There are a lot of rumors flying around about essential oils: are they some kind of miracle cure? Are they just a profit-driven hoax? Here are a few facts, along with some debunked myths, about essential oils to help you decide for yourself whether or not using essential oils is for you.
Fact: There are four categories for essential oil uses.
You can use essential oils in hundreds of different ways: soaps, air fresheners, hand lotions, et cetera, but all of these things fall into one of four main categories: diffusers, topical use, inhalation and oral use. Topical and oral uses are fairly self-explanatory. Essential oils can be used to scent basically anything you can think of. While ingesting these oils can be done safely, it is not recommended. They are incredibly concentrated and can therefore be quite dangerous to ingest.
Using a diffuser, which is like a humidifier, is the most common category for essential oil use. Diffusers spread the scents used throughout a room and they help to clean indoor air. Inhalers are similar to diffusers, although they are made more for single-person use rather than to scent a larger area. The oils are inhaled on a much more concentrated level, allowing you to have the benefits no matter where you are, without disturbing others.
Fiction: Using Essential Oils is Better Than Medication
The truth is that while essential oil use can work more effectively in some cases, you should never expect that they can completely replace medication. There are cases where the use of aromatherapy is simply not a logical solution, such as when healing injuries. There is no essential oil that will make your broken ankle heal faster, unfortunately. The treatment of mental illnesses is more of a case-by-case issue. For some people, essential oils may work best, and for others, medication is necessary. You can often use the two in conjunction with one another, but it is incredibly important to check which oils may interfere with any medicine you are taking. It is best to speak with a doctor to be sure.
Fact: Using essential oil cleaners is safer for your health
Bleach is one of the most commonly overused cleaning products in the country and it is also extremely bad for your health. Just inhaling the fumes released by the use of bleach can cause irritation to the respiratory system and if it is accidentally mixed with other cleaners, it can cause headaches, brain disorders and potentially death. Not too safe, is it!? You can clean with essential oils, though, instead. Mixing just a few drops of essential oils with water and vinegar makes a cleaning product that is not only cheaper than bleach, but one that is also considerably safer for everyone -- especially children.
Fiction: Essential oils are perfectly safe to use around pets
In fact, certain oils, such as tea tree oil, can be incredibly toxic to pets. Birds and cats, in particular, are highly sensitive to these oils. Since cats cannot process certain chemical constituents in essential oils, toxins may build up in their organs and eventually lead to organ failure. Birds are even more sensitive to essential oils, even when not applied topically. When birds are exposed to the oils, the result is often death. There are ways to safely use essential oils around pets, but it requires some research to make sure that your pets will be safe!
