Essential Oils 101

Proverbs 31:27 "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."

I LOVE ESSENTIAL OILS!! This has certainly been a recent, new world for me, but I am loving it so far!!

These little bottles are power packed with properties that can kill germs, be great for your homemade cleaners, fragrance your home and laundry, be bug deterrents, first aid helps, and can even persuade your moods! And that's just the tip of the iceberg!

I have quite a little library started, and I'm nuts about all of them! But my all time favorite must be Lavender.

It just does everything. Has all the right properties. Is gentle to my skin. And is just... GREAT! : ) Not that I'm biased or anything, but this one is a must for any collection!

Now that I have hopefully gotten you all excited about EO and wanting more, I want to make sure that I start out these EO posts first by covering some basic safety tips. DO NOT go run out and by tons of oils without researching each one. Some of these oils can be dangerous if not properly researched and handled!

Check out this website here for several detailed descriptions about the oils and some of their properties.

Below is a very general guideline about EO safety: (also found here)

Essential Oil Safety

Essential oils are very concentrated. Their safe use requires they be treated with care and respect. The user should be knowledgeable about their properties and actions before any use. Most personal applications require drops rather than ounces.

* Always read and follow all label warnings and cautions

* Keep oils tightly closed and out of the reach of children

* Never ingest essential oils

* Don't use undiluted oils on your skin (Dilute with vegetable oils such as sweet almond oil or grapeseed oil (not GSE))

* 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 oils immediately.

* 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.

Oils to Avoid During Pregnancy

bitter almond, basil, clary sage, clove bud, hyssop, sweet fennel, juniper berry, marjoram, myrrh, peppermint, rose, rosemary, sage, thyme and wintergreen

Skin Irritants

allspice, bitter almond, basil, cinnamon leaf, cinnamon bark, clove bud, sweet fennel, fir needle, lemon, lemongrass, melissa, peppermint, tea tree and wintergreen

EO's really are wonderful. They can change the way you keep your home, and make it a much safer place by taking out all of the chemicals and such...

Next will be some more of my favorites, where to purchase (to keep from spending an arm and a leg), and some recipes to use in your home!

Hope you enjoy these gems as much as I do!!

~Page