Tips For Using Essential Oils

TIPS FOR USING ESSENTIAL OILS

Essential Oils 

1. Understand that essential oils are not the same as perfumes.
Most perfumes

are made from synthetic ingredients, even when their packaging claims that they are
“natural” fragrances. If you’re planning to buy an oil for therapeutic purposes, be
careful to check the bottle for the words essential oil.

2. Don’t shop exclusively by price. 

Discount oils may not be as pure as the more
expensive ones, and it’s also true that the most expensive oils are not necessarily the
best. A handful of distilleries sell their essential oils to bottlers all over the world,
and so it’s entirely possible that all you’re buying for a higher price is a fancier label

3. Remember that essential oils are highly concentrated. 

Just a drop or two of most essential oils will be more than enough to produce the desired effect. An
essential oil represents a very powerful concentration of terpenes.

4. Add essential oils to carrier oils. 

Because essential oils are so concentrated, they

can cause skin irritation and other adverse effects if you apply them directly to your

skin. Always dilute your essential oils by adding two or three drops to a carrier oil (a

fixed oil like almond oil or grape seed oil) in a ratio of about 50 parts carrier oil to 1

part essential oil. 

A topically applied essential oil must be mixed with a substance that does not vaporise

when exposed to oxygen, the way an essential oil does. That’s where a carrier oil comes in.

As its name suggests, a carrier oil is used to dilute a highly concentrated, potentially

irritating essential oil and “carry” it to the skin. Carrier oils come from cold-pressing the

fatty parts of a plant, such as the nut, the fruit, or the seed. Many carrier oils (for example,

almond oil and grape seed oil) are commonly found in natural foods stores and

supermarkets.

5. Be aware that essential oils can eat through plastic. 

Use only glass bottles
with metal lids to store your oils, and only a ceramic or glass bowl to create a blend.

6. Test your skin for sensitivity before using an essential oil

Testing The Skin

 It’s smart to do a .
skin test before using an essential oil, just as you would with any kind of topical
medication. Add a drop of the essential oil to a teaspoon of a carrier oil or to a
cream, wax, or another diluting substance, and then rub a little of the solution on the
inside of your upper arm. Wait a few hours and see if redness or a rash develops. If
nothing happens, you’re ready to use the diluted oil more liberally. If you do develop
redness, you have a sensitivity to this particular essential oil, and you should refrain
from using it on your skin.

7. Not all essential oils are safe for children. 

You should rarely use an undiluted
essential oil on your own skin, and you should never use one on a child’s, because

the absorption rate through a child’s skin is much faster than through an adult’s. For
a child, you’ll need only half the amount of essential oil recommended for an adult.
To be sure that an oil is safe for your child,
In particular, avoid topical use of lavender oil and tea tree oil on
prepubescent boys—these oils have a high hormonal-trigger content that can cause boys in this
age group to grow breasts.

8. Avoid essential oils during the first trimester of pregnancy,

 Consider avoiding them throughout your pregnancy. As i will stipulate, essential oils are natural, but many of them are not recommended for use
while you’re pregnant—and no essential oil should be used during the first
trimester. When you read descriptive information about an essential oil or remedy,
look for warnings about pregnancy and nursing.

9. Treat your essential oils the way you would treat an over-the-counter
medication. 

Keep them away from children, use them only as directed, and store
them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Many of your essential oils will
last for years—the bottle you buy today could still be with you a decade or more
from now, and it will retain its full strength. The longevity of an effective essential oil
makes that oil a particularly good choice for inclusion in an emergency-preparedness
kit.

Treating Essential Oils As A Medicine