Essential Oil Safety 101: what you need to know
*** Disclaimer. This post is in no way intended to give medical advice. Always consult your personal health care provider before starting any new health care routine, supplements, or products. ***
Essential oils are concentrated liquid compounds extracted from plants. The essential oils are obtained from different parts of the plant (root, stem, leaf, flower, bulb; depending on the plant and the oil) via steam distillation, cold press, or resin tapping. These concentrated plant liquids are very potent and can provide toxin free, natural support to all our body systems.
As with many things in this world, essential oils can potentially be harmful if not respected and if not used appropriately with caution. However, with diligence, essential oils can be used safely and have amazing effects on many aspects of your life! If you are new to essential oils or just trying to increase your knowledge base, I have another great post here with some basic essential oil information.
Here are some tips to help you use essential oils safely:
- Quality matters.
Make sure you do your research and choose essential oils that are high quality and pure. Some companies use fillers and chemicals to make the oil go further, because it can take quite a large amount of the plant to make a small amount of essential oil. Additionally, there is no regulating body that is verifying the purity and quality of all oils in the industry.
I use Young Living essential oils because I feel sure that their oils are of the highest quality and are pure and safe. The Young Living Seed to Seal guarantee promises that everything about their essential oils is high quality and safe from start to finish. Young Living grows their own plants on extensively tested soil that has never been exposed to pesticides or chemicals, never uses chemical fertilizer or pesticides on the plants during growing, and never uses chemicals during the oil extraction and distillation process. The company also performs several rounds of rigorous quality testing on every batch of oil including third party testing. The Seed to Seal promise is why I feel confident and comfortable with using Young Living oils in all aspects of my life and for my family.
But do your own research, and choose a company you feel confident and comfortable with. Because if you aren’t using essential oils yet, you are really missing out on their amazing benefits!
2. When in doubt, consult your doctor before beginning to use.
As with herbal supplements, some essential oils could potentially react with medications and have a whole array of effects. If you have any existing medical conditions and/or are taking any prescribed medications, always check with your doctor/nurse practitioner before starting to use essential oils. Individuals with heart conditions or seizure disorders may be especially sensitive to essential oils. It’s also a good idea to check with your medical professional before using essential oils with children, during pregnancy, and when breast-feeding.
3. Do NOT put essential oils in your eyes, ears, or nose.
Essential oils can cause intense irritation if they get into the eyes, ears, and nose or on other sensitive areas.
4. Do not rinse with water if you experience irritation.
Essential oils are not water-soluble so rinse with water will not help. If you get an essential oil in your eye or experience irritation of the skin from topical application, rinse/flush with a safe carrier oil.
5. Read the labels.
Each oil label will indicate how the oil can be used safely (aromatically, topically, or internally). Not all oils are safe to be used in all three ways.
6. Start low and go slow.
The oil bottle label will give a recommended number of drops to use. When you first start using essential oils, limit to a few drops to see how your body reacts. And when diffusing, only diffuse for the amount of time recommended on the bottle. When using topically, test a small amount of oil on a small area of skin (the inside of the forearm is generally a good place to test) to see how your body reacts before you rub it all over yourself. As your body gets used to the essential oils you can gradually begin using more drops and for longer periods of time. Always listen to your own body, everyone is different and may tolerate differently. As with other beauty products, keep in mind that it is possible to develop sensitivities and adverse reactions after many exposure or prolonged topical use. If this happens, stop use immediately and seek medical attention as needed.
7. Dilute, dilute, dilute!
If you are using your oils topically, make sure you dilute in a carrier oil such as coconut oil or jojoba oil. It is safe to use some oils without a carrier oil, but if you’re ever unsure, just use a carrier oil. You’re never wrong to use a carrier oil. Topical oils for children should be diluted to a greater ratio than topical oils used for adults.
8. Some essential oils can cause photosensitivity.
Citrus oils used topically can result in skin burns when exposed to the sun. You should avoid sun exposure for 12-72 hours after using citrus oils topically.
9. Store oils in dark, glass containers.
Some oils, mainly citrus oils, can cause plastic molecules to break down and leach out into your products. This is why it’s a good idea to always use glass containers for anything with essential oils. Additionally, dark glass is best because sunlight can break down the essential oil compounds and decrease their shelf life. Pure, high quality oils can have shelf lives of many, many years if stored properly. Always check your individual oils as this may vary by product and company.
10. Use your resources.
Know where you can turn with any questions or for additional information. Young Living has a blog and many other resources with great information about their products. When you become a member of companies such as Young Living, you typically will join “under” a sponsor and an existing network of like minded individuals. This will become your essential oil “team”. The people on your team should also be a resource for you. Here are some of my favorite reference books:
I also have an app on my phone that I use ALL the time and love. The app is called Reference Guide for Essential Oils from Abundant Health. It is a one-time purchase of $6.99 (I think, I can’t remember exactly how much it was but it was $6 ish)
This is by no means an exhaustive list for essential oil safety. These are just my best tips to get you started. The best way to make sure you are using your oils safely is by doing the research and being informed about what you choose to use. When in doubt, always consult your doctor/nurse practitioner.
Do you have any other great essential oils safety tips?
Are you interested in using essential oils? If so, email me at jaye@jeanstjohn.com so I can help you get started!
XOXO Jaye