aromatherapy

 

Precautions in using essential oils in aromatherapy

Aromatherapy has been known to relieve stress and to even ease muscle pains and headaches. But before you join the bandwagon and get into the candles and the oils, you must first remember that what you are dealing with can also be dangerous if you do not practice caution.

The heart of aromatherapy lies in the use of essential oils, which provides the scent or the aroma that you whiff to relax your body. These oils come from plants. They are extracted from the different parts like the leaves, the roots, the buds and even in some, the peelings of the fruits. But like any natural item, some of these oils can be extracted from plants that are toxic and poisonous. This means that you may be inhaling the aroma of a toxic substance!

But of course, this rarely happens. There are consumer and product guidelines that are being followed when it comes to the manufacturing of these essential oils for aromatherapy. Also, it is important to take note of how much you need to put into a candle or into diffuser. Remember that too much may not be good especially if too concentrated amounts have an impact.

In fact, many essential oils can be irritating to the skin when applied in too concentrated amounts. When using these oils, dilute them first in a carrier oil or even in water before applying to your skin. Of course there exceptions to this rule. Lavender and Tea Tree, for instance, are made for the skin. In fact, they can be applied directly to the skin because of their mildness. These oils can treat minor burns and skin eruptions.

If you are however very sensitive and your skin reacts quickly to a foreign substance, it is good to perform first a patch tests wherein you will apply a small amount of the oil in a small area of the skin. You can use those parts of the skin that are hidden by clothes just in case allergies occur. Among the areas where you can do the patch test are on the upper chest area, the back, or at the crook of your arm. It will probably take about 12 hours for the skin to react. So just wait. If swelling, redness and rashes appear, then the concentration is too much. Just try to dilute it before using it on the skin or for aromatherapy.