Orifice Reducers

Let's talk orifice reducers.
An orifice reducer is the piece of plastic inside your bottle of Young Living essential oil. It allows you to pour the oil out one drop at a time. You might ask yourself, "Don't essential oils break down plastic?" Yes, they usually do, but not this kind. Young Living takes special care to only use really strong plastics with their oils to prevent leaching.

You are not supposed to touch the orifice reducer. While it's true that YL essential oils don't expire, they can oxidize which will shorten the life of the oil. By touching the orifice reducer, you are shedding skin cells and dirt and whatever else into your oil. That will contaminate the oil and shorten its lifespan.

Well, as Jen O'Sullivan says, "You have to know the rules, so you can break the rules." I touch my orifice reducers sometimes. However, I only do that with oils I know I'm going to use very quickly. If it's an oil that I replace every 30-60 days, then I don't really worry about it. If it's an oil I rarely use, I make sure not to touch the orifice reducer.

Tip: If you are an orifice reducer toucher and you know you will be needing an oil for a week that you don't typically use much of, put some in an empty bottle and use that, don't contaminate the original bottle. The same suggestion goes for roller bottles. Don't pop a roller top on a brand new bottle of oil. Put some oil in an empty bottle and put the roller top on that.

So, what are the holes for? Yes, I said holes, plural. If you haven't seen the second hole, grab your glasses, go to a well-lit room, and check it out. The large hole in the center is your air intake hole. The tiny hole in the side, when placed below the large hole, will allow oil to drip rapidly from the bottle. Use that feature when pouring from one bottle to another for recipes and samples. When you put the tiny hole at the top, above the large hole, the bottle takes in less air, and your oil will drip out slowly, one drop at a time for everyday application.