Essential Oils – Precautionary Measures and Storage Tips

Aroma Therapy, most of us are quite aware of this magnificent alternate medicine, used for treating hardest of the diseases. As per my opinion, most of you are must be practicing this therapy at home. But are you all aware of the precautionary measures to be followed before using them?? Or the way through which these essential oils should be stored?? Well, if your answer is a NO, don’t worry; I am hereby sharing some very important information with you all. Go through it.

Essential Oils: Some Precautionary Measures

1. Before using any kind of essential oil on your skin, first do a patch test to ensure you do not have any negative reactions.
2. Essential oils are generally highly concentrated. Hence, it is better not to use them directly on your skin. You may have to dilute them into a carrier oil to prevent any kind of reaction. For blending, you can use any carrier oil like aloe vera, almond, avocado, calendula, grape seed, walnut, jojoba, sunflower, sunflower, safflower, apricot kernel, pumpkin seed, evening primrose, wheat germ, coconut and vitamin E. Although, lavender oil is the only essential oil that could be used directly.
3. Get yourself educated about the expected side-effects of any essential oil that you are going to use.  For instance, Eucalyptus oil, if used excessively, may cause headaches. Similarly, tea tree oil, if swallowed accidently when applying it on lips, is toxic. Bergamot essential oil is phototoxic. It can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, and hence it is better to avoid using bergamot when spending time in the sun.
4. Now, one of the most important is the safety measure. Ensure that if by chance, the essential oil gets into your eye, use vegetable oil and not water, to rinse it.
5. The use of essential oils should be avoided during pregnancy, as pregnant women often feel abnormal sensitivity to smells and taste, which can lead to nausea and irritation.
6. Epileptics and people with high blood pressure should consult healthcare professional before use of essential oils. Same principle goes for infants and children too.
7. It is better not to add essential oil directly to bath water. Add them to a gel base or Epsom salts or other dispersing agent first, particularly, when using them for children.
8. When blending oils, it is best to use non-metallic utensils, particularly glass. Avoid using plastic containers. Leave air space in the bottle before closing, so the oil can breathe.
9. When mixing any essential oil with any carrier oils, ensure that the carrier oil is also of good quality, as the therapeutic grade essential oil used.

Storage Of Essential Oils

• To retain the aromatic and therapeutic properties of essential oils, right storage is of utter importance.  It is advisable to store them in cobalt blue or amber bottles. Dark glass also helps to keep out deteriorating sunlight. Also, it is better to avoid purchase of essential oils stored in clear glass bottles.
• Never leave your essential oils in a place of direct sun exposure. This can result in oxidation, and loss of effectiveness of the oil.
• Use aromatherapy boxes for storage of oils. The boxes can help keep them together in a place, away from temperature extremities, as the essential oils are more prone to evaporation.
• Never leave essential oils near sources of ignition, as they are flammable. Also avoid storing them in plastic bottles, as they can end up melting the plastic, at times.