12 Tips to Note When buying Essential Oils

1. The higher the grade the more expensive the essential oil. It is important to note however that a high price is not always a good indicator of a high quality essential oil.

2. Grades don’t necessarily reflect the superiority of one over the other…most times grades indicate the manner in which the oils can be used (e.g inhaling or applying topically).

3. If your purpose for buying essential oils is healing or aromatherapy or even for cosmetic use, try as much as possible to get pure undiluted essential oils.

4. Oils that have been adulterated with alcohol will have an alcoholic scent; those that have been diluted with vegetable oils separate when frozen.

5. To know if your essential oil has been diluted with a carrier oil carry out the following test:

Place a drop of an essential oil on a white sheet of

paper and leave for a few days.

If your oil has been diluted, the scent of the essential oil would have evaporated but left a spot of oily residue.

6. Essential Oils are known to last for years, with some even getting better with age. Always ensure you store your oils properly in a glass container away from sunlight. Plastic and rubber container or applications can react with the oils.

7. Citrus essential oils like orange, lemon , and grapefruit oils can be stored in dark glass containers and refrigerated as they lose their potency over time.

8. Always carry out a patch test to rule out any hypersensitivity or irritation to essential oils; apply a bit of oil on your inner arm and watch for redness within the next 24hours. You can also test these oils on the soles of your feet.

9. Always dilute essential oils with carrier oils before you apply them.

The popular therapeutic blends are normally in the ratio of 25 – 30 drops of oil to approximately half an ounce of carrier oil (228 drops).

Use nonmetallic utensils for blending essential oils e.g. glass droppers, glass rods.

10. Phototoxic essential oils can cause skin irritation if after being applied the skin is exposed to sunlight within 48hours.

Examples of phototoxic oils are citrus oils, bergamot and petitgrain.

11. If you want to cleanse your skin of an essential oil you applied first cover the skin with a carrier oil or wipe with oil based cleanser.

Then wash your skin with soap and warm water.

If the essential oil accidentally gets into the eyes , flush them with vegetable oil or cold milk and contact your physician.

12. It’s better to buy carrier oils that are natural rather than synthetic.

Carrier oils like almond oil, sesame oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil and sunflower oils can be used to dilute essential oils.

Use nonmetallic utensils for blending essential oils e.g. glass droppers, glass rods.