by Kelly Morris

Created on: August 30, 2008

Aromatherapy is an extremely safe healing modality. It can be safely practiced by individuals in their homes with a modicum of knowledge and care. It is safe to use for most people and in conjunction with most other forms of therapy, including most medications. That said, there are some safety guidelines that should be followed.

Essential oils are highly concentrated substances and should not be applied directly to the skin. Most will cause irritation if applied directly to the skin, many will cause rashes, and some will cause nasty "burns." They should be diluted in a carrier or base oil instead. Common carrier oils include almond, apricot kernel, avocado, borage, flaxseed, grapeseed, hazelnut, jojoba, kukui nut, sesame, sunflower, and walnut oils. If an essential oil does come in direct contact with the skin, use a carrier oil to dilute it. It will be hard to wash off because the oils are not water-soluble. Diluting it with a carrier oil will work better than trying to wash or wipe it off your skin.

The following essential oils are known to be especially irritating to the skin: basil, bergamot, black pepper, cinnamon leaf, clove, grapefruit, lemon, lemongrass, lime, mandarin, orange, peppermint, rosemary, spearmint, and tangerine. Use them in small amounts at first, to see how you tolerate them. If any irritation to the skin does occur as a result of the essential oils, you can apply lavender essential oil directly to the skin (this is an exception to the rule about no oil directly on the skin) to soothe the irritation. Applying a carrier oil to the affected skin may also help.

If a person has sensitive skin, the number of drops of essential oils in a massage or bath formula can be reduced to make the formula half-strength. You can also perform a skin test to see if there will be a negative reaction to a particular oil. You do it like this: Rub a drop of carrier oil on the upper chest, and in 12 hours check for redness or any other skin reaction. If all is well, place one drop of an essential oil, diluted in 15 drops of the same carrier oil, on the upper chest. If there is no skin reaction in 12 hours, then both the carrier oil and the essential oil are safe to use. This test is advised for people with lots of allergies, but may also be a good idea for those with very sensitive skin.

Care should be taken when using essential oils during pregnancy. Some of the oils have a stimulating effect on the uterus, which could cause premature labor. Talk to your doctor or a qualified aromatherapy practitioner if you are pregnant and want to use aromatherapy.

You should also talk to your doctor or a qualified aromatherapy practitioner if you have epilepsy. There are a couple of oils that may trigger seizures.

Aromatherapy is safe to use with most medications. Talk to your doctor or a qualified aromatherapy practitioner if you have questions.

Make sure you purchase pure, unrefined oils. Synthetic oils will not have the same health benefits. Ask your supplier to make sure you are getting the real thing.

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