How to use Essential Oils Safely during Aromatherapy Massage?

Essential oils are a great way to take care of yourself naturally but they do need to be used correctly to prevent causing any damage. I’m not trying to scare you away from using essential oils just want you to understand that if not used correctly they can cause you great harm. When essential oils are used correctly they help many different conditions naturally. Here is a list of general safety guidelines:

-Never apply an essential oil directly to the skin without diluting it in a base oil first. The only essential oils that are safe to apply neat to the skin are lavender and tea tree.

-Make sure that you research any essential oil before you use it. Some essential oils may not be safe to use because of health conditions that you may have. For example if you have high blood pressure you need to avoid using rosemary essential oil.

-Do not use essential oils internally. Some essential oils are toxic if taken internally.

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-Patch test any essential oil before you use it. This can be done simply by placing a drop of essential oil in a few drops of base oil and applying to the wrist and leaving there for a few hours. If irritation occurs rinse the area well with milk or water. With any mild irritation you may be able to still use the oil as long as it is well diluted and if the irritation is more than mild you may want to avoid using the essential oil all together.

-Some essential oils need to be used in moderation to prevent toxic levels from building up in the body. Some essential oils take longer to go through the body and some of these essential oils can become toxic if too much builds but in the body. In researching the essential oil you will know if the essential oil needs to be used in moderation.

-Some essential oils by cause phototoxicity, which may cause your skin to become more sensitive to sunlight or tanning beds. Many citrus essential oils can cause this to happen, so use caution applying these essential oils right before exposure to sunlight or tanning beds.

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-Use extreme caution when using essential oils on babies and children. On babies under a year only a few oils are safe to use, lavender and roman chamomile are two of them. For infants up to the age of five make sure the essential oils are well diluted, use only about a quarter of what you would for yourself. The easiest way to do this is to use four times the normal amount of base oil. For children 6 to 12 dilute the essential oil in twice the normal amount of base oil.

-During pregnancy dilute the essential oil in twice the normal amount of base oil. There are also some essential oils that should be avoided completely during pregnancy and others should be avoided at certain times. In researching the oils you will know if they are safe to use during pregnancy.

-Not all essential oils can be used with homeopathic treatments because they reduce the effectiveness of the homeopathic remedy.

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-Always store essential oils in a cool, dark, dry area in well sealed bottles. Essential oils are very volatile and will lose their effectiveness if not stored properly.

These are just the basic safety guidelines for using essential oils, some essential oils themselves may have safety guidelines that should be followed. You will know what these guidelines are once you have researched the essential oil.