Frequently Asked Questions
Essential oils are highly concentrated aromatic extracts derived from certain plants, trees, grasses, leaves, flowers, needles, twigs, fruit peels, wood and roots. The material is mainly processed by steam distillation, although some is cold-pressed or CO2 extracted.
Essential oils truly have the ability to transform our emotions and support the healing of our bodies. The aroma of pure essential oils has the power to influence the most primal part of your brain. Essential oils are very concentrated and can sometimes be up to 100 times more potent than the fresh herb they were derived from prior to distillation. As a result, many essential oils have the potential to be toxic or skin irritants in undiluted form. Most essential oils must be diluted in proper proportions for effective and safe use.
Robert Tisserand defines Aromatherapy as the controlled use of essential oils to maintain and promote physical, psychological, and spiritual wellbeing. Aromatherapy entails the use of essential oils and other natural aromatics for physical, psychological and spiritual well-being. In addition to essential oils, aromatherapy encourages the use of other complementary natural ingredients, including vegetable oils (also known as carrier oils) and hydrosols.
When used appropriately, essential oils can be ideal for children! We recommend only using essential oils on kids over 5 years old. Children’s systems are more delicate, and they are simply unable to process some essential oils effectively. They can be harmed by the very concentrated chemical constituents found in essential oils.
From ages 5–10, essential oils may be used by diluting them with carrier oils. We recommend a 1-2 percent dilution rate (5–12 drops of essential oil per 1 ounce of carrier). A 5-year-old's recommended dilution would be a 1% (about 5 drops per ounce of carrier; older 8–10-year-olds might be more toward the depending on the child’s height and weight).
Carrier oils, butters, and hydrosols are safe and wonderful for use on any age of child!
Carrier oil is a vegetable oil derived from the fatty portion of a plant, usually from the seeds, kernels or the nuts. Also known as Base Oils, Carrier Oils are mild and nourishing products that help dilute the potency of essential oils so that they may be used safely and without irritation. Common carrier oils are oils such as Coconut oil, Jojoba oil, Sweet Almond oil, or Grapeseed oil. Carriers can come in the form of butters, lotions, oils, gels, salts, clays, or resins and many have therapeutic properties of their own.
Using carrier oil does not diminish the effect of the essential oil.
These are oils that carry the medicinal properties of certain herbs. A Carrier oil is infused with the medicinal herb for a period of time, the plant is strained off, and the remaining oil can be used directly on the skin. The benefit of using an infused oil as opposed to a plain carrier oil is that the infused oil will contain the therapeutic properties of both the carrier oil and the herbs that were infused into the oil.
The undiluted use of any essential oil on the skin can potentially cause irritation or sensitization. This is an allergic reaction in which the immune system responds adversely to essential oils that are otherwise safe and used widely amongst many people. Signs of sensitization include skin rashes, hives, burning sensations, pain, inflammation, tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, and/or anaphylactic shock.
Steps to avoid sensitization:
- Avoid using oils undiluted
- Avoid frequent, long-term use of oil
- Dilute essential oils carefully
- Use caution if you have allergies
- Be cautious if you have sensitive skin
- Do a patch test before using any oil
- Avoid using it on babies and children
“Neat” simply means that the essential oil has not been pre-diluted with carrier or base oil and has not been adulterated. It is either referring to a single essential oil or a blend of undiluted single essential oils.
Although certain oils are deemed safe enough to use topically without carrier oil, we urge caution in doing so. For anyone starting out or anyone just wondering in general, my answer is definitely “Do not apply undiluted essential oils to your skin. Not even Lavender.”
Experienced Aromatherapists who work with an individual client directly may make the recommendation of applying certain oils, for a specified amount of time, in their neat version. Only with extensive experience with essential oils , professional guidance, and a good gauge of the skin type of the person applying the neat oil, would I agree and say yes to this question. Some of the risks of applying essential oils neatly include skin irritation and chemical burns. By far, the most concerning risk is that the person may develop skin sensitization, which is a lifelong consequence that cannot be cured.
Phototoxic oil is an oil that contains a high percentage of constituents called furanocoumarins which may cause an increased skin reaction when the body is exposed to the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Phototoxicity is a chemically-induced skin irritation requiring light (sunlight or tanning beds). It is a type of photosensitivity. The skin response can resemble an exaggerated sunburn. Photosensitivity can best be avoided by staying away from UV light if you use a potentially photosensitizing essential oil in a massage oil or spray, avoiding direct sun exposure of the skin, avoiding direct sunlight for 12 to 24 hours, and covering up the area where the oil has been applied to the skin when going outdoors.
When oxygen, light or heat interact with essential oils, the essential oil begins to deteriorate. This occurs over a period of time. When oils become oxidized, they can cause the essential oil to become irritating to the skin. It happens over a period of 1–3 years with oils high in monoterpenes, phenols, and oxides, and more slowly with the other chemical families.
We do not generally recommend essential oil usage for women who are pregnant in the first trimester, or who are nursing. Essential oils should be used very cautiously during this time, and at a 1% dilution. As with any medical condition, it is strongly recommended that, prior to use of essential oils, you seek the advice and recommendation of a competent, Aromatherapist or trained health care advisor who is experienced in Essential Oil usage during pregnancy.
The following oils SHOULD NOT be used during pregnancy or nursing.
(Tisserand and Young, 2014). Please note that this is not a complete list.
- Birch
- Blue Cypress
- Carrot Seed
- Cassia
- Cinnamon Bark
- Clary Sage
- Fennel
- Myrrh
- Oregano
- Sage
- Vitex
- Wintergreen
Essential Oils To Use With Caution When Pregnant or Nursing
The following oils should be used with caution during pregnancy and breastfeeding (Tisserand and Young, 2014). Please note that this is not a complete list.
- Lemon Basil
- Lemongrass
- Lemon Tea Tree
- Litsea
- Melissa
Refrigerating your hydrosols is a great idea! Hydrosol is the water-soluble component that is derived from the steam distillation of leaves, seeds, flowers, berries, barks and roots of herbs and plants. They are also called Herbal distillates, floral waters or hydrolates. These Hydrosols can be used in skin care, cosmetics, soothing skin irritations, or medicine.
If you wish, hydrosols can be frozen. Remember, though, that hydrosols and liquids alike expand up to 10 percent when frozen, which could possibly result in a broken glass bottle.
All of Earth’s Own Essentials oils are either certified organic, wild-crafted, or organically crafted. All of our oils and natural aromatherapy products are free of chemicals, herbicides, and pesticides. This supports the health and vitality of the soil, the plant, and therefore the essential oil itself. We do not add any bases, carriers, paraffin, or additives to any of our oils.
No pesticides, synthetic chemicals, herbicides, GMO’s, harmful chemicals or fertilizers are ever used during any stage of the growing or distillation process by our suppliers or distillers. We guarantee that all USDA food/product safety guidelines are followed by our suppliers.
At Earth’s Own Essentials, Honesty and Integrity are words we live by!
When you purchase a bottle of essential oil from Earth’s Own Essentials, you are paying for the oil and making a very modest profit. We are an e-commerce, direct-selling company. Other sites may increase their rates phenomenally due to the large overhead costs and profit margins they incur. We have no middlemen, and we don’t sell wholesale. Our desire is to offer oils of the highest quality that are available and affordable for everyone.
Many essential oils do not have expiration dates. Some oils actually get better with age. Other oils, like cold-pressed citrus oils (Grapefruit, Sweet Orange, Lemon, and lime), and some pine oils have a much shorter shelf life and may expire in about 6 months to one year.
To get the full expected shelf life out of your oils, proper storage is important. Exposure to light, heat, and air can accelerate the oxidization process. Here are a few simple guidelines for storing your oils properly:
- Store in a cool and dark location.
- Keep the bottles tightly closed.
- If a small amount of oil remains in a large bottle, transfer it to a smaller bottle to reduce the risk of oxidization.
- Store essential oils in dark-colored glass bottles only. Carriers and carrier blends can be stored in PET plastic containers.
This is a device used by analytic chemists to determine the precise make-up of a given substance. GCMS testing is used in Aromatherapy to determine the precise chemical constituents of an essential oil, and whether it is pure or adulterated with synthetic chemicals or other products. GC/MS stands for Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometry. In simple terms, a GC/MS separates an essential oil into individual chemical components.
Please feel free to contact us directly with any special requests you may have. We are often able to accommodate special orders. If not, we would be happy to personally recommend other reputable resources for carrier oils and other aromatherapy products.