Safety Tips for Using Essential Oils

The following safety precautions are guidelines only. You should consult with an aromatherapist about essential oil usage and always inform your primary care physician what you are using as they may not be conducive with his/her prescribed therapy and medications. Doing your own research is also a good idea.

Some of this is necessary legal stuff, so wade through it. If this is too much for you, be sure to see my Safety in A Nutshell down below.

Keep essential oils in a secure place away from children and pets.

Use a variety of essential oils and rotate those which you use often to avoid sensitization and irritation of the skin. If you use a blend for 3 days, take a minimum of 3 days off and use an alternate blend those 3 days.

The following essential oils should be avoided during pregnancy: Single Oils: Basil, birch, calamus, cassia, cinnamon bark, hyssop, Idaho tansy, jasmine, lavandin, mugwort, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme, wintergreen. Synergistic Blends: Female Blend, Male Blend. Use the following with caution during pregnancy: Single Oils: Angelica, cedarwood, chamomile (German/blue), cistus, citronella, clary sage, clove bud, cumin (Black), cypress, davana, fennel, bay laurel, marjoram, mountain savory, myrrh, nutmeg, peppermint, rose, spearmint, vetiver, yarrow . Synergistic Blends: Clarity Blend, Muscle Relax Blend, Four Bandits, Four Bandits XS, Guardian. Other Products: Ahhh!, Arnica Massage Oil.

Read and follow instructions carefully.

Always take precautions when using Aromatherapy.

Unless otherwise stated, never use essential oils on your skin without diluting the essential oil with a carrier oil. A skin test is recommended prior to use. If you experience any soreness, redness or irritation do not use the blend.

If an essential oil or essential oil blend gets into your eye, flush the eye immediately with a carrier oil or cold milk. Seek medical attention if the stinging and/or irritation continues. Flushing the eye with water will not help.

Do not use more than 2 drops of the following essential oils when used in a bath the first time: Anise seed, Black pepper, Camphor (rectified), Citronella, Clove, Eucalyptus globulus, Ginger, Juniper, Peppermint, Sage, Spearmint, Thyme.

If allergic to certain foods, do not use essential oils or carrier oils that come from those foods.

The following essentials oils should never be used on the skin: Alan Root (Inula helenium) Almond bitter, expressed Birch sweet, Birch tar, Boldo leaf, Cade, Camphor (brown, yellow, unrectified), Colophon, Costos Root, Fig Leaf abs, Horseradish Mustard (volatile), Opoponax , Peru balsam , Rue abs , Sassafras, Tolu, Turpentine unrectified, Verbena (from citriodora).

Essential oils do not necessarily have the same healing properties of the plant it comes from. Herbal products sometimes contain different chemical components than the essential oil derived from the same plant. Therapeutic results are generally experienced when using an herbal product from that of a blended essential oil, however it is not guaranteed. Beware of sites that tell you otherwise.

The following essential oils should be avoided if you have epilepsy: Cajeput, Camphor, Eucalyptus, Fennel, Peppermint, Rosemary

Safety in a Nutshell

These are the main safety points from my point-of-view.

Dilute the essential oil as per instructions on the bottle. If your supplier does not give dilution instructions, see the Dilution Chart here.

Never get it in your eyes. I’ve done that and it stings like crazy. If you do, grab a cotton ball and carrier oil. Put carrier oil on the cotton ball and rub the carrier oil across your closed eyelid until it stops hurting. One thing for sure, it really cleans out your eye.

Less is more, so go easy on how much you use until you get a good feel for using essential oils.

That’s safety in a nutshell for me. Just keep your carrier oil handy. That fixes about anything by diluting the essential oil. Now you’re ready to use it!

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