Essentials oils come with plenty of health benefits, from skincare to stress relief; these oils serve various beneficial purposes. I have seen many people asking the same question that how to use an essential oil? There are mainly three ways one can use essential oil.
These oils can be applied directly to the skin, inhaled, or ingested, but the application method for each kind is different. For example, you can apply an essential oil using sprays, baths, compresses, or simply massaging then into the skin.
However, it is highly advised to pay attention to the cautions while using essential oil directly to the skin or whatever method you opt for.
In this article, you will come up with some pro tips regarding the use of essential oil so you can use them in the best possible way to get the most out of their benefits.
Join me in this article to learn few important things right off the bat and become pro at using essential oil in no time.
Table of Contents
How to use essential oils on your skin
Essential oils are much popular for skincare. There are various ways to use essential oil to your skin. The most used method is to dilute the essential oil with a carrier oil and apply this mixture to your skin. You can follow a recipe to grab an idea of the good amount of both oils to get your favorite combination in hand.
While applying to skin, give prime importance to the areas of muscular pain, tightness, and tension. After applying, rub the oil into the pressure point like temples, third eye, and wrists.
Massaging the oil on your feet and placing few drops around the nose is also a great idea. Adding essential oils to your favorite or frequently used cosmetics products, including serums or toners, is also a perfect way to use them.
However, you must dilute it first with a carrier oil; otherwise, it can lead to few skin allergies.
I would recommend you perform a patch test before using any essential or carrier oil. All you need to do is place a small amount on your inner wrist or below the ear and wait for at least 24 hours to see the results. If no redness or irritation occurs, then it is safe to use on your skin.
How to use essential oils in a bath
Although it is advised to store essential oils outside of the bathroom, you can use them in a bath. There are various ways to use essential oils in a bath, and the first one is to add few drops of essential oils into your shampoo, conditioner, or body wash and use them as you do.
If you want to feel the scent of essential oil, then the most common method for this is, add few drops of essential oils to the shower walls and inhale deeply while taking a bath.
You can also add a few drops of diluted essential oil to a warm washcloth which you can use for inhalation and to exfoliate your entire body.
For safety reasons, always dilute the essential oil with a carrier oil before adding it to your bathwater.
Essential oil added with a dispersant in bath water before stepping in is also great to use. It is much effective as it results in absorption through the skin, and you can inhale the volatilized essential oil. Full cream milk can be potentially used as a dispersant for essential oil.
Keep in mind that essential oils are water-insoluble, and that’s why they float on the surface of the water. This way, when skin passes through the oil, it is exposed to the full strength essential oil. So, don’t forget to dilute it or disperse it using different bath salts.
How to use essential oils with a massage
Essentials oils are also used with a gentle massage. For this, few drops of essentials oils are added to the carrier oil and then applied to the skin. After applying to the skin, rub the oil gently to the skin areas.
A blend of massage must not exceed 1% concentration of essential, equal to one drop in a teaspoon for adults. For infants, recommended concentration is 0.25%, 0.5% for toddlers of 6 months to 2 years old. As far as children older than two years are concerned, the recommended safe concentration of essential oils is 1%.
You can select any essential oil for massage depending upon your desired purpose or effect. For example, if you want to massage essential oil for skincare, you must consider the oil having more skin benefits.
Always remember to mix essential oils with a therapeutic grade carrier oil.
If you are allergic to nuts or any other tree extract, avoid using the oil having the allergic extract in it.
How to use essential oils with a diffuser at bedtime
The diffuser is basically a device that is used to disperse essential oils into the air. You can place the essential oil in this device with water or heat (must follow the directions from the manufacturer) to evaporate the essential oil into the air.
I would definitely say this is the best way to spread the scent of essential oil to the room before your bedtime. This way, you will have the soothing and comforting essence of essential oil in the room, which would help you to get a sound sleep. The diffused essential oil in the air stays for a more extended period, consequently enhancing the quality of sleep you get.
There are several essential oil diffusers which you can use for essential oil, and you must follow the instructions of the respective manufacturers.
You can select few popular types of diffusers, including ceramic, electric, candle, lamp rings, reed diffusers, and ultrasonic as these are most widely used diffusers nowadays.
Precautions for using essential oils
Few potential risks are associated with the use of essential oils, which you must consider. Don’t take essential oils internally, as these are recommended safe for external use only.
It is also wise to use essential oils with a doctor’s recommendation for pregnant women, younger children, and older adults. Some essential oils are dangerous for a pet, so make sure you keep these oils away from pets.
If you are suffering from any health complication (epilepsy, low immunity, high blood pressure) or having medication, you must first talk to your doctor and then start using essential oil upon the recommendation of a doctor.
Avoid using essential oils near the sensitive areas of skin like eyes, ears, or mouth. You must avoid the inflamed, irritated or broken skin exposure to the essential oil.
In case of an allergic reaction, concern with your doctor or a certified aromatherapist.
Conclusion
In the end, I must say you should pay attention to caution for the use of an essential oil and follow the recommended application method. Before using any essential oil, consider doing a patch test to watch for the adverse effects.
I would highly recommend this test, especially if you are using essential oil for the first time. You must be mindful of potency and any adverse effects of essential oil.
However, these oils are great to use for various purposes like skincare and stress relief.