Jan 18, 2016

How do I make capsules with essential oils?

Dear Oily,

I have a few oils that are labelled as dietary supplements. I tried taking one on a spoonful of coconut oil and totally ended up dry heaving because the taste was far from pleasant.

I understand you can make capsules with essential oils? How do I go about doing that?

Please and thank you!

Encapsulated


Dear Encapsulated,

You are very brave!

I’ve taken several different oils on a spoon (usually with honey). There are a few that I really like, but some of the others can be very.. umm.. Okay, let me be frank. Some oils just taste awful! There’s no way around that. And there are others which are way too hot to consider taking on a spoon even with honey. They can actually burn your mouth!
how to make capsules with essential oils diy | Hot Pink Crunch

Therefore, learning how to make capsules is an important oily skill.

Supplies

You’ll need the following stuffz to make capsules.

Capsules

You can buy these online. I get mine through Young Living here. I like them because they're non-GMO! They’re not the super tiny ones (which is good because they’re easier to fill), but they’re not huge horse pills either.
how to make capsules with essential oils diy | Hot Pink Crunch

Carrier Oil

The fastest way to make capsules is to use a carrier oil that is always liquid and ingestible, like olive oil or avocado oil or even honey (but that can get messy). Check this out if you aren't sure about buying carrier oils.

I don't always use meme essential oils carrier oils | Hot Pink CrunchI use coconut oil in my capsules. I keep it in a dropper bottle like this. When I’m ready to make capsules, I just plop the bottle in some warm water, wait for the oil to liquify, and then away I go!

Do you absolutely need a carrier oil in a capsule? For oils that are considered hot, yes! Just as you wouldn’t apply hot oils undiluted to your skin (remember: hot oils can feel warm, tingly, or even burn your skin) you would not want them to touch inside your body undiluted either! My sister got a little bit of Oregano essential oil on the outside of a capsule she took the other day and her poor mouth was NOT happy!

For oils that are not considered hot, it is still a good idea to dilute in a capsule because it can aid with digestion and help prevent oily burps.

Dropper Bottles

Having dropper bottles on hand makes it easier to fill your capsules since the dropper is a little more precise than the one on the oil bottle (read: you are less likely to spill things everywhere and cry when you waste oils).

If you have a combination of essential oils you always use in capsules, add them all to a dropper bottle and keep it on hand ready-mixed to make your capsules.

Essential Oils

NOT ALL ESSENTIAL OILS ARE INGESTIBLE! Please please do NOT put cheap, store-brand, essential oils in a capsule. That is incredibly dangerous. Store bought oils are usually nothing more than pretty scents. Would you ingest perfume? I didn’t think so!

Read your labels! Many oils even say NOT to ingest them.

how to make capsules with essential oils diy | Hot Pink Crunch
The only brand of oils I would ever even consider ingesting is Young Living (read this to find out why). All of their oils have specific labels that tell you they whether they can be used as a dietary supplement or not and how to use them safely.

You can use one essential oil in a capsule or several. That is entirely up to you and what you’re trying to achieve.

The amount of essential oil used in each capsule is also up to your discretion. Read your labels or refer to third party reference materials to figure out how much oil you need. Remember that less is more with essential oils and it’s not a bad idea to start out with a small amount and work your way up if needed.

Capsule Holder

Some people make or buy capsule holders to make filling them easier. It’s a pretty good idea if you do not have steady hands. Clumsy people do not good capsule creators make.

I heard a secret that turning a LEGO upside down makes a great capsule holder.

Method

Now that you have all your supplies, let’s make some capsules!
how to make capsules with essential oils diy | Hot Pink Crunch

  1. Have all your materials open and ready to go. If I am using several different essential oils and I have not pre-mixed them in a dropper bottle, I have all the bottles lined up and open on the table with me so I don’t have to put my capsule down in the middle of the process. I also have my carrier oil open and ready to go.
  2. Remove the top from the capsule
  3. Hold the large end of the capsule (or put it in your holder) while keeping the smaller side within reach
  4. Add the desired amount of essential oil to the capsule (I don’t usually fill mine up more than halfway with essential oil)
  5. Fill the remainder of the capsule with your chosen carrier oil
  6. Put the short top on the capsule and push until it is closed securely

Done! Easy right?

And then..

Take your capsules with a LOT of water. Food is helpful too.

To make life easier, some people make several capsules ahead of time. I make up to a week’s worth of capsule and then I store them in my refrigerator. If you do not add a carrier to the capsule, you cannot make them ahead of time. The essential oils will eat through the capsule and dissolve it into mush. Trust me. I’ve seen it happen. It was pretty cool and also sad.

And if all of this seems like too much trouble, Young Living also sells a lot of oil infused supplements in capsules that are ready made for your convenience.