About Rollerballs
Rollerballs are glass bottles with plastic tops that include a little ball that allows the insides to spread along the skin as you move it, or roll it. You can get all fancy and get metal tops too. They come in a variety of sizes but the most common is 10ml. Now for those of us that have not been keeping up with our conversion charts, it is helpful to know that 10ml is just about 2 teaspoons or 1/3 ounce.
There are many online stores that provide supplies for essential oil usage and sell rollerballs in lots of different sizes. I find the best deal for 10ml rollerballs on Amazon, usually getting 24 for $7-10.
Why Rollerballs?
Personally, I find using rollerball bottles incredibly convenient! I can have my favorite single oils or blends or special recipes all set and ready for use. That means I don't have to think about dilution each time I use them and my hands do not have to be covered either. This is important to me when I use essential oils on others too. I have small children and use much more diluted doses on them. It's hard to accomplish using just a drop or two with so much carrier oil to get the appropriate dilution each time. I'm also left with a greasy kid while it absorbs. Finally, when I am applying essential oils to them for a specific purpose, I do not need to also apply it to myself. In short, rollerball bottles allow us to have what we need when we need it in an easy to use method.
They are also easy to travel with! Why take your entire essential oil collection when you can grab some pre-diluted mixes. They are easy to toss in a bag or purse and have with you. Yes, you can take them on an airplane. The normal liquid rules apply. In fact, they are just so easy to put anywhere. Keep some on the night stand, bathroom, by your kids room, or take a few for work...one bottle has now gone a long way in your household!
How to make up a rollerball
The simple recipe: add your desired drops of essential oil, top the rollerball with your carrier oil of choice (such as fractionated coconut oil), add the roller cap and twist on the outer cap. Done! TIP: Guess what, you can even just fill one halfway (using half the recipe for your sized rollerball bottle) to see how you like it. That allows you to experiment and add more essential oils or carrier oil if needed.
Of course you need to decide what oils to put in your rollerballs but once you know, you can consult a chart like the one above to determine the amount of drops you want to use. I personally, like to start small for the simple reason that why should one use more when only a small amount will do. There is some testing involved in essential oil usage. What works for me, may not work for you. Also, over time, you begin to learn how certain oils work with your body.
I know everyone would like me to tell them exactly how many drops they should use. I really can't, it's personal and it can vary by the essential oil you are using. I will say that for a normal, healthy adult, consider starting somewhere in the 2-4% range for daily or frequent use and see how it goes.
A word of caution
There are lots of essential oil recipes out there. I would suggest that instead of taking each recipe you see for face value, that you get a simple reference guide to use as well. Compare the properties of the oils used in the blend to understand why they would or would not work for your desired purpose. Sometimes there is room for substitution. And finally, consider the right amount of drops for you. All blend recipes can be decreased in proportion as needed.
