Litsea Cubeba Massage Oil Starts With the Carrier
Ninety-nine percent or more of a massage oil is carrier, so that is where a good one begins. The essential oil is the finishing touch, and with litsea cubeba, a few drops are all a bottle can take. This post starts with the carrier, then does the arithmetic for a 100 ml batch.
Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil
Our own Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil, in sizes from 0.5 oz to bulk.
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Sweet almond is a popular massage carrier, and it is a tree nut. An allergist answering a question for the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology says nut oils in topical products have not been well studied, that highly refined nut oils are unlikely to contain much allergenic protein while cold-pressed or unrefined ones may, and that she has never specifically recommended avoidance of topical products containing nut oils. She also notes that many websites advise food-allergic people to avoid them (Food allergy: nut oils in topical products). Our practical reading: if the person being massaged has a tree nut allergy, choose a carrier that is not a nut oil and let their allergist weigh in; otherwise ask the supplier whether a nut oil is refined.
The other filters are freshness and quantity. A massage oil is made in volume and used up slowly, so smell the carrier before you add anything, write the date on the bottle, and make only what you will use. We do not sell carriers; a cosmetic or soap supplier will have them, with data sheets.
How much litsea cubeba
Our general skin guidance is 0.5% to 2% in a carrier with a patch test first. For a massage oil that covers a large area, we begin below that range. The Guidance for the use of IFRA Standards (51st Amendment) lists body creams, oils and lotions of all types in Category 5A, and the IFRA Standard: Citral, 2020 (Amendment 49) caps citral at 0.15% of the finished product in that category. Massage oils are not named separately, so we read them as body oils.
The oil share the cap allows is the cap divided by the citral fraction of the oil. Fruit oils from eight Chinese sites measured 78.7% to 87.4% citral (Si et al., 2012); our Certificate of Analysis lists density, refractive index and optical rotation but not composition, so we plan from the higher figure, which gives about 0.17% oil. IFRA's limits bind products sold commercially. For a bottle you make at home they remain the clearest published guide.
A drop of our oil weighs about 44 mg (relative density 0.883 on the one batch on our COA, and about 20 drops to the milliliter, with dropper variation), so for 100 ml of carrier:
| Oil in 100 ml | Drops, about | Share | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.15 ml | 3 | 0.15% | Our suggested batch |
| 0.25 ml | 5 | 0.25% | Slightly over the 0.17% planning figure |
| 0.5 ml | 10 | 0.5% | The bottom of our general skin range, about three times the planning figure |
Three drops in 100 ml sounds like almost nothing, and in a bottle it is. On warm skin a bright top note like litsea carries further than the number suggests, and if you want a stronger aroma for the next bottle, a different format (a room scent, a balm for small areas) will do more for you than extra drops here.
Partners, if you want them
We list ginger, rosemary, geranium, vetiver, bergamot and ylang ylang as oils that pair well with litsea's lemon note, and lavender too. We do not sell any of them, so look for them at an aromatherapy supplier. Each has its own skin maximum, which you should read in a safety reference such as Tisserand and Young's Essential Oil Safety before blending. The rule we follow for citral does not change: leave litsea at three drops in the 100 ml bottle and add the partner oil within its own limit. If you use bergamot, check whether it is the phototoxic expressed oil or a bergapten-free grade, and see our phototoxicity article for what has been published on litsea itself. More on pairing logic is in what blends well with litsea cubeba.
Making and testing it
- Smell the carrier. If it is stale, start with a fresh one.
- Measure 100 ml into a clean, dry, dark glass bottle.
- Add the drops, counting out loud, cap, and roll the bottle between your palms for a minute.
- Label the date, the carrier and "0.15% litsea cubeba oil."
- Test a small amount of the finished oil on the inner forearm before using it widely. The skin basics guide has the steps; keep in mind that a patch test is a useful screen, not a guarantee.
Skip a scented massage oil on broken or inflamed skin or where a skin condition such as eczema has been diagnosed, and ask a dermatologist first. If the massage is for someone who is pregnant, or for a baby or child, ask a physician or pharmacist, since our guidance is to keep the oil away from children and pets. Tell anyone you massage what is in the bottle and get a clear yes. Our oil is for external, aroma use only, and we make no claims about muscles, comfort or relaxation. Our pregnancy and children post covers those questions on their own terms.
A massage oil that smells faintly of lemon drops and mostly of a good carrier is a pleasant thing to hand someone, and three drops are all it takes.
Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil
Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil from our own shop, in sizes from 0.5 oz to bulk.
From $12.99
Shop Now →