What You Need to Know About Essential Oil Reactions

That cool, perhaps slightly tingly sensation you feel when you run a peppermint oil roller on your wrist is what makes oils like peppermint so helpful when you have a headache. That same tingling sensation is the same reason you always use a carrier oil and rarely use oils neat (without a carrier oil).
 
Essential oils are concentrated oil extracts from plants. Because they are highly concentrated, they can cause sensitivities or skin reactions, especially when used without blending into a carrier oil first.
 
To help you avoid strong reactions to essential oils, we’ve put together a list of things you should know to prevent essential oil reactions.
 
Sha Faun’s Tips for Avoiding Essential Oils Reactions
 
1.         Many, if not most, essential oils require dilution with a carrier oil.
When buying essential oils, you should always check the labels to see if you’re using pure or pre-blended oils (meaning they already have a carrier oil). When using essential oils with your kiddos, be extra cautious and use more carrier oil than you would with yourself. Their young skin is not war-torn and aged like ours, and they are more sensitive to most things, not just essential oils.
 
2.         Be aware of photoreactive oils.
Some oils react strongly when exposed to light, especially sunlight. Many citrus oils are photoreactive, meaning they will cause an almost sunburn-like reaction on your skin after exposure to the sun. Here at Sha Faun Enterprises, we light to stick to using those more photoreactive oils in the evenings so, by the time we wake up, we’re safe to go out into the sun!
 
3.         Use only high-quality oils.
 
Essential oils have grown so much in popularity that you can find them on the shelves of many stores. But not all essential oils are the same. Lower-quality ingredients, fillers, and synthetic fragrances plague essential oil shelves, and you must be careful by reading the labels before buying. Look for trusted brands like Young Living that use only the highest-quality ingredients sourced from trusted relationships that Young Living has built over the years. The labels should always include the scientific name of the plants the oil is derived from and not much else as far as ingredients go.
 
4.         Test your skin for sensitivity.
 
As excited as we are to have you join us on this essential oil journey, no two bodies are the same. What works for our skin could cause irritation or sensitivity to your or your children’s skin. Always patch-test a small amount of your recipe somewhere, like the inside of your elbow, before slathering an oil roller all over yourself. As you use more and more oils, you’ll figure out if you’re sensitive to any and be able to avoid those oils. While true allergies might be rare, they can and do happen — these are botanical compounds, after all.
 
5.         If you experience a reaction, don’t reach for water.
 
Oil and water don’t mix, meaning water won’t do a very good job diluting an essential oil if you experience a reaction, such as a mild tingling or burning sensation. Instead, grab your carrier oil or your bottle of olive oil from your kitchen cabinet to dilute the essential oils on your skin.
 
As the say goes, “Too much of a good thing is still too much.” Essential oils complement your home, health, and beauty routines, but we want you to know all the information so you can use Young Living essential oils safely to get the best results.
 
For more ways to learn about Young Living essential oils, start your journey with us today!