Use Your Oils Responsibly

DO YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO IF YOU GET A “HOT” ESSENTIAL OIL IN YOUR EYE?

Essential oils can benefit so many aspects of your life if they are used correctly. You must always do your homework and make sure that you are familiar with the oil that you are using and use them responsibly.

What prompted me to write this post?

Last night I made my son a capsule of Oregano, Thieves and V6 Carrier Oil. I handed him the capsule and then went back to making dinner.

Mistake #1. What I should have done was washed my hands as soon as I made the capsule and I would have avoided mistake #2. I must have touched my eyelid because I suddenly felt like I had been stung. Realizing that I still had oil on my hand and had touched my eye I sprung into action to neutralize the burning by putting V6 vegetable oil on it. Mistake #3!!! I still hadn’t washed my hands so I spread it all around my eye.

By now I think the burning will never stop. I washed my hands, twice, and then put more V6 oil on my eye. The burning stopped within a few minutes and the redness was gone by the time dinner was ready. I know better than to use oils without washing my hands and am usually very diligent. I guess I was just not good at multi-tasking last night.

My Advice

Please make sure that you are familiar with safety guidelines so that you use your oils responsibly. And make sure that you know what to do if you make a mistake.

• Dilute with a carrier oil – This does not just apply to remedying a mistake like I made. You should always dilute your oils (especially hot ones) with a carrier oil before applying it to your skin until you know if you are sensitive to the effects of the oil. *note this will not dilute the effect of the oil but will ensure that no irritation occurs.
• Never use water if you experience irritation – If essential oils get in your eyes or cause skin irritation, flush and dilute the area with a carrier oil to alleviate discomfort.
• Don’t apply essential oils to sensitive areas – Avoid applying essential oils to eyes, ears, and mucous membranes.

Carrier Oils

• V-6 Vegetable Oil – Moisturizes and nourishes the skin. Combines fractionated coconut oil, grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, wheat germ oil (contains a lot of vitamin E and acts as a natural preservative), sunflower oil, and olive oil. Caution: May cause a reaction to those with nut allergies
• Grapeseed Oil – Moisturizing. Leaves a light glossy film over the skin.
• Almond Oil – Rich in vitamin E. Leaves a slight hint of oil on the skin. Caution: May cause a reaction to those with nut allergies
• Jojoba Oil – Moisturizing. Non-greasy absorption similar to the skin’s natural oils
• Olive Oil – Leaves an oily feeling on the skin
• Fractionated Coconut Oil – Moisturizing. Non-greasy.
• Coconut Oil – Moisturizing. Distinct coconut aroma. Leaves an oily feeling layer on the skin.

Hot Oils

“Hot oils” are oils that can cause a hot or warming sensation when applied to the skin. Examples of hot oils and blends include:

• Cinnamon
• Clove
• Lemongrass
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Exodus II™
• and Thieves®
• Peppermint – For some people, Peppermint’s cooling sensation can be too intense.

I hope that you never find yourself in my situation, but if you do I hope that you will remember these tips and be able to react quickly. I would love to hear about your favorite carrier oils or even your oil mishaps so please leave me a comment below.