Essential Oils: The Good and the Bad

Everywhere you go, you either see essential oils on the shelves or someone is telling you about them.  It started out with naturalists and hippies (me included!) and migrated to everyone else.  Previously, you could only find essential oils online.  Now you can find them in health food stores, drug stores, grocery stores, and even via in-home parties. Having them so readily available makes it seem like everyone should start using them, and to a point I agree.  However, without some basic knowledge regarding essential oil safety, you could put yourself and your family in serious danger.

Essential Oils: 101

What is an essential oil?  It is a liquid that contains highly concentrated plant compounds.  The compounds can come from the leaves, flowers, or roots of the plants.  How concentrated are they?  A single drop of peppermint essential oil, for example, is equal to approximately 28 cups of peppermint tea! This is both good and bad. On the upside, you have to use very little to get the desired benefits.  The downside is you can do some serious damage if you don’t know what you’re doing.

How to Use Them

Essential oils are my go-to for most ailments.  Feel like you’re getting cold? Have a mosquito bite? Getting ragey and need to settle down? I guarantee I’m reaching for my oils first. I use them for EVERYTHING.  What I’m experiencing or where I am depends on how I use them.  A few of my favorite ways to use them are:

• Diffusers: Diffusers turn essential oils into mist and diffuse them into the air. They range from units that plug in and can cover an entire room to small clip on diffusers that go in your car.  You can diffuse nearly anywhere.
• Rollerballs: A rollerball is a small glass bottle with a roller top.  You swipe it over your skin to apply it.  Super easy to use on the go and mess free.  In addition to absorbing the oils, your body will warm them and you will become your own personal diffuser!
• Inhalers: For direct inhalation, or where you cannot use a diffuser, this option is perfect to carry your oils with you.  They are little tubes with a cotton wick inside that hold oils. To use them, you put them up to the outside of your nostril and inhale. Fun fact….it only takes 22 seconds for inhaled essential oils to reach the limbic center of the brain!

Safety

To use any essential oil safely on the skin, it needs to be diluted with a carrier oil.  A carrier oil is a plain oil with neutral properties that will not change the quality or scent of your essential oils.  Some common carrier oils are olive, avocado, sweet almond, and coconut.  While there are some added benefits to each of these oils, they are fairly interchangeable. You must always use a carrier oil when applying essential oils to the skin.  Applying them neat, or undiluted, can cause chemical burns and allergic reactions, among many other health problems.  I wouldn’t drink 28 cups of peppermint tea everyday, so why would I apply that much to my skin? Use care when preparing your oils and you won’t have anything to worry about.

Quality vs. Price

Not all essential oils are created equal.  While you can buy them at the grocery store, should you??  The answer is a resounding NO.  The less expensive oils do not go through the same sustainable and safe processes to extract the components, and they are usually not 100% pure.  Most are diluted with cheap synthetic oils and are very low quality.  In this case, you get what you pay for.  I always research the companies I purchase my oils from.  Two of my favorites are Mountain Rose Herbs and Aromatics International. (I have no affiliation with these companies) They both use sustainable practices and produce high quality, therapeutic grade oils that I feel are safe.

Diluting Your Oils

As mentioned, never use oils on your skin without diluting them.  This can take a little math to figure out how much essential oils to use per ounce of carrier oil.  Remember when you said you’d never use algebra?  Surprise!  Your high school math teacher will be proud of you.  However, if you don’t feel up to the task, you can use this handy little chart to calculate it for you.

For everyday issues like congestion, stress, or insomnia, a 1%-3% dilution is usually sufficient.  Remember that these are highly concentrated and more is not better in this case.  Acute issues like muscle pain from an injury or a migraine can use up to a 25% dilution but should only be used for a very short time. When using oils on children under 10, stick with a .25%-1% dilution, depending on the age of the child.  Do not use oils on infants under 6 months. There are many oils that are just plain unsafe for children.  Oils like peppermint, eucalyptus, and rosemary are just a few that can severely harm children. You can find incredible information and a list of safe and unsafe oils for children at Using Essential Oils Safely

Also be wary of companies that offer unsafe practices.  I have heard some companies teach people to do things like put a drop of undiluted essential directly into their hands, cup their hands over their nose, and inhale.  They claim it’s a wonderful way to “use your body as a diffuser”.  Or they say to add lemon oil to your water for a refreshing drink. I cannot stress enough how unsafe these practices are.  What happens when you put oil in water? It floats to the top.  You will be getting a mouthful of oils coating the mucous membranes and potentially causing permanent damage.  Essential oils should NOT be ingested.  Ever.

The bottom line is that essential oils can be an incredible tool in your home remedy toolbox, but you have to know what you’re doing first.  Take the time to read a little bit about them before diving in to use them. If you are confused or need help, I’m always here to answer questions for you.  Feel free to contact me at any time.