Are you interested in using natural options for health and wellness but have no idea how to use essential oils? I was the same way several years ago. I wanted to use tea tree essential oil for its many benefits, and I loved the smell of lavender, but I was lost as to what to do with that little bottle. Should I put it on my skin, and how much? Drop it somewhere in particular? Did it need a special device to use it safely?
If you have any of those same questions, then this blog is for you. This blog (and video below) will teach you how to use essential oils safely and effectively!
If you’re unfamiliar with essential oils and want to learn more about why to use them and their benefits, read this blog as well.
Top Three Ways to Use Essential Oils
There are 3 main ways to use essential oils: aromatically (inhaled/smell), topically (on your skin), and internally (ingested). However, DO NOT STOP reading here when you see internal use and start ingesting oils from your local drugstore! Internal use requires very specific safety guidelines, so make sure to read that section in detail below before you consume any essential oils.
1. Inhaled (aromatic)
Smelling essential oils is the easiest way to use them and reap the benefits. How does this work? The tiny molecules from the oil travel through your nose to the limbic system in your brain. This part of your brain sends messages to the rest of your body, giving it instruction on how to react, such as “focus”, or “calm down”. Simply inhaling the scent of an oil can have a powerful effect on your mind, body and emotions.
You can use oils aromatically when you are tired and need an energy boost, are struggling to focus, are feeling sad, or even when you’re feeling sick and want to support your immune system. As a doTERRA essential oils Wellness Advocate, I often get asked about oils for stress and anxiety. Inhaling oils such as lavender, Adaptiv or Balance can give you an immediate sense of calm and stress relief!
A few of the ways you can inhale essential oils are:
- Smell directly from an open bottle
- Put a few drops into a diffuser
- Rub a drop between hands or wrists and inhale (aka hand diffuser)
- Put onto a diffuser bracelet
How to Use a Diffuser
Essential oil diffusers come in a variety of types, from nebulizers to passive diffusers to evaporative diffusers. Most beginners will start with either a passive diffuser or an ultrasonic diffuser. A passive diffuser is something like a clay stone (often disguised like a flower or decorative item) that you can set on a surface, reeds that are set in a small glass container, or even a bracelet with lava stones that you can wear.
With a passive diffuser, you will put a few drops of oil onto the item and the scent will typically be very subtle, but it’s convenient for the car or taking to your office.
Ultrasonic diffusers are the most common with beginners. I was intimidated by these when I learned about essential oils, but it turns out they are incredibly simple to use! Ultrasonic diffusers use a small amount of water which you add drops of oils to, then a cover is added and the machine is plugged in and turned on (although some come cordless). Then you simply press a button and a stream of air will continually release into the environment. These diffusers are perfect for replacing candles because they also disperse the aroma into the air until you turn them off or they run out of water, but are much safer than candles which contain toxins.
Diffusers come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and colors and often can be used as a piece of stylish decor in your home. I personally have one in each room, all a different color and style to match the decor. This includes a large portable diffuser from doTERRA that I can easily move around and a small portable option that can fit into a car cup holder for travel.
Here are some diffusers I’ve tried and have found to work well:
2. On Your Skin (topical)
Applying oils topically allows them to absorb into skin for a more potent and targeted effect. They can be used on specific areas like peppermint oil on the back of the neck for head tension, or Deep Blue essential oil on an achy low back for pain relief and reduced inflammation. They can also be put on a general area like the bottoms of the feet ( a less sensitive area of your body) and will reach cells throughout your entire body within about 20 minutes.
A few ways to use essential oils topically:
- Dilute with a carrier oil (like fractionated coconut oil) and apply to bottoms of feet, wrists, chest, stomach, back of neck, back
- Dilute in a roller bottle for easy & mess-free application
- Add to a massage oil
- Rub into specific areas of pain/discomfort (knee, low back, wrist, etc)
- Add to body lotions, face creams and/or facial toners
- Use like a perfume – one drop on wrists or dabbed behind ears and across chest
For both safety and effectiveness, when using oils directly on your skin you should always dilute them in a carrier oil. This creates a barrier between the oil and skin to help prevent skin irritation and makes them easier to spread so they last longer.
Remember that essential oils are HIGHLY potent chemical compounds, so they can cause irritation on sensitive skin. Many of them create a warming sensation (like wintergreen, oregano, cinnamon), a cooling sensation (like peppermint) and even a numbing sensation (like clove). Carrier oils helps protect your skin. The most common carrier oil is fractionated coconut oil, which is a liquid form that doesn’t harden like the coconut oil you use in your kitchen. But you can also use grapeseed oil, almond oil, jojoba oil, apricot oil, even olive oil. Certain oils like fractionated coconut oil or almond oil are generally preferred due to their less greasy feel and have almost no aroma.
Diluting in oil also makes the oil absorb better into your skin and cells. Essential oils are volatile compounds, which means they evaporate very quickly from your skin or in the air. Putting them into a carrier oil reduces that evaporation speed and helps carry the molecules across the skin’s barrier. It also makes them easier to spread across your body. This also makes your oils last longer.
Roller Bottles
One of the easiest and most convenient ways to apply oils safely and without mess is with roller bottles. You can make these yourself or purchase pre-made bottles. These are glass bottles that you can add both essential oil and carrier oil to, then pop on the roller ball top and lid and take with you anywhere. This way it’s always safely diluted and you can simply roll on skin rather than get your hands messy. I personally carry a small case of oils with me wherever I go. This usually includes peppermint oil for pain (like headaches) or cooling down when it’s hot, DigestZen for stomach aches/indigestion, a “pure”fume roller like Citrus Bloom to avoid toxins from perfume, lavender (because it’s good for practically everything), and a calming oil like Adaptiv.
The best places to apply oils for best absorption are: pulse points like wrists, inner ankles and behind ears; stomach, chest and back; and bottoms of the feet where skin is less sensitive. Bottoms of the feet or along the spine are ideal for small children.
How to Use Essential Oils Safely
Always err on the side of caution when you apply oils. Just because they are considered natural and safe doesn’t mean you should use them in large quantities or that they can’t do harm. You can always add more oil if you’re not getting the desired effect, but start with the “lowest effective dose” and go from there, especially with “hot” oils like oregano, clove, cinnamon, black pepper, ginger, thyme, etc. And NEVER put oils in your ear or eyes!
If you do get oil in your eyes, use a carrier oil to help wipe it out – don’t rinse with water, this will only make it spread. Make sure to wash your hands after using essential oils before you touch your eyes, face, or ears.
You can use this dilution guide to know how much oil to use topically.
3. Internally (consuming/ingesting)
The only oils that I recommend consuming internally are doTERRA essential oils due to the careful harvesting and distillation processes and rigorous testing for purity and potency. doTERRA puts supplement facts on the oils that are acceptable for ingestion so you know which ones are safe for ingestion. (not all oils can be consumed).
Never consume oils that you bought at your local drugstore, off of Amazon, Target, etc. Many companies save money and sell cheaper oils by using synthetic fragrance and chemicals, diluting the oil, or are simply adulterated naturally through processing. Oils are not regulated by the FDA, so any company can put “therapeutic grade” or “100% pure essential oil” on their label and it can be a total lie. In fact, one study of every single Birch essential oil on the market showed that not a single bottle had pure birch oil – and some had none! You never know what you could be ingesting, so avoid doing so.
How to safely use doTERRA oils internally:
- Put one drop into a glass (never plastic), then fill with 8-10 oz of water. You can also mix with a drop of liquid Stevia before adding the water to help with absorption (since oil and water don’t mix). Make sure oil is dispersed throughout glass to avoid consuming the full drop in one sip. I like to do this with lemon oil in the morning or with fennel oil when I have a stomach ache.
- Do not put “hot” oils like oregano or clove in water as they can strongly irritate your mouth and throat
- Put 1-3 drops into an empty veggie capsule and top off with a few drops of olive oil. The added oil will help them to be better absorbed and with more safety. This is my preferred way to take “hot” oils or to consume slightly larger doses if I’m feeling sick to support my immune system
- Put a drop into your food – add lemon to your salad dressing, rosemary into your pasta sauce, or cinnamon into a dessert. Note that 1 drop is VERY strong. Sometimes it is better to dip a toothpick into the oil and swirl into your food to avoid an overwhelming flavor.
Where and How to Get Essential Oils
Are you feeling more confident in using essential oils for better health and wellness? Then let me help you guide you through the process. I love to educate on essential oils and have a personal website where you can purchase the most pure, effective and potent oils, including non-toxic products made with oils like hair care, skin care, and cleaning supplies. Here’s how to get yours and the support that comes with it as you start your oily journey!
- Go to my Renewal Fit Coach doTERRA website . This specific link will get you a free membership for 25% off on every purchase! (listed as Wholesale prices)
- Click Shop to look around, or head straight to “Enrollment Kits” under the Shop header.
- If you’re not sure what you need, checkout this Essential Oils 101 Class on YouTube to learn more about the top 10 oils. Purchasing an enrollment kit based on need will give you some of the top oils to make getting started simpler and involve less decision-making.
- Choose your enrollment kit to get a BIG discount as a bundle, or choose whatever oils you like to add to your cart.
- Checkout and make sure you’re enrolling under Holly Soto. When you get your oils and membership with me you’ll also get a free welcome gift, a wellness consult (think of me like your new personal wellness coach!) and help using your new oils, and access to tons of great resources and ongoing education.
I hope I’ve helped to take some of the mystery out of essential oils for you so you can start implementing them for safer, proactive health care and wellness that just may change your life! Below is a video class of this information if you’d like to learn more.
