Last year we saw a boom in the Essential Oils industry. From beauty products to cleaning products, essential oils are everywhere. Every other post on Facebook or Pinterest or Instagram mentions Essential Oils. There are numerous recipes online which tell you how to incorporate them. Here are 10 things you need to know about Essential Oils.
WHAT IS AN ESSENTIAL OIL?
Essential Oil is an exquisite gift from the plant kingdom. It is up to 100 times stronger than the dried herb of the same plant. It is a highly fragrant and concentrated liquid that is generally distilled (usually by steam) from the leaves, stems, flowers, bark or both.
HOW CONCENTRATED IS THE ESSENTIAL OIL?
To give you an idea, it takes around 60,000 roses to make 1 ounce of oil. Go figure!!!
ESSENTIAL OIL SAME AS COOKING OIL?
Not at all. Cooking oils are fatty oils while Essential Oils are volatile oils meaning they evaporate quickly and are not fatty in nature.
CAN ESSENTIAL OILS BE INGESTED?
There are some instances where they can be ingested but for the moment I would stay away from it. If need arises use them under the supervision of someone who has formal training in this matter.
BEST WAY TO USE ESSENTIAL OILS?
Diffusing, Massaging, Bathing, Compress or Mister are some of the ways to use essential oils.
MY ESSENTIAL OIL BOTTLE SAYS “FRAGRANT OIL” AND IS CHEAPER TOO?
Don’t be tempted!!! There is no essential oil in the bottle. The bottle contains artificial fragrance with artificial products made in a way to mimic the essential oil smell.
CAN I USE UNDILUTED ESSENTIAL OIL ON THE SKIN? WHAT ABOUT CHILDREN SKIN??
As essential oils are very potent they should be diluted before applying to the skin to avoid unfortunate reactions. This is a must with children and babies as their skin is much thinner than an adult skin. In fact reduce the amount to half when applying to children or babies and never….never use it undiluted.
CAN ANYONE USE ESSENTIAL OILS?
If you have a health condition or are pregnant, check with your health care provider to find out which essential oils are safe to use.
HOW TO STORE ESSENTIAL OILS? WILL THEY LAST YEARS & YEARS??
Always store your oils in dark glass bottles, away from the sun to preserve their potency. Never store them in clear plastic bottles. As they are extremely concentrated and you need only a few drops, if properly stored, they do last a long time. The only exception is citrus oil which lasts for a year or two.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING AN ESSENTIAL OIL?
While there are loads of things to look out for, some of the things that I have learnt over time are: buy in dark glass bottles, avoid rubber-eye dropper, make sure the label states it’s latin name, the origin of the essential oil and the method of collection, try to buy organic if you can, it should smell strong and rich and not at all chemical or bland and lastly buy from a reputable source.
