How-To Use Essential Oils on Your Skin! (Safely!)
There are so many different ways to use essential oils, sometimes, it’s hard to know where to start. Often, recommended uses for essential oils come with recommended safety precautions; using them on your skin is no different! Today, we’ll go over some ways to use essential oils on your skin safely, and we’ll also encourage you to check out some other resources to get you started!
First and foremost, essential oils are volatile organic compounds. For some perspective, it takes enormous volumes of organic material just to make one bottles’ worth of an individual oil. This is both good, but potentially even more harmful, because the concentration of the organic material includes the good stuff, but all of the potential irritants as well. That’s why we always suggest you talk to your doctor before using essential oils, and to work with them to identify whether or not you have any allergies, or if essential oils are right for you at all. From there, you’ll be able to stay away from oils that won’t agree with you, and will be able to stock up on the ones that will work great!
After you’ve made that distinction, if you’re interested in using your newfound essential oils on your skin, it’s important to remember to use carrier oils in every application. While there are some oils that do not require a carrier oil, and will be objectively safe on your skin, it also helps you to manage the amount of oil you’re using and not go through it as quickly! You might be wondering, “What on Earth is a carrier oil?” Carrier oils are any oil that can be safely applied to the skin while also being conducive to mixing with other oils. Common carrier oils include Coconut, Grapeseed, and Almond! Using about a tablespoon (depending on the size of the area of application) of the carrier oil of your choice, you can add 4-5 drops of essential oil and gently rub onto the skin. This way, you’re not only diluting the oil to protect your skin, you’re also ensuring a more even distribution of the oil to the affected area!
Finally, and this is something that only pertains to certain oils, make sure you’re choosing the right oils for your planned activities. For example, most citrus-based oils are slightly phototoxic, meaning, they can cause skin-burns when directly under sunlight. Phototoxic burns look like sunburn but are not actually triggered by your immune system, rather, the sunlight and the oil that’s underneath it. So, don’t put a bunch of lemon essential oil on your skin and go to the beach! For more information about this, include this question when you’re speaking with your doctor. If you have particularly sensitive skin, it’s smart to stay away from the more volatile oils.
If you’re feeling like you’re ready to get started, and you’ve spoken with your doctor, we would recommend starting with a bottle of Lavender essential oil. Of all oils, in relationship to your skin, Lavender is generally the one you can worry the least about. It’s wonderful for sunburn, bug bites, soothing your muscles, and relaxing you!
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