I love essential oils and I love using them daily in so many different ways.
But there are some ways we do NOT use essential oils and I want to share them with you.
I don't expect everyone to agree with me on all these points, but for those of you that are in my downline and learn from me, I feel it necessary to share this.
We'll start simple, and work our way up.
#1: Do not put oils in your ears or eyes or "sensitive areas"
Essential oils can be extremely harmful to the ear canal. I heard a testimony of someone who read instructions incorrectly and actually formed a blister on her ear drum by putting helichrysm into her ear!!! So don't do that!
When using oils to help with earaches or ear infections, oils can can be applied to the fleshy part of the ear lobe, behind the hear and in front of the ear with massaging motions toward the jaw.
You can also place a couple drops of oil on a cotton ball and then hold the cotton ball over the ear.
Also, use care when applying oils around the face and eyes. Make sure to wash your hands after applying oils if you'll be touching your eyes at all. If essential oil gets in your eye, make sure to apply a carrier oil like coconut oil, olive oil, or grapeseed oil and that will take the sting out of the eye as it dilutes the essential oil.
Same goes for any "sensitive areas" that you get oils on. Try to avoid that, but if you touch your skin with your fingers that has essential oil residue, you may find some discomfort. Put your carrier oil on, and that will sooth it.
Some oils like peppermint have very strong aromatics that can irritate the eyes if it is even applied to the nose or cheek. I personally just close my eyes for a few minutes if possible when applying peppermint to my nose or temples for a headache...even if makes my eyes water, it's worth it to me!
#2: Do NOT dilute with water
Water does not dilute essential oils. It drives the oil, making it stronger if nothing else. So whenever an oil is too strong for the skin or anything else, make sure to dilute with your carrier oil, NOT WATER!
#3: Do not use "neat" on children
When using an essential oil for the first time on one of the kiddos, please make sure to dilute it. There are several oils that are known to be gentle like Lavender, Frankincense and Melaleuca, but to be safe, start out with some coconut oil and see how they do.
#4: Don't go in the sun after applying citrus oils
Citrus oils are photo-sensitive and can discolor or irritate the skin if exposed to the sun within 48 hours of being applied. Be sure to wait a couple days if you've applied a citrus oil undiluted to exposed skin!
#5: Don't use certain oils during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
There is a short list of oils to completely avoid during pregnancy listed on Young Living's website. Those are:
- Wild Tansy
- Clary Sage
- Sage
- Fennel
- Wintergeen
- Hyssop
A GREAT resource if you are pregnant or nursing is a book called Gentle Babies which is a complete guide to using Young Living Essential Oils with pregnancy, nursing, infants and with young children.
#6: Don't stop with your Starter Kit!!!!
There are many people that get their starter kit in the mail and think, "ok, I'm good now!." I was one of those people...until I started using my oils and seeing results with my family!
If you don't know of other ways you could use your oils, just take a quick walk through your house. Look at your cleaning supplies, your toiletry items, your MEDICINE CABINET! So many of those items are causing harm to your body and your family! Those can easily be replaced with safe and effective Young Living products, or homemade ones!
I have a post where I list my recipes for toiletry items as well as one for cleaning supplies.
When people ask how I use essential oils, I ask "how DON'T I use essential oils???!?!" We use them daily and are always finding new uses for them.
#7: Do not use essential oils for prayer/meditation
We are bombarded by the "New Age" era right now. All things are made spiritual. Well friends, I believe Scripture tells us our spiritual life is a relationship between us and our Creator.
"The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth." Psalm 145:18
Using an oil to help me "elevate myself to a higher spiritual enlightenment" is not Biblical.
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." Romans 8:26-27
We have the Triune GOD to assist our prayers! We don't need an oil! Even when we don't know how to pray, the Spirit intercedes. What a precious gift!
I strongly believe that if we look ANYWHERE other than The Lord for all things spiritual, we are opening ourselves up to be deceived. We are also saying that God is not enough to provide "all things pertaining to life and godliness" like 2Peter 1:3 tells us.
The Holy Spirit indwells God's children. We don't need an oil to get us any closer to The Lord...He dwells IN US!
Another way people tend to use oils with prayer is to anoint others or themselves with it along with a request for healing, enlightenment, or other "intentions."
I don't practice this and I believe it is goes against what Scripture intends when it mentions anointing.
There is a major passage of Scripture that addresses "oils" and prayer and that is James 5:13-15
I have spent alot of time with this passage and I've come to the understanding that the emphasis on the entire passage is clearly not on the oil, but on the prayer.
I believe that the oil was not meant to enhance the prayer by making it more effective...if that was the case, then the rest of our prayers that don't include oils would be less effective.
I believe it is likely that it was to aid in the prayer by tangibly dedicating that person to the Lord's special attention and care. It was a symbol. We saw it alot in the Old Testament - objects and people were set apart by the anointing of oil.
The oil didn't DO anything to them, it was visually setting them apart to the Lord, and many times in obedience to The Father's command.
- Genesis 28:18 - Jacob pours oil over a rock pillar
- Exodus passages 29:21, 30:30, 40:9 - priests anointed numerous items including themselves
- 1 Samuel 10:1, 1Kings 1:39, 2 Kings 9:6 - Kings were anointed and set apart as well
I see it in a similar fashion to a king "dubbing" someone a knight with his sword.
#8: Don't stop educating yourself on essential oils
I have learned alot this past year in my experience with Young Living. And the two very first things you need to do to start educating yourself are:
- Connect yourself with your upline
- Get a Reference Book
Second, getting a reference book like the Higley Reference Guide or the Essential Oils Desk Reference. These will empower you to find solutions for your own health and the health of your family! Take charge of your health and browse your reference guide to see recommended protocols for sore throats, sore muscles, torn ligaments, gallbladder issues, first-aid, and TONS MORE! It is such a great investment, and it will also help you assist friends in using their oils safely and effectively!
Make sure you attend classes that your upline has or see if there are events that corporate has in your area. They are so full of information that will be valuable to your learning!
I hope that this has helped you understand ways that I recommend you not using essential oils
If you don't agree with all that I've posted here, that's totally ok! Everyone has their own uses for essential oils and I want this to serve as a useful resource to my friends and those in my downline as they learn more about these amazing oils!
Not using Young Living Essential Oils? Click here to learn more!
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical professional. I simply make decisions on how to care for and improve the health of my own family. None of the statements on my blog have been evaluated by the FDA and any products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
This post also contains affiliate links to the company which I have personally used and recommend. If you purchase through these links, I will receive a commission, however the cost to you remains the same!
