Essential Oil Safety · French Aromatherapy · Science and Essential Oils

Essential Oils in Drinking Water.  Is it Safe?

Essential oils in drinking water.  This is a topic that draws a lot of controversy.

When I started using essential oils, most voices I heard said that adding essential oils to drinking water was an unsafe practice.  But then again, many other people seemed to love adding oils to their water.  I even watched a video on Facebook of an aromatherapist adding nearly 20 drops of essential oil to her drinking water!

I really wanted to accept the fact that adding essential oils to water must be okay if several large companies recommend it, but decided to research this and other oily topics further instead.  Being the nerd that I am, I enrolled in a certification program in French Aromatherapy.  French Aromatherapy is a school of thought that allows for internal application of essential oils.

Well, I’ve gotten my answer.  Adding essential oils to drinking water is not the wisest thing to do.

Essential oils are lipophilic, which means they love oil, and don’t mix with water.  If you add essential oils to a glass of water they will float and not disperse.  When the person drinks the water, the oils can damage the delicate mucous membranes of the intestinal tract.

Instead, the essential oil needs to be dispersed into something oily or oil soluble so no damage will occur on the way down.

Some options include:

  • Honey
  • Milk
  • Syrup
  • Using a vegetable oil capsule to consume the essential oil.
  • Solubol

Solubol is an emulsifier that will actually dissolve essential oil into water.  However, we need to remember that essential oils are incredibly potent and powerful substances, and there are better alternatives for water flavoring if that is what you are trying to achieve.

So while I believe there are some benefits to using essential oils internally, drinking  them in your water is probably not the best way to go.  I’ll go into internal consumption and safety considerations at another time.


3 thoughts on “Essential Oils in Drinking Water.  Is it Safe?

  1. I’ve used oils for years and love them. But like you realize just how potent they are and do not feel the need to use much.
    Curious about oil and honey, in water though… Ingesting oils is my last resort before going after an antibiotic prescription though.
    Anyway, just wanted to thank you for linking up with Living Proverbs 31!


    1. Hi, you mix the drop or drops of essential oils in honey and mix with a toothpick, without using water. A spoonful of honey will protect the mucous membranes from the essential oil. There is a product called solubol which can be used in a glass of water with the oil at a 4 to 1 ratio. This gives the oil something to cling to when going down.


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