This is a question that comes up quite often from people new to using essential oils. How many drops of essential oil to put in diffuser for optimal use?
Most people end up over thinking this as it largely comes down to personal preference. Although there are some general guidelines to follow as I will show you in a table below.
You do have to be careful not to put too much essential oil into a diffuser however. Using too much essential oil can potentially carry some health risks, it may damage your diffuser, and at best will create an overpowering smell.
To give you an idea of how much oil to use; a typical diffuser holds 100ml of water. For this amount of water I would suggest you use between 3-5 drops of essential oil per the 100ml.
This is the amount I was trained to use, and have always used. It’s also typically what is recommended by manufacturers if you read the instruction booklets that come with diffusers.
From here, it’s as simple as doubling the number of drops of oil per how much water you’re filling your diffuser with.
So for clarity here is a chart showing the typical amount of oil drops per size of diffuser.
Number of Drops Essential Oil per Ml
| Diffuser bin size | No.of Essential Oil Drops |
|---|---|
| 100ml | 3-5 |
| 200ml | 6-10 |
| 300ml | 9-15 |
| 400ml | 12-20 |
| 500ml | 15-25 |
How to Use Essential Oils and Diffusers
There are various brands and types of diffusers. The most common type is a plug-in electronic diffuser. Like the Radha Beauty Diffuser, or the Pilgrim Anton Diffuser, two models I own and have reviewed.
Using a diffuser is straightforward. Please be aware that each model will differ slightly, but here are the general guidelines you will follow with most diffusers.
1. Remove the top of the diffuser to gain access to the water bin.
2. Fill the bin with no more than the maximum amount of water recommended, there should be a visible ‘max’ line.
3. Add some essential oil as per the guidelines above.
4. Fix the lid back on securely.
5. Plug the diffuser in and set it somewhere secure and safe.
6. Make sure you’re familiar with the settings on your model of diffuser and set it to work how you want.
Another common question is how many drops to use when using oils to make homemade products such as candles, lotions, and soaps.
I usually blend some essential oils in with lotions, particularly when I have a favorite like the doTERRA Wild Orange which I’m crazy about right now and has loads of versatile uses.
I have used essential oils to make candles before too which is pretty fun and easy to do. Here is how many drops I recommend per volume of lotion for example.
How Many Drops of Essential Oil to Mix per Volume of Lotion
| Amount of Lotion | No.of Essential Oil Drops |
|---|---|
| 10ml | 3 |
| 20ml | 6 |
| 30ml | 9 |
| 40ml | 12 |
This is just a rough guide. Feel free to go a couple of drops either way depending on your own preference. As a word of caution however, when using a lotion with essential oils always use a small amount first time to check for skin sensitivity.
Remember to use scented-free products lotion too when you’re adding your own scent. Even mixing Wild Orange with an orange scented base oil ends up with a tainted scent in my experience.
The scents in most products are synthetically produced and the smell just isn’t the same as a quality natural product like an essential oil.
You can follow the same guideline above when mixing oils with a carrier oil too to make a massage oil blend to be used topically for a massage.
Another little reminder is to give the carrier/lotion and essential oils a good mix to ensure the blend and consistency in niec and smooth.
I’m a MA, (CMT) Certified Massage Therapist, Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT), and Reiki Master — I’m a licensed massage therapist with over 10 years of experience in the industry.