II. How to Safely Use Essential Oils

Essential oils are extremely safe even for young children and pets. But there are a few safety precautions.

The first is to be sure you follow doTERRA’s recommendation for how to use each oil.  Essential oils can be inhaled, applied topically and sometimes, even ingested.  However, some oils should not be ingested and others require dilution prior to topical application.

doTERRA labels their oils with an "A" if they can be used aromatically, with a "T" if they can be applied topically, and with an "I" if they can be ingested. In addition they label oils that can be applied topically with an "N" if they can be applied "neat" or without first diluting them, a "D" if they always require dilution prior to topical application and an "S" if they should be diluted prior to application on sensitive skin. 

You can find these designations on the product page for the particular oil or blend in question on the doTERRA website. 

Aromatic Use of Essential Oils

Essential oils are volatile, aromatic compounds: They evaporate easily and carry a distictive scent. 

The envigorating scent of an orange, the enchanting aroma of a pine forest and the sweet fragrance of a rose are all brought to us courtesy of those plant’s essential oils.  

Because scent is perceived in the part of our brain that is tied to our memories, emotions and our autonomic nervous system, inhaled scents can have powerful emotional effects.  Thus the name “aroma therapy”. 

But keep in mind that inhaled oils will also enter the lungs and be dispersed via the pulmonary capillary system to all other areas of the body.

How to Use Essential Oils Aromatically 

To use essential oils aromatically, you can inhale them directly from the bottle, you can placie a couple drops in your palms and then cup your palms over your nose or you can use a  diffuser.

Diffusers come in two varieties.

• Nebulizers  which convert the essential oil into a fine mist, and
• Water diffusers that diffuse the essential oil along with a water vapor mist.

Water diffusion is considered the safest way to use essential oils and can be used  even with young children and pets.  Because water is diffused along with the essential oil, water diffusion it is also a good way to provide respiratory support. I like to use  Eucalyptus oil or the proprietary blend "Breathe" in a water diffuser at night to support clear breathing.

For more on the aromatic use of essential oils, see the doTERRA ebook on this subject.

Topical Application of Essential Oils

Many essential oils can be applied topically to the skin. These oils will be labelled with a T on the product page of the doTERRA website.

Essential oils are often applied at the site where the problem exists. For example, peppermint essential oil or the blend "Past Tense" can be applied to the neck and temples to ease tension headaches and digestzen (digestive blend) can be applied to the abdomen to help ease digestive upsets.

Essential oils can also be effective when applied on other areas of the body: Because they  consist of small molecules that easily pass through the skin to enter the body's circulatory system, topically applied essential oils will  have systemic effects.  

Large pores the soles of the feet make this site a good one for the topical application of essential oils especially in younger children. To avoid accidental ingestion, the spine is typically used for topical application of essential oils in infants and babies.

Diluting Essential Oils

Some essential oils need to be diluted prior to topical application.  doTERRA patch tests each of their  oils and then labels them with "D" if they should always be diluted prior to topical application, an "S" if they should be diluted when used on sensitive skin and an "N" if they can be used neat or without dilution on all skin types. You can find these designations on the product page for each oil and oil blend on the doTERRA website.

For very young children and smaller pets essential oils are almost always diluted prior to topical application. 

How to Dilute Essential Oils

Although essential oils do not feel greasy they are true oils and do not mix well with water. So, if you need to dilute them you would do so using another oil. These oils are called “carrier oils” because they help carry the essential oil into the skin: Using a carrier oil can improve absorption of an essential oil by as much as 10%.

I frequently dilute essential oils  by placing a couple drops of the essential oil in my hand and then adding a few drops of a carrier oil to it before applying it.  But for young children and pets you will want to use a more precise dilution.  To learn what dilutions are recommended for kids as well as dogs and cats and how to obtain a specific dilution see my page on how to dilute essential oils. 

Carrier Oils

 Virtually any vegetable oil can be used as a carrier oil but many of the more commonly used carrier oils have some pretty impressive benefits of their own.  Click on the following links to find more on the benefits of carrier oils  the oils most often used for this purpose. 

If you choose to sell essential oils out of your office you will want to sell at least one carrier oil.  I recommend  fractionated coconut oil. Fractionated coconut oil is a thin oil that good for all skin types and is non-comedogenic. It also has a very long shelf life so can be stored for  prolonged periods of time without oxidizing.

Ingesting Essential Oils

While some essential oils should never be ingested, others are not only safe to ingest but can confer significant benefits when they are used this way.  Ingested Peppermint oil for instance has been shown to relax the smooth muscle of the GI tract.

Oils that come from culinary herbs like basil, cilantro  and dill can be used to spice up your favorite foods. Similarly the citrus oils - like lemon and orange which come from the peels of those fruits -  can be used to boost the flavor of many different dishes. doTerra even offers blends of oils to use for Italian, Mexican and Thai cuisine.

doTERRA labels oils that can be ingested with an "I".  This designation can be found on the product page on the doTERRA website. (If there is no "I" designation, the oil is not safe to ingest. See image below.)

More Essential Oil Safety Tips

Safe Storage

To prevent evaporation and oxidation of your essential oils you want to keep them tightly capped and stored in a cool dark place.

Be sure to keep all essential oils out of the reach of young children. And consider adding an extra layer of protection for the oils you use at home by using a child proof cap. (Tip: If you sell essential oils from your office you may want to sell some of these caps as well.)

Sun Sensitivity

While some essential oils may provide protection against radiation damage, the citrus oils - including lemon, lime, grapefruit, orange and bergamot - increase sun sensitivity.  These oils should not be applied topically within 12 hours of sun exposure (72 hours is often recommended for bergamot oil)

Areas to Avoid

When using essential oils you will want to avoid getting them in your eyes. You also generally want to avoid using them on mucous membranes. ( I have used tea tree oil diluted with fractionated coconut oil to help with vaginal candida infections without problems. If you do this, you definitely want to be sure you are using only CPTG oils. See the section on “quality” below.)

If essential oils do get into your eyes or other sensitive areas you want to immediately rise them out using another oil to do so. Any carrier oil or vegetable oil can be used for this purpose. In a pinch you can even use whole milk or cream. Essential oils are not miscibile in water so you do not want to use water to rinse these oils out of sensitive areas.

Essential Oil Quality

One of the most important safety tips I can give you is to use only CPTG essential oils. CPTG stands for certified pure therapeutic grade.  This is a trademark of doTERRA and is an indicator of the assured quality of their essential oils.  

This is a critically important point because, although essential oils are sold virtually everywhere, an estimated 80% of the oils on the market today are adulterated. Even some of the major essential oil companies are adulterating their oils.

In addition many essential oils are poorly sourced, improperly produced and inadequately tested. Adulteration, improper sourcing and inadequate testing affect both the efficacy and the safety of the oil in question.

• For more on adulteration see my page on  essential oil quality.
• To learn how doTERRA sources and tests their oils see my page on sourcing essential oils and https://www.SourceToYou.com.    
• Click on this link to see a a short video on CPTG oils featuring doTERRa’s Chief Medical Officer and other scientists.

---

Next Lesson . . .

---

Get My FREE Essential Oils Short Course. . . Want to quickly get up to speed on essential oils?  Sign up for my Free Essential Oil Short Course - and get started FAST!  Click on this link to sign up!