Week 2

Key Words to Know

• Neat
• Diluted
• Singles
• Blends
• Hydrosols

Neat & Diluted | Neat is a term that refers to an oil that has not been combined with a carrier oil such as olive or sunflower oil in order to dilute the oil. When working with essential oils and animals it is important to dilute the oil when using it topically. 

Blends vs. Single Oils | A blend is a combination of essential oils that are formulated to work together based on their essential oil chemistry and makeup. Blends are very powerful because there are multiple oils being used together in one small bottle. Single oils contain one oil and are very powerful even on their own.

Hydrosols | Hydrosols is a water-soluble plant solution that contains microscopic droplets of essential oils in suspension. They are commonly referred to as ‘floral waters’ and also known as hydrolats. Many are produced specifically for their therapeutic use and some are also produced during the distillation of essential oils which is known as the byproduct of distillation. Hydrosols are much more delicate than essential oils in terms of their aromatic properties and they are very effective for use with animals because of this. While they might be more delicate, they still contain potent therapeutic properties and are very safe for use with dogs. As we all know our dog's sense of smell is much more sensitive than ours with over 300 million olfactory receptors. This is why hydrosols are a safe and effective use of aromatherapy with dogs in particular. 

Hydrosols do not have as long of a shelf life as essential oils and should be stored in the refrigerator. They can be combined with other hydrosols to create specific blends for skin healing, wound care, relaxation, bedding sprays and more. Hydrosols do not need to be diluted and are the only form of an essential oil I would ever recommend using internally with an animal - more on that later.