5 Tips for Getting Started with Essential Oils
Note from Ann: Yay for getting started with essential oils! Dr. Julie is such a great inspiration to me as I continue to learn about oils and what works best. I so relate to how Julie says it’s sometimes so hard to be natural and mindful: it’s a struggle I face too. That’s another reason I appreciate a post like this: it’s a reminder of the important pieces. And let me just say: you don’t have to be PERFECT! Give yourself a break, mama, and take the steps you can!
Let’s go natural! That sounds like a good plan, right? Clean eating – shop the perimeter! All natural cleaning products – vinegar on everything. No sulfates, high fructose corn syrups, plastics, Teflon, processed food, sugar, gluten … whew. I know I am missing some things here!
I want the best for my family. Don’t we all? And I try my best, but some days it is just HARD! There always seems to be something new that is not good for us. I will share my current struggle: pre-shredded cheese. I know it is bad. How could it stay so “perfect” if it was not? But it is so EASY! Isn’t that the key that keeps us struggling with what is “good” for us? It is not always easy.
Things that are important are not always easy.
Some things you need to work for! I have been “fixing” and adding one thing at a time and learning what works for me and how to make it fit for our family. I have changed over cleaning products, make my own sunscreen and bug spray; no dryer sheets, chiropractic care, and essential oils for all the little “issues” that can arise in a home with 4 kids. I tackle the things I can one at a time. I will get around to that shredded cheese!
Essential oils have that same learning curve and that overwhelms people at times. So you might want to add oils to your home but you are unsure what to do if you get them. Here are my 5 top tips for how to get started with essential oils in your home and how to get the best benefit from what you have! (Let me add a pre-tip to the tips! If you don’t have essential oils yet, consult with someone! Get a coach. That’s the best way to start!)
5 tips for getting started with essential oils
1. Get a set of great starter oils, open all of them, and smell them.
I am amazed by how many people get their first oils and then do not even open them! I know it can seem intimidating, but start with just smelling them. You might not like all of them, but this gets you started with your oils. Then take the one you liked most, and put one drop on your wrist and done! You’ve started with your oils and you get to enjoy your favorite all day!
New to oils? Be sure to check out Dr. Julie’s essential oil safety tips, too!
2. Make an easy cleaning spray.
Removing chemicals from my home seemed like a daunting task at first, so I started with just ONE cleaning spray. I bought a glass spray bottle (16 oz) on Amazon and mixed 20 drops lemon oil with 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and filled the rest with distilled water. I use this spray for my sinks, counter tops, windows…just about everywhere. And my two favorite things about it are
- I can remake it on the fly when we run out and
- I can send my kids off to clean without worrying about chemicals! (No guarantees on the level of clean they will accomplish, though!)
3. Get sweet sleep relief – I highly recommend lavender oil as one of your starter oils.
You can try this out at night in several ways:
- Place two drops in your hands and inhale – rub on your feet or into your hair.
- Use a small spray bottle and add 5 drops of lavender and fill with distilled water and use as a linen spray before bed (my youngest likes to spray her stuffed animals).
- Or my favorite way to use oils at night is in the diffuser.
Don’t miss our previous post about the best diffusers and how to choose them.
4. Put your oils where you need them.
It is nice to keep them all together, but I recommend distributing them to where you need them. So the lemon might be in your kitchen and the lavender on your nightstand. I recommend the melaleuca (tea tree) in the bathroom for skin irritations, blemishes, nail or hair problems, and more. I will warn you though, this could result in a need for multiple bottles of lavender and tea tree all around the house! 🙂
5. Try the oils in your bath.
Stressed, overwhelmed, fatigued, or just needing some ME time? I love to get 2-3 of my favorite calming oils (Calming blend, lavender, eucalyptus) and put 1-2 drops of each in a cup of Epsom salts. Dissolve in the bath and enjoy! Want to up your DIY quotient? You can find great bath bomb or bath truffle recipes to use with your oils and pre-make these luxurious treats!
If you want to learn more about essential oils, be sure to check out all of our posts on essential oils!
Those are my tips for getting started with essential oils. I love chatting with people about getting started with oils and helping people find combinations for their specific concerns. I am also always looking for people interested in coaching others on how to uplevel their health.
If you would like information on my TOP 10 oils and how to use them, give me a shout and I’ll get that right to you!
Need help getting your oils? I can help with that too! I have my oils out and now I guess I better go grate my own cheese! Have a great day!
I would love to know your top 10 oils. Are there any books on them that you could suggest too. I love to use oils. I would love some good recipes. I’m a breast cancer survivor. I got rid of chemical cleaning. Even in the laundry. But I’m sure there are other place. Any natural recipes you could offer would be great. Are there any classes on this type of living. I would love to eat natural but don’t know where to start. Thanks
Thank you for contacting us with your questions! We are so happy to hear that you have beat cancer, God Bless. We also love to hear that you’re wanting to live a cleaner, healthier life for you! There are two books that you can find on Amazon that may be helpful to you in using your essential oils. The first is The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood, and the other is Essential Oils for Beginners: The Guide to Get Started with Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Althea Press. As for your request for some clean eating recipes and natural cleaning recipes, please visit the links to posts below that will help you get started.
Essential Oils Post
https://keeperofthehome.org/getting-started-with-essential-oils
https://keeperofthehome.org/top-safety-tips-for-essential-oil-use
Natural Cleaning Tips Post
https://keeperofthehome.org/make-chemical-free-cleaning-products-quick-easy
https://keeperofthehome.org/homemade-all-natural-cleaning-recipes
Clean Eating Post
https://keeperofthehome.org/6-cleansing-foods-winter
https://keeperofthehome.org/does-eating-real-food-make-us-healthier
Top Essential Oils Post
https://keeperofthehome.org/top-8-essential-oils-home-use
Our top 10 essential oils would be: lavender, eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, frankincense, tea tree, oregano, wild orange, rosemary, and cinnamon bark
Love, Keeper
Dear Ann,
Thank you so much for these tips! I’m still new to the Essential Oil world & am constantly on the look out for good suggestions & learning opportunities.
At this time I do have 1 question. I’ve heard one shouldn’t use Tea Tree oil on a child under 4 months of age. Is this true & why?
Lol. I guess that’s 2 questions!
Hi, Thank you so much for reaching out.
Tea tree oil is a homeopathic treatment with antiseptic properties used topically for burns, cuts, diaper rash and fungal infections. Both adults and children can benefit from the use of tea tree oil, however, parents should be aware of possible side effects before using it on an infant. Swallowing tea tree oil is not recommended, according to Mayo Clinic; it can cause nerve damage or toxicity. Dilute tea tree oil before topical use on infants.
When used as a topical treatment, tea tree oil can cause skin rashes, inflammation and redness that is often the result of an allergic reaction. While tea tree oil is often used as a diaper rash solution, infants with sensitive skin are more susceptible to skin rashes and may not benefit from tea tree oil. Infants with a prior skin disorder such as eczema may experience a more serious rash or reaction. Discontinue use if a skin rash or redness occurs.
Adding a little amount of carrier oil, such as coconut oil, to a small quantity of tea tree oil, diluting it, and then applying it on the skin facilitates quick absorption of the essential oil and prevent irritation or side effects of the oil. You can apply it on the skin either diluted or undiluted; however, a diluted application is safer, especially if your kid’s skin is sensitive.
Tea tree oil contains 1,8-cineole, which is a skin irritant. So, the use of the concentrated version of the oil or products containing high amounts of 1,8-cineole can make your child suffer from skin irritation or an allergic reaction. Also, oxidized tea tree oil can stimulate allergies more intensely than fresh tea tree oil.
Swallowing tea tree oil by kids can make them suffer from poisoning and health issues, such as rash, disorientation, and ataxia i.e. complete loss of control of bodily movements. Make sure your child doesn’t swallow the oil while swishing it in the mouth (when used in a diluted solution as an analgesic for a toothache). Medical researchers reveal that a patient can go in a coma after consuming half a cup of tea tree oil.
So while I haven’t found anything that says you can’t use tea tree oil on a baby under 4 months of age, just due to them having such sensitive skin at this age, and the fact that tea tree oil, if undiluted, can be a major skin irritant to sensitive skin, causing burning, rash, or even allergic reaction, it may be safer to wait to use it until they are older. And under no circumstances should a baby ever ingest it, due to the risk of poisoning, coma, nerve damage, and ataxia.
Cheers to Essential Oils!
I am looking to get some frankincense and myrrh essential oils online so that we can have some Christmas time aromas in the home for the holiday season. Thanks for the advice to put essential oils in locations next to where you need them, such as next to the nightstand or in the kitchen. Outside of getting some Christmas time oils, we’ll have to look into getting some oils like lemon and lavender.