Applying Essential Oils Correctly

While essential oils may be useful and natural remedies for stress, sore muscles, fatigue, and other ailments, you need to know how to properly apply these potent concoctions. After you go out and acquire essential oils for your needs, you have to understand the proper ways to apply essential oils. You may get frustrated with the results if you do not use them under proper direction, as they can react in a negative way.

First of all, applying full strength undiluted essential oils right onto your skin can actually harm you and not help the condition you are trying to use it for. The essential oils can actually cause a rash or even slightly burn your skin if they are simply put on. There have even been incidents where painful sores can be caused by direct skin contact with full strength essential oils. You simply can add it to a cream or oil which is not greasy to prevent any adverse affects on the skin.

You must care in the amount you apply just as you do with lotions and creams. These kinds of essential oils are quickly absorbed by your skin. If the oil has not been diluted at all, rash, breakouts and irritation can very likely occur. If in the event you have accidentally applied way too much essential oil to your skin, it is imperative that you avoid exposure to the sun. This can further increase the adverse side effects of essential oil directly on skin.

These essential oils are truly natural and derived from various plants and trees. They also serve as very therapeutic. Because of some of potency issues, they must be kept out of reach for children like many other powerful agents in the home. If essential oil is inadvertently put on a child, the effects can be harsh and it can easily cause a painful rash. There is also great danger if the oil is ingested by a child. The adult should quickly contact emergency medical professionals if this were to ever happen.

When you do apply any amount of essential oils, you must use caution to keep clear of eyes, ears or your nose. They have to be completely applied externally and should never ever be taken internally in any form. They should not even be near any opening which can lead to an overdose of the essential oil. When doing any mixing or application, you may want to consider wearing gloves so the oils are not inadvertently absorbed by the skin of your hand or fingers.

If swallowed, even though they may be natural, essential oils can be lethal. One other point to keep in mind is light and sun exposure. Do not sun bath or use a tanning bed after applying essential oils. There are some oils which are very sensitive to the sun. One class of oils which do not do well in sunlight is any kind of citrus essential oils. Bergamot and grapefruit essential oil are a few which are ultra sensitive to sun exposure.

As with anything you are unsure about, proper ways to apply essential oils clearly involve a test patch. Apply it to a small area first. This even goes for the essential oils you use for aromatherapy. To test a small area, apply the oil and wait for up to 24 hours for any type of reaction. If you plan to add the essential oil to a cream base, you should dilute in vegetable oil and then put it on the skin, After the 24 hours pass, you will have a clear indication of whether or not you may have a reaction to that particular oil.

You can actually get adverse affects like headaches and dizziness if you engage in overuse of the essential oils. Even if you only suspect that you could have overdosed on essential oils, you have contact emergency medical help. Before you begin to experiment with oils, be sure you fully understand the proper ways to apply essential oils safely.