Essential Oils 101

New to essential oils? This guide covers what they are, how they are made, the simple ways to enjoy them at home, how to dilute them, and how to use them safely around your family.

In this guide

What essential oils are
How essential oils are made
Why scent affects how we feel
Ways to use essential oils
How to dilute: a simple chart
Safety first
Where to start

1. What essential oils are

An essential oil is the concentrated aromatic part of a plant: its flowers, leaves, peel, wood, roots or resin. It takes a lot of plant material to make a small bottle: many kilograms of lavender flowers go into a single litre of lavender oil. That is why a few drops go a long way.

Aromatherapy is simply the practice of using these plant aromas to make everyday moments feel better: a calmer bedroom, a fresher kitchen, a brighter start to the morning.

All Aroma Sense single oils are 100% pure, in 10 ml amber glass dropper bottles. Our blend oils mix several pure oils for a particular mood.

2. How essential oils are made

Steam distillationThe most common method. Steam passes through the plant, carries the aromatic oil with it, and is then cooled so the oil separates from the water. The fragrant water left behind is called a hydrosol, like rose water. Lavender, eucalyptus and peppermint are made this way.

Cold pressingUsed for citrus. The peel of oranges, lemons and grapefruit holds tiny pockets of oil, which are pressed out mechanically without heat, keeping the bright, juicy scent. Try our citrus oils.

Gentle extractionDelicate flowers such as jasmine release their scent poorly with steam, so gentler methods are used, from the traditional enfleurage (pressing petals into fat) to modern CO₂ or solvent extraction.

3. Why scent affects how we feel

Smell is the sense most closely linked to memory and emotion. Scent signals travel from the nose straight to the parts of the brain that handle feelings and memories, which is why one breath of a familiar scent can take you back years in an instant.

That is the idea behind our calm & sleep, uplift & energy, grounding & focus and restore & unwind collections: choosing scents for the mood you want to set.

4. Ways to use essential oils

Diffuser

The easiest way to start. Add 3 to 5 drops to the water in an ultrasonic diffuser, or follow your diffuser's instructions. Run it for 30 to 60 minutes at a time in a ventilated room, then take a break.

Reed diffuser

Flame-free and effortless. Choose a ready-made reed diffuser, or make your own with our reed diffuser base: mix 20 to 30% essential oil with 70 to 80% base. Step-by-step method and recipes in our DIY reed diffuser guide.

Straight from the bottle or a tissue

Open the bottle and breathe in gently, or put 1 to 2 drops on a tissue for your desk or pillowcase. Keep oils away from the eyes and never apply them undiluted to skin.

Massage

Essential oils are too concentrated to use neat on skin, so always blend them into a carrier oil such as sweet almond, jojoba or coconut. See the dilution chart below, and our Carrier Oils 101 for choosing an oil.

Bath

Oil and water do not mix, so undiluted drops can sit on the surface and irritate skin. Blend 4 to 6 drops into a tablespoon of carrier oil or full-fat milk first, then swirl it into the bath water.

Around the home

Add a few drops to a linen spray, a cotton ball in the wardrobe, or the cardboard tube of a toilet roll. Citrus and herbal oils such as lemon, lemongrass and tea tree give a clean, fresh scent. See oils for a fresh home.

5. How to dilute: a simple chart

A general guide for massage and body oils for healthy adults. Start low; you can always add more.

Use	Strength	In 10 ml carrier oil	In 30 ml carrier oil
Face	0.5 to 1%	1 to 2 drops	3 to 6 drops
Everyday body oil	1 to 2%	2 to 4 drops	6 to 12 drops
Small area, short-term (e.g. shoulders after a long day)	up to 3%	up to 6 drops	up to 18 drops

About 20 drops make 1 ml. For children, older adults, pregnancy or sensitive skin, use a lower strength and ask a doctor first; see our kid-friendly guide. We do not recommend using essential oils on the skin of babies under 2.

6. Safety first

Not for ingestion. Never swallow essential oils or add them to food and drinks.
Always dilute before applying to skin, and never use on broken, irritated or very sensitive skin.
Patch test a diluted drop on the inner arm and wait 24 hours before wider use.
Citrus and sun. Some cold-pressed citrus oils, especially bergamot, lemon, lime and grapefruit, can make skin more sensitive to sunlight. Avoid applying them to skin that will be in the sun within 12 hours.
Children and pets. Keep bottles out of reach. Some oils are not suitable around children, dogs or cats; see our kid-friendly and dog-friendly guides. Cats and birds are especially sensitive.
Pregnancy and health conditions. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, have asthma or epilepsy, or take medication, check with your doctor before using essential oils.
Storage. Keep bottles tightly closed, upright, and away from heat and sunlight.