GENERAL INFORMATION
- Essential oils are very concentrated substances and should be diluted for every use.
- When an essential oil is diluted, you would still need to take care and do a patch check on your own skin to ensure you have no adverse reaction.
- Keep all essential oils out of reach of children and pets.
- If you are pregnant or have serious medical problems you would be best advised to speak with your doctor/medical practitioner before using essential oils.
- Never take essential oils internally unless advised to do so by a medical doctor/practitioner.
- It is safest to consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using oils with children.
- If you are using essential oils in you bath, it is best to dilute them first in a carrier oil such as grapeseed or almond oil -- any vegetable oil will do. The reason being is that the essential oil will float on the top of the bath water and could cause irritation/allergic reaction to your skin when you are getting into the bathwater. Be careful when getting out also, because the bath may be slippery because of the oil that you used to help disperse the essential oil.
- Store essential oils in a dark, cool place for the best long-term efficacy. We recommend keeping your oils in your refrigerator. Also, it is a good practice to tightly close the cap on your essential oil bottle before putting it away. These actions will help inhibit oxidation which degrades essential oils. Oxidized essential oils can be damaging to your health.
DIFFUSION
- Diffusion is most used for mood management, but can also be helpful for respiratory issues.
- Less may be more. "Intermittent diffusion is much more effective, as well as being safer than continuous diffusion. Intermittent diffusion means, 30-60 minutes on, then 30-60 minutes off. This is because our body, especially our nervous system, becomes accustomed to the diffusion after this length of time. With continuous diffusion, while benefits do not increase, there is evidence that the body becomes stressed in various way. However, very low levels of diffusion, so the essential oil is barely noticeable, are fine anywhere for any length of time" R Tisserand.
- There should be adequate ventilation in a room where essential oils are being diffused.
INHALATION
- We usually opt for this method of consuming essential oils when we are looking for a therapeutic benefit.
- Modes of application include: inhalation directly from the bottle; using a personal inhaler; steam inhalation; nebulizer, (face mask).
- Best practice is that inhalation should be used for short periods of time and the appropriate dilution of the essential oils.
Caution: Children are more susceptible to the effects of such essential oils as Peppermint & Eucalyptus. Current advice is that Peppermint Oil not be used for children under the age of 3. Eucalyptus oil would need to be diluted to a 0.5% dilution rate before being used topically or diffused for children under the age of 3.
PLEASE NOTE that any information provided on this website is for educational purposes only. While this site does its best to provide useful information, any reliance you place on such information is strictly at your own risk and not a substitute for medical, legal, or any other professional advice of any kind.
