There are many factors that come into safe usage of essential oils and I would like to discuss just a few basics.
- Essential oils are very concentrated plant essences. 1 bottle of Lemon Essential oil has the essential oil of the peels of approx. 50 lemons in it (1 bottle – not one drop!) So they need to be used with common sense and caution.
- I only use doTERRA essential oils, because I know they one of very few companies who actually put in the bottle what they say they do. Their testing regime and ethical and sustainable sourcing is unprecedented in the world.
- If you use them topically on the skin you ALWAYS need to dilute. And you need to dilute according to different age groups. Don’t trust every recipe that floats around on instagram, facebook or in Pinterest. Unfortunately not everyone does their research properly and also every body is entirely individual. You need to assess dilution on age, which essential oil you are using (Cinnamon & Oregano for example are very spicy and strong), you need to be aware of photo-sensitivity (all citrus oils are photosensitive – you can burn your skin quicker for 12-24 hours after application) and some people have more sensitive skin than others. You can always do a skin patch test first.
- If you use them aromatically in the diffuser, on diffusing jewellery, in your home made air-fresheners, just make sure you do not overwhelm your olfactory glands. The micro particles of the essential oils stay around in the air for up to 2 hours after the diffuser finished. You don’t need to diffuse for 24/7. Its lovely to have a morning and afternoon boost, when uplifting & focus is necessary. Its nice to support an evening routine, especially with children to establish aromatic anchors and have more settled and deeper sleep. If we have a virus going around in our house or someone is unwell I might on occasion diffuse all day to knock any floaties in the air on the head and support our immune-system. After all you don’t drink coffee all day or eat tumeric all day or take supplements every hour of the day. Use your common sense to see when you actually need the aromatic boost.
- And lastly lets get to internal usage. Firstly I would not use any other essential oil other than doTERRA in food flavoring and support my body. Simply because most other essential oils have toxic and artificial components in them and might do more harm then good. I always advise caution when it comes to using essential oils for flavoring. First of all you need to do your own research. I for example don’t put them in my water on a daily basis. If I take them internally on occasion when my body needs it I drop them in an empty vegi capsule (supplement capsule) and swallow. I only recommend this if you know why you are doing it, how to do it and which oils are safe to do this. The oils will have a super beneficial effect if used properly on the skin topically and aromatically from the diffuser. More often when not internal use is not necessary and in some cases unsafe. If you use them in your food make sure there are other fats to bind and dilute the essential oil – for example in bliss balls with coconut oil, soups with olive oil, salad dressings with other carrier oil.
- The beauty of doTERRA is, that you will be provided with lots of information. You look up the essential oils on the doTERRA website you get lots of information, not only on the oils itself, but also recipes, safety guidelines etc.
- If you open your doTERRA account with me you will have my ongoing support – you can ask me questions anytime if you are unsure. You will get access to 2 educational forums and a website packed with information.
- As with everything you put in or on your body – do your research, make sure you use them safely and use your common sense.
- One last remark on the critics who try to bad mouth doTERRA. Lots of side effects from essential oil use actually come from using impure oils (not doTERRA) and from overusing or using incorrectly. From my point of view, if you are replacing toxic products in your home with natural ones that can only be of benefit to you and your family – so don’t buy into the scaremongering. From my experiences there are still too many homes where people spray perfume all over themselves on a daily basis (toxic), where we find toxic and artificial air fresheners in homes and cars, where we have cleaning products that compromise your health on a daily basis, where woman have 15 times the toxic load of men, because of all the body care products they put in an onto their bodies that are full of toxins and artificial ingredients, where toxic scented candles are burnt that compromise your olfactory glands and brain health…. The list goes on and on. Still a majority of people use a multitude of toxic products in their home and on their bodies without questioning them twice and getting into research mode when it comes to a pure, plant based essential oil. Put the same research into your everyday, mainstream products – check your labels and replace them with safe natural solutions.