Essential Oils 101: Safety and Precautions

Essential oils are a wonderful tool for supporting your body naturally. Even though they are natural, there are still precautions to take to ensure that you're using this tool safely and effectively. As I've stated before, there are many opinions about how to use essential oils and lots of contradicting information. I encourage everyone to learn as much as they can about the oils and decide what feels right for you. Don't just take the word of someone who is selling the oil. 

This is what I've learned over the years and what I feel like is right for me. 

1. Before applying oils for the first time, try a drop to see if your skin is sensitive to it. Some people may not tolerate oils "neat" and require the oil to be diluted with a carrier oil. Some oils may cause an allergic reaction even if it is diluted. Every body is unique and what works for one person may not work for another. Applying oils to the feet is not only effective for distributing the oils throughout the body, but there's less chance of the skin on the feet being sensitive to the oils.

2. If you experience discomfort from using an essential oil, apply a carrier oil over the sensitive area. Do not rinse it with water--the water will enhance the action of the oil and can make the reaction stronger. The carrier oil will dilute the essential oil and lessen the discomfort. 

3. Always dilute essential oils with a carrier oil when applying to children or babies. Their skin is more sensitive and they are more likely to experience discomfort from undiluted oils. 

4. Never take oils internally. This is where you'll find a lot of contradicting information. I've noticed that only multi-level marketing companies promote the ingestion of essential oils. Everyone else in the aromatherapy industry (people who have studied the oils for themselves for years) believe that oils should only be ingested under close supervision of a trained professional, or not at all. There are some oils widely known as being toxic (causing injury and death) that should NEVER be taken internally, including eucalyptus and wintergreen. Yet multi-level marketing companies encourage the ingestion of eucalyptus oil by itself or in a blend. If you do choose to ingest essential oils, do you due diligence and educate yourself extensively on the subject--don't just take the advice of the person selling the oil. And always check the label before you ingest an oil to see if it contains a toxic oil.

5. Keep out of reach of children. There's something about those little bottles that is so appealing to kids! My daughter got into my oils once when I was busy in another room and got peppermint on her hands. Then she rubbed her eyes. And then she screamed. She still hates peppermint oil to this day. Oils should be kept away from little hands that could get the oil into their eyes, onto their sensitive skin, or into their bellies. 

6. Use oils with caution for pregnancy. Generally, blends are safer to use when pregnant than single oils. There are many single oils that should not be used during pregnancy, but are safe to use in a blend. Research what oils you can and can't use during pregnancy, and always proceed with caution. Some oils that are generally safe to use during pregnancy may cause a reaction for you.  

7. Do not blend oils unless it is a trusted recipe. This is something that I don't think a lot of people understand: when you blend oils together, it changes the way they act. To blend oils requires extensive knowledge and experience. There are a lot of roller bottle recipes on the internet that combine single oils together. I personally don't trust those recipes. I prefer to use the blends created by the professionals. 

8. Do not allow essential oils to be heated. High temperatures destroy the essential oil. If your oils are accidentally left in a car or in the sun, allow the oils to cool to room temperature before opening the lid. Cold temperatures generally do not damage the therapeutic properties of the oils. If the oils have been exposed to cold, allow them to return to room temperature. Do not apply any heat to warm them (you can hold them in your hand to warm them). 

Mini Starter Kit

The new Mini Starter Kits arrived in the mail today! I'm so glad Butterfly Express is finally doing this!

The kit includes 10 ml bottles of peppermint, lavender, Breezey, Deeper, Deliverance, and Millenia (click on the links to read more about each oil) plus 1/2 oz coconut oil, 1/2 oz almond oil, and 1/2 oz Miracle Salve. It also includes a small pamphlet that lists their most common oils and what they are used for (for easy reference), plus tips on how to use the oils (similar to my list here.)

The coconut oil and almond oil are the best carrier oils with a very light texture and mild smell.

The Miracle Salve can be used as a carrier oil. It was originally formulated to treat burns and prevent infection, but it's been used in many other ways. I have really liked using it on the skin around my fingernails that tend to crack and bleed during the winter months. My husband burned his hand on an auto part and I put some lavender on it. He said it helped but there was still some discomfort. Then I added the Miracle Salve and it took the rest of the pain away.

This kit is only $45--a 30% savings!!! If you've ever wanted to try essential oils, this is the kit to get! These oils are my favorite and I consider them as must-haves.

If you would like to order this kit, you can contact me by e-mail or message me on my Facebook page. My contact info is listed in the upper right corner under "Contact Me".

Essential Oils 101: Carrier Oils

When you first start learning about essential oils, it won't be long before you hear the words "carrier oil" and wonder what that's all about!

A carrier oil is usually an oil derived from a vegetable, nut, or seed. Common carrier oils are coconut oil and almond oil.

The purpose of a carrier oil is to literally carry the essential oil. Essential oils are very potent, and often times less is more. Only one or two drops are needed to access the benefits of the essential oil. A carrier oil helps to carry the essential oil over a greater surface. If someone had a sore back and you wanted to rub some peppermint on their back, it would require a lot of peppermint oil to cover the entire surface of the back. That much oil would be very irritating to the skin, and it would be very costly to use that much essential oil. The solution is to use a carrier oil to allow the essential oil to spread over a greater surface without irritating the skin. In the example of applying essential oils to a back, you would pour some carrier oil into your hand, drop a few drops of peppermint into the carrier oil, mix it together in your hand, and rub it over the surface of the back.

Another benefit to using a carrier oil is that it traps the more volatile molecules of the essential oil so they don't evaporate before they can be absorbed into the skin. In the book "Butterfly Miracles with Essential Oils" the author's husband explained it this way: "Imagine putting an alcohol-based primer on hot asphalt prior to painting it. That would be almost impossible since the alcohol would evaporate almost before it touched the road. Essential oils behave in a similar manner. They are made of several different constituents, some of which evaporate at lower temperatures and faster rates than others. Place these essential oils on the skin (90 - 95 degrees) and the higher, more volatile notes dissipate before they can be absorbed. A carrier oil stabilizes the essential oil, holding onto all the constituents until they can be absorbed. The chemical composition of the oil remains intact."

Carrier oils (of good quality) contain healing properties within themselves and aid the essential oils in healing the body. Most people choose to use almond or coconut oil as a carrier oil because of their affordability, light feel, quick absorption, and less-oily texture. If you want to learn more about the healing properties of individual carrier oils, I recommend LaRee Westover's book "Butterfly Miracles with Essential Oils". There is a section just for carrier oils with detailed descriptions of various oils and their therapeutic properties. There are also many references online.

If you come across an essential oil that causes skin irritation, washing it off with water can increase the irritation because water enhances the action of the oil. Applying a carrier oil over the irritation will lessen the discomfort and reduce the potency of the essential oil.

There are various opinions regarding the use of carrier oils. One opinion is that essential oils should never be used on the skin without a carrier oil because they are too potent. I personally use oils "neat" (without a carrier oil) all the time without any problems. Your skin may be more sensitive and require a carrier oil to avoid irritation. Always use a carrier oil with children and babies! Their skin is more sensitive than an adult and more likely to be irritated.

When using a carrier oil with an essential oil, only the mix them together right before applying them. Do not mix them together and store them. It doesn't take long for the carrier oil to break down the essential oil, which decreases the essential oil's potency and therapeutic properties. Carrier oils have a shorter shelf life than essential oils and will go rancid. This is why you want to make sure the essential oils you purchase do not have carrier oils added to them. (Note: I was really surprised to find that of the 4 bottles of doTerra oil that I own, 2 had coconut oil added to them! Read your labels!)

Coconut oil is my favorite carrier oil because it has the lightest feel and absorbs quickly. I keep a small bottle of it in my case of essential oils. I apply it to the feet before a foot zone to soften the skin (so I don't tear up the skin on my knuckles) and to aid in distributing the essential oils that I apply all over the foot. I also use it when using essential oils for an ear ache. The essential oil (whichever you choose to use--I like lavender or tea tree) is too strong to be dropped directly into the ear. It's best to mix one or two drops with a carrier oil, then drop it into the ear and let it sit in there.

As always, if you have any questions, please contact me!