As an example of the power of essential oils, I have seen a few drops of Lavender Essential Oil heal a red, hot, spreading spider bite, a growing skin infection (cellulitis, I believe) from a mosquito bite, and a blood infection that was black line travelling up someone’s arm from an infected burn. It only took a couple drops, and all of these things went away completely. The blood infection vanished within two hours of applying the oil once and the infected bites within two days after applying it a couple times each day.
(Note: I am talking about ESSENTIAL OILS, not scented oil or fragrance oil. There is a huge difference.)
On this blog, I will share with you what I have learned about essential oils and how I use them. It’s information that I already had for my own use, but I figured Why not share it with others? (Many of the essential oil posts on this blog are from one long post over at myimpressionisticlilfe.blogspot.com. I decided to chop it up into smaller pieces for here.)
FYI: What I write has not been evaluated by the FDA. It’s just my opinion and what I do.
Okay,
so onto some of the basic rules that I have for essential oils:
1. It is your responsibility to
research any oil you want to use for its safety, dilution recommendations, and
cautions about people who shouldn’t use it (elderly, pregnant women, young
children, those with weak immune systems, people with sensitive skin, cancer, on blood thinners, etc.) Never just do what someone else
does. Always research for yourself.
2. Buy essential oils from a
reputable source. I like to go to my
local health food store. Not only do I
know I am buying quality products, but I like supporting the local
businesses. The small bottles might seem
expensive, but they last a long time because you only use a small amount at a
time.
3. “Handle
these oils carefully. They are extremely
concentrated, so always dilute them carefully in order to make them safe to
use.”
I don’t use essential oils
straight. I always dilute them, even
lavender and tea tree oil. (It is a very
rare “emergency” occasion when I use lavender or tea tree oil straight. But even then, it’s only a drop.) When it comes to essential oils, it’s easy to think that you need to use more of it instead of less, because a couple drops just don’t seem like enough. Trust me, it is. In my dilutions, I like to go lighter with the oils instead of heavier. I do this for a few reasons: so that the bottles of oils last longer, so that we don’t get sensitized to them (develop an allergy to them), so that I can apply the products regularly without fear of overdosing on the essential oils, and because I have very sensitive skin and young children. A little goes a long way!
For a therapeutic room spray, I limit it to around 10-15 drops of essential oil per ounce of water. And for topical use (applying to the skin of people aged teen and up), I limit it to about 12 drops essential oil per ounce of carrier oil, aloe, or water. This is pretty safe for most people. (If you use water, the oil will float, so shake well before spraying. Also make sure you store it in a glass or hard-plastic bottle. And remember that water can grow germs, so you should research what you can add to a water-based spray to preserve it better.) Apply just a small amount, a coin-sized amount, to a couple places on the body, 1-2 times a day.
4. Always do a patch test
first. Mix a drop or two of essential
oil with a little bit of a carrier oil (like a teaspoon of olive oil) and put
it on the bottom of your feet or inner arm (or in another not-so-tender spot)
to see if you are allergic or sensitive.
You’d hate to rub a lotion all over yourself only to discover that it
gives you a terrible rash.
5. I DO NOT take any essential oil
internally because there are a lot of sources that caution against it. Some of the most tragic misuses of essential
oil come from times they were taken internally.
6. I also do not drip them into the
tub because they just float on top in little drops and can be too concentrated
when your skin comes into contact with them.
(I believe there are ways to dilute them for use in the tub, but you’ll
have to look it up yourself.)
7. DO NOT put essential oils in
eyes or ears. I only use them on the skin
in diluted form, in a diffuser, or
in a spray bottle mixed with water to spritz the air or our clothes. If need be, I might dab some diluted oil on a
sore in our mouths, but no swallowing.
(Am I trying to scare you into being
very careful with essential oils?
Yes! I scare because I care!)
8. When working with essential oils,
don’t sniff them from the bottle for too long.
You might get light-headed or have a reaction. Work in a well-ventilated area. When I get all my essential oils out, I can
only make one or two blends before I start to get light-headed. And I have to store mine in the basement because even the box of closed bottles can smell overwhelming.
9. Remember, if you mix essentials
oils in water to make a spray, the oil will float. So do not store this mixture in a soft
plastic bottle because the essentials oils at the top of the water will eat
through the soft plastic. (Ask me how I
know!) But it seems to be okay in the
small, hard-plastic, spritz bottles. I
use the travel iGo bottles from Walmart.
If you are unsure, store your bottle
somewhere – maybe standing in a small glass dish – where it won’t leak all over
everything if it does eat through the plastic.
You should be able to tell within a day or two if the bottle is okay or
not. For me, the next day after filling
a soft plastic bottle, the top of the bottle looked melted and was stretching
out. I quickly tossed it and went back
to the hard plastic bottles. But if you
can, store your stuff in glass bottles and jars. It’s better than plastic. If you are making an oil-based blend, though,
it won’t eat through the plastic because the essential oil is diluted all
throughout the product. It doesn’t float
in a concentrated layer on top like it does when added to water. (And once again, water can grow germs, so you should research what you can add to a water-based spray to preserve it better.)
10. Carefully evaluate any recipe you
find online.
One of the neat things about the
internet is that you can find all sorts of ways that other people use essential
oils and recipes that others created.
However, one of the scary things is that these recipes are not
necessarily tested for safety or may not be safe for certain people. Therefore, it is crucial that we understand
the safety guidelines for each oil we want to use and that we evaluate the
recipes for ourselves, to see if they are okay for us and our families. When I was looking for recipes for homemade hand sanitizer, I found a recipe that used just a few drops of essential oil and another recipe that used about ten times that, for nearly the same amount of homemade product. That is a HUGE difference. Plus, the one with more drops used more of the spice oils and citrus oils than I am comfortable with. (Spice oils are potent and you don’t need a lot. And citrus oils can make your skin sensitive to sunlight. Here's the hand-sanitizer recipe I created for my family.)
This is an example of why we need to evaluate each recipe for ourselves and never just follow what someone else does, unless they are a trusted source that really knows their stuff. (I am still relatively new to all this and am learning as I go, so don’t just follow my recipes either. Evaluate them for yourself.)
Anyway, here are some questions that I ask myself when considering other people’s recipe. Some of this is a repeat of what I already wrote.
1. Who will I be using this on? Normal healthy adults? Young children? Babies? Elderly people? Pregnant women? People with compromised immune systems? People with sensitive skin? There are certain oils that shouldn’t be used on certain people. Research carefully before using on anyone other than healthy adults or young adults.
2. What is the total amount of essential oil per ounce of carrier oil? In all my blends, I try to limit it to no more than 10-12 drops of essential oils per ounce of carrier oil or water, depending on the oils used. With some oils I will go a little higher, such as lavender. And some I will limit even more, such as the spice oils or eucalyptus or peppermint or other really strong ones.
3. What is the amount of each oil used? 12 drops of clove or eucalyptus or oregano per ounce of carrier oil would be a lot more potent and powerful – and potentially dangerous – than 12 drops of, say, tea tree oil or lavender. And using 12 drops of one oil may be too strong, whereas a 12-drop-blend of oils may be gentler because you get less of each oil, especially the potent ones. Get to know the strong oils, the ones that should be used sparingly. And I limit the total amount of spice oils – cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, etc. – to no more than 6 drops per ounce of carrier oil.
4. Will I be wearing this oil on my skin in the sun? Citrus oil makes your skin sensitive to sunlight. If you plan to use a blend on your skin that has citrus oils in it, remember that it could make your skin react to sunlight. I try not to use citrus oil blends on skin that will be exposed to sunlight, especially in the summer months.
5. Do I really want to use this oil internally, like the person who wrote the recipe? Just because someone else uses it internally, doesn’t mean you should. Always research the safety of using oils internally before you choose to do so. (I don’t use them internally at all.) I might be okay with swabbing a diluted bit of it on a sore in my mouth if I needed it, but I would not swallow essential oils ... nor use them in my ear canal, like some people recommend. Actually, I did once use them in my ear canal (years ago) and it’s never been the same since.
6. Is this a water-based or an oil-based blend? As I said, essential oils will float in water and stay in a concentrated layer on top. This could lead to the oils eating through the plastic bottle you store the blend in. Or it could lead to a concentrated dose of essential oil if you use it on your skin. Be careful when using water-based blends. (And water can grow germs, so research what you can add to a water-based spray to preserve it better.) I always shake them well to blend them better immediately before spraying in the air or on skin. Or I use the water-based blends in the air only and the oil-based blends on the skin. The essential oil dilutes much better when you use oil as a carrier.
11. Some oils to take note of (compiled from various sources, not a complete list, and you will find conflicting advice on different websites, so check and cross-check sources carefully to figure out what's safest for you and your family):
Some oils that should not be used on Young Children, such as under 6 years old, according to various sources:
anise, basil, bay, cardamom, cassia, clary sage, clove, eucalyptus (not for kids under 10), fennel, ginger, lemon balm, lemongrass, niaouli, oregano, peppermint, rosemary (not for kids under 10), thyme, spearmint, verbena, ylang ylang (for a more complete list, see the Proverbial Homemaker's post on it.)
Some NOT for use during Pregnancy
and/or Breastfeeding:
Angelica, aniseed,
basil, birch, cedarwood, cinnamon, chamomile, clary sage, clove, fennel, ginger, hyssop, jasmine, juniper, marjoram, myrrh, nutmeg, oregano, peppermint, rose, rosemary, sage. thymeSome oils that should not be used if you have cancer:
aniseed, basil, bay, cinnamon, clove, fennel, nutmeg. (And not for use with estrogen-dependent cancers: citronella, eucalyptus, lavender, lemongrass, verbena)
Some that may not be good for
Sensitive Skin:
Bay,
cinnamon bark or leaf, (cinnamon cassia should not be used on skin), clove,
citronella, cypress, ginger, lemongrass, (pinus sylvestris – Scotch pine –
should not be used on skin), marjoram, oregano, melissa (lemon balm), rosewood,
and thyme. And do not use old pine oils, old tea tree, or old citrus oils (if citrus oils smell pine-like, they are old) on the skin because they can cause a reaction.
And do not use chamomile if you are allergic to daisy-type flowers.
12. General Dilution
Recommendations (research for yourself and your family's particular ages and conditions, but this is on the safer, "more diluted" side. However, not all sources agree on proper dilution ratios, but this is what I like best.):
[FYI - 1 ounce is equal to 6 teaspoons or 2 Tablespoons or 30 ml. To keep it simple, a very safe amount for kids over 6 years old is 1 drop essential oil per 1 teaspoon carrier oil, or up to 6 drops per ounce of carrier oil. And for adults, use up to 12 drops essential oil per ounce of carrier oil.]- For children 6 months to 6 years: no more than 1 drop essential oil per 4 teaspoons carrier oil (.25%) (Some sources say it's okay to do up to 3 drops essential oil per ounce - 6 teaspoons - of carrier oil for kids this young, a .5% dilution. Research which oils though. And personally, I would not recommend using essential oils on really, really young ones at all unless you know what you are doing and dilute very well!)
- For children over 6 years old, pregnant women, elderly people, and people with compromised immune systems or sensitive skin: 1 drop per 1 teaspoon carrier oil or 3-6 drops per ounce carrier oil (up to 1%)
- For your average adult for regular daily use: 2 drops per teaspoon carrier oil or 10-12 drops per ounce (up to 2%)
- For more intense, short-term therapeutic use in adults: 3 drops per 1 teaspoon carrier oil, 15-18 drops per ounce (up to 3%)
13. Find good, trustworthy websites
about essential oils, not Joe Shmoe’s from Middle-of-Nowhere-ville. (And, yes, I am a Joe Shmoe from Middle-of-Nowhere-ville.) Some of the websites I got my information
from:
aromaweb.comexperience-essential-oils.com
learningabouteos.com (great site filled with lots of safety information)
www.auracacia.com
naha.org (National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy)
14. I like the "Essential Oils NOT Safe for Kids" post from Proverbial Homemaker. And the "Safe Essential Oil Use with Babies & Children" post from The Hippy Homemaker. [However, she has since updated and changed this post, so I am not sure how the new version is. And I believe she is giving wrong dilution guidelines, at least before she updated it. Her recommendation for babies over 6 months is no more than .5% dilution, which should be 3 drops essential oil per ounce of carrier oil, not 3-5 drops as she says (I suggest less, that for kids aged 6 months to 2 years old, you only use a drop or two of essential oil per ounce of carrier oil). She says for kids over 2, use 2% dilution, which should be 12 drops essential oil per ounce carrier oil, not 20 drops as she says (but I say use even less, only 3 drops essential oil per ounce of carrier oil for kids aged 2-6, at least until you see how they react). And she says for people over 6, use 3% dilution, which should be 18 drops essential oil per ounce carrier oil, not 30 drops as she says, which would actually be 5% (again, I suggest less, such as only up to 6 drops essential oil per ounce of carrier oil for kids aged 6 to teen, and then for anyone closer to adult age and up, use up to 12 drops essential oil per ounce of carrier oil). See what I mean by "evaluate for yourself." Get educated so you can be careful and critical when reading what others say.] Also see her posts, "Essential Oil Safety Q&A with Robert Tisserand" and "Introduction to Essential Oil Safety."
Basically, she gives a list of which
oils are okay to use at which ages for young children. What I learned is that most oils can be used
on kids over 10 years of age. But Rosemary
and Eucalyptus should not be used on kids under 10, and Peppermint should not
be used on kids under 6 because these oils can slow breathing down too
much. I only use these in small amounts
in my blends anyway, so we have never had a problem, but it pays to be
cautious.Look up her post for more complete information. But looking at her list and at the oils I have (or want):
The safest (for babies 3 months to 6 months) are chamomile and lavender.
The next level (safe for 6 months to 2 years old) includes bergamot, cypress, grapefruit, lemon (but sweet orange is gentler), neroli, palmarosa, rose otto, sandalwood, sweet orange, tea tree. And you could also use these but only well-diluted (no more than 3-6 drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier oil): cedarwood, cinnamon leaf, pine.
For children 2 years to 6 years, you can add basil, cinnamon leaf, frankincense, lime, lemon verbena, melissa, myrrh, oregano, patchouli, spearmint, ylang ylang. Plus well-diluted clove, ginger, lemongrass, thyme. (Although she didn’t talk about jasmine or vanilla, I would think they would be safe for young children also.)
For 6 years old to 10 years old, add bay. And well-diluted cardamom, nutmeg, peppermint.
And for 10 and over, you can add eucalyptus and rosemary, plus nearly all others, diluted properly. (She says not to use Thieves blends on kids under 10.)
These are pretty much the rules I
operate by when handling essential oils.
