Essential oils (was Xylitol)

May 22, 2004

>Also, I have purchased some of the essential oils discussed in the

>book The Maker's Diet to experiment with. At this point, I still

>need some more education as I'm not sure what to do with them-rub

>them in, smell them or both! AND I haven't even figured out if I

>can use them full-strength or if I have to dilute them first, and

>if I have to dilute them, what do I dilute them with???

First, NEVER use undiluted essential oils on the skin! Although many

used to say that it was okay to use two oils - lavender and tea

tree - " neat " (that is, undiluted), many aromatherapists are now

finding themselves with a lifetime sensitization to these oils, and

can no longer use them (or in some cases even breathe them) without

symptoms. So, it is best to err on the side of caution and avoid

using any oils neat. There are also a couple companies that advocate

neat use of oils, but it is a highly dangerous practice - kind of

like playing Russian Roulette...you never know what your personal

threshold of tolerance for a particular oil is... And besides

sensitization, you could also wind up with a rash or burn with neat

application of some oils. Essential oils are very concentrated and

need to be used with care.

To dilute them, the standard dilution is 2.5% in a carrier oil

(which works out to about 15 drops in 1 ounce of carrier oil) - less

for children, elderly, and those who are frail. Less is better for

spice and mint oils (maybe 1%). You have quite a few choices for a

base (carrier) oil - depending on what your purpose is. For example,

for a sunburn oil, I often put lavender in a base of aloe vera.

Jojoba oil (actually a liquid wax very close in composition to the

natural sebum of the skin) and fractionated coconut oil are two

popular oils because of their very long shelf life. Jojoba is rather

greasy, but fractionated coconut is nongreasy - which makes it a

favorite of massage therapists. But any other oil will do, too -

olive oil, almond oil, avocado oil, virgin coconut, etc. I'd

recommend putting your blends in amber glass bottles, too, if you

can. Oils should be kept out of sunlight and a few can eat through

some plastics (like orange). :-) Of course, there are many other

ways you can use essential oils. You can also sniff them directly

from the bottle, you can put some on a cotton ball and throw it in

your vacuum's bag to make vacuuming a little more pleasant! You can

dilute the oils in equal parts vodka and distilled water for a room

spray (the vodka disperses the essential oils, since they are not

water soluble...and acts as a preservative). You can diffuse oils in

a room with special diffusers you can buy - they even make some that

plug into your car's cigarette lighter for scenting your car. A

little basil or rosemary in a car diffuser can help keep you awake

on long drives. If you make your own lotions or creams (or buy an

unscented base), you can use essential oils as a fragrance. A woman

by the name of Donna wrote a book with recipes using essential

oils called " Making Aromatherapy Creams and Lotions. " Many of the

oils used are more exotic (more expensive) oils, but it's still a

great book. She also has a website, where you can find a *ton* of

recipes...from lip balms to lotions to salt scrubs (most of which

use essential oils - and usually the more common ones) at:

http://www.makeyourcosmetics.com/

Also, essential oils should NEVER be used on or around cats. They

lack a liver enzyme required to detoxify them.

One of my favorite books on the subjects is " The Complete Guide to

Aromatherapy " by Salvatore Battaglia...it can be a bit technical at

times, but is pretty thorough and goes through many oils, includes

oil recommendations for certain conditions, and some recipes.

Some of my favorite sellers of essential oils (who also avdocate

safe usage of them) are:

www.av-at.com

www.naturesgift.com

www.sunrosearomatics.com

Hydrosols (sometimes called floral water) are also wonderful and

more gentle than essential oils. They are the byproduct of the steam

distillation process used to make most essential oils. They're

fragrant and can be spritzed on the body without further dilution.

Hope that helps!

:-)

(RA - Registered Aromatherapist)

May 23, 2004

Great info! I too have been using the oils undiluted and boy do they burn!!

Perhaps my ignorance is why they really have not been working for me.

Jane

Essential oils (was Xylitol)

> >Also, I have purchased some of the essential oils discussed in the

> >book The Maker's Diet to experiment with. At this point, I still

> >need some more education as I'm not sure what to do with them-rub

> >them in, smell them or both! AND I haven't even figured out if I

> >can use them full-strength or if I have to dilute them first, and

> >if I have to dilute them, what do I dilute them with???

>

> First, NEVER use undiluted essential oils on the skin! Although many

> used to say that it was okay to use two oils - lavender and tea

> tree - " neat " (that is, undiluted), many aromatherapists are now

> finding themselves with a lifetime sensitization to these oils, and

> can no longer use them (or in some cases even breathe them) without

> symptoms. So, it is best to err on the side of caution and avoid

> using any oils neat. There are also a couple companies that advocate

> neat use of oils, but it is a highly dangerous practice - kind of

> like playing Russian Roulette...you never know what your personal

> threshold of tolerance for a particular oil is... And besides

> sensitization, you could also wind up with a rash or burn with neat

> application of some oils. Essential oils are very concentrated and

> need to be used with care.

>

> To dilute them, the standard dilution is 2.5% in a carrier oil

> (which works out to about 15 drops in 1 ounce of carrier oil) - less

> for children, elderly, and those who are frail. Less is better for

> spice and mint oils (maybe 1%). You have quite a few choices for a

> base (carrier) oil - depending on what your purpose is. For example,

> for a sunburn oil, I often put lavender in a base of aloe vera.

> Jojoba oil (actually a liquid wax very close in composition to the

> natural sebum of the skin) and fractionated coconut oil are two

> popular oils because of their very long shelf life. Jojoba is rather

> greasy, but fractionated coconut is nongreasy - which makes it a

> favorite of massage therapists. But any other oil will do, too -

> olive oil, almond oil, avocado oil, virgin coconut, etc. I'd

> recommend putting your blends in amber glass bottles, too, if you

> can. Oils should be kept out of sunlight and a few can eat through

> some plastics (like orange). :-) Of course, there are many other

> ways you can use essential oils. You can also sniff them directly

> from the bottle, you can put some on a cotton ball and throw it in

> your vacuum's bag to make vacuuming a little more pleasant! You can

> dilute the oils in equal parts vodka and distilled water for a room

> spray (the vodka disperses the essential oils, since they are not

> water soluble...and acts as a preservative). You can diffuse oils in

> a room with special diffusers you can buy - they even make some that

> plug into your car's cigarette lighter for scenting your car. A

> little basil or rosemary in a car diffuser can help keep you awake

> on long drives. If you make your own lotions or creams (or buy an

> unscented base), you can use essential oils as a fragrance. A woman

> by the name of Donna wrote a book with recipes using essential

> oils called " Making Aromatherapy Creams and Lotions. " Many of the

> oils used are more exotic (more expensive) oils, but it's still a

> great book. She also has a website, where you can find a *ton* of

> recipes...from lip balms to lotions to salt scrubs (most of which

> use essential oils - and usually the more common ones) at:

> http://www.makeyourcosmetics.com/

>

> Also, essential oils should NEVER be used on or around cats. They

> lack a liver enzyme required to detoxify them.

>

> One of my favorite books on the subjects is " The Complete Guide to

> Aromatherapy " by Salvatore Battaglia...it can be a bit technical at

> times, but is pretty thorough and goes through many oils, includes

> oil recommendations for certain conditions, and some recipes.

>

> Some of my favorite sellers of essential oils (who also avdocate

> safe usage of them) are:

> www.av-at.com

> www.naturesgift.com

> www.sunrosearomatics.com

>

> Hydrosols (sometimes called floral water) are also wonderful and

> more gentle than essential oils. They are the byproduct of the steam

> distillation process used to make most essential oils. They're

> fragrant and can be spritzed on the body without further dilution.

>

> Hope that helps!

>

> :-)

> (RA - Registered Aromatherapist)

>

May 27, 2004

,

I appreciated the " tutorial " ! It was a wealth of information and I eagerly read

and " absorbed " it all. I understand what you said about not using them " neat " ,

but I am still not sure whether some of them are really straight or if they have

already been diluted. For example, I have myrrh that says it is in jojoba oil,

but

also on the label it says it should be diluted before use. Confusing! The

company is Wyndmere and I got them at Kowalski's in Woodbury. Someone

recommended a book to me by Worwood. Are you familiar with her? If

so, is that the book you would recommend? Thanks for you help on my first

steps in this new journey!

Kathy