GUIDELINES TO THE SAFE USE OF ESSENTIAL OILS

*There are 250 drops in each 15ml Young Living Oil bottles. Always remember more is NOT better. These are Highly Concentrated Pure Therapeutic Based Oils. Always use with caution. 

2. Essential oils generally have a shelf life. Some get better with age, such as sandalwood oil, vetiver oil, and patchouli oil. The citrus oils are most prone to degradation, and should be used within two years. To avoid degradation and rancidity, make sure to keep the room well ventilated. Air, heat and light degrade essential oils. If stored properly, YLO essential oils will maintain their potency for many years. 

3. Keep essential oils out of reach of children. Treat them as you would any product for therapeutic use. 

4. Do not use essential oils rich in menthol (such as peppermint) on the throat or neck area of children under 30 months of age. 

5. Direct sunlight and essential oils. Lemon, bergamot, orange, grapefruit, tangerine, White Angelica and other citrus oils may cause a rash or darker pigmentation if applied to skin exposed to direct sunlight or UV rays with 3 to 4 days of use, people should take care to avoid expose to the sun.

6. Keep essential oils away from eye area and do not put into ears. Do not handle contact lenses or rub eyes with essential oils on fingers. Oils with high phenol content – oregano, helichrysum, cinnamon, thyme, clove. Lemongrass, bergamot, Thieves and ImmuPower – may damage contacts and irritate eyes. If you get oils in your eyes; do not flush with water, it will spread the oils, best to take your vegetable oil and lightly dab your eye area - let them tear. They will be fine in a few minutes

7. Pregnant women should consult their health care professional before using essential oils containing constituents with hormone-like activity, such as clary sage, sage, Idaho tansy, juniper and fennel.  

• When nursing babies care must be taken with your selection of essential oils to prevent skin transference to the baby

8. Epileptics and those with high blood pressure should consult their health care professional before using essential oils. Avoid hyssop, fennel and Idaho tansy oils. 

9. People with allergies should test a small amount of oil on a small area of sensitive skin, such as the inside of the arm, before applying the oil on other areas. The bottom of the feet is one of the safest, most effective places to use essential oils. 

10. Before taking GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) essential oils internally, always dilute with an oil-soluble liquid like honey, olive oil or soy milk. 

11. Do not add undiluted essential oils directly to bath water. Use Bath Gel Base or Bath Salts as a dispersing agent for oils in the bath. 

12. When using essential oils is would be better to abstain from using alcohol, or if inevitable, a small glass of white wine at mealtime can be consumed.

13. Check for any interaction between medication and essential oils, since some essential oils can interfere with certain prescription medication.

The Seven Best Ways of Using Essential Oils for Health and Healing

1) Inhalations This is the use of essential oils on hot compress, in diffusers, or in hot water for inhalation. Standard dose is 10 drops. Best for respiratory and sinus, headaches. Caution: prolonged inhalation of concentrated essential oils can cause headaches, vertigo, dizziness, nausea, and lethargy

2) Baths The best way to use essential oils in the bath is to mix them first with salts or an emulsifier such as milk or sesame oil. Aromatic bath salts disperse the oils safely into the water, and milk and sesame oil emulsify the essential oil so that it disperses. Without salts or an emulsifier, drops of essential oils will float on the water and then get directly on the skin. Combined with the heat of the water, this can cause dermotoxicity, especially if the oils are of a heating nature. Oils that should be avoided in the bath include spicy oils such as cinnamon oil, oregano oil, thyme oil, and tulsi; phototoxic oils such as citruses, especially bergamot oil; and those with specific irritant potential such as lemongrass oil. The oils that are generally considered mild and safe for bath are lavender oil, clary sage oil, rose oil, geranium oil, frankincense oil, sandalwood oil, eucalyptus oil, and conifers such as cedar oil, fir oil, pine oil, pinon pine essential oil, spruce oil, and juniper oil to name a few. A generally safe dose is 5 - 10 drops, mixed with 1/2 to 1 cup of salt or emulsifier. Aromatic baths are excellent for skin problems, circulatory problems, respiratory symptoms, stress and nervous tension, insomnia, muscular and menstrual pains. Caution: overuse of essential oils in the bath can cause irritation. Use only mild, non-irritating oils for bath, such as lavender oil and clary sage oil.

3) Compresses 10 drops oil in 4 oz hot water, soak cloth, wrap.Good for bruises, wounds, muscular aches and pains, dysmenorrhea, skin problems.

4) Facial steam 1 - 5 drops on hot water in a pot, cover head with a towel, steam face. Excellent for opening sinuses, headaches, skin treatment.

5) Massage Pure essential oils are about 70 times more concentrated than the whole plant. Dilutions are typically 2% - 10%. For adults, a 2.5% dilution is recommended for most purposes. For children under 12, 1% is generally safe. A 2.5% blend for a 1 ounce bottle of carrier oil is 15 drops of essential oil.1% blend = 6 drops per oz2% blend = 12 drops per oz3% blend = 18 drops per oz5% blend = 30 drops per oz10% blend = 60 drops per ozFloracopeia infuses oils of jasmine, neroli, rose and vanilla with marula oil for our different massage oil blends.

6) Direct Palm Inhalation Caution: This method of use should only be done with oils that can be safely applied to the skin (see the toxicology and safety section below). Apply 1-2 drops of oil to the palms, rub together gently and inhale deeply. This is an excellent method of use for a quick and easy exposure to the anti-microbial and other therapeutic uses of essential oils.

7) Diffusers There are various types of diffusers on the market, with different advantages and disadvantages.Candle diffusersUsually a heat resistant vessel for water and essential oils, and a heat resistant platform that holds the vessel over a small candle.Advantages: very simple to use; provides light background fragrancingDisadvantages: does not produce strong concentration for therapeutic benefits.Electric heat diffusersSmall absorbent pads are placed inside of a heating chamber with ventilation that allows the aromatic compounds to evaporate into the surrounding air.Advantages: easy to use; minimal maintenance; can diffuse thicker oils.Disadvantages: heat damages some aromatic compounds.Cool air nebulizing diffusersA system that uses air pressure generated by a compressing unit to vaporize the essential oils. A glass nebulizing bulb serves as a condenser, allowing only the finest particles of the essential oil to escape into the air.Advantages: strong diffusion maximizes therapeutic benefits in respiratory conditions.Disadvantages: diffusers need to be cleaned regularly. More viscous oils cannot be diffused (such as sandalwood oil or ylang ylang oil).Timers Electric heat and cool air nebulizers can be purchased with timers, to produce intermittent diffusion. This reduces the amount of oil consumed, and prevents over-saturation in a room.

The Absorption and Effects of Essential Oils Glandular Essential oils probably exert their most powerful and direct pharmacological effects systemically via the blood supply to the brain. They also have an indirect effect via the olfactory nerve pathways into the brain. Essential oil fragrances are absorbed through blood circulation and nerve pathways from the sinuses into the central glands of the brain, which control emotional, neurological, and immunological functions.

Skin Essential oils are absorbed in minute quantities through the skin, depending on the oil, dilution, and application (carrier oil, compress, etc). Many of the indications for specific oils include various skin conditions.

Respiratory Essential oils are inhaled during treatment, which have a direct effect on the sinuses, throat, and lungs. Many essential oils are specific medicines for respiratory conditions.

Circulation Many essential oils have beneficial effects on circulatory problems, both through dermal and respiratory absorption. These oils enhance the circulation stimulating effects of massage.

***Adulteration and Contamination of Essential OilsThe 10 Most Important Points To Know Before You Purchase Essential Oils (many oils on the market are not tested for purity)

“Pure”In the US, the term “pure” has no legal meaning and is often applied to just about anything.

2) Synthetic Fragrances Certain oils do not exist in a natural state, and are only available as synthetic fragrances or “bouquet” fragrances (combination of essential oils, absolutes, and synthetics). These include honeysuckle, linden, gardenia, frangipani.

3) AdulterationThe more expensive an oil, the more risk of adulteration. Some oils are highly adulterated, such as melissa (lemon balm), rose, and sandalwood.

4) Chain of SupplyThe fragrance industry has many levels of buyers and suppliers. The more levels that are involved, the more there is risk of adulteration. Large volumes of oils are sold as “genuine” and “pure,” which are not. False advertising is rampant in the aromatherapy world. It is best to get oils directly from the distiller. Some pesticides are carried over in the extracting process, some are not. Expressed citrus oils contain pesticide residues.

5) Grades: Lower grades of oils are frequently sold as higher. A good example is ylang ylang.

6) Extenders - Many oils are “extended” using synthetic or natural solvents. Expensive oils are frequently extended with jojoba. Some oils are extended to make them more pourable, like benzoin; the solvent is frequently questionable.

7) Bulking Bulking is the post-distillation combining of oils from one or more species, or loading plants of the same species from different harvests into the still together. Dried plant material from different years may be bulked with fresh. Bulking is done to make the product cheaper and/or to make it conform to some standard desirable to the fragrance or flavoring industries.

8) Rectified or Redistilled Oils that have had natural components removed from them: terpene-less oils, furocoumarin-free oils.

9) Folded Oils, (usually citrus) that have been redistilled a number of times to remove more of the monoterpenes (usually) to make the oil more desirable for the flavoring industry.1

10) Reconstituted Oils that have had natural or synthetic chemical components added to them after distillation.

The Safe Use of Essential OilsIn general, when used properly essential oils are quite safe and highly beneficial. However, because their uses are still relatively unknown, people can and do hurt themselves by using these highly concentrated botanical substances improperly.

Purchase Your Own Reference Guide • Young, N.D., Gary D. An Introduction to Young Living Essential Oils. Ninth Edition, 2001. 

my favorite: Essential Oils Desk Reference. Compiled by Essential Science Publishing, Second Edition, July 2001

If you would like to purchase any oils, you may do so yourself by going to youngliving.org input my member ID # 402847 or call/text me @ (936) 777-0128 

email: [email protected]