Living Magazine Fall 2015 Living Magazine | Page 32
DILUTE-or- NOT TO DILUTE
Dr. David K. Hill, DC
Anyone who has topically applied dōTERRA Deep Blue® Soothing Blend before and after a workout knows how quickly
and intensely it works. But the cooling sensation can sometimes be a little strong for small children or people with sensitive
skin. Diluting essential oils in a carrier oil before application is an excellent way to reduce sensitive skin reactions to certain
essential oils, but will it reduce its effectiveness? The answer may surprise you. Recent research suggests diluting essential
oils for topical applications not only does not reduce effectiveness, but may actually have certain advantages.
LIPOPHILICITY
The skin is one of the largest organs in the body, by both
surface area and weight. Although it regulates several aspects
of physiology and manages sensory reception, it is primarily a
protector. The skin acts as a barrier to protect internal organs
from variations in temperature, pressure and mechanical
impacts. It also acts as a defender against unwanted foreign
agents such as viruses and bacteria, and it does so with amazing
proficiency. For thousands of years it was thought that the skin
was essentially impermeable, but modern research has revealed
that it is not particularly effective at keeping out water and lipidsoluble substances.(1) How essential oils permeate the skin when
applied topically is a fascinating process, and one of the most
important concepts in understanding how essential oils influence
our health. Essential oils are lipophilic, meaning they are attracted
to and are soluble in fatty substances. Diluting essential oils in
a carrier before applying accentuates this property, providing a
number of benefits.
BENEFITS OF DILUTION
Dilution is one of the most important aspects of effective topical
application; it is also one of the most misunderstood. When
used properly, carrier oils have been shown to improve essential
oil topical application through several different pathways.
Evaporation is the primary issue in topical application, as body
heat and the skin present a formidable barrier. One of the most
important benefits of dilution is that it slows the flashing off of
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the volatile aromatic compounds, largely through one of the
fundamental laws of fluid dynamics: decreasing the surface area
of a substance exposed to air reduces the rate of evaporation.
When diluted, essential oil chemical constituents have been
shown to pass through the epidermis more efficiently than
when applied neat.(2) Furthermore, another study showed that
dilution may expedite the process, as varying levels of specific
constituents were detected in exhaled Z\