I have some Pure Essential Lemon Oil and wanted to make a homemade spray from it as a sort of scent, not for general distribution in a burner, in a spray bottle for every day use in the workplace and wanted to know the methods available for doing so.
I assume that there are careful measurements of the substances involved and probably some boiling and cooling down? I wanted to avoid getting a rash and even developing an intolerance to lemon as I love it so much (especially in foods) and so rather than jump right in with some water in a spray-pump bottle and a few drops of oil I could take a more professional approach, after all, I have been told that too much of a certain oil can kill!
Many thanks!
lemon body spray
Hi hillgate,
Sorry to read that your hay fever has not subsided.
As per the lemon deodorizing body spray - excellent choice!
You can do this professionally, by purchasing organic floral waters (hydrolate / hydrosol) - which cost about £13-£15 per litre.
The cheapest way of doing it, is simply boiling regular tap water and then allowing to cool or use filtered water. But only do this as a room spray, as the essential oil will not bind with the water and will simply float - far too harsh for a body spray!
The other option, is going to the cake making section of any supermarket and buy 200ml bottles of orange blossom water, rose water or Kawara water - these all cost about £1.50 each. Rose water is very gentle / subtle. Orange water will really compliment your lemon, and the kawara water will give your lemon a powerful tropical touch.
Most lemon essential oils are cold pressed and considered somewhat phototoxic, and should be used with caution before exposure to sunlight. Use no more than 10 drops per 10ml in summer.
Note that as you would normally only use a maximum of 4 or 5 squirts on your body - a quarter of a ml. floral water at 5% dilution - the actual amount of essential oil you come into contact with will be negligible! Thus, this health warning is quite academic - a great paper about this is [url]The Myth of Toxicity[/url].
A great alternative is LIME essential oil - almost always steam distilled, and thus NOT considered phototoxic!
I
On myself
Thanks, I'll look into this a little bit more, later, but one burning question I have is if this is fit for personal use. I am not looking to radiate a room with the oil, but myself, I would like to spray my clothes with it, can I do this, will it mark and/or stain the clothes and how long, in Autumn shall we say, will it last roughly?
Thanks.
You will probably find that most citrus essential oils (being cold pressed) will leave a light mark or stain on clothes. Probably not too bad with darker clothes and much less of an issue, if the essential oil is steam distilled (exceptions being the resin oils, German Chamomile etc).
I'd say the lemon + rose water or orange blossom is pretty safe on all but very light coloured clothes.
Again, 4 or 5 squirts of the suggested blend (a grand total of 1/4ml at 5%) is EXTREMELY safe directly on the skin.
Being a top note, you will find that the lemon's refreshing scent will only last for about an hour. You can certainly add your Roman Chamomile into the blend (base note) for a much longer lasting effect. Experiment!
Please note also that you should probably stop using your lemon essential oil topically. after 12 months of purchase. It will be perfectly OK using it as a room spray well into the second year, though. Your Chamomile wil be pretty safe for a good few years, especially if the bottle is almost full.
When you recommend to stop using the lemon essential oil topically, what does that mean exactly? I understand that the bottles must be kept out of light, I keep them in the card tubes they came in, is that what you mean?
When you speak of top and base notes I think there is much to learn about mixing the oils, I specifically went for a good brand and while I cannot see what percentage the oil is itself, I assume it's undiluted and thus 100%? The instructions do stipulate that the oil in its undiluted form should not come into contact with the skin, so when you say "a grand total of 1/4ml at 5%" I take it that the oil has been diluted with water?
The measurements really are the stumbling block for me, what kind of tools would I need to get the right measurements?
I don't mind experimenting but I didn't want to stray from the lemon scent too much, not at all in fact, but of course I could modify the scent as time goes on, for example when the oil begins to near its expiry date I could take that fading aroma and infuse it with rose water or orange blossom as you suggested? Is it okay to remix old solutions, or is it like frozen food where once unfrozen it cannot be re-frozen?
I'm not so taken with the idea of my clothes becoming spotty, is there a way to prevent that? If not I suppose I could spray the inside, it would permeate I should imagine, but what about the oil coming through to the other side, what kind of fabrics are a no no?
Organic floral waters seem to be a shortcut, are there two ways to do this, just add floral waters, and the other to boil it yourself etc... I think would go the easy route for now because of my long working hours, but would be interested in some intermediate literature on the issue, although I don't know how heavy I will get into it?
Many thanks for your replies, I am learning a lot here!
As you mentioned, pure essential oils are 100% and thus should not come into direct contact with the skin - as they will cause irritation. This is certainly the case with lemon eo!
Massage therapist would normally dilute their massage oil blend with a vegetable carrier oil. For an air spray or body spray, a floral water could be used as a carrier (the main body - 95%).
pre-boiled water or filtered water could only be a carrier for a room spray, as the essential oils will not bind with water.
How about buying unscented aloe vera gel and using this as your carrier? Aloe vera is wonderfully nourishing for the skin and gorgeously cooling as well! squirt a dollop of gel into your hand (5ml) and add up to two drops and apply directly to your hands and arms. Perhaps around your neck as well.
Not to be applied topically after a year means not directly on to the skin - only use as a room spray after expiration...
As for measurements - a good rough guide is 1ml. = 20 drops. Hence, to create a 5% dilution, take a 10ml bottle and add a max of 10 drops of essential oil. If the bottle contains 20ml (carrier water / aloe vera etc) then use a max of 20 drops of essential oil (remember that 20 drops = 1ml)
Finally, if you do opt for the aloe vera gel - only use it on the face at a max of 2% (1 drop per 5ml dollop of gel).
If you still have doubts, I am sure that your local aromatherapist would be happy to use your own essential oils and create a blend for you for a minimal fee.
Happy experimenting!