Essential Oils are present in so many of today´s products, be it in perfumes, soft-drinks, food and herbal medicines just to name a few. The use of oils within such products is mostly at a miniscule level though, and only containing traces at times. Pure Essential Oils are highly concentrated plant extracts, and can act both as a medicine or toxin. Therefore you should always treat essential oils with great care. A little can go a long way.

Whether a specific oil is safe for you depends on a number of factors, including your age, general health and wellbeing, taking medications, being pregnant and supplement use. When you are considering any essential oil usage you should always read the label and buy these from trusted high quality brands. Important things to consider are chemical composition and purity, dosage, method of use and duration of use.

If you are curious about the use of pure high quality grade Essential Oils, such as those by dōTERRA, or are already using them, it is always good to have some basic understanding and knowledge of their effectiveness and potency.

 dōTERRA Essential Oils

You can safely use dōTERRA Essential Oils in wide range of applications. dōTERRA ensures regular quality testing of its essential oils through the GCMS analysis process which will determine if any chemical residue is present within the product, such as pesticides, herbicides, extenders, and other solvents. This rigorous analysis process ensures that all CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® essential oils offered by dōTERRA are a step above organic.

It is fun and equally empowering to use dōTERRA Essential Oils in creating your own homemade beauty products, perfumes, a cleaning and laundry detergent, or just adding it to food and drinks for flavour, to freshen up the air, and of course for general personal wellbeing or for the benefits of your children and pets. It is however import that you know which oils are appropriate to use for your intended application, and how to use them safely. When you sign up through KP∞Unity you will receive regular detailed information and training around the dōTERRA brand oils. We will also provide you with an abundant list of DO IT YOUR-SELF applications.

To help you have the most positive (and safe) experience our health conscious team at KPUnity has created a brief list of the most essential points and handy tips for you to remember.

Essential Oils - Ten important things to remember!

 When you are first introduced to essential oils, it can seem like the bottle size is somewhat underwhelming when compared to the cost some products or brands may charge. However, over time you will realize that even one drop of essential oil can be highly effective when used. Be mindful to not overdose. Over the time-period of one day you can quickly accumulate enough essential oil saturation, like 1 drop in a glass of water, 5 drops on your skin, a few more into a diffuser etc., which may lead to minor or mild overdosing.

With high quality essential oils you can safely say “Too much of good, the good can become unpleasant”.

If you have remnants of essential oils on your hands and you rub your eyes or scratch the inside of your ears, you could experience a serious adverse reaction. Essential oils shouldn’t come into contact with eyes and inner ears.

Aside from checking online to see if an oil is meant for internal use or not, you can also simply look at the label to find out. If the oil includes supplement facts, it can be used internally. If not, the label will simply say, “For aromatic or topical use.” When you take an oil internally, one to two drops is all you need at a time. You can take most oils internally by putting the drop in a veggie capsule, by adding them to a glass of water, in smoothies, shakes, food, baking and also your favourite cocktails. It is not recommended though to take any appropriate essential oil in its pure form, please use them as additives and in diluted forms to avoid unpleasant experiences or reactions.

IMPORTANT: These single oils should never be ingested: Arborvitae, Blue Tansy, Cedarwood, Cypress, Douglas Fir, Eucalyptus, Spikenard, and Wintergreen.

Even though oils are generally safe to apply anywhere on your skin, avoid the following: Around your eyes, on or near the inside of your nose, lips, teeth and gum area, the inner ear, broken skin, or any other sensitive areas.

If you have very sensitive skin, read on below for our tips on dilution. If your skin starts to turn red, burn, or itch, it is recommended to remove the oil by gently wiping the area with a soft cloth, adding a carrier oil, such as jojoba oil or fractionated coconut oil which you then alternate between adding your carrier oil and wiping it away until the reaction stops.

There are some oils that should always be diluted when using topically: Cassia, Cinnamon, Clove, Geranium, Lemongrass, Oregano, Thyme, among others. For first time use of any of these “hot” oils, we recommend trying them at a ratio of one drop essential oil to 10 drops of Fractionated Coconut Oil, or whatever other carrier oil you choose.

Aside from the hot oils, it is recommended that when you have sensitive skin it is always best to dilute any essential oil. Don’t be afraid of possibly lessening the potency of the oil, either. Diluting actually makes it easier for the oil to absorb into your skin quickly before it evaporates, and therefore stays beneficial. And by diluting you also increase the surface area of where you are applying your oil to.

Some essential oils cause photosensitivity, which can cause your skin to sunburn more easily. To be safe, after using any of the following oils, avoid UV light of any kind for up to 12 hours after applying. Some of these oils include: AromaTouch®, Bergamot, doTERRA Breathe®, doTERRA Cheer®, Citrus Bliss®, Elevation®, doTERRA Forgive®, Grapefruit, InTune®, Lemon, Lime, doTERRA Motivate®, doTERRA On Guard®, Purify, Slim & Sassy®, Wild Orange, and Zendocrine®. Always be sure to read labels before applying essential oils on the skin to ensure that you are not at risk for skin irritation due to photosensitivity.

Some essential oils have great properties to relieve from stuffy nose, clogged up sinuses and airways.

Combine your essential oils with boiling or hot water in a large heatproof pot or bowl. Only add 3-7 drops to create therapeutic steam. Then use the towel over your head and breathe gently through your nose for about 1 to 3 minutes at a time.  Make sure you keep your eyes closed to prevent eye irritation. You can repeat this 2 or 3 times over 30 min, but always allow for intervals where you get plenty of fresh air. If you inhale them in high doses or for long periods (5 minutes and longer), you may experience dizziness, a headache, and nausea. If this occurs stop immediately and seek fresh air. If symptoms persist or increase after 10 – 15 minutes please seek medical advice.

In some cases it may be recommended to use a diffuser to disperse essential oils throughout the air. This will allow them to dilute before being inhaled and is a less potent method of inhalation. When diffusing, don’t exceed 30 – to 60-minute intervals.

When using the oils with your children up to about early-adolescence, always dilute the oil. When using them for the first time start by only applying oils to their feet. Diffusing oils is the best course of action for using oils with kids under two years of age. Make sure that you are always around when your children use an oil, and store them out of reach.

This is considered a highly controversial practice — especially during the first three months. Some people worry that topical essential oils can cross the placental barrier and harm the fetus.

While there are some essential oils that should never be used during pregnancy, there are a few that are considered safe for use during prenatal massages or through the diffuser method. According to one study by the Oxford Brooks University, U.K, some essential oils may be effective in reducing anxiety and fear regarding childbirth. The best advice KP∞Unity can provide, is that if you are interested in using essential oils during pregnancy, talk to your healthcare provider and midwife before use.

According to the NAHA, these popular essential oils should however, never be used during pregnancy, labour, or whilst breastfeeding: Camphor, Parsley seed, Hyssop, Pennyroyal, Tarragon, Wintergreen, Wormwood.

It’s important to keep our pets in mind as we use essential oils in our homes. Dogs and cats in particular have 200–300 million olfactory? receptors (humans have only 5–6 million). Their sense of smell is very sensitive, so when you are diffusing, be sure to use a water-based diffuser, and only diffuse 4–5 drops at a time in an open area where your pet can leave the room if desired.

Many oils can support the various body systems of your animals. When using oils topically on pets, be sure to have sufficient knowledge or consult with your veterinarian first. Always dilute oils down to 1–2 percent prior to application (100 drops of a carrier oil for every one drop of essential oil). We recommend using Fractionated Coconut Oil as a carrier oil, but there are also many others. Dilute even more for animals that are less than 10 lbs/5 kg. If you are curious to learn more about pets and dōTERRA Essential Oils please navigate to our dedicated page or click here.

Most veterinarians state that the following essential oils should never be used on any pets. If in doubt, please always consult with your trusted veterinarian first. These oils are: Anis, Birch, Bitter Almond, Boldo, Calamus, Camphor, Cassia, Chenopodium, Clove, Garlic, Goosefoot, Horseradish, Hyssop (Hyssopus sp. with the exception of Decumbens), Juniper (Juniperus sp. with the exception of Juniper Berry), Mugwort, Mustard, Oregano, Pennyroyal, Red or White Thyme, Rue, Santolina, Sassafras, Savory, Tansy, Tea Tree, Terebinth, Thuja, Wintergreen, Wormwood and Yarrow.

Final Comments

Ignorance or disregard of basic essential oil safety information can be one of the most dangerous mistakes to make with essential oils. Essential oils can react with prescription drugs and supplements (a topic for another blog post), and they can cause adverse reactions when used in excess. They can react differently in children, the elderly, and those with weakened immunity. It is imperative to educate yourself on the cautions and contraindications surrounding essential oils. KPUnity provides this information solely on the basis for personal information and education purposes. Each individual user is free to make their own informed choice based on their own knowledge, understanding and personal circumstances.

What do you wish you had known about essential oils when you started? Send us your tips using our contact form  or via Facebook and Instagram. 

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