Safety & Usage Tips

Safety & Usage Tips: While essential oils are SAFE, some precautions need to be taken when using them. This will be a LONG post, but please take the time to read through to the very end. You can never replace knowledge and common sense when it comes to health and the application of any medicine, essential oils, or any other healing procedures you decide to try out. This is where YOU, being armed with the proper knowledge, will allow you to make decisions about using essential oils for your family.

INSTRUCTIONS: The label shows the most COMMON use - topical, diffused, or dietary. Check the label BEFORE using an oil to make sure you understand how the oil can be used. Not all oils can be ingested- so look before you use them!

NEAT vs. DILUTION: When you apply an essential oil “neat,” you are applying it directly to the site on your body or into a capsule without adding any carrier oils to help dilute the concentration. For ADULTS, I tend to dilute essential oils 1:1. If it is a "hot" oil (On Guard, Oregano, Peppermint, etc.) - I dilute 1:4. For children, I dilute much more.

START SLOW and increase as needed. Use your judgment based on what you know about that person on whether to dilute more or not. Go slow, and don’t use more than a few single oils or one blend when you first start out. Exercise common sense.

HOT OIL: Plants come in many different forms and have many different properties. Consider eating a habanero pepper versus a bell pepper. One is hot and burns your mouth; the other does not. This is because the oils inside the peppers are different. This is how I define the “hot” oil in my mind. If the oil is considered a hot oil, the dilution will be listed on the label so you can take precautions before application. If you are sensitive to oils and find they work quickly on you, you might want to take more caution with the hotter oils. (Some examples are: Oregano, Cinnamon, Clove, Lemongrass, Peppermint, and On Guard)

PHOTOSENSITIVITY: Photosensitizing essential oils are those that might react with skin when exposed to the sun, causing a dark rash or dark pigmentation. Citrus Oils like Lemon, Lime, Bergamot, and Grapefruit are photosensitizing and should be kept in a dark glass. The citrus-based oils have been known to react with plastic as well, so make sure always to use glass bottles when making rollers, sprays, etc.

ORIFICES: Another safety factor to be aware of is keeping oils away from your eyes and out of ear canals, nasal passages, etc. Essential oils can be used to help ailments associated with these body parts, but there are special precautions to take. If you find yourself in a situation where you need support in these areas, feel free to ask a question inside the group or reach out to the person who helped you get started with doTERRA.

PREGNANCY: Most doTERRA Essential Oils are safe to use during pregnancy. However, exercise caution and always consult your healthcare professional when starting any health program. Read the labels, dilute often, and use common sense.

SAFE KIDS ARE NO ACCIDENT: No doubt you've heard this saying before. It is the same with kiddos and oils. Children are drawn to things that smell and taste sweet. They also love to copy what you are doing, so it is always best to keep your oils up and away from the reach of children. You don’t want them to accidentally ingest or get oil in their eye, so it's best to keep them up high. There is a dilution protocol to follow depending on the age of the kiddo (this can be found in the Kids Stay Well Guide post). When in doubt, mix a 1/30 blend with carrier oil.

REMOVAL: If a situation arises where you do need to remove an oil from a location quickly (like if you started to feel a burning sensation with a hot oil), do NOT use water. Water will likely spread the oil out more as oil does not dissolve in water. Instead, apply a neutral carrier oil like coconut oil, grapeseed oil, or olive oil to dilute the oil, then wipe the oils away with a washcloth or tissue. Safety can be a little scary to read about and start to cause concern, but as with anything it is very important to know how to handle the oils so you get the best usage out of them. It's very easy to get caught up in the amazing results you will see from oils, so it's good to keep that common sense and caution in the back of your mind so you know what to do when different situations arise.