Safe Use of Essential Oils

Safe use of essential oils is very important because by nature they are very concentrated. The potential hazards of an essential oil depend on the compounds in the oil, the dosage and frequency used and the method of application. Here are a few guidelines adapted from Aromatherapy, A Complete Guide to the Healing Art by Kathi Keville and Mindy Green, to ensure effective and safe use of essential oils:

Don’t use undiluted essential oil on the skin. They can cause burning, skin irritation and photosensitivity. Exceptions to this rule are lavender or tea tree undiluted on burns, insect bites, pimples and other skin eruptions – as long as they do not have extreme sensitive skin.

Use only pure essential oils from plants.

Test for sensitivities. You can do this by performing a patch test of a 2% dilution in the crook of the arm or on the back of the neck at the hairline. Twelve hours is ample time for a reaction to occur. If redness or itchiness develops, you may want to try a less potent dilution or choose an appropriate substitute for the irritating oil.

Use with caution those essential oils that result in photosensitivity.

Photosensitivity Essential Oils
Angelica
Bergamot
BitterOrange
Cumin
Lemon
Lime
Opoponax
Rue
Verbena

Use with caution those essential oils that are irritating to mucous membrane ( the lining of the digestive, respiratory and genitor-urinary tracts) and skin. Keep all essential oils away from the eyes.

Mucous-Membrane Irritants
Allspice
Cinnamon
Clove
Oregano
Savory
Spearmint
Thyme(except linalool)

Keep all essential oils out of reach of young children.

Vary the essential oils you use. Using the same facial oil blend for a long time is acceptable because it covers a very small part of the body, but daily application of the same blend of oils over your entire body for more than two weeks is not recommended. Rotating the oils gives your body time to process then and allows each oil to work on different levels in its own unique way.

Don’t take essential oils orally for therapeutic purposes.

Use essential oils cautiously with those who are elderly, convalescing or having serious health problems such as asthma, epilepsy or heart disease.

Be cautious about using essential oils during pregnancy.

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