Essential oils are distilled from plant leaves, flowers, roots, seeds, bark and resins, or are expressed from the rinds of citrus fruits. It generally takes at least 50 pounds of plant material to make one pound of essential oil (for example, a pound of rosemary oil requires sixty-six pounds of herb), but the ratio is sometimes astonishing – it takes 2,300 pounds of rose flowers to make a single pound of oil!
Because they contain no fatty acids, essential oils are not susceptible to rancidity like vegetable oils – but protect them from the degenerative effects of heat, light and air, store them in tightly sealed, dark glass bottles away from any heat source. Properly stored oils can maintain their quality for years. (citrus oils are less stable and should not be stored longer than six months after opening.
ESSENTIAL OIls SAFETY TIPS
1. Always read and follow all label warnings and cautions.
2. Keep oils tightly closed and out of the reach of children.
3. Never consume undiluted oils. Cook only with those oils approved for food use.
4. Don’t use undiluted oils on your skin. (Dilute with carrier oil).
5. Skin test oils before using. Dilute a small amount and apply to the skin on your inner arm. Do not use if redness or irritation occurs.
6. Keep oils away from eyes and mucous membranes.
7. If redness, burning, itching, or irritation occurs, stop using oil immediately.
8. Avoid use of these oils during pregnancy: bitter almond; basil; clary sage; clove bud; hyssop; sweet fennel; juniper berry; marjoram; myrrh; peppermint; rose; rosemary; sage; thyme; and wintergreen.
9. These oils can be especially irritating to the skin: allspice; bitter almond; basil; cinnamon leaf; cinnamon bark; clove bud; sweet fennel; fir needle; lemon; lemongrass; Melissa; peppermint; tea tree; wintergreen. In addition, angelica and all citrus oils make the skin more sensitive to ultraviolet light. Do not go out into the sun with these oils on your skin.
10. Sweet Fennel, hyssop, sage and rosemary should not be used by anyone with epilepsy. People with high blood pressure should avoid hyssop, rosemary, sage and thyme.
11. For someone who tends to be highly allergic, here is a simple test to use to help determine if he/she is sensitive to particular oil. First, rub a drop of carrier oil onto the upper chest. In 12 hours, check for redness or other skin irritation. If the skin remains clear, place 1 drop of selected essential oil in 15 drops of the same carrier oil, and again rub into the upper chest. If no skin reaction appears after 12 hours, it’s probably safe to use the carriers and the essential oil.
12. After applying citrus oils to the skin, avoid exposure to sunlight, since the oils may burn the skin.
13. When spilled on furniture, many essential oils will remove the finish. It’s best to be careful when handling the bottles.
14. Don’t buy perfume oils thinking they are the same thing as essential oils. Perfume oils do not offer the therapeutic benefits of essential oils. Even if you only intend on using aromatherapy in your lifestyle for the sheer enjoyment of the aroma, essential oils that are breathed in can offer therapeutic benefits. These benefits do not occur with the use of perfume oils.
15. Don’t buy essential oils with rubber glass dropper tops. Essential oils are very concentrated and will turn the rubber to a gum thus ruining the oil.
16. It is also helpful to note the country of origin for the oil. Most good essential oil sellers will readily supply the botanical names and country of origin for the oils that they sell. When comparing one company’s oils with another’s, also pay attention to if either company’s oils are organic, wild-crafted or ethically farmed.
17. It is wise not to purchase oils from vendors at street fairs, craft shows, or other limited-time events. Some vendors know beginners have no recourse against them later. This is not to say that there are not highly reputable sellers at such events, but this is a caution for beginners who are not able to reliably judge quality.
18. Be selective of where you purchase your essential oils. The quality of essential oils varies widely from company to company. Additionally, some companies may falsely claim that their oils are undiluted or pure when they aren’t.
19. If essential oil is ingested, rinse mouth out with milk, and then 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 skin and irritation results, apply carrier oil to the area to dilute.
Most Essential Oils are thin and require a smaller dropper where percentage dosing is as follows:
0.1% = 2 drops / 100ml
0.2% = 4 drops / 100ml
0.25% = 6 drops / 100ml
0.5% = 12 drops / 100ml
0.75% = 18 drops / 100ml
1% = 25 drops / 100ml
1.5% = 32 drops / 100ml
2% = 50 drops / 100ml
2.5% = 62 drops / 100ml
3% = 75 drops / 100ml
4% = 100 drops / 100ml
Vetivert, Sandalwood and Benzoin are thicker Oils and require a larger dropper, which releases larger drops. Percentage dosing for these Oils will be:
1% = 20 drops / 100ml
2% = 40 drops / 100ml
2.5% = 50 drops / 100ml
3% = 60 drops / 100ml
4% = 80 drops / 100ml
Using Essential Oils to freshen up rooms is an excellent and pleasant way of enhancing everyday life as well as creating atmosphere for festive or special occasions. Fragrances and blends of fragrances can be used to create a special effect-Romantic, for that sacred time with your partner, or Festive, to make that party of yours unforgettable. Or use the Essential Oil you feel intuitively drawn to use at that particular time-e.g. Lavender for serenity and Bergamot for self-confidence. To freshen up your home or room, you can use an Essential Oil Fragrance Burner, a Spraying Flask or an Aroma Stone.
Essential Oil Fragrance Burner
Used for larger spaces where the effect needs to last for a while. The bigger the space, the more Oil will be required. Because Essential Oils evaporate spreading their aroma around the room, you may want to add more Oil after a time to maintain the effect. Top Note Oils such as Citrus and Peppermint evaporate more quickly than the Middle and Base Note Oils.
Used to create a short-term, immediate effect in a room or other space. Can be used in the car to invigorate you or to tone down the smell inside the car. When there are colds around you can spray with e.g. lemon or after vacuuming you can use your favorite oil or blend of Oils. Another tip is to spray covers, mattresses and pillows during airing with e.g. Lemon and Lavender to give them a clean, fresh smell.
Aroma Stones (Sand Stones)
Used to emit fragrance over a longer period of time in smaller spaces such as cupboards, toilets, halls or chests of drawers. In the car, use Peppermint to help you concentrate and at the same time counteract car-sickness. In the home or at work, an Aroma Stone can be displayed as part of the decor.
Drops Used Directly
In your rubbish bin or compost bucket to counteract bad odors, or put a few drops on your vacuum cleaner filter so the air being blown out is filled with the cleansing, antiseptic smell of Lemon, or apply something uplifting and stabilizing like Geranium. If you don’t want to blend the oils yourself you can purchase our ready made blends.
Essential Oils can also be classified according to how they smell. This method of classification has nothing to do with which part of the plant the Oil comes from but rather with how the Oil smells. Sometimes the difference between Woody and Herbaceous or Spicy and Herbaceous smells can be hard to define. You may also have your own ideas which differ from what we are suggesting here. It is naturally up to you and what you think, as the creator of your own perfume, is what is most important.
Observe these points and you will get a lot of enjoyment out of your essential oils.