Essential Oil Cautions

Pure essential oils are a representation of nature in one of its most powerful forms. Natural does NOT mean harmless. Harnessed, essential oils offer a world of possibilities to the knowledgeable user, but along with these possibilities comes a great responsibility. This is educational information and any opinions expressed here do not replace professional medical advice. If you are ill, see a suitably qualified medical practioner.

• Always use the best-quality essential oils, purchased from a reputable company.
• Do not apply essential oils directly to skin, with the exception of tea tree* and lavender (on localized areas only) - but these can also create sensitivity if used over prolonged periods.
• Do not use essential oils if you are taking Homeopathic remedies without consulting your Homeopathic doctor first.
• Do not use the same essential oil exclusively over a long period of time. You can become sensitive to the oil.
• Blend essential oils in a well-ventilated room.
• Do not take essential oils internally.
• Always follow suggested amounts - use less rather than more if you are unsure.
• Keep essential oils out of reach of children.
• Keep essential oils away from the eyes.
• When adding essential oil to the bath, drop directly under running water to avoid high concentration and skin sensitivity.
• Essential oils are flammable and should not be stored by any open flame.

*Note: If you've had your tea tree oil for more than 12 months, it may become a skin
irritant.

First aid measures

If essential oil is ingested, rinse mouth out with water. Drink a large glass of milk. Seek medical advice immediately. If essential oil gets into eyes, flush with large quantity of water immediately. Seek medical advice immediately. If essential oils are splashed onto the skin directly and irritation results, apply carrier oil to the area to dilute.

Direct applications

The following cautions apply only to direct application of essential oils to the skin in a carrier oil. They do not apply to diffusing essential oil, perfume oil and soapmaking.

• Babies - Children from 9 to 18 months: use maximum 1 drop of essential oil to 20 ml of carrier oil or lotion. Children from 18 months to 2 years: use maximum 1 drop essential oil per 10 ml of carrier oil or lotion. Chamomile or lavender are recommended.

• Children - 2 to 10 years: use a maximum dilution of 2 drops of essential oil per 10 ml of carrier. Ravensara, chamomile, lavender and mandarin essential oils are good oils to use on children in the recommended doses. It is vital to note that essential oils should ALWAYS be stored well out of reach of children, as direct ingestion can cause illness and possibly death.

• Pregnancy - avoid all essential oils in the first trimester. During pregnancy, use essential oils with great caution, especially if there is a history of miscarriage. Research the safety data for each oil you plan to use while you are pregnant and consult a qualified aromatherapist. Low dilutions are best. When blending oils with carrier oils, mix 1 drop of essential oil to 10 ml of carrier oil. Oils that are safe to use during pregnancy (in the above mentioned dilution), according to Robert Tisserand (Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London: Harcourt Publishers, 1999), are cardamom, chamomile (Roman and German), geranium, ginger, lavender, neroli, palmarosa, patchouli, petitgrain, rose and sandalwood. Oils to absolutely avoid are camphor, parsley seed and sage (Spanish). If you are unsure, avoid use or talk to a qualified aromatherapist. It is beyond the scope of this blog/article to cover all pregnancy concerns. Please read a book on Aromatherapy and Pregnancy.

• Clary sage should not be used if you have consumed alcohol, as it can have a narcotic effect, including hallucinations and nightmares.

• High blood pressure - avoid cypress, nutmeg, pine, rosemary, sage and thyme.

• Low blood pressure - avoid marjoram and ylang ylang (as it lowers blood pressure).

• Asthma - do not use peppermint or any essential oil that is classed as a top note, as they could irritate sensitive bronchi.

• Cardiac fibrillation - do not use peppermint.

• Epilepsy - avoid camphor, fennel, hyssop, rosemary and sage.

• Estrogen patch wearer - it is best to avoid geranium and vitex.

• Insomnia - avoid basil, lemon, peppermint, rosemary and verbena.

• Skin irritants - use a maximum of 3 drops when using the following oils in a bath: basil, fennel, lemon, lemon grass, nutmeg, peppermint and thyme.

• Sun exposure - before going into the sun or using tanning beds, avoid bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, lime, mandarin and orange. Tagete is extremely phototoxic.
  

Common Ailments & Essential Oils

Anxiety: use bergamot, chamomille, clary sage, geranium, lavender, melissa, neroli, rose or ylang ylang. Apply the oils in massage, baths or diffuser.

Arthritis: use anti-inflammatory oils such as black pepper, chamomile, eucalyptus, lavender, lemon, marjoram or rosemary. Apply the oils in baths, compresses and massage.

Colds: use antibacterial oils such as eucalyptus, lavender, manuka, pine, rosemary or tea tree. Apply the oils in baths, inhalations, diffuser or massage.

Depression: use bergamot, geranium, melissa, neroli, rose, sandalwood or ylang ylang. Apply the oils in massage, baths, inhalations or diffuser.

Flu: use anti-inflammatory oils such as eucalyptus, radiata, lavender, rosemary or tea tree. Apply the oils in massage, baths, inhalations or diffuser.

Headaches: use lavender or peppermint. Massage the oils, mixed with carrier oil, to the temples or back of the neck. You can also inhale or diffuse.

Insomnia: use chamomile, clary sage, lavender, margoram or neroli. Apply the oils in massage, baths, diffuser, or put on a cotton ball in your pillowcase.

Menopausal symptoms: use bergamot, chamomile, clary sage, fennel, geranium, rose and/or vitex. Apply toe oils in massage, baths or diffuser.

Muscular aches: use chamomile, eucalyptus, ginger, lavender, marjoram, or rosemary. Apply the oils in massage, baths, inhalations or localized massage.

Premenstrual syndrome: use bergamot, chamomile, clary sage, geranium, ginger, rose or vitex. Apply the oils in baths, inhalation or localized massage, or relax with a full body massage.

Sunburns: use anti-inflammatory oils such as chamomile and lavender. Apply the oils in baths, compresses, lotions or aloe vera.

Tension and stress: use bergamot, chamomile, clary sage, geranium, jasmine, lavender, neroli, rose or ylang ylang. Apply the oils in massage, baths, inhalations, vaporizations or body creams, or on a tissue to carry with you.

Note: Always read the cautions and contraindications before using any essential oil. Educational information and any opinions expressed here do not replace professional medical advice. If you are ill, see a suitably qualified medical practitioner.

Ways to Use Essential Oils

In the bedroom...before bed, place 5 drops of lavender on a cotton ball and place it inside your pillowcase.

In the kitchen...use a drop of clove in a simmering pan to help with cooking odours. Place 5 drops of lemon or tea tree oil on your dishcloth as you wipe down your counter.

In the bathroom...place 5 drops of a citrus essential oil on a tissue and place it inside your toilet roll.

In a vacuum cleaner...add a few drops of essential oil to your vacuum bag to give the whole house a nice aroma while you do your housework.

Air freshening...place cotton balls, with any favourite essential oil on them, inconspicuously arouond the house. You can freshen up your silk or dried flower arrangements and potpourri with a drop or two of your favourite oil.

Selling your home...use a spicy oil such as clove, cinnamon or nutmeg to create a homey feeling.

Letter writing...place your stationery in a resealable plastic bag with a drop of essential oil on a tissue. Use oils such as lavender, lemon, peppermint or rose.

Repel insects...by adding 5 drops of tea tree oil to a cloth before cleaning any surfaces around the house - the antiseptic qualities will repel house flies. Note: citronella is marketed as the best insect repellant. According to our research, Eucalyptus citriodora is even more effective.

How Essential Oils Enter the Body

Massage and inhalation are the most effective methods of introducing these wonderful holistic gifts from nature into the human body.

Through the skin

Skin is the largest organ in the human body. Because the molecular structure of essential oils is so small, the molecules are absorbed through the skin and then the bloodstream. A modern application of this principle is known as "the patch." To quit smoking, or to raise estrogen levels in menopausal women, medication is introduced at a gentle and consistent level into the body through the skin.

Massage is a good way to introduce essential oils to the body. Essential oils take approximately half an hour to be absorbed. A good-quality carrier oil, lotion, cream or salve is used to deliver the essential oils into the body.

Through inhalation

The olfactory system (nose and nasal passages) sends a message to the limbic system of the brain. The message is telegraphed to the central nervous system and to the glands, which control how the body functions. Methods of use are: baths, diffusers, humidifiers, hot tubs, steams, or on a handkerchief or pillow. It takes only seconds for the message to be received by the brain.

Ingesting

Ingesting is never recommended by a Certified Aromatherapist unless he or she is a qualified Doctor. Essential oils may react with the other materials in the digestive tract, and are often toxic.

What are Essential Oils

Essential oils are highly volatile substances, which readily evaporate. About 20% of all medicinal herbs give their healing properties to essential oils. There are approximately 300 essential oils available commercially however, only 50 to 100 have properties suitable for use by the aromatherapist. Although technically classified as oils, they do not leave a permanent mark on paper and have a consistency closer to water and are not greasy. Essential oils are all inflammable. They do not dissolve in water and are slightly soluble in vinegar. They dissolve fairly well in alcohol and mix well with vegetable oils, fats and waxes. The oils are found in tiny oil glands or sacs, which are concentrated in different parts of the plant. They can be found in flowers e.g. rose, neroli, ylang ylang, chamomile, jasmine; in leaves e.g. eucalyptus, petitgrain, basil, rosemary, clary sage; in roots e.g. vetiver, ginger; in grasses e.g. lemongrass, palmarosa; in wood e.g. sandalwood, cedarwood, rosewood; in fruit e.g.lemon, tangerine, bergamot, grapefuit, orange, in seeds e.g. caraway, celery, coriander; in nuts & berries e.g. juniper, cypress, nutmeg, in bark e.g. cinnamon and in gums e.g. frankincense. Sometimes the oil is yielded from more than one part of the plant as is the case with lavender, where the essential oil is derived from both the flowers and the leaves. The orange tree yields three different essential oils, neroli from the orange blossoms, petitgrain from the leaves and orange from the fruit. Essential oils vary considerably with regard to the amount of essential oil they yield and it is understandable that this factor will have an affect on the market price of the different essential oils. Not all plants produce essential oils but in the plants that do they play an important role in the propogation of the plant, attracting bees etc and in defense.

Obviously the more oil glands present in the plant the greater the yield of oil and the lower the price. For example, it will take approximately 50 lbs of eucalyptus to produce one lb of essential oil, about 150 lbs of lavender to produce one lb of essential oil, about 500 lbs of rosemary to produce one lb of essential oil and anywhere between two to three thousand pounds of rose petals to produce one pound of essential rose.

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What is Aromatherapy

Simply put, Aromatherapy means, "Fragrant Remedy". Aromatherapy is the art and science of using essential oils to encourage good emotional and physical health. It is the result of observations and studies of aromatherapists, massage therapists, perfumers, chemists, biologist, doctors and nurses from all over the world.

Aromatherapy uses essential oils that are derived from the petals of flowers, the leaves, bark, resin and roots of trees and herbs, the blades from grasses, and the rinds of citruses. The essential oils from these plants are stored in tiny glands in different parts of the plants. If you rub a peppermint leaf between your fingers, the essential oils are released onto your skin and you can experience the wonderful essences of the oil. It is the chemical constituents of these essences that determine the therapeutic effects of a particular essential oil.

The essential oils used for therapeutic aromatherapy are usually extracted by steam distillation from plants, flowers, trees and grasses. In a simple steam distillation process, the plant releases its essential oil in the form of vapor after it is boiled. The vapor passes through a condenser where cooling takes place and the vapor turns back into a highly concentrated liquid, known as an essential oil.

The by-product derived from the essential oil distillation process is called a hydrosol. Water soluble compounds stay in the water producing a fragrant and therapeutic water solution, which is also often used in aromatherapy.

Expression is a method used for citrus fruits. The outer colored citrus rinds are pressed to release the essential oil held within.

An aromatherapy grade essential oil must meet the range of chemical constituents that has been determined for that prticular oil to be of maximum quality.

Purity is essential for therapeutic aromatherapy. A pure essential oil means that it has not been extended with a vegetable oil or a chemical and that its' original chemical composition has not been altered.

Synthetic fragrances can be purchased very inexpensively but will not have the perfect synergy of chemical components as Mother Nature produces.

Earthly Sensations uses only 100% pure, unadulterated, aromatherapy grade essential oils!

Welcome to Earthly Sensations

Earthly Sensations is a home based business located in Cloverdale, BC Canada and owned and operated by Sheri Cozicar.

After many attempts with joining many large home selling companies, and with not having access to many available in the US, I decided to start my own business selling products I believe in.

I am currently enrolled in the West Coast Institute of Aromatherapy to continue my education in Aromatherapy, not only to broaden my knowledge of Essential Oils but to take my business to a higher level in the field of natural healing and to also help serve my clients/customers better.

In the future Earthly Sensations will not only be offering all natural products for sale but will be adding more therapeutic services associated with Aromatherapy as well including and not limited to massage therapy.

Sheri Cozicar
Earthly Sensations