Most essential oils shouldn’t be ingested, and some shouldn’t be used on the skin. Always confirm before using a specific oil that you’re doing so as intended — if you can’t find reliable information on your own, you can call your local poison control hotline, or use the National Capital Poison Center’s website or smartphone app to get general advice on using them safely.
For detailed advice on specific oils, you can also seek out a professional aromatherapist; organizations like the Aromatherapy Registration Council have directories of trained practitioners.
Consider trying one of the following methods of using essential oils for aromatherapy.
Inhalation
Inhalation is an easy way to get the benefits of essential oils. You can use a vapor diffuser to fill the air with fragrance by adding the recommended number of drops of oil to your device. Or you can try an at-home facial with an aromatherapy steam treatment by adding essential oil to a bowl of water that’s hot enough to emit steam — up to six drops of oil per ounce of water — and inhaling with your face near the bowl.
Be careful when it comes to using diffusers, however — essential oils contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that get released into the air; these are known to be harmful to human health. While the long-term effects on the body aren’t known, one study that followed 200 essential oil users over more than a decade found that those who used aromatherapy for more than four hours per day had increased blood pressure and heart rate; those who used essential oils for less than an hour daily didn’t. Diffusers can also harbor mold and bacteria, which may lead to infections, and for this reason, experts often recommend against using them.
You can also try oil-filled nasal inhalers that you hold near your nose and sniff, room sprays, vapor balms, or directly inhaling the scent from a few drops of oil poured on a tissue or a cotton ball.
Use caution if you choose to inhale essential oils, particularly if you’re using undiluted oils, which can cause respiratory irritation. You may experience symptoms such as nasal and throat discomfort, coughing, or even feel short of breath. People with breathing conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma may be especially prone to irritation, and oils can cause allergic reactions when inhaled.
Always use essential oils in a well-ventilated room, make sure to thoroughly clean your diffuser to prevent microbial growth, and follow dilution instructions for the method and the specific oil you’re using, and trust your own body’s response — aromatherapy affects everyone differently. Additionally, make sure your pets are free to leave the area if the scent bothers them.
Applying It to Skin
Many people use aromatherapy oil blends as a massage oil, body moisturizer, or bath oil. You can also apply oil blends using a bottle with a rollerball applicator — some people use this method with essential oils used to treat headaches, congestion, nausea, anxiety, and muscle aches.
While many essential oils can be applied to the skin, some are known to cause irritation and should be avoided, including cinnamon, lemongrass, and clove. Those that can be used on the epidermis almost always need to be diluted in a so-called carrier oil first, even when used in the bath. Only a few essential oils can be applied to skin in very small amounts without dilution, such as lavender and tea tree oils, but caution is warranted.
Oils used as carriers include coconut, sweet almond, rose hip, and grapeseed, among others. Before applying an essential oil formulation to your skin, do a 24-hour patch test first, to confirm you don’t have an allergy or sensitivity. Make sure to only use the recommended number of drops of essential oil and amount of carrier oil to achieve the appropriate level of dilution.
In addition to potentially causing irritation via allergies, sensitivities, or inadequate dilution, some essential oils are photosensitive and react to ultraviolet (UV) light, like sunlight. They can cause second- or third-degree burns when they’re applied to skin that’s then exposed to sunlight. Essential oils such as those derived from citrus, angelica root, and cumin seed are among those known to be photosensitive, but double-check the properties of any oil you use if you’re planning to be in the sun.
