Guest post by Lea of Learning About EOs
This is a continuation of yesterday’s post about common myths and mistakes people make in the aromatherapy world…
Myth #6 – Applying oils to your feet will fix a problem in your head
It’s pretty common to hear recommendations to apply essential oils to the feet. We are told there are more pores in the feet. But is this logical? Our feet contain some of the thickest skin on our bodies – can rubbing anything into them actually get through and make it into the bloodstream? Perhaps they can.
However, has anyone considered that as the pores in our feet are sweat glands, this isn’t going to work very well? As I listened to Robert Tisserand speak last week, I learned that since water and oil do not mix, it’s not very likely that essential oils are absorbed through our sweat glands.
Now have some people found it to be effective to rub essential oils on the feet? Yes. The explanation is due to the fact that as you apply them to the feet, the essential oils are being inhaled. Inhalation is a very effective way to use essential oils.
Myth #7 – Essential oils can be used as a “preventative” measure with no negative consequences
I’ve seen people comment that they consume up to 30 or even 70 drops of essential oils daily, in their water, just to “keep themselves healthy.” They don’t even have any specific health issues, but they think that consuming all those essential oils daily will increase chances of longevity.
Essential oils are a wonderful choice for alternative medicine, if you are trained to use them as such. But blindly drinking oils “just because” is just not smart.
There are risks to everything we do, and some essential oils can have serious negative effects when consumed internally. I can’t imagine, over several years’ time, what their liver is going to have to say about their liberal use of essential oils, if they have ulcers, kidney issues, or even cancer.
Remember, the higher the concentration, combined with a longer duration, increases the risks of negative effects.
A two-year study done on rats showed the difference in a .05% diet of a constituent (I believe it was safole) compared to a .5% diet. Where the .05% diet showed only “slight” liver damage and “no” benign or malignant tumors, the diet which was .5% of this constituent presented “severe” liver damage, “11%” benign tumors, and “30%” malignant tumors.
So please, please, please, only use what you need, and no more. If 1 drop will do, why use 10?
Learn more about how to use essential oils with the Herbs and Essential Oils Super Bundle!
Myth #8 – Your skin reaction is simply a “detox” phase
If only this were true.
Unfortunately, the reaction you are seeing on your skin is either skin irritation, or more commonly, an allergic reaction. This sort of reaction is more common when using undiluted oils.
Continuing to apply oils when you are reacting negatively to them could lead to sensitization – which is irreversible.
Sensitization is described as “a delayed-sensitivity reaction which manifests often as severe irritation which involves the immune system…Sensitized lymphocytes are then cloned and localize producing an inflammatory reaction. Further contact of the same compound or a chemically related substance with the skin or any other part of the body can cause irritation as described above. ” (source)
People with sensitive skin, dermatitis, or eczema are especially prone to sensitization. Although there are essential oils known to be sensitizers, such as Aniseed, Cassia, Peru Balsam, and Spearmint, there are even more which are suspect. It is important to keep in mind that anyone could become sensitized to any essential oil at any time, and not just on the first use.
Diluting essential oils before applying them to your skin will go a long way to lessen the risk of a negative reaction.
See dilution guidelines here.
Myth #9 – You don’t need to know the Latin name of the essential oil you are purchasing
Many companies sell essential oils without any indication of the Latin (botanical) name. As there can be several species of Eucalyptus, Lavender, and Rosemary, not having a Latin name available can present a problem.
Purchasing a bottle labeled “Lavender” is not going to tell you the kind of Lavender you have. If you want to use it for headache relief, you could find it not working if you don’t have the correct species.
Occasionally a supplier will label Mentha arvensis as Peppermint, when it is actually Cornmint. The constituents are very different, and present different safety issues. Checking the Latin name before making a purchase is a wise move.
Read this: Latin Names Do Matter.
Myth #10 – GC/MS tests are worthless and unnecessary
A GC/MS (Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry) test is used by reputable companies to see the constituents of a specific batch of essential oil they have obtained from their suppliers. Although it’s not within the reach of consumers to spend $100 to test a $12 bottle of essential oil, companies who sell essential oils can more easily absorb that kind of cost when they are purchasing essential oils by the drum from their suppliers.
The purpose of this testing is to see what exactly is in the essential oil. Is it a pure oil? Has it been tampered with? Is it mis-labeled?
Some companies prefer not to perform this testing, and instead rely on their suppliers to provide them with a quality oil.
The harm in this blind trust of the suppliers is that, because the constituents in essential oils are always varying (as they are natural substances), you could get a Lavender essential oil quite low in linalol – or at least not high enough to be as therapeutic as your customers are used to.
Essential oil constituents (and therefore, therapeutic properties), are affected by so many factors: climate and altitude where grown, quality of soil, amount of rainfall, how it was stored before distillation, the plant parts used, etc. (read more: Determining Essential Oil Quality).
Although the details of the growth of the plants are not revealed to us, they can be reflected in the GC/MS test that is run.
The readers of LearningAboutEOs have now raised funds, three times, so that we can test various brands of essential oils. Why? We wanted to know if we really need to pay $80 for a bottle of Myrrh, or if the $15 bottle would be as good. Our first round of testing revealed the $15 bottle tested even better than the $80 bottle!
We also wanted to know what other affordable brands would pass the testing. Our second round revealed an adulterated essential oil, and one that did not pass (poor quality).
We will have results for round three any day now.
Read: Why We Perform 3rd Part GC/MS Testing
Also view our 3rd Party Results Master List
Do you want to learn more (much more!) about using essential oils and herbs in your home? The Herbs and Essential Oils Super Bundle is available for 6 days only! It includes $800 worth of handpicked resources for a whopping 96% off! Learn all about the bundle and see what’s included HERE.
Note from Erin: To learn more about essential oils, I am hoping to take the Essential Oils and Natural Health eCourse from Vintage Remedies! Vintage Remedies is a widely-known, reputable source of natural and alternative health education.
Have you made any of these common essential oil mistakes? What have you learned about essential oils that you can pass on to other users?
Lea Harris is a Certified Aromatherapist who blogs at LearningAboutEOs.com. Get her FREE ebook, “Using Essential Oils Safely” by subscribing to the newsletter.
Lisa Bertolini
Just saw your article on the testing… Lea, you removed the labels yourself before sending them to the lab? And you (alone?) labeled them by numbers?
I have just a few questions..
How did you decide on which lab to work with?
Who referred you to that lab?
Why not have an American lab test them?
I think having a lab test them is smart.. kudos to your team of donors for investing so much money in that… how much do they charge per batch and how much is shipping?
I’m not meaning to be disrespectful in any way, but I know a bit about ethics when it comes to 3rd party testing. The most ethical results are when someone who pays for the testing has verifiable witnesses as to which bottle number goes to which company’s label. And typically, it’s done by people who have nothing to gain (monetarily) for the results of the testing. For example… a man who tests a sample of mold in his own court case cannot submit that test result in court as evidence. It’s biased. There needs to be proof (from the 3rd party) as to where the sample came from.
I can see by your blogs that you have done a lot of writing, I know how time consuming that is. I understand the investment into an online school (or school of any kind), I understand the importance of representing a company name. So I’m not intending to be unfair at all with my questions. As a consumer, it’s important to me to know what I’m getting into when making purchases, especially when it could affect my family’s health. I’m taking in everything that you’re saying..and at the same time..as a consumer, I do my own fact checking anytime someone professes to be revealing myths or proclaiming truths. Especially when they have the potential to profit from their findings.
Thank you for your time and consideration in addressing my questions.
Lea Harris, Learning About EOs
Great questions! You asked:
1) Lea, you removed the labels yourself before sending them to the lab? And you (alone?) labeled them by numbers?
ANSWER: The first two rounds we did, I videoed me opening the original bottles and pouring them into tiny sample bottles (first round, where we only needed 2ml), and then larger bottles (we needed 10ml for the Tea Tree as it involved more extensive testing). I did label them myself and videoed myself doing it. Peppermint samples I sent in original bottles so there would be no question of tampering.
2) How did you decide on which lab to work with? Who referred you to that lab?
Why not have an American lab test them?
ANSWER: We first used Dr. Pappas (US) for the Myrrh testing. Our second round involved more extensive testing, the cost of which we were unprepared for. I heard about a lab in France via Aromahead, and they were highly recommended by many in the aromatherapy world who also use his services. His fees were affordable, and so we went with him for round two, and then again for our current round (#3).
3) How much do they charge per batch and how much is shipping?
The cost depends on the type of testing. Tea Tree Oil needed more tests run, so the samples cost around $160 each. Peppermint was about $96 a sample. Shipping was $25 flat rate.
4) I’m not meaning to be disrespectful in any way, but I know a bit about ethics when it comes to 3rd party testing. The most ethical results are when someone who pays for the testing has verifiable witnesses as to which bottle number goes to which company’s label. And typically, it’s done by people who have nothing to gain (monetarily) for the results of the testing. For example… a man who tests a sample of mold in his own court case cannot submit that test result in court as evidence. It’s biased. There needs to be proof (from the 3rd party) as to where the sample came from.
RESPONSE: This is why we are performing 3rd party testing. LAEO is made of consumer who want to be sure they money they are spending is not wasted. If the results return that a company is adulterating or selling poor quality essential oils, we want to know. If a $10 bottle passes just as well as a $50 bottle, we want to know. We have had a company or two, as well as company reps, donate towards the testing, but they are not involved in the labeling. Only I am. Round 3, the results of which I would have ANY day, we sent the bottles “as is” so no one could say they were tampered with.
5) I can see by your blogs that you have done a lot of writing, I know how time consuming that is. I understand the investment into an online school (or school of any kind), I understand the importance of representing a company name. So I’m not intending to be unfair at all with my questions. As a consumer, it’s important to me to know what I’m getting into when making purchases, especially when it could affect my family’s health. I’m taking in everything that you’re saying..and at the same time..as a consumer, I do my own fact checking anytime someone professes to be revealing myths or proclaiming truths. Especially when they have the potential to profit from their findings.
RESPONSE: This is good practice! I am the same way. Always checking motives and wondering if I can REALLY believe what I am reading. This is totally why I started doing this 3rd party testing, so I would not have to take the work of a company or its rep on whether the oil is “pure” or not – but testing in this manner has revealed many companies who have oils that pass compliance. We are made to feel by certain companies that there are only one or two who are good quality – and of course those are the pricey ones! I am thrilled that our tests have revealed price doesn’t always indicate quality. As I am personally not a rep, I have no potential to profit from the findings one way or the other.
I hope I sufficiently answered your questions! If not, please feel free to ask for clarifications 🙂
Lisa Bertolini
Thank you, Lea. I appreciate your response. I also appreciate the consistent pursuit of the 3rd party testing. I’d just like to encourage the process of getting the samples to a lab, because it’s very easy to be suspicious of tampering. A YouTube video isn’t the best way to instill a strong ethical process. Another suggestion, if I may…to teach consumers what the results are actually saying. Reading lab results doesn’t come naturally to a lot of people.
Lea Harris, Learning About EOs
The chemist we are using is pretty clear in his results, which I am thankful for 🙂 Also, the more education I get, the better I am at interpreting results!
Tabeyah
Not used to essential oils, but sweat contains fat, so the fact that water also comes out in sweat shouldn’t reduce the potential for an oily substance to be absorbed just because fat and water don’t mix.
But it is an interesting thought: feet do have thick skin (but less so on babies if you need to use it on them). I was trying to figure out if diluted oregano oil goes best on the chest or feet for cold, bronchitis type thing.
Dick
Well I can tell you didn’t research your own topic. You had mentioned something about essential oil consumption might later lead to ulcers? Ulcers is caused by a bacteria called H. Pylori. You can’t get it from anything else but that. It has nothing to do with spicy foods either. You lost credibility with just that one comment.
Sandra G Wallace, DAHom, Master NES pracitioner
Wow. As a natural healthcare practitioner, homeopathic practitioner, Master NES practitioner, I’ll have to say through my research~but most importantly through the results of my clients health~that a good “quality”~NON adulterated oil has a huge impact on a person’s immune system’s “body-field”. Even as of today, I had a client’s pituitary gland that would not test “on” until I put a combination of oils on her pituitary “point”. When I did, the pancreas turned on as well as her other glands. I also applied the oil Harmony to her feet to pull the electricity all the way through the pituitary until I had a complete connection. Her body responded immediately & she got off the table a new person.
It’s important for you to let your readers know that the school of thought is very strictly the English style. This is their “belief” of allergic reactions, no detoxing, no entering into the cells. I, however, have had health improvements in scores of clients by administering by The German & French techniques. There are other schools of thought and much research to prove the effectiveness of using the oils each way that you claim is a myth.
Having said this, you will also have to take in consideration a person’s emotional state~as to how the oils will impact a person’s response to the oils. You can NOT separate emotional from physical. A good quality, good processed oil that still has the molecules intact will be able to cross the blood/brain barrier in a way that nothing else is able to do. That’s why chemo cannot reach brain cancer. The molecules need to be kept intact in order for it to cleanse, decode and recode a cell.
Hope this helps you as you educate yourself and others on your journey.
Lisa Bertolini
Sandra,
I *really* appreciate your input. I agree that healing involves mental health. I incorporate aromatherapy into my counseling sessions now and in my home with great results.
Although I can’t really say one way or another on your testimony about your client’s improvement (my lack of knowledge), I do hope there’s a way for you to include your findings to any medical journals you can get them into. I’ve been to a naturopath for some issues and I was amazed at the results. It’s exciting to see this field opening up more.
Laura L
Thanks for sharing this! Very informative and glad that people are seeing that there is so much more to getting a pure essential oil then just believing a sales person and marketing gimmicks.
Lisa Bertolini
Just a thought about the feet…
http://ceaccp.oxfordjournals.org/content/7/5/171.full
“The application of medications to the skin to ease ailments is a practice that has been utilized by humankind over the millennia and has included the application of poultices, gels, ointments, creams, and pastes. ”
“The thickness of the epidermis varies from 0.06 mm on eyelids to 0.8 mm on the soles of the feet.”
Birth Control and Nicotine can both be absorbed directly through the skin so why would essential oil not be absorbed?
Lea Harris, Learning About EOs
EOs are absorbed through the skin – but as you have pointed out, the skin of our feet is thicker than skin elsewhere, so it’s a poor choice for absorption.
It’s like having a built-in safety measure, right? 😉
But seriously, if you are rubbing something in your feet to help your cold, it would be more effective to diffuse it or add it to an inhaler and inhale it.
Lisa Bertolini
I’d like to encourage you to study the info in the link I shared. .3mm is the skin in the eyelid… .8mm is the bottom of the foot… 3-5mm is the skin in other locations on the body. .8mm is actually quite thin and is ideal for absorption into the blood stream…that link is from the Oxford Journal.
Another source is:
“All essential oils are characterized by a Dalton weight below 500. This means that all of the wonderful effects associated with essential oils cross quite readily into the bloodstream.” source (Gennaro, AR, Ed., Remington’s Practice of Pharmacy, 20th ed. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2000 p. 836)
I spoke with a massage therapist from the oldest massage school in Orange County, Ca as well as a Hematologist and they both confirm the bottom of the feet to be a location for absorption into the bloodstream.
However, if one has a headache, it makes more sense to apply on the temples as opposed to the feet.
Lea Harris, Learning About EOs
None of the experts I’ve spoken to agree with this, even Robert Tisserand who has researched essential oils and safety more than anyone on the planet.
It is interesting, though! 🙂
Brooke Shambley
Lea Harris, have you researched Robert Tisserand thoroughly? I have been noticing a lot of aromatherapists accepting his teaching while in aromatherapy school without realizing he isn’t who they think he is. While I do believe he has accumulated experience over time, he is not a scientific expert. He does not have formal education in anything to do with science. I appreciate internships, I appreciate apprenticeships, but I do not believe that someone with limited internship/apprenticeship experience is able know everything about essential oils. You will only know what the people before you knew. It’s a great start, but it doesn’t make him a scientific expert.
In addition, I’ve researched some of his research on rosemary oil and peppermint oil. It is lacking. Because premature puppies die when exposed to peppermint essential oil . . . you shouldn’t use these oils on children until age 7? The “science” he provides does not support his recommendations. He gives an example of a child who overdosed and had seizures. The example is completely anecdotal and is not a reason to prevent parents from properly diluting these oils for use on children. If you have his book, look it up.
Melanie Harris
Lisa Bertolini, I’d like to encourage you to study the info in the link you shared again…..it clearly states that “The thickness of the EPIDERMIS varies from 0.06 mm on eyelids to 0.8 mm on the soles of the feet.” While the “Dermis is the thickest layer of the skin (3–5 mm) “—–These are two different layers of the skin.
That being cleared up… it only makes since that the feet do not use the essential oil MORE EFFICIENTLY then the rest of your body. That doesn’t mean that you cannot still absorb it though, it just means it will not absorb better than a different area. If you are benefiting more from the oil being rubbed on your feet than on the site of the problem, I can only suggest that it is due to the oil absorption and the flex points on your feet being stimulated at the same time.
Sarah
I appreciate your thorough research. What you wrote about the feet being a poor site for absorption into the bloodstream makes perfect sense to me. I sometimes use a calming blend for my kids at night and maybe we’ll switch to diffusion.
Lisa
I do not completely agree with your assessment of the bottoms of the feet not being a good site for absorption. Not only are the soles of your feet much tougher and less sensisitive, also, the soles of the feet and the palms of the hand are the only sites on our body without Sebaceous Glands. Since Sebum is an oily substance it would actually further “shield” the body from absorption of anything. Since the palms and the soles do not secrete sebum, they are more ready to absorb oil. I do agree that you would not want to apply oils on “sweaty” hands or feet. Dry them off first so that the EO is not repelled by the water.
Abby
How do you explain this video? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmfQk8H91Fw, I’m curious to know your thoughts.
Terriell Grimsley
i am interested in having some Essential Oil Blends tested by your Lab, could you share the contact information on how to contact him about this….
Laura
Thank you for helping to spread the word about safe use of EOs. On the one hand, I’m really excited that using essential oils is becoming more mainstream. On the other hand, I worry about the safety of the people who are using EOs based on the recommendations of the IPC from their chosen MLM. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against MLMs, I buy my EOs from one. but I think they make some unsafe recommendations and (like ingestion and using oils neat) I am also frustrated that they claim there are ‘no’ side effects to EOs… that’s a crazy concept, but its a great marketing strategy for targeting people who are burned out on western medicine. So.. thank you. Thanks for trying to stop the spread of misinformation and advocating for safe use.
Garnet
Wow. I do so wish that people would do more research. I haven’t seen Part 1 of the myths, and I’m not really sure that I want to see them…..
Myth #6 – Applying oils to your feet will fix a problem in your head. Stating that something is a myth just based on assumption is very misleading. (“since water and oil do not mix, it’s not very likely that essential oils are absorbed through our sweat glands.” – with emphasis on the “it’s not very likely.) This statement is what the entire myth is being based upon, and it is simply not correct. And you even said yourself that the skin on the feet is thick. Yes, it is. But it is also very porous and contains many nerve endings. These nerve endings absorb the oils and thus transmit them throughout the body and to the place of need – even if it IS in the head. Have you never had your pediatrician tell you to put Vick’s vapor rub on your baby’s feet to help chest congestion? Or know of someone who has been told this? If it were about inhaling it and benefiting from it that way, why wouldn’t the pediatrician just tell you to put it on the baby’s chest. You could use much less, as it would be closer to the nose to be inhaled. Ever hear of reflexology? It has to do with the nerve endings in the feet being the neuro pathways to every other part of the body. Try finding someone who has used essential oils for Autism and ADHD on their child. I know someone who uses the oils on her child’s big toe (because that’s the brain center) and has had such incredible results that she has not only been able to actually go out in public with her child, but also on extend family vacations (which was NEVER doable before the oils). So, to debunk the next myth that I feel you are coming up with…It is NOT the placebo effect. An 8 year old child who cannot function or even tell you what is hurting her when she feels bad has NO CONCEPT of the placebo effect and would not just “think ” the oils are helping her when half a dozen medications that were supposed to help did nothing but create other, sometimes worse, symptoms.
Myth #7 – Essential Oils CAN be used as preventatives – when you are using the right oils and the right brands. Why do people drink lemon (the fruit – not oil) in their water? To help flush their endocrine/lymphatic systems. Why do they do that? To be healthier. What does being healthy mean? TO PREVENT ILLNESS AND DISEASE! Why do people take echinacea? To boost their immune systems. Why do they want to boost their immune systems? TO PREVENT ILLNESS AND DISEASE! So, if it’s safe assume that these natural foods/supplements can help in the prevention of illness and disease, why can’t essential oils – that come from the same foods, plants and herbs in a much higher concentration – be used as preventative health care?
Myth #8 – There are some oil brands out there that are physically impossible to be allergic to. For someone to have a legitimate allergic reaction to something, there has to be a protein present. Some essential oil brands – the ones that really are pure – do not have these proteins present, thus being unable to produce an allergic reaction. Yes, a person can have reactions to essential oils, but not allergic reactions. When I use Lemon on my skin neat, it causes redness and itching. But I am not allergic to lemons or the oil.
Myth #9 – You don’t need to know the Latin name of the essential oil you are purchasing – if you are purchasing from the RIGHT company, knowing the different species isn’t as important because the most reputable company includes this on their bottles. Oils that are not safe for internal consumption are not marked as such, so you should have no issues in that area. As for the lavender, there is no need to have 15 brands of lavender on hand because one helps with headaches but another helps with stomachaches. Use brands/companies that have educational sites to which you can refer for help in choosing an oil that will aid your body in healing itself, no matter the ailment. Also keep in mind that not all oils work the same for everyone. Lavender, no matter what species, does not help me with headaches, but ginger does. Lavender also does not help me sleep, by my company’s digestive oil blend knocks me out.
Myth #10 – GC/MS tests are worthless and unnecessary – I agree with this one. The company I use does the tests. And yes, many things determine a plant’s therapeutic properties. The company I use also does not own it’s own farms, thus making finding a sufficient crop for maintaining their standards of purity and efficacy much easier. My company also doesn’t just “buy” the plant material from random farmers. They pay their growers a LIVING WAGE to maintain the farms per their standards. This means that this company alone provides for these growers and does not have them dependent on selling to anyone else to make a living.
Yes, I am enrolled with an essential oil company from whom I get benefits. But if I were writing all of this in hopes of driving people to my site to purchase oils or enroll, I would have mentioned the name of the company in this post. I have not done so because it is not my intention to profit or benefit in any way from this post. The only benefit I will get from this post is the peace of mind that I am able to hopefully educate people about these “myths” and to encourage them to do their own research. www.aromaticscience.com is an excellent website to find education and research on essential oils, and I encourage everyone to visit this site.
Mich
Thank you Garnet! I was reading this myself with some skeptism, particularly the soles of the feet myth as I have had great success with applying oils there myself and with my clients.
Miranda
LOVE THIS REPLY!!! thank you!!!
Angel
I would love to talk with you more about your reply if we could pm somewhere…I loved a lot of what you said and also have other questions
Karen
I was going to leave a lengthy reply but so many have already done that (thank you, Garnet, Sandra, Lisa, Melanie ) I use the EO company that you (Garnet) mentioned as well. I have studied the science & chemistry for about 6 yrs using the text book recommended personally to me by Dr. Robert Pappas for his college classes. I will only add that if you are looking for specific health benefits, chemistry matters! You can see many different variables with diverse & in depth testing procedures once you have determined purity of a specif essential oil (that is only a starting point when determining effectiveness & cost). I am also familiar with the different European schools of thought that have not been updated with the latest scientific findings. I’m sorry that you have gone to so much trouble & expense to open yourself to present & future criticism but, as you can see this is a complex subject. That being said, there is a great need for proper education from credible experts to use these treasures of nature properly & with confidence! Best advise is to order from a company that is transparent in their testing & test results as well as one that is devoted to the science & is used in research by reputable institutions….you won’t find that in the grocery store!
Kal
Totally agree. Thank you for your comment.
Sarah
Application of oils to the feet works because of the reflexology points. The hands too. I have seen my sleep issues disappear by applying certain oils to certain areas on my feet at bedtime. I have been using YL oils since March, including internal use. I have never felt better, in fact I have my health and my life back. Praise God.
Barbara Arrington
I was wondering why not much is mentioned about the Now Foods brand. I buy them and some Doterra products and like them both and they both seem to work pretty well. Also is testing what you have in the cupboard that isn’t already blended with another oil , on a piece of construction paper a good way to test for oneself to see if they are pure?
Bebe
If it’s possible for parasitic worms to enter the body through the soles of the feet (and a little research will reveal that it is quite common!) then why would oils have difficulty with penetration? If you rub a cut clove of garlic on the soles of the feet you will be able to taste the garlic within seconds. I think this post should be revised or removed.
Mariana
I agree with this comment. Essential oils are not true OILS. Very few are OILY. You can’t feel them on the tips of your fingers after a moment or two either. They have absorbed.
Lucinda
question? I found your article on essential oils fascinating, as I am just getting started and want to be effective and frugal at the same time. Where did you find out your information of the different varieties of lavender and what they are used for I would like to know more about that. and other oils as well? I found a web site with the 39 different species but it doesn’t say which species are best for what ailments.
elle salazar
Well apparently, applying oil in your fit won’t solve a problem in your head. But it might divert it while applying most likely, plus there’s the fine scent coming from the oil as a bonus – this is the reason people become calm while having the headache.
Veronica Miller
I was thinking about getting into using the essential oils, but after reading all this info I think it’s just to complicated. Trying to remember all the different names uses, etc. I don’t think I’m going to be doing this.
Thanks for all the information.
Karen
I hope you still don’t feel that way, Veronica! I made many mistakes when I started “playing” with essential oils but, once I really started researching, I found that some companies are just as serious as I was (& still am). So, I followed a few & narrowed it down to one that was putting “their money where their mouth was”. It’s not hard to make decisions about use, once you find a company you can trust. Hope you give EOs another try!