Which Essential Oils Should Not Be Used On Your Skin?
Essential oils are natural compounds extracted from plants and have been used for centuries for their therapeutic and medicinal properties. They are widely used in aromatherapy, massage, and skincare products. While many essential oils can be beneficial for the skin, there are some that should not be used directly on the skin due to their potential to cause irritation or other adverse reactions. In this article, we will discuss which essential oils should not be used on the skin.
Essential Oils to Avoid
There are several essential oils that should not be used on the skin due to their potential to cause irritation or other adverse reactions. These include:
• Cinnamon Bark: This oil is known to cause irritation and sensitization of the skin when applied topically. It should also be avoided if you have sensitive skin or allergies.
• Clove Bud: This oil has a high concentration of eugenol, which can cause irritation and sensitization of the skin when applied topically. It should also be avoided if you have sensitive skin or allergies.
• Oregano: This oil is known to cause irritation and sensitization of the skin when applied topically. It should also be avoided if you have sensitive photosensitivity or allergies.
• Peppermint: This oil is known to cause irritation and sensitization of the skin when applied topically in high concentrations. It should also be avoided if you have sensitive photosensitivity or allergies.
• Tea Tree Oil: This oil is known to cause irritation and sensitization of the skin when applied topically in high concentrations. It should also be avoided if you have sensitive photosensitivity or allergies.
• Thyme: This oil is known to cause irritation and sensitization of the skin when applied topically in high concentrations. It should also be avoided if you have sensitive photosensitivity or allergies.
• Wintergreen: This oil is known to cause irritation and sensitization of the skin when applied topically in high concentrations. It should also be avoided if you have sensitive photosensitivity or allergies.
• Ylang Ylang: This oil is known to cause irritation and sensitization of the skin when applied topically in high concentrations. It should also be avoided if you have sensitive photosensitivity or allergies.
Safety Precautions When Using Essential Oils On Skin
When using essential oils on your skin, it’s important to take certain precautions in order to avoid any potential adverse reactions such as rashes, burns, or other irritations caused by contact with these potent natural compounds:
• Dilute essential oils before applying them directly onto your skin by mixing them with a carrier oil such as coconut, almond, jojoba, etc., at a ratio of 1 part essential oil per 10 parts carrier oil (1% dilution).
• Do a patch test before applying an essential oil blend directly onto your body by applying a small amount onto a small area of your arm/hand/leg/etc., then waiting 24 hours for any potential reaction before continuing use on larger areas of your body (if no reaction occurs).
• Avoid using undiluted essential oils near eyes, ears, nose, mouth & genitals as they may cause severe burning & discomfort upon contact with these areas due to their potency & sensitivity levels present there (use diluted versions instead).
• Do not use citrus-based essential oils during periods of prolonged sun exposure as they may increase sensitivity levels & lead to sunburns more easily than normal (use non-citrus-based alternatives instead).
Conclusion
In conclusion, while many essential oils can provide numerous benefits for our health & wellbeing when used correctly & safely – it’s important that we take certain precautions before using them directly onto our bodies such as diluting them properly & doing patch tests beforehand – as some may contain compounds that can lead to adverse reactions such as rashes & burns upon contact with our skins due their potency levels present within them (especially those mentioned above).