Uncertainty made me kind of afraid when I first started to use essential oils. Lots of people leave their oils in the bottle for just that reason. I was, one of those people, not sure how to use some of the oils I had ordered and so left them to collect dust.
Truthfully, the only way to be very wrong when using essential oils, is to leave them in the bottle. Yes there are best practices and things you need to be careful about, but just get the oils on your body or in your diffuser and you will have success with them.
I remember the first time I put lemon essential oil in my water to drink. I was afraid. With a latex allergy, and the white stuff between the rind and the fruit of a citrus being latex, I expected to have a reaction. The only reaction I had however was mmmmm yummy! It was like drinking my brothers lemon pie. Of all the things he ever made, I loved his lemon meringue pie. It was his best and I would argue a professional baker would do no better.
Fear also came from articles read on-line about how there were no safe oils to be used internally and how dangerous it was. I checked the dates on those articles, they were all dated before doTERRA was founded. Knowing the history, that the founders had a hard time finding the quality they wanted, that information in those articles made sense. They were from a time prior to doTERRA creating CPTG oils. CPTG stands for Certified Pure Tested Grade. So when used properly - safe. I started to feel better about everything essential oil.
If you are going to use your oils in your water, use the ones that are the ones from things you would normally eat. Citrus oils, On Guard, Fennel, and peppermint are my favorite ones with hot or cold water.
Smelling oils is the first thing I did, which is the way that most people feel most comfortable with. The amazing part is it does not matter which way you chose, the oils get into your body, into your cells and do a job. They are not just pretty smells, which is why quality does matter. Smelling a citrus oil in the morning or when feeling tired in the afternoon was one of the first ways I used essential oils aromatically. Wild Orange is my go-to for a pick-me-up. I always smile when I smell it and I feel it uplifts my energy level.
The cool thing about smelling an essential oil? It does not matter if you drop lavender on your bed beside your pillow, smell it right out of the bottle or have a diffuser going. It will always help you relax and get to sleep. Putting your favorite stress helper oil like Adaptiv on a piece of natural fiber clothing, diffuser jewelry, flower pin, or even smelling right from a small sample sized bottle can help you lower your stress level wherever you go.
I was as unsure about topical use as much as I was about internal use. There were stories of people having breakouts and all sorts of skin irritations. Essential oils of very high quality are best diluted to help them stay on the skin surface and sink in, rather than evaporate off the surface. Some essential oils like Lemongrass need to be diluted as they are hot oils. (Last week I blogged about Education, this is part of the reason it is so important) however having essential oils on your body is not something to fear. I learned not to fear oils on the body when I used ZenGest (then call DigestZen) rubbed directly onto my tummy. I was bloated and backed up and it felt so great sinking into my body and it smelled so good, I did not worry about how it made me smell or what people thought.
I now have oils in my office, laundry room, bed room, bathroom, kitchen and living room. I put them in my food to season, I use them as tea, household cleaning, help to relax or sleep, retain attention and just have fun brightening my day with a great smell.
If you are unsure how to use an oil and you want some help, comment below or use the contact tab at the top and let's talk. I am here to help you on Your Road to ReNew You.