In my experience, there are four types of essential oil users.
The first person is the daily essential oil user who wears this habit as a badge of honor. They use essential oils for everything and have a suggestion for every sneeze or scratch. They love their oils and aren’t afraid to show it.
The second person is extremely cautious about essential oils and takes safety seriously. You will usually see these people say statements like, “You should NEVER”. It is absolutely true that there are some “never” situations. For example, you should never expect an essential oil to mend your broken bone. These people are well-intentioned and are trying to educate others in essential oil safety because mainstream education has brainwashed so many into thinking what is natural is automatically safe. But sometimes their statements instill fear in someone who could benefit from essential oil use.
Then there is the person who is just plain confused. They are inquisitive and eager to learn but feel lost. We have all been beginners at some point and thought “I’ll never understand this”. Let’s be real, aromatherapy is complex, even to the advanced user. If someone, even a professional aromatherapist, says they know everything about essential oils, smile and nod, step back slowly, and make it a point to never listen to that person again. They are lying to you. NO ONE knows everything about essential oils. So don’t feel bad if you are confused. We are all still learning.
Finally, there is the balanced person. This person knows when to use essential oils and when they aren’t appropriate. They know how to use them and want to gently guide others to learn too. They understand that they don’t know everything but know enough to want to help themselves, their families, and others.
I have been all four of these people in my aromatherapy journey. I was one person before attending my first aromatherapy school, one person attending my first aromatherapy school, another after attending different aromatherapy schools, and one after years of schooling and experience.
Do you want to be the fourth person? If so, read on.
Let’s start with this question. It’s one that is asked often.
Should you use essential oils every day?
The truth is that there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to everyday use. Let’s look at different situations where essential oils are an option so you can find out if you should use them or not. (Please note that this is general advice for the healthy adult user. When utilizing essential oils with babies, children, pregnancy, breastfeeding, or adults with major medical issues, there are more restrictions.)
1. Diffusing every day- First of all, what is your purpose for this? To make your house smell nice? To support your immune system? To uplift your mood? Know your intention.
There is no need to diffuse all day, every day. Continuous diffusing will not keep you healthier. What keeps you healthier is proper nutrition, hydration, exercise, sleep, and being in fresh air. Those who suggest constant diffusion want you to use up your oils quickly so you buy more. If you are diffusing with a specific purpose, intermittent diffusing is more effective.
Secondly, I have read that others say that you should never diffuse without a therapeutic purpose. Well, sometimes, I just want to smell something to uplift my spirits, bring back a good memory, or I want to make my house smell better. As long as you are aware that diffusing oils is more than "just a pretty smell", then you are fine. Just make sure to diffuse oils that are safe around children and pets if you have them.
Don’t forget though that there are also other natural ways to make your house smell nice. I’m a big fan of simmering cinnamon sticks, cloves, and oranges in a pot. This mesmerizing aroma travels throughout my entire house and makes my kids run to the kitchen thinking I’m knee deep into creating lavish baked goods. Put a bag of lavender flowers in drawers or random places in your house that smell off. Open a window. Cook or bake.
Are you congested and need to open up your sinuses? Please diffuse, do a steam inhalation, or use an aroma stick to breathe easier. Are you overstressed and can’t sleep because your mind is racing? Diffuse to relax, make a pillow spray, take a deep inhale from the bottle. These are situations where essential oil use is encouraged and warranted.
2. Topical Use- I use essential oils topically if there is an acute issue I can “touch”. I enjoy running and can get sore muscles on occasion (especially after running up hills...ouch). I will use essential oils to ease my sore muscles. I will use them for the occasional headache. I will use them for the bruise I inevitably get by running into my footboard on a regular basis. (You would think I would know it is there by now. 🙄)
But if you have a chronic issue and use them every day to minimize this issue, you need to ask yourself this. Am I really getting to the root of the issue? Am I doing other things to deal with this chronic issue? I hate to tell you this but most likely your chronic issue is not being solved by essential oils. They are managing your symptoms.
If you need essential oils to manage your pain in order to function daily until you can address the root problem, then your benefit outweighs your risk. Just be sure to dilute properly, be cautious of highly-sensitizing essential oils, and switch out your essential oils every so often.
Are you wanting to use essential oils to make yourself smell good? Try switching it up between natural perfumes, hydrosols (admittingly not the strongest nor longest-lasting fragrance but sometimes less is more) and diffusing jewelry.
3.Facial/wash-off products- Washing your face daily with products that contain essential oils is usually not an issue. Just make sure you trust the company and if irritation occurs, stop using it.
4. Bath products- These products hold more of a risk than facial products. It requires proper methodology, formulation, and the absence of skin-sensitizing essential oils. I could do an entire post about this but instead I will direct you to two different articles about it. This is an excellent article from the Tisserand Institute giving guidelines about bath safety. This is an article regarding sensitization from overuse of a bath product.
Now here are the questions you need to ask yourself in all of these situations before daily use of essential oils.
Am I supporting sustainability? Please know that essential oils take a lot of plant matter. They are powerful and should be respected. They are not collectables. Please limit your use of endangered essential oils unless necessary.
Do I know the risks? There are essential oils that are gentler and some that have a lot of safety considerations. Be sure to know the difference.
Is there a better option? Just because essential oils are a natural option, doesn’t mean they are your only option. Drink that herbal tea to aid in your digestion. Use those flower essences for additional emotional support. Inhale that essential oil to support your mental acuity. There are so many options. Be open to them all!
Are the essential oils really working? What works for Mary in her blog may not necessarily work for you. You are a wholistic being. Some modalities will resonate with your body and some won’t. If it’s not working, don’t feel like you have to continue using them because others have said it worked for them.
Remember, aromatherapy is not a “this oil for this issue” type of natural healing. What works for you may take some time and education to figure out. That’s ok! Enjoy the process. You will never regret the time you spent making yourself healthier and happier.
