How to Use doTERRA Essential Oils

There is a bit of a learning curve for how to use essential oils. This is a great place to start! Remember, Certified Pure Tested Grade (CPTG®) Oils are powerful, but should not be considered an instant cure. Be patient. Essential oils are not magic. They are meant to help your body systemically. It is through safe, steady, consistent use that the oils have the best effect. Follow the suggested protocols and safety guidelines, but don’t be afraid to try and experiment with different options. Our bodies react differently and it takes using and getting familiar with the oils and resources to be able to find the best solution. Each oil has many different uses and each problem has many different solutions.

For chronic needs, apply the oils 2-4 times a day.
For acute needs (new), apply as often as every 20 minutes until relief, and then every few hours after that.
Dilute one drop per Tablespoon of carrier oil (fractionated coconut oil, grapeseed, olive, virgin coconut, sweet almond, etc) for babies under 1 year old. For older children, 1-6 drops per TB depending on the oil being used, age and condition. For adults, dilute for application to the face, neck, stomach or other sensitive skin areas. Dilute for people with weak immune systems.
Essential oils are very powerful. For many situations, you only need one drop. Less oil, more often is better than more oil, less often. Oils move quickly through the body. Consistency is key.

How to Apply

A great way to apply the oils is to the bottoms of the feet, on the chest, and/or along the spine. There are other specific spots to apply the oils. Sometimes the big toe is the best spot. Also, for tummy, apply in a clockwise motion around the belly button and just under (over the intestines).
Put a drop of oil in the palm of your hand, add a few drops of a carrier oil if necessary or the unscented lotion, rub your hands together and then rub on the appropriate area. See below about using roller or dropper bottles for easier application. It helps to take the tops of the bottles off first before blending to free up your hands. (Some oil blends, like the “touch” blends, already come in a roller bottle.)
If you have an adverse reaction to the oils, DON’T USE WATER to wash it off. Use a carrier oil. Spread the carrier oil onto the area. Wipe it all off. Put more carrier oil on the area. Wipe it all off. Repeat until you dilute enough for relief. A carrier oil can be fractionated coconut oil, grapeseed, olive, virgin coconut, sweet almond, etc.

Tips and Tools:

Essential oils can break down most plastics (unless formulated for use with essential oils) and styrofoam. Only use glass – glass water bottles for drinking and glass containers for mixing, glass shot glasses for gargling, etc. Experiment, ask questions, and do your research! Get the membership and you get access to giant support forums. Contact me for more info on that.

Buy dropper or roller bottles on AromaTools.com to help make using the oils easier. Contact me if you are local and considering making an order. I make orders regularly and this can save on shipping if we bulk order. Click here to see container options. I use the 5/8 amber dram for samples, the 5 ml dropper bottle or 10 ml dropper bottle for every-day applications and the 2 dram dropper bottle for my baby and the 4 dram dropper bottle for my toddler pre-diluted for quick and easy application.
The sample drams are also great to keep in your purse in the keychain case to have the oils on the go.
Consider buying a diffuser. Everyone has their personal preference. I love the Whisper from AromaTools.com because it’s especially great for the forgetful person. You won’t waste oils! You put up to 6 drops of oils in the inner container and you can set it to diffuse on intervals up to 9 hours. It uses water, so it is great for smaller rooms.
I think a nebulizing diffuser is better for larger rooms and breaks up the oils into smaller particles, so it absorbs into your system better.

Essential Oil Safety

Essential oils are very potent. It’s important you do your research, know about the components of the oil you are using and the recommended usage for each oil. The only oils I feel safe using are pure therapeutic grade oils. You can make your own choice, but please research the quality and testing before you buy. Click here for more information from doTERRA on essential oil safety.

Maximum Therapeutic Quality

The effectiveness of the oils has a direct correlation to the level of purity of the essential oil. To get info about doTERRA’s testing methods, click here. Additional resources covering sourcing, testing, and distillation: http://www.essentialoils.org. Know how the essential oil is meant to be used. Essential oils are very powerful. Please be aware of what oils are recommended for internal, aromatic or topical use and which oils can be sensitive to your skin. Review proper use and skin sensitivity.

Internal Use

Never take any essential oils internally unless they are pure therapeutic grade and you have discussed the protocol with your doctor or a trained essential oil educator. Look on the bottle. For doTERRA oils, if there are nutrition supplement facts on the bottle, then that particular oil is safe to take internally following recommended guidelines. If there are no supplement facts, the oil is not meant to be taken internally.

How to Avoid Adverse Reactions

Be up front about allergies and medical conditions – discuss these with your essential oil educator so that he or she can advise you on oil use. Use the smallest amount possible to get desired effect. Oils are powerful. Some essential oils require only one drop to do their job. Remove anything causing a negative reaction immediately by using a carrier oil to dilute on the skin and wiping off, repeat. Do not use water to wash off. Water drives oils deeper into the skin and spreads them around. Most users will will find that certified pure tested grade essential oils cause fewer reactions than any other essential oil which may contain synthetics.

> Click here to download a .pdf about skin irritation oils.

Phototoxicity/Photosensitivity

Wait a minimum of 12 hours before going into the sun when using photosensitive oils. Your skin can have an adverse reaction when sunlight is paired with a photosensitive oil. Some people report variations of burns, like a long-lasting sunburn after sun exposure with photosensitive oils. Some have experienced bleaching of the skin. Everybody reacts differently. Play it safe and don’t use these oils topically if you know there might be a chance you’ll be in the sun for more than a few minutes at a time within the next 24 hours from when you want to apply.

Oils that may cause phototoxicity and photosensitivity include:

“I’m in the sun all the time! I want to use photosensitive oil in the summer. How?”

Diffuse. Using your diffuser is a much safer alternative to experiencing pure essential oils during sunny days. Unless you were to sit with your face directly over the diffuser (not recommended), by diffusing essential oils aromatically, the particles of the oils are not concentrated enough in one spot to cause the same level of photosensitivity as when you apply those oils topically to the skin. Apply topically on feet. Be advised! Your feet get sun exposure too. Only apply if you are very careful to keep the oil on the very bottoms of the feet. If you are wearing socks, then you are good to go!

Pregnancy/Breastfeeding

Use with extreme caution or not at all during the first trimester. Best ways to use are aromatically with a diffuser or inhaled.