essential oils - the basics?

[♥ms.pacman♥]

can anyone summarize the basics of essential oils for a newbie? like, can you just take some essential oils (lavender, etc) and put it in a rollerball container (for putting on the skin) or do u need a "carrier" liquid? similar question for sprays.

from a yoga class i'm taking (instructor sprays cloths with lavender and other essential oils and we put that on faces in the relaxtion at the end - smells amazing) i've found that really helps me to de-stress and i swear it helps with headaches.

i ordered some essential oils from amazon (lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, etc). i'm a bit wary of the MLMs (young living, etc) bc they seem rather overpriced! i don't want to get sucked into spending $$$. but i just want to know the basics for things like using it for stress relief (esp. helping to fall asleep), headaches, sinus congestion (espsecially with my kids)

i got a diffuser for my birthday which i've never used :bag but i think i will start using. the main way i have used them is just breathing it in after oil is sprayed on a cloth. it smells heavenly!!

i used to steer clear of anything that smelled because just walking by a Bath and Body WOrks tends to give me a migraine. i found that i tend to get headaches from artificial smells but essential oils seem totally fine.

[wendibird22]

There's great info here: https://www.edensgarden.com. They have an intro to EO's under About and a Blog. Their FB page is good too. You do want to use a carrier oil for most EOs. I can put lavender and peppermint directly on my skin, but some people need to dilute with a carrier oil. I will put on my wrists and other pulse points, bed linens, diffuser beed bracelet, or diffuser. My kids use them too.

[truly scrumptious]

Plant Therapy is a great essential oil company, very focused on the safe use of essential oil. They have lots of great resources from reknowned experts. They have a great FB group called "Safe Essential Oil Recipes" and a great blog with info on how to dilute safely so you/DC don't develop sensitivities. I stalked both for a while before deciding what to buy and what was right for my family's needs. Now we use EOs pretty regularly (well diluted.)

As a bonus they are also significantly less expensive than the MLM oil companies. They typically have nice black friday promos too, and recently had some of their Kidsafe oils on Zulily. (My family uses predominantly the Kidsafe blends.)

(I don't work for them or have any relationship. Just a very happy customer.)

[truly scrumptious]

can anyone summarize the basics of essential oils for a newbie? like, can you just take some essential oils (lavender, etc) and put it in a rollerball container (for putting on the skin) or do u need a "carrier" liquid? similar question for sprays.


To answer your specific questions, it would be a good idea to check the recommended dilution for the oils you're planning to use. Lavender is one the few that you can use neat, but most of the rest need dilution to under 5% depending on how frequently you use them. Look up EO dilution charts online and you'll find a bunch of references. (If you get overwhelmed, check out the ones Plant Therapy publishes.)

You can use almost any carrier oil to dilute - I use Jojoba oil which I buy on Amazon, because it is shelf-stable and doesn't go rancid like some other oils can.

Sprays can be a bit more complicated because you'll need an emulsifier to dissipate the oil in the spray - otherwise it'll float on top and come out unevenly. The Safe Essential Oils Recipe (SEOR) FB group I mentioned above has great resources (from regular EO users and plant therapy EO experts) which will tell you what you can use and how much.

I also got this book which was a good pocket reference to get starting with choosing oils for specific needs:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/184483624X/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[AngB]

I also use and like Plant Therapy. I heard about them after the rave reviews here actually, several years ago.

I agree with staying away from mlm's.

[umsh]

Another Plant Therapy fan. They have an awesome 25 days of deals they do starting Black Friday or Cyber Monday, can’t recall which one.


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[elizabethkott]

Pinterest!! I like using oils in a rollerball bottle with a carrier oil simply bc the oil itself lasts longer. When I diffuse, I use about 3-4 drops of each oil if I’m combining oils. Sometimes I will use an oil “neat” or directly on my skin, but not often, since I’ve discovered a skin sensitivity to some oils (I get an itchy rash wherever I’ve put the oil). I also have a bracelet diffuser- I put the oil right on the little felt pad that then goes into the bracelet.


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[marymoo86]

I would return any oil purchased from Amazon. Likely not reputable and potentially adulterated unless you happened to have bought Plant Therapy.

Topical dilution rates vary by oil. Generally 2% or less. Please never use neat. You can cause sentization to occur.