NOW oils are part of a well-known health and wellness company, NOW Foods. In this NOW essential oils review, I discuss questions about their essential oil products, including quality and purity testing practices. I also examine the company history, their product assortment, and price points for the consumer.
Essential oils are a wonderful way to enjoy the fragrances from some of today’s most sought after extracts. Aromatherapy oils are genuine reflections of the botanical from which they’re derived from. When diffusing these natural extracts are into the air of a room, they can inspire, energize, soothe, and encourage wellness and peace of mind.
This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read my full disclosure policy here.
Today, pure essential oils are used in therapeutic settings to help achieve a positive mood and bring about relaxation.
Why Choose NOW Oils?
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- Pure quality at affordable prices. NOW essential oils are on the cheaper side of essential oils pricing. I am not completely surprised by that, as they are a huge company that probably buys huge amounts of raw materials at the same time.
- Widely available on Amazon from their official seller’s page, so you know you’re buying the real product from the real company, even though it’s distributed through Amazon shipping and marketplace.
- 50+ years in business and still family owned!
- The company contributes to charitable organizations and causes as part of their core business mission.
- With a wide product selection that covers many of the things you’ll need, you can stock up your essential oils library all in one shop. From popular lavender oil to empty spray bottles for DIY recipes, NOW oils has got you covered.
- Free shipping for orders over $50 within the contiguous 48 states. $5.95 flat fee shipping for orders to Alaska and Hawaii. No international shipping is available at this time.
- Excellent customer service available via toll-free phone number (call 1-800-283-3500) or internet contact form submission.
A Brief Company History
The NOW essential oils company is officially called NOW Foods. I’ll be using the terms NOW Foods, NOW, and NOW Essential Oils interchangeably. Please don’t get confused, it’s all the same thing.
For over 50 years, NOW Foods has manufactured and distributed natural wellness products. Their assortment includes natural foods, dietary supplements, sports nutrition, and personal care products. Related aromatherapy products include essential oil diffusers, essential oil blends, and a selection of organic oils. In total, I found over 1,400 products listed!
In 1948, entrepreneur Paul Richard purchased a small Chicago-based manufacturing company that made grain and legume-based products. His son Elwood Richard founded NOW Foods two decades later, in 1968. This marked the beginning of a decade-long family company legacy. To this day, NOW Foods is still a family-owned company. It has grown to one of the natural product industry’s most recognizable brands.
NOW Foods was founded on the belief that good health is not a luxury available only to the wealthy. This translates into manufacturing high-quality, affordable nutrition products.
Quality Assurance
NOW essential oils are produced with loving attention to detail from start to finish. Quality has always been a cornerstone of their company. They source the best raw botanicals available, process them with gentle extraction methods, and commit to producing industry-leading pure essential oils.
Oil Extraction
One of the most important steps in assuring a quality oil is the process of extracting essential oils from their botanical origin. NOW brand uses only the best available practices:
- Steam Distillation: With steam distillation, essential oils are converted into vapor and then condensed into liquid form where they can be bottled for your enjoyment. It is a popular, natural and precise way to gently extract essential oils while leaving behind any undesirable components.
- Cold Press Extraction: Cold press extraction is another natural extraction method used primarily for citrus extracts, such as Orange, Lemon, Lime, Bergamot and Tangerine. It involves carefully applying a cold “press” to the botanical to extract the highest concentration of beneficial oils.
- Solvent Extraction: Plants that are too delicate or costly for distillation are often extracted efficiently using safe solvents such as ethanol. Examples of solvent-extracted oils include Rose and Jasmine.
- CO2 Extraction: CO2 Extraction is used to remove the oils or essence from the plant matter without using heat or leaving any solvent residue behind.
Poor extraction methods can compromise the potency, aroma and effectiveness of the resulting oil, making it imperative to pay attention to any essential oil brand’s process of manufacturing.
NOW Foods shows great care and stewardship for extracting the best essence of the essential oils you find in the bottles available for sale. This is why I continue to feature them on my popular list of top 10 best essential oil brands.
Testing Process
Essential oils are only a good as their active components. NOW continues to invest in the in-house laboratories, analytical instrumentation, and scientific staff necessary to ensure outstanding product quality.
NOW Foods uses their own team of quality control experts to conduct quality tests and ensure that each oil matches their standard. NOW’s team conducts a series of essential oil tests to ensure that each oil is of the highest possible quality.
All NOW Essential Oils are GC/FTIR verified, which is an aromatherapy industry-standard testing qualification. GC stands for Gas Chromatography and FTIR for Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Not that these technical details really matter to the average consumer, but it’s good to know that this is not only a company-internal testing process labeled with some smart marketing name to confuse consumers. doTerra also uses GC and FTIR testing to ensure the quality of their essential oils (read it on doTerra’s blog here).
Food Grade and Therapeutic Grade
NOW Foods published one of the best and most honest things you can read about food grade and therapeutic grade essential oils. Find it in full, on NOW Food’s essential oils FAQ section, “Are Essential Oils Food Grade?“. I promise it will be worth your time! In summary, it says that:
- “Therapeutic grade” is a marketing made up by industry leaders. It cannot be chemically measured, and there is no authoritative body or organization behind the term that could verify its use.
- NOW foods does not sell “therapeutic grade oils”. They choose to label them as 100% pure.
- Claiming an oil to be “Food grade” (i.e., edible) would require that brand to display a Nutrition Facts panel on their label as required by law.
- The FDA has a classification named GRAS (generally regarded as safe), and a list of essential oils falls under that classification. Still, it is the explicit choice of NOW essential oils company to not market ingestion of essential oils.
- Oils that are not food grade will have the statement “Not for Internal Use” in the caution box on the label.
- If you recognize the source of these oils as food (i.e. basil, oregano, cinnamon bark), then natural extraction methods such as steam distillation and cold pressing do nothing to change this quality, and these methods do not make the oil toxic.
Certified Organic Essential Oils
All NOW oils are pure, natural, concentrated and free of synthetic compounds. A selection of NOW brand essential oils are also classified as Certified Organic. But not all NOW Foods essential oils are organic products – only the ones labeled as such.
To qualify for USDA organic certification, the raw materials have to be sourced from certified organic ingredients. grown in soil that is free of pesticides, synthetic fertilizer and herbicidal residues. There is a definite demand for organic products in the market of health and wellness shoppers today.
All essential oils from NOW Foods are subject to the same internal testing process as the “Certified Organic” ones. They just don’t all qualify for displaying the USDA label.
NOW Essential Oils vs Young Living
Many readers always wonder how NOW oils compare to the Young Living brand. Here are the main major differences:
- Young Living is an MLM brand, meaning Multi Level Marketing. This means there are always “middlemen” involved in you buying any bottle of oil. This jacks up the price unnecessarily.
- NOW oils are sold direct to the consumer, without intermediaries.
- Shopping with Young Living offers the benefit of that salesperson whom you can ask questions or personal recommendations. However, these independent distributors are not always qualified to give you the best advice. They take monetary compensation and definitely have an interest in selling you some product.
- Both YL and NOW test their oils with company-internal procedures. They do not offer 3rd party test results to the public. Thus, what you think in regards to their quality promise depends entirely on how the brand’s trustworthiness is perceived.
- Young Living owns some of its own farms for gathering plant materials. NOW works with partnering farms to buy their raw materials at the best quality possible. Personally, I don’t think owning your own farms has anything to do with increased quality. It is a great strategy for saving costs and controlling the process. But I absolutely trust that other farmers around the world can do just as good of a job of growing, harvesting, and distilling quality oils for sale.
Product Selection
As a large company, NOW oils offers a wide variety of essential oil products. You’ll find single essential oils and popular essential oil blends. You can also choose from one of their 11 ultrasonic diffusers, and a handful of essential oil supplies such as empty amber glass bottles or bottle sprayers.
The NOW oils gift case is a favorite aromatherapy gift including a mini diffuser, 4 bottles of oil, and a handy carrying case to keep it all neatly tucked together.
Starter Kits
NOW oils distributes a fine selection or starter sets or gift kits, making it easy to dive into using essential oils without having to decide which single oils to order to begin with. Here are my three favorites:
- Put Some Pep In Your Step: Uplifting essential oils. Includes 3 singles (Grapefruit, Orange, Lemon), and 1 blend (Cheer Up Buttercup), 10 ml each.
- Let There Be Peace and Quiet: Relaxing essential oils kit. Includes 3 singles (Lavender, Peppermint, Eucalyptus), and 1 blend (Peaceful Sleep), 10 ml each.
- Seasonal Changes: Balancing essential oils kit. Includes 2 singles (Tea Tree, Eucalyptus radiata), and 2 blends (Nature’s Shield, Clean the Air).
With any of these starter kit options, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying essential oils!
Now Foods Carrier Oils
If you’ve come to love and trust the NOW essential oils brand, you might like to stock your cabinet with their carrier oils, too! You can get many popular carrier oils, including almond oil, avocado oil, grape seed oil or apricot oil. Prices range from about $5 for 4 oz of Apricot Kernel oil, to ca. $25 for 16 oz of Jojoba. These prices are extremely fair for the types of base oils sold.
Carrier oils are used to dilute an essential oil before applying it to our skin. There are many different types available to choose from, but this list includes some great favorites!
Some amazing properties of these carrier base oils are:
- Avocado oil is rich in vitamin A, D & E and can help you improve skin elasticity.
- Sweet Almond oil contains vitamins A, E , B, & D, and also Zinc and Calcium. This oil gets absorbed without blocking pores. It is lightweight and odorless, and calms skin inflammation, making your skin soft and smooth.
- Apricot oil is a great natural oil for use with sensitive skin. It easily blends with essential oils and absorbs quickly into the skin.
- Grape seed oil is a great source of essential fatty acids and prevents premature aging.
- Rosehip seed oil is rich in antioxidants, supports a healthy immune system and may fight skin aging and wrinkles.
Roll-Ons
As an essential oils beginner, the question is always how to use the oils.
Roller bottles are the easiest way to start enjoying your essential oils through topical application. The essential oils are pre-diluted to a safe ratio for use on the skin, and are used for external application only. Always make sure to avoid contact with eyes!
Apply it to the chest, wrists, or other desired pulse points for an energizing and cleansing aroma. Reapply as desired throughout the day.
Pricing
NOW Solutions offers a combination of pure quality oils at affordable prices. They have built lasting relationships with their suppliers and vendors. This allows the company to buy large quantities of raw materials at large discounts. This gets passed on to us customers in the form of everyday low prices.
Please do not make the mistake of associating a low price with low quality. Some brands are simply more established, further along in their manufacturing processes or infrastructures, and can simply offer a better price to the consumer, without compromising quality or oil purity.
NOW oils could also be a good choice of brand for you if you need to shop in bulk quantities. Many of their essential oils are available in larger, 4 fl oz bottles, offering a great price point for a good oil.
Final Thoughts
I hope you’ve enjoyed my Now Foods essential oils review. I feel comfortable recommending NOW essential oils to you. I like their thorough scientific testing and declaration of information.
NOW oils are always attainable at a reasonable price. This, I think, is a big plus for their company on all levels.
Abdul
Can you use them in the smoothie or basically what I mean can you can zoom in Edith
wayne Farrar
Hello, do you have the boswellia carterii frankincense in 4 ,8 or 16 oz size I have several of your 1 oz bottles but an living on disability and wanted to get a larger size and maybe it may be a bit less in cost even if not a bit cheaper i still would like to know if you do sale it in a larger size your frankincense smells better then most others as with your other oils i like them about the best and they have quality at the best prices thank you for your time
wayne
P.s the frankincense also seems to be helping me with knee pain and it is helping me cut back on narcotics which i hope to get away from using all together if possable
Mary
Thanks for the research! I have bought DoTerra, Young Living and NOW brands and while I want to use the best quality I can afford, I don’t want to be ripped off either. I will continue to use the NOW brand and just finished making my own batch of Thieves oil and it smells exactly like my YL brand!
Emma
Awesome! Glad to hear!
Jennifer Hilson
Mary, what is your drop ratio for your Theives?
Chris
I am also interested in this formula
Tknight
Would like the recipe for thieves oil as well.
Kristi
I am also interested in your recipe. Please share.
Mindy
I’d like your recipe also…..please post
Michelle McIntosh Burklin
I’d love to know your exact recipe. No one else seems to be able to duplicate the specific aroma. Thanks in advance!
Anna Edwards
I have several of the NOW EO and I have no complaints. I use them in my diffusers throughout my home, and cleaning products have worked so well for me!
Caroline
I purchased all the EO’s nessasary to create a ‘Theives’ blend (by Young Living) except with NOW. I made the blend today but it’s very evident that it smells completely different then ‘Theives’ by young living. Any idea why that would be? *i am using cinnamon bark (cinnamomum zeylanicum), lemon, clove (Eugenia caryophyllata), rosemary (Rosemarie’s officinalis), eucalyptus globulus
Kathy
Part of it is because the recipes may not match perfect. I also made the On Guard blend from doTerra and it doesn’t smell totally like it either. I personally believe doTerra is a better oil. However I can afford more of the oils with NOW and I’m happy with them.
Loren
NOW foods have a blend called natures shield that has the same oils. Any differences could be an issue of proportion of oils.
Paula
Real oil has a blend like Theives and its 50% off. Havent bought it yet but I am going to try it! Its called Immunity Boost.
Sara G
Caroline that’s because NOW essential oil are not actually pure essential oils. I find it VERY misleading that the company calls themselves NOW essential oils and puts 100% pure on the front. That would make one think that they are pure essential oils, right? Nope. When you turn it over you will see that they are just considered oils in the ingredients list. Not essential oils. Huge and disappointing difference. I
Michelle McIntosh Burklin
What exactly is the difference? Their website states that they are 100% pure essential oils…
Michelle McIntosh Burklin
From their website under the Essential Oils FAQ section:
All of our pure essential oils are labeled as such. We also sell clearly labeled oil blends that are formulated with essential oils or “absolute” extracts with another oil as a base; usually pure jojoba oil.
Jennifer
Sara G. Where did you find info that shows they are NOT pure EOs??
Jennifer
Also from the website:
“Are your oils watered down or diluted in any way?
No, both our pure and natural essential oils and our certified organic essential oils are never diluted or watered down in any way. We do offer a variety of essential oil blends, some of which are combined with carrier oils such as jojoba, but these blends are manufactured specifically as blends and are clearly labeled as such to avoid any confusion.”
The link to their FAQ: https://www.nowfoods.com/now/nowledge/essential-oil-faqs
MJ
I recently ordered oils from Dr. Axe and they were very expensive. Does anyone have an opinion on whether they are worth the price?
Bon
Hi: Just a new at this and was wondering what would I purchase in the Oil field to use in my Oil Diffuser for helping with Snoring and night and for my husband who is a smoker.
Emma
Hey Bon, give this article here a read, it talks about which oils are best for snoring.
Diane
There is an oil that is called breath and it is very good in the diffuser to help with sinuses, allergies, colds etc
Deborah Adkins
I’m satisfied with all my Now oils except for the Jasmine fragrance oil. The accent is so weak you can barely smell it even when I put the bottle up to my nostril. Very disappointed. It is useless in a diffuser. :/
Theresa Naville
I have never used now brand. can you take them internally? how do you rate this with doterra?
Yvonne
I would like to know how many drops do you use in a defusser of NOW? I have look all over to find out my answer.
Emma
Hi Yvonne, check how much water your exact diffuser unit holds and add 3-5 drops of oil per 100ml of water tank size. So if your diffuser has a 100ml water tank size, add 3-5 drops of oil depending on how strong you like the smell or effect of the oil to be. 200ml = 6-10 drops, 300ml = 9-15 drops, 400ml = 12-20 drops, 500ml, 15-25 drops.
Lorraine
Thanks for your advice Emma. I just purchased my now diffuser and oils yesterday send find that the five drops doesn’t seem to smell strong enough to me. Do you know of any problems that could result in adding double the amount of oil i e 12 drops in 100 ml.
Heather D.
Hey Lorraine, Congratulations on your oily journey! I saw your question not answered yet and I hope you dont mind me sharing, I would say yes, there can be some negative side affects if you use too much too soon. As a rule of thumb, I feel better starting with singles before blends, always dilute until you know how your skin handles it and you should also try to start off with a drop or two at first (whether diffusing or using topically) . True therapeutic oils will detox your body and too much too soon may cause headaches or nausea… Another thing to remember is to increase your water intake as you diffuse. (similar to after having a professional massage, they tell you to drink plenty of water afterwards to rid of impurities that were released through the message!)
Also, the biggest thing, in my opinion, to consider is the level of concentration…. It takes 60,000 Rose blossoms to make only 1oz of oil, that’s crazy!! Unfortunately, not all oils are of equal quality and people often ask “whats the difference?” The comparison is to how not all foods are of equal quality… Some companies distill with alcohol and use pesticides on their crops… Now I don’t eat organic fruit, but eating an apple sprayed with pesticides is something I’m ok with :) Using essential oils distilled with alcohol or sprayed with pesticides would be like eating the whole apple tree! wow! I hope that all helped :) Have a good day! –Heather
Sue
I am unhappy to learn about their use of solvents and co2 to extract oils in some instances. Otherwise, these do look to be of decent quality. Do their labels state the extraction method used?
Celeste
Yes, all their labels state the extraction method. Most are steam-distilled or cold pressed. I own about 10 different ones and am yet to see one with solvent or co2 extraction method :)
Tara
I have about 20 different Now oils and haven’t seen any with solvents. It must be a rare occurrence.
Michelle McIntosh Burklin
It states on their website that they only use these processes for the really difficult ones to extract (I think it’s only done for two of their oils) and maybe one super expensive, rare one. And it is labeled on the bottle that they were processed this way. Go to their website and read up on it.
Lynn
It depends on what they are using Co2 extration on. I know there are properties of ginger or frankincense that can only be brought out using Co2. I just learned about this recently as I noticed another brand was using it on frankincense. Not all of their line of frankinscence, just one.. They listed all of the frankincenses that are steam distilled, but had one that said Co2 distillation. I googled it and found out that whatever property it was, it could only be extracted using Co2. While this may not be the case for all aromatics at least with frankincense and ginger, there seems to be a good reason for it. It is important for any plant material being processed by Co2 be organically grown, as this method not only brings out more healthy properties, it also brings out the pesticides more efficiently, too. When thinking of buying something that is Co2 extracted, you should contact the company to be sure it is starting with organic material.
The National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy says this: “CO2 Hypercritical Extraction
Hypercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) extraction is a relatively new process used for the extraction of aromatic products. The basic concept is that CO2 under pressure will turn from a gas into a liquid that can then be used as an inert liquid solvent. This liquid solvent is able to diffuse throughout the plant material thus extracting its aromatic constituents. CO2 extracts contain most of the same constituents as their essential oil counterparts, although they can contain some elements not found in essential oils. For instance, the essential oil of ginger (Zingiber officinale) does not contain the bitter principles, however the CO2 extract does. Also, the CO2 extract of frankincense (Boswellia carterii) has immune enhancing and anti-inflammatory activity not found in the essential oil. CO2 extracts are known for their strong similarity in aroma to the actual plant aroma. Other common CO2 extracts on the market include German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) and Calendula (Calendula officinalis).
The three main disadvantages for this process are cost, potential pesticide residue, and the lack of information regarding their safety and therapeutic benefits.7 With regard to pesticide residue, Guba comments that “carbon dioxide extraction has been demonstrated to concentrate from 7 to 53 times more pesticide residues in the final extract.” Therefore, it seems pertinent to only use organic plant material for CO2 extraction. Perhaps as more CO2 extracts become available and more practitioners use them, further details regarding their applications will become apparent. Two of the most common essential oils available via CO2 extraction include frankincense and ginger.
Complete aritcle on extraction can be found here: https://naha.org/explore-aromatherapy/about-aromatherapy/aromatherapy-extracts-produced-from-plants
Sarah Burdick
I found a recipe to make lip balm and it calls for food grade essential oils and am hoping to make it as Christmas gifts this year. Are your essential oils safe to be used in lip balm?
Shawna
Can now oils be ingested by capsules or water safely
Diane
No, it tells you not to take internally
Jessica
Young Living is the only companied approved for safe ingestion! And the only company in the industry that can provide you with real insight on the essential oil process! They own the largest, most professional distilleries in the world! Check out, SEED TO SEAL. COM <3 Good luck with your journey!
Heather
Doterras ess oils can be taken internally..formulated by drs and scientists..my son has autism and we use alot of doterras ess oils..they are pricey but the best we have found..myself and my family all use them at this time also…my son has made much progress while using these only over a short period of time…copaiba and petitgrain are 2 of my favorites for him..also frankincense lovvvve it! WV
Angela
Thank you for this review. I just did a doTERRA workshop on facebook and learned heaps about EO’s. Also I learned there was no way on earth I could afford them or the Young Living brand or just about anything else. So I was really curious about the NOW foods line because they are so much cheaper, made me wonder if they are really suitable or not. But I need to start somewhere and I’m so glad to read a good review . Thanks so much, it was really helpful.
Terry Tidwell
Great review…… I’ve been using NOW products for years. I’m just now starting to learn about the advantages of essential oils.
Betty pea
I have been using Essential oils or a year now. Young Living Oils is where I started, but Now oils is also apart of my regiment, because of easy accessibility, and good quality as well. Their is a difference between the two. I love the oils and I use them both.
Selene
What’s the difference?
Marla
From my experience over 15 years using
EO’s Young Living, Jurlique and Starwest have a much purer scent and are better quality. I use NOW EO’s when I need a specific oil right away. The NOW Cypress I just purchased locally smells more like NOW Lavender than Cypress and I plan to return it. I do use the NOW Pea Protein Powder supplement though, and love it!
Company is better suited for supplements.
Janet
Sue, Order your Now essential oils from PureFormulas in FL – they have fantastic prices on oils, nutritional products (many doctor recommended products), personal care items, foods, etc and shipping is FREE. I live in NM and when I order say Wednesday in the morning (their time) I receive the order on Friday. They ship USPS Priority Mail. They have specials all the time that they will email to you – last time I ordered it was 10% off their already discounted prices. HAPPY ORDERING!
Sue
I have a couple bottles of the Now essential oils and I want to know if I can make my own bath salts? I have a recipe for Aches and Pain. I buy the four scents and mix them together and it really works. The problem is I live in Arkansas and the place I buy the salts is in Wisconsin, to far to go and gets expensive to have them shipped.
Thank you
Lara
You do not need to purchase expensive or special bath salts. Magnesium sulfate, aka. Epsom salt, is inexpensive and can be found at virtually any grocery store or pharmacy. It is an excellent bath salt for aches, pains, bruises, and can even be mixed into a liquid and ingested for use as a laxative. Just use epsom salt in your bath and add 4-6 drops of your choice EO (i.e. lavender, cedarwood, bergamot, camomile, wild orange, I have even used peppermint and tea tree at different times); or a combination of your choosing. FYI, I have a degree in Biochemistry & Biology and am a PhD candidate in Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience and Biotechnology. I have done research with Magnesium sulfate in my lab, so I am intimately familiar with this compound.
Heather Sidor
Hi Lara, my name is Heather.
I have been battling a serious overgrowth of candida that has attacked my face with rash with rash that just hasnt wanted to leave. There is a patch of little raised itchy redbumps glazed over my lips off to side of nose and a patch under corner of my mouth where I had a bad case of angular chelitis literally eating away at my skin ,but its starting to heal up now. I am on a strict candida cleanse of no sugar,no dairy,no fruit ,no wheat/gluten no starch diet and have been taking 150 billon in probiotics,a couple caprylic acid capsules and liposomal vit c everyday….is there a essential oil regimen you recommend or any advice for my issue? Also do you have a practice /facebook to follow? It sounds as though you are very knowledgable in many important subjects /studies that pertain to health…..also my husband and I have been taking the “Calm” Magnesium supplement ,is this a good choice or is their one you would recommend over this?
Tress
Hi Heather, Hoping to find you are feeling better. I read your comment and wanted to pipe in and recommend home-made fresh milk kefir. I purchased mine ($35 included s/h) for a starter kit and I make so much I give it away all the time. Research it, it cures your candida and corrects the bacteria balance. It’s amazing!! I purchased from the Kefirlady I found her on line. She’s wonderful. Best wishes and God bless you and those you love. Smiles and ((Hugs)) Tress
P.S. We use the Calm product too… but I recently learned I had an IRON deficiency and since I started taking Iron pills, my leg cramps and related symptoms have subsided. I’d check your iron levels. :)
Janet
Decent prices and even better bulk prices!
Leanna Wells
I am an avid user of NOW essential oils. Having too many allergies to count and multiple chemical sensitivities means I am not able to use the most common bug spray or rub repellents. Last year I mixed NOW citronella and lemongrass and eucalyptus together and made a natural bug spray. It kept the bugs away from me for a couple of hours. I kept the bottle beside me and reused it every so often. For the first time since I can remember I was able to sit outside from MAY to October. Do you have any other mixture suggestions I may try? My brother in law has asked me to mix one for him. I would appreciate any suggestions.
Jill
This is the bug spray mix I use
1 oz witch hazel
.5 – 1 oz water
1 tsp almond or jojoba oil
40 drops Eucalyptus
20 drops lemongrass
15 lavender
10 citronella
5-10 clove
Nicole
I created a bug spray in a 4 oz. blue glass bottle.
The mix included 2 oz. witch hazel, 1 oz. water 15 drops EACH of, citronella oil, lemon eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, lavender, lemongrass, and 2 drops clove oil (the smell can be over powering with too many drops of clove)
You can add a few drops of Jojoba oil for the moisturizing qualities but isn’t necessary. Even if you get bit by a mosquito, this mixture can reduce the itch and irritation significantly. This mix worked very well for me this summer. I wasn’t sure at first considering I’m a bug magnet. I’m pleased with the results and finally got to enjoy my summer evenings outside without the harsh chemicals from OFF. I even have my friends asking to use the spray. The only drawback I can think of is that I had to spray it more often than usual to make sure I was still protected.
Angel
I have a 32 oz. bottle mixed with water, vinegar, and NOW’speppermint oil for mopping the floor. But I use it also to KILL the terrible odor from cigarette smoking coming from my neighbor on the fourth floor. I live on the second floor. I simply spray it on the open windows in my apartment sometimes upwards so that the rest of the neighbors that I know don’t smoke would benefit from the aroma. I have been using three of this company’s products which I like, but I happen to gladly stumble on Edens Garden EOs for several months now, and I am happy I did which shopping at Amazon’s.