Getting Started With Oils
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| 47 Ways to use Essential Oils | Oils and Their Magickal Traits |
| Oil Blends | |
Storing, Handling And Using Essential Oils
by Mireille Gautschi
Pure essential oils are a natural product and contain no preservatives or additives. A few of them can also be quite dangerous if not handled correctly. Some basic procedures should therefore be observed in order to ensure safety but also the quality of the oils in storage.
Storing essential oils:
Many Essential Oils are flammable and/or act as strong solvents. Eucalyptus Oil for example can be used to remove glue from old stickers or to strip paint.
Essential Oils are best stored in amber glass bottles with a tight lid. It is also advisable to fit bottles that don't have a dripolator (orifice reducer) with a child proof cap for safety reasons.
Sun light (UV) and high temperatures are the main enemies of essential oils. Amber glass bottles offer good protection from UV. Essential Oil containers are best kept in a dark, cool place with temperature fluctuations kept to a minimum. Keep essential oils safely locked away from children at all times.
Stored at low temperatures, some oils will tend to solidify. This is no cause for alarm as they will turn liquid again once they reach room or in some cases body temperature. Most likely to solidify are the absolutes, vanilla, rose otto and fennel.
Under good conditions essential oils can be stored for periods of 6 months to several years. Some oils like myrrh, sandalwood, frankincense and patchouli will even improve or "mature" with age, very similar to a good wine.
The shortest shelf life have all citrus oils with grapefruit generally being the first to deteriorate. Once these oils start to turn cloudy or smell rancid they should be disposed of.
Handling and using essential oils:
When taking essential oils from the bottle, avoid contaminating the oil. Don't touch the top of the bottle or the inside of the lid. If you are using pipettes to transfer the oils, try to obtain disposable ones that you can throw away after use. Never use the same pipette for different oils. Used pipettes can also be stored for a short time in clip-seal plastic bags to use again later.
Avoid contact of essential oils with the skin as they can cause irritation. Using latex gloves and wearing protective glasses is recommended when handling essential oils.
Essential oils must never be used internally. For application to the skin, dilute the essential oil with a good quality carrier oil e.g. jojoba, almond or olive oil. 3% essential oil with 97% carrier oil is a safe ratio.
Diffusers and oil lamps need only 2-3 drops of essential oil to scent a room for many hours. The cup on the oil lamp should be 3/4 filled with clean water, add to it the 2-3 drops of essential oil. Only then light the candle in the burner. Remember some essential oils are highly flammable, so be careful when using an essential oil lamp.
Observe these points and you will get a lot of enjoyment out of your essential oils.
Essential Oil Tips
Essential oils are distilled from plant leaves, flowers, roots, seeds, barks and resins, or are expressed from the rinds of citrus fruits. It generally takes at least 50 pounds of plant material to make one pound of essential oil (for example, a pound of rosemary oil requires sixty-six pounds of herb), but the ratio is sometimes astonishing - it takes 2,300 pounds of rose flowers to make a single pound of oil!
Because they contain no fatty acids, essential oils are not susceptible to rancidity like vegetable oils - but protect them from the degenerative effects of heat, light and air, store them in tightly sealed, dark glass bottles away from any heat source. Properly stored oils can maintain their quality for years. (citrus oils are less stable and should not be stored longer than six months after opening.
Safety Tips
Essential oils are very concentrated, so it's important to handle them with care. Please read these cautions carefully
Always read and follow all label warnings and cautions. Keep oils tightly closed and out of the reach of children. Never consume undiluted oils. Cook only with those oils approved for food use.
Don't use undiluted oils on your skin. (Dilute with a carrier oil). Skin test oils before using. Dilute a small amount and apply to the skin on your inner arm. Do not use if redness or irritation occurs. Keep oils away from eyes and mucous membranes. If redness, burning, itching, or irritation occur, stop using oil immediately.
Avoid use of these oils during pregnancy: bitter almond; basil; clary sage; clove bud; hyssop; sweet fennel; juniper berry; marjoram; myrrh; peppermint; rose; rosemary; sage; thyme; and wintergreen.
These oils can be especially irritating to the skin: allspice; bitter almond; basil; cinnamon leaf; cinnamon bark; clove bud; sweet fennel; fir needle; lemon; lemongrass; melissa; peppermint; tea tree; wintergreen. In addition, angelica and all citrus oils make the skin more sensitive to ultraviolet light. Do not go out into the sun with these oils on your skin.
Sweet Fennel, hyssop, sage and rosemary should not be used by anyone with epilepsy. People with high blood pressure should avoid hyssop, rosemary, sage and thyme.
Using Essential Oils
Body Care
You can have fun and save money by creating your own body care products. Treat your skin to the benefits of lavender, chamomile, rosemary, geranium and sandalwood by adding a few drops of the desired fragrance to a bottle of your favorite skin cleanse, moisturizer, mask or toner.
Give your self a hair treatment by putting a teaspoon of rosemary (for dark hair) or chamomile (for light hair) in a 12-ounce bottle of shampoo or conditioner. For a montly treatment blend a half teaspoon of rosemary (or chamomile) and lavender oils into 4 ounces of jojoba oil. Apply sparingly at night to your scalp and hair. (Store leftover blend in the refrigerator) Wash your hair thoroughly the next morning and enjoy the extra body and highlights the essential oils give.
Blending your own massage oils is easy. Just combing your favorite scents (1-3%) with vegetable base oils such as sweet almond, grapeseed, or apricot kernal.
Scent Crafting
Try your hand at perfuming! Experiment by combining your favorite essential oils - one drop at a time - with high proof vodka (or Everclear if you can find it). Use blotting paper to test each blend. As you approach your fragrance goal, begin testing on your own skin to create a personalized scent.
Use essential oils to blend your own potpourri fragrances, and to scent air fresheners, candles and sachets. Or try two or three drops in the rinse water when hand washing clothes. With an understanding of basic techniques and precautions, the possibilities are as unlimited as your imagination.
Cooking
Because of their consistent flavoring and easy storage, essential oils are often used in food manufacturing. Home cooks can enjoy these same advantages. An essential oil provides the characteristic flavor and aroma of a cooking spice, but will maintain its quality longer. Essential oils also disperse more easily in liquid ingredients.
Use them sparingly - one drop replaces a teaspoon of dried herb or spice. To improve mixing add essential oils to liquid ingredients rather than dry. Note that not all essential oils are for internal consumption. Always check to make sure the oil you're using is suitable for cooking before adding it.
The recipes are provided for informational purposes alone and any use of these items is done solely at the discretion and risk of the individual using them. No claims or guarantees are made as to their effectiveness or safety. If you choose to use any oil here on the skin it would be wise to first apply a small amount to the inside of your elbow and wait 24 hours to check for reactions.
Oils fall under the influence of Scorpio, Pisces, or Cancer. Use Cancer to begin a project; Scorpio to "fix" or set in place; and Pisces to change a situation.
Most oils are merely mixed in a dark glass bottle by adding the essential oils and/or herbs to the container and then filling with carrier oil.
| Select one of the following links below to read more on oils. | |
| 47 Ways to use Essential Oils | Oils and Their Magickal Traits |
| Oil Blends | |
