New to essential oils? Good for you! You’re about to discover a whole new sweet-smelling world.
First up, please read our post on essential oils basics for beginners.
Once you’ve got the hang of those basics, you’ll want to explore other ways you can apply and use essential oils. Here goes.
Topical Application
The guidelines for safe use are important to bear in mind at all times. Please familiarise yourself with them, especially crucial points like using carrier oil for dilution if your skin feels irritated, not water. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before and after applying oils.
How often and how much to apply really does depend on the user and situation. Until you get used to how your body responds, less is definitely more, say 1-2 drops on location a couple of times a day. And it’s wise to just try one or two oils at a time for the same reason. As you get used to how the oils feel and work for you, you can play around more with frequency of use, quantities and so on.
Many oils are safe for application directly to adult skin without dilution, on the proviso they are genuine 100% natural oils that have been created impeccably and with zero synthetics. An authentic essential oil is pure in the true sense of the word (not just taking marketing and labelling liberties) and free of synthetic components like ‘natural identical’ ingredients, adulterants and fillers. Learn why we exclusively choose Young Living oils in this short video. (Young Living is the only company with the Seed to Seal® process. Having their own farms is a great sign of their commitment to purity and integrity of the product.)
Diluting is always recommended when applying oils to children. Check your trusty reference book for more specifics on quantities. It varies depending on age and skin sensitivity.
For adults, too, dilution is a gentle way to apply oils to the skin. Choose a pure carrier oil. Young Living V-6 Enhanced Vegetable Complex is light, washes easily from fabrics, and includes a beautiful mix of carrier oils for their vitamins and nurturing properties. Dilute oils generously for a full body massage.
When applying topically to a particular spot, however, you might just opt for 1:1 dilution ratio or neat (undiluted) depending on location and the reason for application. When applying to cleanse a scratch, for instance, you might skip the carrier oil and use a drop neat of a gentle oil like lavandula angustifolia, eucalyptus radiata or melaleuca alternifolia. Oils evaporate, so if you want to keep them in contact with the skin for longer, apply a moisturising lotion over the top to reduce evaporation. If it’s better for the skin to air in any particular circumstance, however, skip the lotion and let the area breathe.
‘Feelings’ oils are well-suited to applying on your wrists (bring them up to your nose and inhale, too), behind the ears, on the tips of your ears, temples, the back of your neck at the base of your head, and chakra points. They make beautiful 100% natural perfumes, too. Our Feel Good Friday posts are a great resource to accompany them. As per the safety guidelines, always consider where you’re applying when the label recommends avoiding exposure to UV light for 48 hours after application.
Direct Inhalation
Along with diffusing, you can easily inhale oils directly from the bottle. This is super-convenient if you’re out and about or need a boost in a hurry.
Warm Compress
If you feel like some warmth would add extra comfort when applying oils to an area, consider a warm compress.
Place a few drops or so of essential oil in a basin of warm water. (Use cool water if neurological problems are present.) Agitate the water and let it stand for a minute, then place a dry washcloth on the surface. This will soak up the oils into the cloth. Wring the cloth and place on location. Cover this with a dry towel to help keep in the heat for 15 minutes or so. If it’s at all uncomfortable, remove the compress immediately, gently pat the area dry and apply some carrier oil if needed to cool and take away redness.
Revitalising or Relaxing Bath and Shower
Choose oils to suit the mood you want to tap into and add a few drops to ¼ cup of Epsom salts or a nice natural shower gel base and use as per usual. Elevate your everyday routine from utilitarian to uplifting. So easy!
Bodywork and Coaching/Counselling Facilitation
Chat with your qualified bodyworker or coach/counsellor about actively incorporating essential oils into your sessions with them. Your trusty reference guide can steer you with choosing oils to try in alignment with your challenge areas and goals. As a great starting point, apply Young Living Valor™ essential oil on the soles of your feet 10 minutes before your next session and observe afterwards if you felt more responsive. Depending on the work, applying to the soles of your feet could be ideal, or topical application/direct inhalation may be well suited for the individual circumstances. For ‘feelings’ oils, a couple of drops in the palms of your hands then smoothed together and cupped over your nose to inhale is convenient and an ideal way for their aromatic benefits to get to work quickly. (After working with you and the oils, they might well be interested in joining your Young Living team as a distributor. Please contact me if you’d like to know more about how to do that.)
Relaxation Application Technique
For easy techniques you can learn and use at home (not for professional use) to help your family relax and unwind, we’ve put together a few videos, starting with this Simple Essential Oil Application for Beginners #1: Valor Balance. You’ll find links for others in the series there.
This will also connect you up with The Good Oil Team for our personal support and coaching. We'd love to help you on your journey to vibrant well-being the natural way!
Any questions? Please get in touch via our Contact page.
