Have you ever done an Internet search on essential oils? (That may be how you got here, in fact.) There are many differing opinions on the usage of essential oils, and there is room for all types of thought and methods. However, it can be difficult to wade through this sea of conflicting information, especially when it comes to essential oil SAFETY.
I’m here to make essential oil safety simple and fear-free! I do have one disclaimer regarding #2, 3, and 5: I only make these recommendations regarding doTERRA essential oils, which is my brand of choice. It’s important to know the source, purity, and method of extraction before using any essential oil. While I’m not saying that this company is the one and only legitimate essential oil company, they are the only one that I can wholeheartedly endorse. Please do your research before picking up a random bottle of EO.
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Essential Oil Safety Tips
So, let’s get to it! What are the five ways in which we can safety use essential oils?
- Keep out of your eyes and ear canals. While it won’t kill you, getting peppermint in your eyes is no picnic! If this does happen, simply flush the area with coconut oil and it will stop the burning. The ear drum is another delicate area, so that’s the reason to keep them out of the ear canal. (Putting a drop on a cotton ball and sticking that gently in the ear is fine, though.)
- Only ingest essential oils that have a Supplement Facts label on the bottle. This is a SUPER easy tip and one that doesn’t need much explaining! No Supplement Facts label? Just use topically and/or aromatically.
- Dilution is NEVER a bad idea. In fact, diluting your essential oils for topical use can facilitate better absorption. What does diluting mean? Using an essential oil mixed with a carrier oil, like coconut. Some simple musts: dilute “hot” or “cold” essential oils with anyone, dilute essential oils with children and babies, and patch test essential oils with someone who has sensitive skin. (A hot oil would be ones like oregano and cinnamon. A cold oil would be peppermint.)
- Store your essential oils away from direct sunlight, especially citrus oils. This is to prevent oxidation and to help them last longer. Now, if you accidentally leave them in sunlight or in a hot car once or twice, again – don’t freak out! They are still fine for usage, they just may not be quite as effective.
- Use frequent, small amounts over the course of a day, instead of a lot just one time. More is not better with essential oils. Consistency is key! If you’re trying to help ease joint discomfort, applying 1-2 drops to the area every hour is going to be more effective than dumping 10 drops on the area once. The same goes especially with internal use. When you add lemon essential oil to your water, 1-2 drops per glass bottle refill is plenty.
See how easy that is? Of course, learning more details about the mechanism of essential oils and more creative ways to use them is always a good thing! (PubMed.gov is an excellent place to find scientific studies.) But don’t let anyone make you feel that essential oil use is scary and complicated, because it’s not! Anyone can learn to use them safely.
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