When using essential oils, there are a few things you need to know to ensure you are using them safely and effectively. Whether you are new to essential oils, or you have been using them for awhile, the following guidelines are good to keep in mind.
Oil Purity
The purity of the essential oils you choose to use is the first and most important thing to consider. Where you get your oils and where these oils are sourced from is crucial.
Essential oils have seen a recent rise in popularity which means a lot of companies are hoping on the oil band wagon. This is great because it gives us, as consumers, a wide variety of brands to choose from. The pesky double edge sword reality is that too many oil choices can be a bad thing. With all of these essential oils now available, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, you could be doing yourself a disservice. Being uninformed about oils could have you wasting your money on oils that aren’t doing anything to help you, or worse, have you using oils that are harming you.
Things to consider when deciding which essential oils to use.
Purchasing oils from reputable places, whether online or through a trusted local retailer, is the first way to avoid bad oils. There are many quality brands on the market (doTerra, Young Living, Rocky Mountain Oils, to name a few), but there are far more questionable ones vying for your attention. Research each oil company you are considering, and look for independent reviews and articles about the quality of the company’s oils. Third party testing and the availability of test results is another good way to distinguish an essential oil company’s product quality. If no third party testing is done, or the results are not easy to find, consider going with a different essential oil company. Transparency is key.
The main reason essential oil purity is so important is because a lot of less than reputable companies use fragrance and chemicals to compose their oils. These essential oils may smell good, but are comprised of toxic chemicals which harm your body and completely negate the reason you are using essential oils. You do not want to breath in these manufactured smells nor would you want these oils on your body. Pure essential oils, made only from the plant from which they come, do not contain synthetic ingredients.
So with that said, please do not get your essential oils from a gas station or convenience store. This goes for any other health related item. It’s cheaper for a reason and God only knows what is actually in it. Do better. Stay away from department store oils too. If you went there to buy clothes or housing accessories, the oils are probably not the highest quality.
And while we are discussing places not to buy essential oils from, please do not buy essential oils on Amazon. This isn’t to bust on Amazon. Amazon is a fantastic one stop shop where you’re guaranteed to get your items fast, but you may not know what you’re getting when it comes to essential oils. There are millions of products and sellers on Amazon. It would be impossible for Amazon to vet every single shop and item on their website. Unfortunately, some less than scrupulous individuals take advantage of this and sell counterfeit products. This has become a big problem for essential oils (and supplements too). For instance, it appears as though you can purchase doTERRA essential oils on Amazon. The bottles look exactly the same as they do on the doTERRA website and it even appears as though you are purchasing from doTERRA. However, doTERRA has never sold their products on Amazon, so any “doTERRA” you purchase through Amazon is fraudulent, and there is no way to know what ingredients are actually in the tiny amber bottles. Buyer beware.
You need to know where your oils come from and exactly what is in them. Junk products will not give you any of the benefits you may expect, and you could be unwittingly introducing more toxins to your body. A good rule of thumb is if you are uncertain about an oil, don’t use it.
Diluting Oils
Oil dilution is something to keep in mind when considering oil safety tips for external use. When applying essential oils to your skin, diluting the oil is sometimes necessary depending on the oil’s potency.
A carrier oil is a non-essential oil used to lessen the intensity of an essential oil. Some oils, like oregano and clove for example, are too powerful to apply directly to your skin. The carrier oil then serves to cut the potency of the essential oil without loosing the oil’s beneficial properties. Carrier oils act as a base for the essential oil to move the essential oil deeper into the skin rather than have the oil sit on your skin’s surface. Not all essential oils need carriers oils, but even with those that don’t (like lavender and frankincense), using a carrier oil is a good way to stretch out the use of your essential oil making your bottle last longer. When using a carrier oil, you need less of the essential oil.
Examples of carrier oils are: fractionated coconut oil, aragon oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, olive oil, avocado oil and grapeseed. Fractionated coconut oil and jojoba oil are my personal favorites to use.
Exactly how much dilution of an oil is needed depends on a few things. Dilution ratios are based on a person’s age, body size and sensitivity to oils. In general, the older someone is, the larger they are and if they are used to using essential oils, less dilution may be needed. One exception is the elderly, whose ratios usually fall in line with a child’s ratio due to their thinner skin.
You can research which dilution ratio would be right for you, but I have found this to be a good guide for most:
- 0-1 year old= 1 drop Essential Oil in 1 TBSP of Carrier Oil
- 1-5 years old/Elderly= 1-2 drops Essential Oil in 1 TSP of Carrier Oil
- 12+ years old= 1-2 drops Essential Oil in 3 drops of Carrier Oil
Always start with the lowest amount of essential oil. Less is more and you can always adjust by adding more of your essential oil later. Newer essential oils users should abide by the lower end of the suggested ratio, while more experienced users can go higher.
Essential Oil Safety
If you learn nothing else, let this next piece be what sticks with you. Never, ever, ever put an essential oil into your eyes or ears. Essential oils can be used for a number of things concerning the eyes and ears, but the oil(s) must always be placed around these areas, and never directly in them. When using an essential oil around the eye, always dilute the oil and placement should be no closer to the eye than the eye socket bone for below the eye, and over the eyebrow for application above the eye. For essential oil use around the ears, again dilute the oil, and place near the ear, at the upper jaw bone and behind the ear.
If you should accidentally get an essential oil in your eye, do not immediately flush your eyes with water, as this will push the oil deeper into your sensitive eyes. Instead, wipe the eye with a cloth soaked with a carrier oil or flush the eye with milk to dilute the essential oil. Continue to apply the carrier oil/milk to the eye until the you no longer feel irritation. Once the eye has been cleared of the essential oil, then you can flush the eye with water and wash your face as usual.
Using essential oils is a great way to naturally and effectively tend to many lifestyle needs. Pick oils that are pure from companies with a good and transparent reputation, and use your essential oils safely so you can confidently receive all the benefits these little bottles of goodness have to offer.
*Disclosure- I am a Wellness Advocate for doTERRA. I have used doTERRA essential oils and products for over five years. As a Wellness Advocate, you are able to purchase doTERRA oils through me. While I love doTERRA as a company and I think the world of their oils, you have to do the research for yourself to decide if essential oils are right for you, and if so which brand you wish to use. Please feel free to reach out to me with any of your essential oil questions. First and foremost my goal is to educate you, not push a particular brand on you.
Great content! Keep up the good work!