Two weeks ago I discovered the wonders of essential oils and became a walking cliche. I’m a vegan who loves essential oils and I blog about it. But hey, at least I don’t do yoga and I don’t have a cat… yet. Anyway, it seems like everyone and their mother is obsessing over essential oils these days, and it’s no wonder why.
I bet you’ve already heard all about the healing properties. Some people use essential oils and other natural ingredients to fight off colds, stomach problems and even prevent cancer. Beauty queens look to oils to keep their skin young, glowing and blemish free. Others simply use essential oils as scents, either to diffuse in their homes or as perfume.
The lady who I bought my oils from had me sold when she described how essential oils enhance your moods, keep you serene and bring out your femininity. She was carelessly beautiful and smelled heavenly – I was ready to buy everything she was selling. Unfortunately, dōTERRA® does not come cheap and I could only buy Lemon, Wild Orange and of course, Clary Calm Monthly Blend for Women.
I’m not a complete essential oil noob, so I already had peppermint and lavender at home but I was clueless about how to actually use it. I was given a brief intro and warned not to drink peppermint oil, and I wrongly thought the rest was obvious.
That’s why this morning I naively added two drops of wild orange to my morning bath. Everything was fine at first while I soaked under mounds of bath bubbles while watching Netflix. I have perfected propping up my laptop in just the right spot on top of the toilet seat to give me the perfect binge-watching angle. At first I just thought that my leg was itchy until I realized that there was a nasty rash going all the way up my leg.
After doing a quick Google I found out that it is common knowledge to not put any sort of citrus essential oils in a bathtub. A lot of people get rashes from it just touching their skin! Apparently, that’s not the only danger of essential oils. So if you’re new to this trend, like I am, make sure to research the oils you buy before you use them. They could literally bite you in the ass…
Fortunately, my rash faded quickly from my butt but it taught me a great lesson. I’ve read up on the other oils that I bought and found out that according to many people you shouldn’t drink any oils because they could damage your organs. A single drop of peppermint oil contains 26 cups of tea worth of mint! It also leaves a tingly feeling on your skin just like Tiger Balm – so steer clear of your eyes when massaging your temples with it or you might as well spray yourself with mace.
If you’re planning on using oils as perfumes or to diffuse in your homes, you don’t have too much to worry about. But before you start dripping it into your teas or using it to treat serious help problems, please consult a specialist or preferably, a doctor. Warnings aside, essential oils are amazing and can improve your health, beauty and state of mind. I definitely recommend that you try out essential oils – and start with something more exciting than lavender!
I am so thankful someone told you not to add them to water/drink them because I have friends who do just that and they swear they are food grade but I still not convinced. They mostly do it with the lemon ones but still! Some people on the internet put peppermint oils into their hot chocolates?! Also for the bath..maybe diluting them with a carrier oil will make for a more pleasant experience next time? 🙂