How to use pure essential oils?!
Question: I know they shouldn't be used directly onto the skin. I want to use Ylang Ylang for my face and neck, I have a couple of bottles, but how and with what should I mix it with before use?
Answers: I know they shouldn't be used directly onto the skin. I want to use Ylang Ylang for my face and neck, I have a couple of bottles, but how and with what should I mix it with before use?
Essential oils are very powerful. They should be diluted with a carrier oil/cream/lotion before use. Even after you have diluted them with a carrier oil/cream/lotion, you should skin test to make sure the dilution is correct. Since you want to use ylang-ylang on your face, try a pure allergy free lotion or cream base and add a few drops of the ylang-ylang essential oil to it and mix with a clean wooden stick. Do not make the dilution according to your nose. Essential oils work even when the scent is mild. Ylang-Ylang has been known to trigger headaches, I do not know if that happens because the aroma is too overpowering because the dilution is too strong or if it is the action of the essential oil on the limbic system of the brain. Make sure that the oils you have are of the purest content and not synthetic. Oils can be made artificially, and the allergic reactions make people blame the essential oils rather than the chemicals used to make them.
I enjoy using essential oils, do you know that you can use lavender essential oil on burns and the pain is relieved and the scarring reduced? It is also great on stings and bites.
So just use a little common sense and you will enjoy your experience.
They all need a carrier oil to be mixed with,better chek this out before you use them as some can be dangerous.
How do I apply essential oils topically?
Essential oils can be applied to the skin using a variety of techniques. It is important to note that most essential oils can not be applied directly to the skin without being diluted.
How do I prepare a solution?
As a rule of thumb, essential oils should be diluted in a carrier substance (vegetable or nut oil, or water) at no greater concentration than 3-5%.
That means if you have one teaspoon (5cc) of carrier, you would add 3 drops of pure essential oil. This would make a 3% solution that could be used on a portion of the body. For massage or for application over large areas of the body, using a 1% solution (meaning, one drop of essential oil in one teaspoon of carrier) is generally a safe concentration.
Note: If you use water as a carrier, be sure to shake or mix your solution well before application.
What carrier oil should I use?
Common carrier oils are often available in natural foods stores or stores that specialize in natural bath and body products. Organic and cold-pressed carrier oils are preferred, and examples include sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, or avocado oil. These oils do not have a strong smell of their own. They should be kept refrigerated until used and should be discarded if they smell rancid.
For wound care, an ideal essential oil would be gentle to the skin and antimicrobial. Some essential oils can be used in different ways. For example, true lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia) can be used on the skin for cuts and minor burns, and it can be inhaled to promote relaxation and sleep. Lavender is one of the few essential oils that can be used undiluted on small areas of the skin.
What are the techniques?
Oil and dressing
* Compress: the essential oil is diluted in a liquid carrier (water or oil) and applied to a dressing or directly to the affected area. Optional heat or cold can be applied.
For example, a few drops of ginger (Zinziber officinalis) essential oil can be added to comfortably hot water and mixed to disperse the oil; then a cloth can be soaked in the solution and placed on a stiff joint. Additional heat can be applied as desired.
* Gargle: Drops of essential oil are added to water. You mix, then gargle the solution and spit it out. For example, one drop of tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) in a glass of water can be gargled for sore throat discomfort.
* Bath: Drops of essential oils are added to bath water in a dispersant immediately before stepping in. This method results in absorption through the skin, as well as inhalation of the volatilized essential oil. A few tablespoons of full cream milk can be used as a dispersant.
Remember, essential oils are not water soluble; thus they will float on top of the bath and skin passing through the oil will be exposed to full strength essential oil. Bath salts can also be used to disperse essential oils. A relaxing bath base can be made by mixing 1 part baking soda, 2 parts Epsom salts, and 3 parts sea salt. Add 6 drops of true lavender essential oil to about 2 tablespoons of this mixture and mix it into bath water just before entering.
* Massage: Drops of essential oil are added to a natural carrier oil and applied to skin areas with gentle rubbing. As noted earlier, massage blends should not exceed 1% concentration of essential oils (one drop in a teaspoon). The choice of essential oils for massage depends on the desired effect.