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Part 2: Safety Guidelines and Storage Tips
Before I get into how to use the oils, let’s just have a quick look at some general safety guidelines for our oils.
Essential Oils (EO):
* As mentioned previously, essential oils are volatile (evaporate quite easily into the atmosphere), so you should really try to close the bottle lids as soon as possible
* They are sensitive to heat, therefore, store in a cool, dark area
* When purchasing EO, make sure they’re in dark bottles (amber or cobolt blue are the common colours)
* As a general rule, EOs should never be used undiluted on the skin. There are, however, certain exceptions to this rule i.e. Lavender and tea tree, but caution is still advised. So when in doubt, stick to the rule!!
* Prone to allergies or sensitisation, then I would definitely advise on doing a 24 hour patch test on a small area of skin before continued use of the oil. Also, prolonged use or too high percentage of certain oils may flare up allergies or sensitivities. Oils to use with caution are:
o Citronella
o Clove
o Lemon eucalyptus
o Lemongrass
o May chang
o Melissa
o Oregano
o Thyme
* There are oils that should be avoided or used with caution during pregnancy, fever, epilepsy and other health conditions. This is because some of the oils can trigger episodes, while with others, it’s merely a precaution as the effects are not 100% certain:
Pregnancy
Avoid:
* Basil
* Camphor, white
* Cedarwood, Atlas
* Hyssop
* Juniperberry
* Parsley leaf
* Thyme
Caution:
* Wormwood
Fever
Avoid:
* Wormwood
* Camphor (white)
* Hyssop
High Blood Pressure
Avoid:
* Hyssop
* Rosemary
* Sage
Epilepsy
Caution:
* Camphor, white
* Lavandin
* Peppermint
* Rosemary
* Sage
* Yarrow
* DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT ingest EOs without consultation by an aromatherapy practitioner who is appropriately qualified and trained in this specific method of administration
* With that said, you must, without doubt, store the oils away from children and animals as ingestion can be fatal
* Still on the topic of children (babies and toddlers included), when using EOs for the young ones, the dosage should be half (or less) than what adults would use and EOs must always be diluted (Yes, that includes good ol’ faithful, Lavender EO)
* EOs are flammable and we all know what that means…keep away from open flames and direct heat, else it will go KABOOM!
* Less, in the case of EOs, is absolutely better. Rather use the minimum amount to obtain the effect you want from the oil, because as noted previously, allergies or sensitivities may flare up, but also, too much EO may somehow cause some sensitisation - even if you’re quite a tuffy 
* Some oils can cause photosensitivity (refers to any increase in the sensitivity or responsiveness of the skin to sunlight). Reactions include itchy eruptions or areas of redness and inflammation on the exposed areas to sunlight. But don’t despair, these reactions will normally resolve on their own. The main culprits for photosensitivity are (use minimal amounts or avoid altogether prior to being in the sun for a long time):
o Angelica root
o Bergamot
o Bitter orange
o Cumin
o Grapefruit
o Lemon
o Lime
o Opopanox
o Tagete
As mentioned before, Part 3 is all about how to actually use EOs in your home (or elsewhere)…
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