Lemon: Refresh invigorate, improve elasticity, helps to cleanse the scalp.

Lemongrass: Useful for oily hair, help to slow down scalp oil production.

Myrrh: Can be used for dry hair, scalp & dandruff.

Orange: Balances the production of sebum.

Palmarosa - Regulates sebum production.

Patchouli: Dandruff treatment for oily hair.

Peppermint: Promotes hair growth.

Rose Oil: Soothes scalp and smells great.

Rosemary Oil: Promotes hair growth & Dandruff treatment - DO NOT USE IF YOU'RE PREGNANT!

Tea tree: Treatment for dry scalp, oily hair, dandruff, and underactive sebaceous glands.

Sandalwood: An antiseptic, astringent, anti-inflammatory; good for dry scalp.

Ylang-ylang: A soothing antiseptic, helps to control the production of sebum and stimulates hair growth.

 

Carrier Oils

Carrier Oils can derive from a vegetable, nut or seed oil, which are used to dilute essential oil(s). These oils have therapeutic properties and presents a good source of nutrients and energy. The following oils can be used on their own, or with essential oils.

 

Popular Carrier Oils For The Hair:

Almond Oil: Non-greasy, spreads & absorbs easily and also is great for nourishing the hair.

Apricot Kernel Oil: Good for dry hair. Rich in essential fatty acids, Oleic and Linoleic acid. Spreads easily on the skin.

Avocado Oil: Very light. Avocado oil is very nourishing to the hair and contains vitamins A and E and especially large amounts of vitamin D and potassium. The avocado has the highest protein content of any fruit.

Castor Oil: Acts as a humectant by attracting and retaining moisture to the hair. In combination with other oils, it makes a wonderfully emollient!

Grapeseed Oil: A light, odorless oil which contains vitamins, proteins and minerals. Contains Vitamin E and Steroids. It's an emollient and moisturizing.

Hazelnut Oil: This oil is a medium weight oil and is a very penetrating oil. This oil contains oleic acid and a small amount of linoleic acid.

Jojoba Oil: This oil resembles sebum, which is the oil the scalp secretes. For massage blends, it is best to mix approximately 50% Jojoba Oil with another carrier oil. Jojoba oil can be applied without being diluted.

My Personal Thoughts On Oils

I don't need to use direct oils on my hair. I do occasionally use coconut or avocado oil on my ends, peppermint oil & water for scalp massages, and other essential oils (lavender, ylang-ylang, jasmine, mango, gardenhairsprays.ia and orange are my favorites) for the scent of my homemade I also add a little olive oil or avocado oil to my deep conditioners during the cooler months.

Have fun experimenting with various oils!