When used properly and safely, essential oils are without a doubt highly beneficial to the body. Research is still ongoing regarding the entire list of their uses and effects and as such, it is important that people exercise caution when using them since they are usually highly concentrated regardless of their quality.
Tips to follow
Due to their highly concentrated nature, it is important to dilute some of them before use so that they do not cause irritation, sensitization, photosensitivity, or sensitivity. The ratio at which you dilute will be determined by the concentration of the essential oil therefore it is important to get your figures right.
Recent research on how to improve the effectiveness of essential oils shows that mixing the oil with carrier oils will improve its therapeutic capabilities. However, it is not advisable to mix a large portion at the same time and then store it for a long since the mixture has a short shelf life. Using expired essential and carrier oils will have adverse negative side effects.
There are different ways in which essential oils can be used. There are those that are used internally, others are applied topically while there are those which are inhaled. Inhalation is a very effective method that is highly underrated; you should try it especially to solve problems related to the breathing system.
Some patients need to exercise extra caution while using the oils considering their highly delicate situation. Pregnant women should consult a doctor first before they can commence using them as it might negatively affect the pregnancy. Those who are suffering from other complicated diseases like heart, liver, lung, and kidney problems should also seek medical advice first before they can use the oils. This is to reduce cases where the oils react negatively with the medications that they are taking which could turn fatal.
It is easy for adults to know the exact quantity that they are supposed to use, but this is not the case with children. Most of them are usually highly vulnerable to essential oils as they prove to be much stronger than their bodies can withstand. In most cases, side effects are usually severe, and as such essential oils should be treated like a very strong drug when administered to children. It is advisable that you consult a medical professional before you can commence its usage on the child.
There are those who use the oils internally on a daily basis. This is very risky and it is not recommended at all. The more you consume these products, the higher the chances of a negative reaction occurring inside your body. Chances of suffering from internal burns, cancer, scars, liver failure, and ulcers would be very high in such an instance. However, if you must use the oils internally, then make sure that they are properly diluted and that you do not take them on a daily basis. It is advisable that you seek the advice of an expert aromatherapist in the event that you want to ingest it. Never at any one point ask questions on its usage from sales representatives as these people are trained on selling only, never how to use the essential oils.
There is a serious misconception that oil can be diluted with water. There are special kinds of oils that are used to dilute essential oils safely at a certain ratio. In most cases, those that are already diluted and packed in capsule form are the best as there is no chance for you to make any mistake. Diluting with water leaves the oil floating on the water and the chances of the undiluted oil falling on your stomach walls and causing serious burns are very high.
There are different types of essential oils, some of which bear the names of commonly known herbs. There is a common tendency of people to think that just because you know a plant it is safe to use it without professional guidance. As a matter of fact, essential oils derived from herbs are the most dangerous though if properly used they have the same therapeutic effects as their counterparts.
Safety measures
When buying essential oils, it is important to have the following details at the back of our minds:
Many companies manufacture essential oils safely. All of them certify their own products and as such, there is no one body that does the certification. As such, there could be instances where there are some not too go oils in the market. Therefore, it is important to make sure you know the company that has the best products so that you can buy from them.
Those oils that are applied to the skin have a possibility of being absorbed into the body. It is prudent to look at the components of the oils so that you can avoid those that contain pesticides, synthetic constituents, and contaminants, which would be harmful to the body. Avoid products that just give a general figure of the chemicals, rather go for those who are specific.
Never go for a product whose information on its use and safety measures you cannot find online, how else will you know the dos and don’ts of the product? The chances of those that have nothing online being harmful are very high anyway. Go for something that is authentic.
Let the price never confuse you. Companies that sell their products at a high price mean that they attained their oils from a high-quality source hence the hiked prices. For those that are cheap chances of them having attained low-quality raw materials are very high. However, it is not all times that you will make your decision based on the price, it is important to have more background information that will influence your decision too.
Conclusion
There are those that sell their essential oils by safely using the words “therapeutic grade” to mean that they are better than the others. This is just a marketing strategy since all essential oils are therapeutic in their own nature. Do not be deceived.