How to Safely Add Essential Oils to Your Bath
I often think back to when I first started using essential oils and what I wish I would have known then. I cringe as I remember how I used to add essential oils directly to my bathwater. This is a common mistake of many essential oil users. Whether you are brand new to essential oils or have been using them for a while, I hope this aromatherapy bath safety guide is helpful for you.
Benefits of a bath
I love a bath at the end of the day to calm and relax my body. There are multiple health benefits in taking baths.
15 benefits of a bath:
Enhances lung capacity
Calms the nervous system
Relieves muscle tension
Soothes hemorrhoids
Alleviates labor pains
Improves cell damage
May promote release of serotonin
Cleanses and hydrates skin, nails and hair
Regulates core body temperature
Relieves headaches
Soothes menstrual cramps
Helps with sleep
Soothes itchy skin
Improves gastrointestinal health
Boosts mood
Indulging in a warm bath is a timeless ritual of relaxation, and the addition of essential oils can elevate this experience to new heights. When taking an aromatherapy bath we have to remember one simple rule so our bath doesn’t become unpleasant: Do not add essential oils directly to the bathwater.
Essential oils and water don’t mix
Before I became an aromatherapist, about 10 years ago I was gifted some lavender essential oil and was told to add a few drops to my bath to help me relax. After a few baths I started noticing my skin felt really itchy when I got out. Looking back, I know part of this was probably due to the lavender essential oil likely being synthetic, but also because I was adding the oil directly to the bath without a proper dispersant.
Essential oils are hydrophobic therefore they do not mix with water. If you have ever made salad dressing, you know oil and water don’t mix. Even when shaken, they will separate quickly after. This also applies to essential oils. You can test this by adding a drop of a blue colored essential oil (like German chamomile) to a glass of water. The essential oil will immediately float on the surface of the water or quickly adhere to the sides of the glass. If you stir the water with the essential oil, you will see the blue particles floating around and once the water stops swirling, the essential oil will come together and gather at the top of the surface again. No matter how vigorously you stir it, the two will separate because they are two repelling substances.
Side note: essential oils are lipophilic meaning they love fatty oils. This is why we mix them with carrier oils to dilute them in many recipes.
Why is this important?
Simply adding essential oils directly to the bathwater can lead to concentrated pockets of oil that may irritate the skin. If essential oils are not diluted properly, you risk using the essential oil neat (undiluted) which increases the risk of sensitivity and irritation.
So how can we do this safely?
A safe and easy way to add essential oils to the bathwater is by adding them to a dispersant or solubilizer first. There always seems to be confusion over the terms dispersant, emulsifier and solubilizer. A dispersant is a substance that is added to a suspension of solid or liquid particles in a liquid to improve the separation of the particles and to prevent their settling clumping. An emulsifier is a chemical substance that forces a bond between oil and water molecules without changing the molecular structure. Solubilizers use one substance to dissolve into another substance to create a solution.
Safely adding essential oils to your bath requires careful consideration and proper techniques to ensure a pleasant and therapeutic experience without causing skin irritation or other adverse reactions.
Choose high quality essential oils
First things first! If adding essential oils to the bath, it is important to use 100% pure essential oils. Synthetic fragrances are not to be used and can cause skin irritations as well as increased risk of adverse reactions. The essential oil industry is not regulated therefore companies may label bottles with claims of being “100% pure” even if they contain a small percentage of essential oil and contain additives OR synthetic fragrances.
What to watch for when purchasing essential oils:
Botanical Plant Name: Back label should always include the botanical name of the plant species the essential oil was derived from. For example: lavendula angustifolia (Lavender).
Other Ingredients: Pure essential oils should not contain carrier oils or other additives on the label. Companies do this to dilute the essential oil and bring down the cost.
Cheaper Substitutes: Back label should match essential oil on front. Some companies will substitute cheaper alternatives (for example lavadin for lavender) and falsely label.
Fragrance: Look out for the word fragrance on the bottle. It typically means synthetic fragrance within.
Pricing: It takes a wide range of plant material and resources to make essential oils. Rose oil should not cost the same as lavender oil. When essential oils all cost the same price, it is a concern for purity.
Dilute the Essential Oils
Diluting allows you to get more use out of your oils without impacting the efficacy of the oils therapeutic properties. Not to mention it decreases risk of adverse skin irritations and may even enhance absorption.
I feel the word “dilute” gives the wrong impression that essential oils are therefore “less concentrated” and therefore do not work as well. However, carrier oils do NOT lessen the therapeutic benefits of essential oils. Instead, they spread essential oils further on the skin and actually help your body absorb them faster. Essential oils are highly volatile and evaporate quickly. Carrier oils are heavier and do not evaporate; instead, they fully absorb into the skin. Because essential oils are so concentrated, it’s important to use a carrier oil to protect the skin and reduce risk of adverse reactions.
Want to learn more about dilution? Get my free dilution guide here.
Dilute essential oils in carrier oil before adding to the bath
Bath oils offer a multitude of benefits for both the body and mind. When added to bathwater, the oils create a luxurious and moisturizing experience, leaving the skin feeling soft and supple. Essential oils can be safely added to a carrier oil and then added to the bath. Just be aware that when added to the bath, the carrier oil doesn’t mix with the water and will float on top of the surface. However, the essential oils are properly diluted. I personally enjoy this method and find the bath oil extremely moisturizing for my skin. Just make sure you aren’t adding too much as it can make a slippery bathtub. I usually use between 3-5 drops of essential oil per bath. Some of my favorites are lavender, roman chamomile, frankincense, eucalyptus, juniper and black spruce. I would avoid using hot oils such as cinnamon bark, clove, thyme, oregano, wintergreen, ginger, black pepper and peppermint.
How to use: Mix 3-8 drops of essential oil with 1 tablespoon of your chosen carrier oil. (my favorites are apricot seed oil, jojoba oil or fractionated coconut oil). You can also make a large batch to have on hand adding a small amount for each bath.
Add essential oils to bath gels, bubble bath gel, shampoo or castile soap
Adding essential oils to common household products is another way to add essential oils to the bath. Products such as shower gels, bubble bath, castile soap and shampoo make great dispersants for essential oils in the bath.
How to use: Mix 3-8 drops of essential oil with 1-2 tablespoons of your chosen product (bubble bath, castile soap, bath gel) and then add to warm running water.
Making an aromatic bath salt
Aromatic bathing salts are incredibly popular for their relaxing and soothing properties. Just be aware that salt such as Epsom salt, Dead Sea salts and Himalayan salt are do not properly disperse essential oils in the bath alone. By adding essential oils directly to the salt, you will end up with the essential oils floating on the surface of the water undiluted. There are a few options to enjoy a salt bath with essential oils. One, is to use one of the above methods mentioned and then add the epsom salts separate. Two, is to combine the essential oils with a carrier oil and then add to the epsom salt mixture and add to the bath.
How to use: Mix 3-8 drops of essential oil with 15ml of bath gel or carrier oil and then add to 1 cup of Epsom salt. Add to warm running water. You can also make a larger batch of these aromatic bathing salts.
Using a solubilizer in the bath
There are solubilizers sold on the market which can also help safely disperse essential oils in the bath. When it comes to solubilizing essential oils and other hydrophobic ingredients, solubol, polysorbate 20, and polysorbate 80 are commonly used in natural skincare and aromatherapy products.
Solubol is a natural solubilizer derived from sweet almond and coconut oils, renowned for its mild and hypoallergenic nature. Generally as a rule of thumb, we want to use a ratio of 4:1 for solubilizing essential oils with Solubol. (Always check your manufacturer’s recommendations though!) So that means we would use 4 drops of solubol for every 1 drop of essential oil. After mixing together, you can then add to the bath.
Polysorbate 20, on the other hand, is a non-ionic surfactant made from sorbitol and lauric acid, offering excellent solubilizing properties and a wide range of compatibility with various ingredients. It is soluble in water and glycerin and partially soluble in fractionated coconut oil. With polysorbate 20, the recommended ratio is 1:1 so for every 1 drop of essential oil, we want to use 1 drop of polysorbate 20.
Polysorbate 80, a related compound, is also a non-ionic surfactant derived from sorbitol and oleic acid, known for its greater stability and thickening capabilities compared to polysorbate 20. This is an option if you want to disperse both the essential oil and a carrier oil within the bath. This works well for bath bombs and bath melts. Again, the recommended ration is 1:1 so for every 1 drops of essential oil, we want to use 1 drop of polysorbate 80.
Ingredients that do NOT properly disperse essential oils in the bath:
When incorporating essential oils in the bath, it's crucial to be mindful of ingredients that do not effectively disperse the oils. Substances like baking soda and Epsom salts are often used in bath recipes, but they may not disperse essential oils evenly in the water. These ingredients can clump together, causing the essential oils to pool in specific areas, leading to potential skin irritation. It's advisable to use a dispersing agent like stated above such as a carrier oil or liquid soap to facilitate even distribution of the essential oils in the bathwater. Properly dispersing essential oils ensures a more enjoyable and effective aromatherapy experience while minimizing the risk of skin sensitivities.
7 Ingredients that do not disperse essential oils in the bath:
Water Alone: Adding essential oils directly to the bathwater without dilution or a dispersing agent can lead to concentrated oils on the water's surface. This can increase the risk of skin irritation and make the oils less effective.
Salt: While Epsom salts and sea salts are popular bath additives, they may not effectively disperse essential oils. Salt does not mix well with oils, and adding essential oils directly to salts may result in undiluted patches of oil in the bath.
Baking Soda: Baking soda is sometimes used in baths for its soothing properties, but it doesn't disperse essential oils effectively. Mixing essential oils directly with baking soda may not evenly distribute them in the bathwater.
Milk: While milk is water soluble it does not properly disperse or solubilize essential oils and carrier oils in bath water. Because water and oil don’t mix, when added to the bath, the milk will mix with the water but the essential oils will float on top undiluted.
Witch Hazel: It is commonly misunderstood that witch hazel is a proper emulsifier/solubilizer. Witch hazel is water soluble and again is not an effective solubilizer for essential oils in water. Witch hazel that contains 14% alcohol (as a preservative) is also not an effective solubilizer because the amount of alcohol present as well as the alcohol proof is not enough to do this.
Glycerin: Glycerin is water soluble and will not properly mix essential oils with water.
Aloe Vera: While some aloe vera gels contain thickeners and preservatives that are effective in allowing application to the skin, aloe vera alone will not properly disperse essential oils in water. Therefore, the essential oils will float on top of the surface undiluted.
I hope you found this guide helpful! If you are wanting to learn more about how aromatherapy can benefit the mind and body, check out my new book Science of Essentials: The Essential Guide for Using Aromatherapy to Promote Health and Healing here.
If you are new to essential oils, you may also find this blog I wrote helpful: 10 Things I Wish I Would Have Known When I Started Using Essential Oils.
Disclaimer: This blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. The use of information on this blog or materials linked from this blog is at the user's own risk. The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advice for any medical condition they may have, and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.