06/17/2026
A gentle reminder from a practicing aromatherapist:
Just because a recipe is popular on social media doesn’t mean it’s safe, effective, or compliant with regulations.
A few things I see far too often:
• Essential oil blends being promoted with drug or disease-treatment claims. In the U.S., once you claim a product treats, prevents, or cures a disease, it may fall under FDA drug regulations.
• “Bug repellent” claims without understanding the regulatory requirements. Words matter. Marketing language can have legal implications.
• Essential oils being mixed with water, witch hazel, vinegar or aloe alone and marketed as body sprays, rollers, or topical products. Essential oils are not water-soluble and require appropriate formulation techniques. Anything anhydrous needs a preservative. Otherwise bacteria and mold will grow and you won’t see it.
• Topical recipes containing little to no lipid carrier. Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts and should generally be diluted in a suitable carrier oil, butter, or other properly formulated base before skin application.
• Recipes being copied and shared without consideration of dermal limits, sensitization risks, phototoxicity, contraindications, or user safety.
Natural does not automatically mean safe, and popular does not automatically mean correct.
As professionals and makers, we have a responsibility to formulate safely, understand the regulations that apply to our products, and educate our customers with accuracy and integrity.
Please do your research before making claims or sharing recipes. Our industry is only as credible as the standards uphold.
“Not every recipe that goes viral deserves to be replicated.”
Formulation before claims, safety before sales.
