| Essential oils are a great way to take care of | | | | -Some oils by cause phototoxicity, which may cause |
| yourself naturally but they do need to be used | | | | your skin to become more sensitive to sunlight or |
| correctly to prevent from causing any damage. I'm | | | | tanning beds. Many citrus oils can cause this to |
| not trying to scare you away from using them just | | | | happen, so use caution applying these oils right |
| want you to understand that if not used correctly | | | | before exposure to sunlight or tanning beds. |
| they can cause you great harm. When they are used | | | | -Use extreme caution when using essential oils on |
| correctly they help many different conditions | | | | babies and children. On babies under a year only a |
| naturally. Here is a list of general safety guidelines: | | | | few oils are safe to use, lavender and roman |
| -Never apply them directly to the skin without diluting | | | | chamomile are two of them. For infants up to the |
| it in a base oil first. The only ones that are safe to | | | | age of five make sure the oils are well diluted, use |
| apply neat to the skin are lavender and tea tree. | | | | only about a quarter of what you would for yourself. |
| -Make sure that you research any oil before you use | | | | The easiest way to do this is to use four times the |
| it. Some may not be safe to use because of health | | | | normal amount of base oil. For children 6 to 12 dilute |
| conditions that you may have. For example if you | | | | the oil in twice the normal amount of base oil. |
| have high blood pressure you need to avoid using | | | | -During pregnancy dilute the oil in twice the normal |
| rosemary essential oil. | | | | amount of base oil. There are also some oils that |
| -Do not use internally. Some are toxic if taken | | | | should be avoided completely during pregnancy and |
| internally. | | | | others should be avoided at certain times. In |
| -Patch test any oil before you use it. This can be | | | | researching the oils you will know if they are safe to |
| done simply by placing a drop of oil in a few drops of | | | | use during pregnancy. |
| base oil and applying to the wrist and leaving there | | | | -Not all oils can be used with homeopathic treatments |
| for a few hours. If irritation occurs rinse the area well | | | | because they reduce the effectiveness of the |
| with milk or water. With any mild irritation you may | | | | homeopathic remedy. |
| be able to still use the oil as long as it is well diluted | | | | -Always store essential oils in a cool, dark, dry area in |
| and if the irritation is more than mild you may want | | | | well sealed bottles, since they are very volatile and |
| to avoid using the essential oil all together. | | | | will lose their effectiveness if not stored properly. |
| -Some oils need to be used in moderation to prevent | | | | These are just the basic safety guidelines for using |
| toxic levels from building up in the body. Some oils | | | | essential oils, some essential oils themselves may |
| take longer to go through the body and some of | | | | have safety guidelines that should be followed. You |
| these essential oils can become toxic if too much | | | | will know what these guidelines are once you have |
| builds but in the body. In researching oil you will know | | | | researched the essential oil. |
| if the essential oil needs to be used in moderation. | | | | |