If you’re searching online for essential oils, it is likely that you will know all about the wellbeing benefits of using them. However, whether you’re looking for floral essential oils to improve your quality of sleep or you’re looking for citrus essential oils to boost your energy levels, you do need to be incredibly careful.
Essential oils are very concentrated solutions that have been extracted from plants and it is imperative that you’re finding a safe way to use them. Many don’t realise just how dangerous using essential oils in their pure form to fragrance your home can be, not only for humans but for animals too. So, before you purchase a steam diffuser and various different types of essential oils, be sure to read the information below.
The basics of neat essential oils
You may be wondering why essential oils are considered good natural scents to use around the home if they’re dangerous and the best way we can explain this is with the following analogy;
A sprinkle of salt in your food can make it taste amazing, but eating a bowl of salt is incredibly dangerous and would be life-threatening.
So, yes it is good to use essential oils in your home and they are undeniably better than synthetic fragrances, but using them in their pure form can be dangerous. For this reason, when you’re wanting to purchase essential oils, you should look for products that contain a diluted amount which makes them safe for you to use.
It is worth noting that just because the essential oils have been diluted doesn’t mean that you won’t get the wellbeing benefits associated with the natural scents you choose. The subtle scent notes that come through when using these products are still very advantageous.
The danger to humans
Anyone who is contemplating purchasing essential oils should know that improper use can cause serious harm, including allergic reactions, and children may be particularly susceptible to the toxic effects of improper use.
If pure essential oils are used on the skin, they can cause rashes, irritation, inflammation, hives and a number of other side effects too. If essential oils are ingested this can be incredibly serious and you should seek immediate medical advice or contact your nearest poison control unit. Even ingesting tiny amounts of neat essential oils can cause serious long term side effects if used over a long period of time, including becoming highly allergic to essential oils and can even cause organ failure.
It is worth pointing out that extra care should be taken when using essential oil products during pregnancy and nursing or if you have any medical condition that could be affected by these oils too, so please seek the advice of a healthcare professional before using any products.
The danger to animals
Whenever you use essential oils, you need to think of your four-legged friends too. Whether you have cat/s and/or dog/s, it is important that you know just how dangerous neat essential oils can be to them too.
Without beating around the bush, pure essential oils are poisonous to animals and they can cause serious harm, they may even be fatal.
It goes without saying that you should never let your pets sniff or lick any essential oil product directly, but when using diluted products you can safely have them around your home. You can find out more about pet safety and essential oils on our website.
Safely using essential oils
Now that you know just how dangerous neat essential oils can be, you will probably be wondering how you can use them in your home. Thankfully, there are a number of different products that are made with diluted essential oils and are therefore, completely safe for you to use around the house. Some of the most popular products are;
These are all available in a vast range of different scents too, so you will easily be able to find a product that is made with the essential oil that you’re interested in using.
Purchasing essential oil products for your home
We want to encourage you to use essential oils as we know just how beneficial they can be, we hope that the information above has brought to your attention just how important it is not to use neat essential oils in your home and on your body – in particular avoiding ingesting. Of course, as mentioned just above, there are a number of brilliant products you can buy that will keep your family safe but still allow you to get the most out of these natural scents, so be sure to use these instead of pure oils.
If you’re looking for somewhere to buy essential oil candles or essential oil diffusers, be sure to browse the Twoodle website. We have a huge range of different products to choose from, all of which have been safety checked by a substances and mixtures specialist, so you won’t need to worry about using them in your home. We can also assure you that all of our blends comply with EU safety CLP (Clear label and packing) regulations too.
