I love essential oils- they are wonderful for such a wide variety of uses; they are very potent however, so proper dilution is important. Most essential oils cannot be used directly on the skin without being diluted with a carrier oil since many are too strong and can cause irritation (lavender and tea tree oil are two exceptions).
Below is a dilution recommendation chart for making your own home and beauty preparations using essential oils:
Massage oil or general topical use: 50-60 drops for each 4 ounces of carrier oil or lotion
Highly scented topical use: 50-60 drops for 1 ounce of carrier oil or lotion
Scented bath: 10-12 drops per tub of water
Steam inhalation: 3-7 drops in a bowl of boiling water
Foot bath: 8-10 drops per bowl of water
Facial mask: 2-3 drops mixed with 1 tsp. clay or honey or mixed with 4 drops carrier oil for dry skin
Facial oil: 6-8 drops per ½ ounce of carrier oil
Hair oil: 25 drops per 1 ounce of carrier oil
Body mist: 10-20 drops per 4 ounces of water
Room spray: 20-30 drops per 4 ounces of water
A note of caution:
Citrus oils like lemon and orange can make the skin more sensitive to the sun, so it’s best to not use those oils on sensitive skin in the daytime. Also, cinnamon bark and cinnamon cassia can be extremely irritating to the skin, and may want to be diluted even more than the amounts above when being used topically.