Do's & Don'ts with Essential Oil

Essential oils are definitely a miracle worker as introduced in our previous blog post here. However, all good things has their limit too. Below are some Do’s and Don’ts with essential oil to have the best experience with our 100% plant-based and 100% natural, Plant Origins Essential Oil.

DO’S

1. Do check the quality of an essential oil.

A great way to check the quality of essential oils is firstly by checking the labels of essential oils. If there is no claims mentioning it’s 100% natural then most probably it has additives of other ingredients added in it making it to have a higher chance of causing irritation and allergic reactions.

2. Do know the longevity of your essential oil.

Essential oils shouldn’t be kept for more than two to three years. This is because overtime the essential oil will degrade in quality due to exposure of oxygen whenever we open and close the cap of an essential oil. Besides that, another way to know when’s the time to toss out your essential oils is through their physical appearance. If there is a big changes on the appearance and smell of the essential oil, then it is time to get a new one.

3. Do store the essential oil properly.

Essential oils must be avoided by the sunlight, humidity, heat and exposure of oxygen. Thus, it should be in a dark glass bottle, usually an amber or cobalt colour, stored in a dark and cool place. Besides, keeping the cap of an essential oil tightly closed at all times to prevent the exposure of oxygen.

4. Do dilute the essential oil.

Essential oils are highly concentrated oils thus it’s best recommended to dilute the essential oils with a carrier oil such as coconut oil or olive oil especially when applied on the skin. The mixture can contain about 1 to 5% of natural essential oil or mixing 8 to 10 drops of essential oil with one ounce of carrier oil. Adding a few drops of essential oil into lotions or massage oils is also another way of diluting the essential oil.

DON’TS

1. Don’t apply essential oil everywhere.

As mentioned, essential oils are potent oils. Areas like eyes and mouth should be avoided. Always do a small patch test on the test to see how your skin will react. Not to mention that citrus oils such as lemon oil and cumin oil can cause blisters when applied on skin. If accidents happen, use some carrier oil on irritated are first then wash with soap and water.

2. Don’t give to your kids or pets.

Unless it is labelled, kids under 6 months should avoid essential oil completely but can be slowly introduced in 0.5% diluted oil. As for pets, it is not advised to add essential oils into their foods or baths.

3. Don’t use too many drops of essential oil.

Typically you can drop about 2 to 3 drops of essential oil to a diffuser that holds 100ml of water or 8 to 10 drop of essential oil to a diffuser that holds 600ml of water. If the scent is too overpowering or until you can start tasting the scent, it will cause your nose to itch and headache.

4. Don’t diffuse essential oil for too long hours.

Similarly with the point above, too long hours exposure of the scent can result in sensitivity causing feeling sick, headaches and even rashes. It is recommended not more than 1 hour using the diffuser in a small area or interval hours for 8 hours in a bigger area.

So now you can confidently use your essential oils for aromatherapy. Don’t forget to check out Plant Origins Essential Oils here 

because there is certainly one for you.

Thank you.