Never apply any essential oil to your bare skin: This is a very important rule for anyone interested in using essential oils. If you put undiluted oils on your skin, it will cause burning and irritation. While essential oils can certainly help you when used correctly, it can cause plenty of problems when used incorrectly. Instead of putting it on your skin undiluted, you will want to get some good carrier oil and mix it in the right amount. This will ensure that you are using it on your skin safely.

Essential oils are flammable: You must remember that all essential oils are flammable. You should NEVER use essential oils over an open flame and this includes candles. There is a method of using essential oils with candles, but extreme caution will have to be use. You will light the candle and allow some of the wax to melt. Then, extinguish the candle and add the essential oils to the wax that is melted without allowing it to touch the wick. You can then relight the candle. Never leave them unsupervised. Make sure you are watching it all times.

Watch for allergic reactions: Just as with any product you use in your home or on your skin, you will have to watch carefully for allergic reactions. It is not too uncommon for people to have allergic reactions to some types of oils. These can include strong oils such as cinnamon. In order to find out whether or not you are allergic to the oil, try adding just one drop to a small amount of carrier and then put it on your skin. If you do not see a reaction after several hours, then you can continue using the oils. This is the best way to make sure that you do not have allergies.

Use caution around pets, children and pregnant women: Interestingly enough, while essential oils are all natural products, care must still be taken when used around pets, children and those who are pregnant. There are some essential oils that can induce premature labor. In addition, essential oils should never be ingested. You should never put the oils where children and pets can get into them. You should also never put the oil on your pets. They could lick it off and it could cause illness.

Watch for interactions with medications: When you take prescription medications or have some type of medical conditions, then you should use care when using essential oils. Those who suffer from asthma and other upper respiratory infections may have trouble using certain essential oils such as rosemary, fennel and sage.

The bottom line is that you should be very careful when using any type of essential oils to ensure your safety.

There are fewer preservatives or chemicals to worry about in natural products. In fact, the use of oils, herbs and flowers were the basis for the earliest forms of medical treatment. So, we are just getting back to our roots.

Aromatherapy uses essential oils to create a variety of products that are used in healing techniques. Common substances known to provide therapeutic effects such as lavender, basil and lemon are subjected to an extraction process to basically remove their essence. It is these essences that are the basis of aromatherapy. The oils used in a massage or other healing process are in their purest form.

Before the oil can be used, it needs a carrier oil to dilute it. A small amount of the essential oil is added to the appropriate carrier such as walnut, sunflower and flaxseed oils. Now the essential oil is safe to use on the skin. Without the carrier oil, these substances are too strong to be used alone.

Essential oils are used in aromatherapy for a variety of reasons pertaining to their properties. They can be used to relieve headaches, improve mood, increase digestive health, stop morning sickness and alleviate respiratory ailments – to name a few.

Tips for working with essential oils

The oils can be purchased in their potent, pure form if you are not knowledgeable about creating them yourself. Applying them directly to the skin can cause burns. It is advised that they be stored in a cool, dry place out of reach of children. They may end up drinking the oils or spilling them on themselves if your supplies are kept down low at their level.

Wear gloves when mixing aromatherapy oils. Your skin can burn too if some spills on you. Also, these oils are absorbed into the skin and then the bloodstream. Handling them often without gloves can lead to a toxic level of exposure in your body. Even smelling them in excess can cause dizziness, fainting and headaches. Use a ventilated area for creating the oils and other products. This dissipates the smell so that you breathe easier.

Before using an aromatherapy oil, consult your doctor. Some natural and homeopathic products contain substances that can interfere with traditional medications you might be taking. He or she can check to see if any of the properties of your essential oils will cause a reaction.

Aromatherapy oils are created using essential oils and a carrier. While very little of the concentrated form is used, it is still important to handle them with care.

*Do not ingest oils by mouth
*Keep out of eyes
*Many essential oils cannot be applied directly to the skin
*Research any essential oil in reference books, for specific precautions, warnings, etc.

As with any natural substance, the possibility exists for allergy… start with very small amounts and watch for reactions, then increase dosage, within the given guidelines

Pregnancy

The following oils should be avoided during pregnancy: basil, birch, cedar, clove bud, clary sage, cypress, fennel, jasmine, juniper marjoram, peppermint, rosemary, sage, thyme

Skin Irritants

These oils may irritate the skin, and should be diluted in a carrier oil before applying to the skin or used in a bath : basil, cinnamon, clove bud, fennel, Siberian fir, lemon, lemongrass, melissa, peppermint, thyme, tea tree, verbena

Photosensetivity

These oils can cause skin sensitivity in the presence of ultraviolet light and should NOT be used beofre exposure to direct sunlight: angelica, bergamot, mandarin, lemon, lime, petitgrain, St. John’s Wort, verbena

High Blood Pressure

The following oils should not be used by anyone with high blood pressure:hyssop, rosemary, sage, thyme Skin Allergies

Skin Conditions

If one is suffering from dermatitis or other allergic skin conditions then these oils should be avoided: benzoin, rose geranium, jasmine, pine, ylang ylang

Toxic oils

These oils should be avoided: bitter almond, mugwort, mustard, pennyroyal, rue, sassafrass, southernwood, tansy, wintergreen