Safe Use of Essential Oils in the Salon

Safe use of essential oils in your dog grooming salon.

Would you like to use essential oils in your salon? To keep your dogs (and yourself) calm, keep the air fresh and clean?

But you don't know where to start because you may have heard some essential oils can be dangerous for dogs?

Let me give you a simple guide to help you to start.

First of all, only some essential oils can indeed be harmful when used undiluted and/or digested. 

Essential oils are highly concentrated substances and have the potential to cause harm. The rule "less is more" needs to be applied at all times. 

There are also essential oils that are not recommended for use with animals, as they are harsh, irritating, sensitizing, and even toxic. For example, Anise, Birch, Camphor, Cassia, Clove leaf and bud, Garlic, Oregano...

 I thought I would mention Tea Tree oil. Tea Tree essential oil has strong antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral insect repelling properties. There were reported cases when the oil was applied dermally to dogs and cats. In most cases, the oil was misused and high doses. The increased demand and mass production of Tea Tree oil open the gates for adulterated and poor-quality oils to reach the market. This is resulting in more adverse reactions and irritations in humans and animals. Instead, you can use a more gentle yet powerful relative of the Tea Tree oil, the Niaouli instead.

Secondly, when using essential oils for therapeutic purposes, i.e., to calm dogs in the salon, you should choose essential oils of the highest quality. 

Essential oils used for aromatherapy must be genuine and authentic. This means that the botanical purity of the essential oil should be known and that the oil is unaltered in any way. 

Warning bells should ring if all oils in the shop are the same or at similar prices.

Jasmine is almost 100 x's more expensive than grapefruit.

Sandalwood is approximately 4 x's more expensive than lime.

Do you think 'pure' rose essential oil at £2.50 for 10ml a good deal? 10ml of rose essential oil costs about £200! Because to produce a 45g of rose essential oil, 907.2kg of rose petals are required! 

And lastly, how to dilute essential oils.

1. Vaporiser or Burner: 4 to maximum 10 drops in water. 
2. Room Spray: 6 to 10 drops per litre of water in a bottle with a fine spray top. Always shake the dispenser before use. 
3. Shampoos: 8 drops of essential oil to 50ml

When preparing a blend for yourself, the 'standard' blend is 3 drops of essential oil to every 10ml of carrier oil, lotion, cream… 

1ml of essential oil = approximately 20 drops (depending on the size of the dropper) Before you add essential oil to your shampoo, dilute it in Solubol or fractioned coconut oil. Solubol works excellently to emulsify drops of essential oils that would otherwise not dissolve in the shampoo, protecting the skin from any possible adverse effects neat drops of essential oil may have.

Few examples of essential oils you can use in your dog grooming salon:

Eucalyptus - helps to clear congestions; is antibacterial, antiviral, antiseptic. Eucalyptus is an excellent air cleaner and deodorizer.

Lavender - great for treating a wide range of problems; relaxes us when we are tense and stimulates when we are low, and can help treat headaches.

Lemon - calming and clarifying effect on the nervous system, very good for headaches, and also antiviral and bactericidal.

Mandarin - calming and revitalising.

Frankincense -  antiseptic and sedative. 

Grapefruit - antidepressant, antiseptic stimulant; insect repelling, particularly fleas 

Peppermint - antiseptic, antispasmodic, stimulant

About the Author...

Jitka is a happy dog mum to 5 mischievous terriers. She's always been passionate about dogs and being in the pet industry for over 30 years. Including winning international dog grooming competitions, representing England and being placed at the World Team Championship, winning Dog Grooming Salon of the Year award. The knowledge she's gained over the years, plus my diplomas in canine massage and clinical aromatherapy, have led her to be the proud founder of Vita Canis - natural aromatherapy for dogs & their owners