An essential oil looks harmless: a small bottle, a pleasant smell, a couple of drops. Inside, though, is a concentrate where one drop equals a handful of raw plant material, and the more the better is a poor way to handle it. Below are the rules we go through during a selection, gathered in one place.
1. On the skin and through inhaling, not by mouth
In our practice oils are used two ways: inhaled, and applied to the skin diluted. We do not recommend taking essential oils internally, even when the bottle looks like a food product. It is a concentrate, and internal use calls for indications, dosage and a specialist of an entirely different kind.
2. Dilute in a carrier oil
Neat oil is almost never applied straight to the skin. The usual proportion for the body is one or two drops of essential oil per teaspoon of carrier: almond, jojoba, coconut. For the face the concentration is lower, for a spot application higher, and that is worked out separately for the task.
Oil is not dripped straight into a bath either. It does not dissolve in water, it gathers as a film on the surface and reaches the skin as a concentrate. Mix it first with a carrier oil, sea salt or milk, and only then add it to the water.
3. Test a small patch first
A new oil is worth testing before it lands on a large area of skin. Put a drop of the finished blend on the inner elbow and wait a day. Redness, itching or burning mean this oil is not for you, and another one is chosen.
4. Remember the sun
Citrus oils and bergamot raise the skin's sensitivity to ultraviolet light. After applying them to exposed skin it is better to stay out of strong sun and away from a solarium for about twelve hours. In summer the rule is easier to keep if the blend goes on at night.
5. Protect eyes and mucous membranes
If oil gets into an eye, rinsing with water is useless: oil and water do not mix. A carrier oil or milk on a cotton pad helps, and if the burning persists you need a doctor. Wash your hands after handling bottles so nothing is carried onto your face.
6. Children separately
Children need their own oils and their own concentration, and the list of suitable ones is shorter than for adults. Mint, eucalyptus and camphor oils are not used with small children. Age, dosage and method are worked out during the selection, and bottles are kept where a child cannot reach them.
7. Pregnancy and long-term conditions
With pregnancy, breastfeeding, epilepsy, asthma, high blood pressure or regular medication, the choice of oils narrows. Here we ask you to speak with your doctor first, and we build the selection around that answer. Essential oils do not replace what is prescribed and do not cancel treatment.
8. Pets are their own subject
Cats tolerate essential oils worse than people and dogs: their liver handles some compounds differently. A diffuser in a room the animal cannot leave is better switched off. The simple rule is that a pet should always be able to walk into a room without scent in it.
9. Storage
Oils are kept in dark glass, tightly closed, away from light and heat. A kitchen shelf above the stove is the worst place, a cupboard shelf or a drawer will do. Citrus oils live shorter lives than the rest, roughly a year after opening, so it helps to write the opening date on the bottle.
10. Less, and more regularly
A bigger dose does not make the effect stronger. More often it does the opposite: the head feels heavy and the smell starts to irritate. Three to five drops per room and twenty minutes of diffuser time are usually enough. Regularity gives more than quantity, and that holds for every method.
The room where a diffuser has been running is worth airing. A long scent in a closed room dulls the sense of smell, and a person stops noticing it while adding more drops. Twenty minutes of work and an open window afterwards give more than a diffuser left on all evening.
How to tell a good oil
The label should carry the botanical name in Latin, the country of origin, the extraction method and a batch number. The words fragrance oil or nature identical mean what you are holding is not an essential oil. We work with Oshadhi and are the official representative of the brand in Latvia: every bottle has a known origin and extraction method, and the quality is backed by certificates.
What to do if a reaction appears anyway
Remove the residue with a carrier oil, then with soap and water, and set that oil aside for a while. A skin reaction usually passes on its own, but if it grows or breathing becomes difficult, see a doctor. Essential oils do not treat anything and do not replace a doctor's consultation. This is work with how you feel, not with illness.
Where to start
The easier start is not ten bottles but two or three for one task: sleep, calm, focus. A set like that comes together during a selection, when your state and your reaction to scent are both in front of us.
Have a look at the service page: it describes how a session works and what the price includes.