How To Use Essential Oils

Essential oils are extremely concentrated and just one drop can do a lot. It is important that you follow the label recommendations at the back of the bottle for appropriate dosage to avoid toxicity. Essential oils can be applied on the skin, ingested, or inhaled. 

Adding a few drops on water, smoothies, or yogurt are a few ways to ingest essential oils. By ingesting the oils, these enter the blood via the gastrointestinal tract where they are transported to the organs, including the brain, and act at a cellular level (Branson, 2017). Toxicity is a real concern, and there is some controversy surrounding the safety of ingesting essential oils due to they are highly concentrated. To be safe, consult your health professional beforehand. 

Applying the essential oils on the skin is a very safe way to benefit from these oils. Apply to the forehead, soles of the feet, neck, chest, arms, legs, or add a few drops to a warm bath. It is important to avoid direct application on the eyes, as well as injured or irritated skin. Essential oils will penetrate the skin to provide a localized benefit. By massaging the area the blood absorption will increase and carry the oils throughout the body. You can dilute the oils on virgin coconut oil, aloe vera, or sweet almond oil before using on the skin. Usually, it is recommended to use 3% solution. This can equate to 3 drops of essential oil. It is important to test a small amount of oil on a small portion of your skin before applying over larger areas to make sure it does not irritate the skin. 

Inhaling essential oils is known to be the safest way to use these oils. This can be done by using a diffuser, which by adding water into the diffuser works by dispersing the oils into the air with a cool mist. When inhaled, smell receptors in the nose send a message to the limbic system in charge of behaviour and emotions. This is also connected to our hormones, memory, stress, and blood pressure. Inhaling the strong aroma of essential oils can really have a powerful effect on both the mind and body (Branson, 2017). By adding a few drops of oil into a spray bottle filled with water is a great way to freshen furniture, clothes, and/or rooms.