How to Use Essential Oils at Home
A newfound love has spawned in your heart for aromatherapy. You listened to raves from friends about the effective, therapeutic nature of essential oils, and now you’re itching to get the ball rolling.
You want the full experience, but there’s a problem.
You’re not sure how to use essential oils just yet, at least not the right way.
Let’s explore the various applications and ways to use essential oils.
Different Modes of Essential Oil Application
There are four primary methods of application: inhalation, absorption, ingestion, and internal use.
Inhalation of Essential Oils
Inhalation is touted as the safest and most effective way to use volatile oils at home. When inhaled, powerful chemical compounds travel to the brain through the nasal passage. These components then communicate with the brain by stimulating the release of neurotransmitters.
Neurotransmitters are important hormones that regulate emotions. These influence whether you experience bouts of sadness or excitement. Essential oils like bergamot and lavender may have a positive effect on emotions, as they stimulate the release of serotonin, a hormone that regulates the mood.
Inhalation also may provide relief for respiratory problems. Essential oil particles access the lungs by traveling along mucus linings.
It's important to remember that it's not an essential oil that enters the brain, lungs, or bloodstream. Rather, it's the chemical compounds that do. Linalyl acetate, for example, is a compound found in the bloodstream after inhalation, not lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia).
Multiple ways exist to accommodate the inhalation of plant essences. These include a diffuser, aroma sticks, an inhaler, steam inhalation, tissue, and others. We get into the nuts and bolts of using a diffuser later in the article. Stick around for that portion, as it's the commonest method adopted today.
How to Use Essential Oils in a Diffuser
A diffuser is one of the most effortless ways to use essential oils. This nifty equipment puts in all the hard work so you can focus on relaxing or restoring your energy, depending on the essential oil used.
Diffusers are ideal when one is feeling anxious, stressed, or irritable.
Do you need to wind down after a busy day at the office? Diffuse lavender essential oil and mellow down.
Are you feeling anxious or overwhelmed with the pressures of life? Allow the citrusy, delicious aroma of neroli essential oil (Citrus aurantium) to bring you peace and vibrancy.
All that’s needed on your part is to add about 5 to 10 drops of your preferred EO to your diffuser and turn it on.
While diffusers disperse oils into your immediate surrounding, some differ in how they transmit essential oil particles. Some of the most common diffusers available are:
- Ultrasonic diffusers: These operate by using water as a base to transmit essential oil components. You'll need to add water to your diffuser for it to work. This diffuser emits EO particles moderately. Different manufacturers will have different usage instructions. Please adhere to these guidelines.
- Nebulizing diffusers: Water isn't required to operate this equipment. Heat or an electrical unit is used to disperse EO particles. A nebulizing diffuser will exhaust a bottle of essential oil in no time and are more expensive in comparison to ultrasonic diffusers.
Diffuser manufacturers are getting creative with their products, so you may encounter various options, including personal diffusers for use on the go.
How to Use Essential Oils Without a Diffuser
If a diffuser isn’t an option, you can still enjoy inhalation by using a tissue or cotton ball. Using a tissue to inhale essential oils may provide immediate results.
Other common ways to use a plant’s essence without a diffuser include room sprays and reed diffusers.
Also, steam inhalation is another way to use essential oils without a diffuser. It may be helpful for respiratory issues such as sinusitis, congestion, and the common cold. As an added benefit, steam intensifies an essential oil's aroma and disperses it more quickly.
To perform steam inhalation at home, bring a pot of water to a boil. Kill the flame and transfer the water to a container that’s easier to work with. Add 3 drops of essential oil to the water. If the vapor isn’t strong enough, you may add more, but try not to go crazy with how many drops you use.
You may form a tent above the head with a towel to retain the steam, but this isn’t necessary. When using steam inhalation with asthmatics, only a drop of essential oil should be used. This is because the aroma may have an adverse effect as it intensifies with the heat.
Topical Use of Essential Oils
A massage oil and essential oil roll-on are often used to apply oils to the skin. Oil lovers prefer these options because of their ease of use.
Essential oils are effective for topical use because their compounds penetrate the skin, intensify the absorption of conventional drugs, and provide little to no risk when used in appropriate doses. Also, they are fat-loving (lipophilic) and integrates well into the skin.
Topical application may help treat localized pain and skin conditions, although a psychological effect may also be produced.
To avoid unnecessary skin irritation, always dilute your essential oils in a carrier oil like jojoba. This may also prevent phototoxicity and sensitization.
Some plant extracts like clove bud (Syzygium aromaticum) and cinnamon leaf (Cinnamomum verum) are natural skin irritants. When applied neatly, they could leave a nasty bite or sting, which may result in burns or red blotches. Neat application is a term used in aromatherapy to indicate the undiluted use of essential oils.
Other methods of topical use include the ‘M’ technique and compresses. More information is to come on how to use essential oils on the skin.
Internal & Oral Use of Essential Oils
The internal and oral use of plant essences in aromatherapy remain a controversial subject. Most aromatherapists dare not whisper internal or oral use of essential oils, while others speak about them without restriction.
It’s not a question of ‘can essential oils be ingested?’ or taken in through other internal routes. The million-dollar question is, "Should you ingest essential oils?"
That’s a matter left up to discretion, but it’s important to look at the risks, as these are heightened once you venture into internal and oral use.
Essential oils stand a greater chance of interacting with medications when ingested. The field of aromatherapy is a growing one; hence, the chemical and safety profile of some essential oils are unknown or need more research. However, the little science and clinical data we have on hand reveal that not all volatile oils are safe to ingest.
Tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia), for example, is toxic when taken in high oral doses, while oils like sage and rosemary may trigger seizures in some individuals (although safe when used on the skin).
The risks are further compounded when a pregnant woman or child is involved. There's also concern about the purity and quality of essential oils.
One simply does not have a complete picture of the scope of internal use and, as such, is best avoided, or at least used under the supervision of a medical professional.
Internal and oral routes of administration of plant essences include suppositories, mouthwashes, gelatin capsules, douches, and honey or other dispersants.
There’s much to learn about using essential oils.
Don’t feel overwhelmed.
At Positive Essence, we aim to add to your fund of essential oil knowledge. We explain all the technical, scientific stuff in terms you can understand and apply.
If you have any questions about essential oils or topics you’d like covered on the blog, we’re only a message away. Please, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Happy oiling. We’ll see you in the next blog post.
