How To Use Essential Oils
ESSENTIAL GUIDE: YOUR INTRODUCTION TO USING dōTERRA®
Explore the many benefits and uses of essential oils and open your mind to a whole new way of taking care of your health.
When pain and inflammation afflicts the body this not only affects the individual physically but can also cause unbearable discomfort emotionally.
For those that experience chronic pain know that it will affect the ability to function properly with everyday activities as well as the general quality of life.
Known to be one of the oldest, safest, and natural methods for various types of pain relief is aromatherapy massage using essential oils. It can be used for headaches, muscle pain, joint stiffness or inflammation, or the spine, and even some internal pains.
Some of the most dependable essential oil treatments include:
- Head tension—peppermint
- General pain relief—peppermint
- Inflammation—frankincense
- Muscle pain—Ice Blue, peppermint
- Joint pain and function—peppermint, marjoram, lemongrass, cypress and copaiba
- Relaxation—lavender, Roman chamomile, ylang ylang and frankincense
- Energy—peppermint, lemon, grapefruit and rosemary
- Immune support and defense against bacterial, viral and fungal infections—oregano, eucalyptus, lemon, myrrh, On Guard
Since ancient times, essential oils have been used to promote healthy skin, a clean mouth, strong fingernails and toenails, shiny hair, and more.
Not only do natural cleansing, soothing, and purifying properties make essential oils an ideal choice for personal care, but the user can simultaneously enjoy the lovely, inviting smells of essential oils during use.
Essential oils are extracted from pure, natural sources in the earth, which means they don’t contain synthetic
fillers or toxins.
Many cosmetic and hygienic products on the market today contain mysterious ingredients
that can be potentially harmful to the body.
If you want to feel comfortable knowing exactly what you are using on your body, choosing essential oils.
These essential oils are considered some of the best oils for skin because they include some cleansing, soothing, and nurturing properties:
- Arborvitae
- Basil
- Bergamot
- Cedarwood
- Clary Sage
- Coriander
- Cypress
- Eucalyptus
- Frankincense
- Geranium
- Grapefruit
- Helichrysum
- Jasmine
- Juniper Berry
- Lavender
- Melaleuca
- Myrrh
- Patchouli
- Rose
- Sandalwood
One of the most appealing things about using essential oils for cleaning is that they come from natural sources and, when used appropriately, can be safely used around the entire family.
Essential oils are extracted from plant parts and carefully curated to preserve the potent properties
of the oil.
When you use essential oils for cleaning, you are relying on the natural chemical components found in the oil to provide cleansing and purifying power.
Whether you prefer to use natural cleaning products, worry about keeping your family safe, or just want peace of mind, essential oils are a wonderful natural cleaning solution to use around the home.
- Arborvitae
- Basil
- Bergamot
- Cassia
- Cedarwood
- Cilantro
- Cinnamon Bark
- Clove
- Coriander
- Cypress
- Eucalyptus
- Lemon
- Lime
- Melaleuca
- Melissa
- Myrrh
- Oregano
- Petitgrain
- Siberian Fir
- Thyme
- Wild Orange
Once you have experienced the effective power of essential oils, incorporating oils into your lifestyle and daily routine is the next natural step. For many people, that daily routine includes children.
Many parents wonder, “Are essential oils safe to use on my children?” The simple answer to this question is yes, but it is important to remember that there are certain safety guidelines and recommendations to consider when it comes to using essential oils with children.
Essential oils can be safely used on or around children, and just like anything you would use with your family—topical products, hygienic products, cleaning products, etc.—special caution should be used when applying oils to children.
One of the simplest and safest ways to help your children experience the benefits of essential oils is through aromatic use.
By diffusing essential oils in your home, you can create an invigorating, calming, relaxing, or uplifting atmosphere for your children. Diffusing essential oils can also help purify the air in your home when you want to dispel unwanted odours or produce a clean, fresh scent.
Essential oil diffusion is a simple way for the entire family to experience the powerful benefits of essential oils, without worrying about dosage or dilution.
When you want to experience the uplifting, energising, or calming benefits of essential oils,
aromatic use provides a quick, easy way to get the benefits you want.
When you want to soothe,
moisturise, nourish, or soften the skin, topical use of essential oils can efficiently deliver the desired effect.
What then, is the advantage of using essential oils internally?
While internal use of essential oils is a mystery to some, research has found plenty of safe, beneficial uses for essential oils internally.
Yes, aromatic and topical use of essential oils provides a variety of benefits; however, internal use can be equally beneficial when done properly.
Internal essential oil use offers some exclusive benefits for the body that aromatic and topical use simply cannot accomplish.
Internal essential oil use offers some exclusive benefits for the body that aromatic and topical use simply cannot accomplish.
Essential oils that are considered to be safe for internal use
- Basil
- Bergamot
- Black Pepper
- Cardamom
- Cassia
- Cilantro
See More Below:
- Cinnamon Bark
- ClarySage
- Clove
- Copaiba
- Coriander
- Fennel
- Frankincense
- Geranium
- Ginger
- Grapefruit
- Helichrysum
- Juniper Berry
- Lavender
- Lemon
- Lemongrass
- Lime
- Marjoram
- Melaleuca
- Melissa
- Myrrh
- Oregano
- Patchouli
- Peppermint
- Rosemary
- Sandalwood
- Hawaiian Sandalwood
- Siberian Fir
- Ylang Ylang
In addition to developing healthy habits for dealing with negative emotions, you might also consider
incorporating the use of essential oils into your regular routine for mood management.
Although methods for dealing with negative emotions will vary from person to person, there is a wide variety of essential oils to choose from when it comes to uplifting mood and promoting positive emotions.
Because each person is unique, it is helpful to have an equally unique set of oils, each with its own unique chemistry, to help soothe, calm, or uplift the mood.
Once you learn about how to use essential oils to manage your mood, you will find that they can become a regular part of your routine for combating negative emotions in your daily life.
Calming oils
Here are a few examples of calming oils
that can be used to promote soothing, grounding, or rejuvenating emotions:
- Clary Sage
- Eucalyptus
- Frankincense
- Geranium
- Jasmine
- Juniper Berry
- Lavender
- Roman Chamomile
- Ylang Ylang
Uplifting Oils
Essential oils can be used to promote energising, invigorating, warming, or elevating emotions. The following are examples of essential oils in the uplifting category:
- Cypress
- Douglas Fir
- Grapefruit
- Lemon
- Lime
- Peppermint
- White Fir
- Wild Orange
Essential Oils are great for every day use with your pets and in your garden.
Here are the three ways to use them with your pets:
AROMATIC
- Essential Oils, when diffused or inhaled, can be very stimulating, calming, or soothing.
- Diffusing Essential Oils can also cleanse and purify the air.
TOPICAL
- Essential Oils can be safely applied for massage or topical therapy.
- Always DILUTE Essential Oils when applying topically to pets!
- Their chemical structure enables them to pass through skin for an immediate systemic response.
It only takes THIRTY SECONDS for the oil to get into the bloodstream – and THIRTY MINUTES to get through the entire body.
INTERNAL
- Certain Essential Oils have a rich culinary history and can be used as dietary supplements for targeted wellness.
- Only give 1–2 drops of Essential Oil to your pet at a time if you are using them internally.
NOTE: PLEASE follow dilution protocol for use on pets (listed with oils); and to APPLY, you can just pat your animal with the oils on your hand.
It's NOT recommended to have pets in a room with a diffuser where they can't leave if the effects of the oil are bothering them.
Effective Methods of Topical Application:
- Along the spine (pet the hair backwards from tail to head to get the oil to the skin).
- Massage (who doesn’t love a good massage?).
- Reflexology points on the skin between the back paw pads.
- Ear tipping.
- Directly to the area of interest.
- In your pet’s shampoo.
- Via Hot or Cold compress.
- In a Roller Bottle or Spray.
- Spray a little diluted oil onto their brush before grooming.
TIP: if you use a roller bottle, apply the oil from the roller bottle onto your hand or finger; this way, the roller bottle does not get contaminated!
SAFETY TIPS FOR PETS
Here are some additional safety tips for all pets:
- Dilute for topical use.
- Know your pet’s health status.
- Do NOT use oils on or near eyes, ears, nose, or genitals of your pet.
- Use a water diffuser for aromatic use and allow your pet to roam freely with an open door to the room.
- Caution should be used around animals that are pregnant, nursing, young, or on certain medications.
- Do not use oils topically on your pet if using a topical medication or dermal patch – this includes topical flea/ tick preventatives.
- Do not give any of the products containing xylitol (toothpaste, beadlets, etc.) to your pet.
- Only use Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils.
- Observe your pet’s behaviour.
Incorporating good quality essential oils into your cooking does a number a wonderful things, some of which are:
- Enhancing flavour
- Giving the body health benefits
- Convenient and safe (only use 100% therapeutic grade essential oils)
High quality, well-tested essential oils are safe to consume As previously mentioned, not all essential oils are created equal.
Some essential oil companies add fillers or substitutions to their essential oils, which lowers the efficacy, potency, and purity of the oil.
Not all essential oils are safe for consumption. Due to their chemical makeup, some essential oils should never be added to food or used internally in any amount. Here is a list of the essential oils that are not safe to use internally:
- Arborvitae
- Cedarwood
- Cypress
- Douglas Fir
- Eucalyptus
- Spikenard
- Wintergreen
dōTERRA® uses the CPTG
Certified Pure Therapeutic® grade testing process to ensure that essential oils are safe to use.
During several rounds of rigorous testing, essential oils are closely examined to ensure that they don’t contain any contaminants or harmful substances.
Here are some essential oils that are good to use in your recipes:
- Basil
- Bergamot
- Black Pepper
- Cassia
- Cilantro
- Cinnamon Bark
- Clary Sage
- Clove
- Copaiba
- Coriander
- Fennel