Essential oils can improve our lives through relaxation, aromatherapy, and the promotion of better health, so it’s worthwhile to explore each facet of this hobby. Below are some of the best essential oil tips for beginners that you can incorporate into your own life.
Do Research Before You Get Started
Before you delve into the aromatic world of essential oils, doing some preliminary research is necessary. First, it might be wise to get a basis for your needs and where your interest in oils comes from. Perhaps you have trouble sleeping, or maybe you want to use a diffuser so that your house smells amazing when you come home from work.
Whatever your purposes are, there are specific oils to best help you accomplish them, and taking some time to figure out what they are and how they work is worthwhile. Additionally, if you don’t plan to extract your own oils, sleuthing around for quality sellers isn’t a bad idea, either.
Select the Best Method of Extraction
If you are interested in growing plant matter for oil extraction, you must understand a few basic things about the process. Most vitally, you’ll want to choose the most straightforward extraction process available to you. Larger companies will often use the complex and specialized CO2 extraction method, but it’s more beneficial to use the ethanol extraction method as an individual hobbyist. The solvent used in this method is reusable and easy to come by. Adding the machinery needed for ethanol extraction is simple and requires less training than more intricate forms of extraction.
Store Your Oils Properly
Storing your oils properly is another one of the best essential oil tips for beginners. Usually, it’s better to keep your oils in jars made from amber or blue glass, as the lack of light better preserves them. Plus, glass is less likely to corrode from contact with stronger oils.
Just as well, you’ll want to select small containers rather than large ones. Small containers keep the oils potent, as there’s less chance of them contacting air, which can dilute the oils significantly. It’s also wise to label your containers with the oils’ storage dates so that you can keep your collection fresh and up to date.
Understand That Oils Have a Shelf Life
Because essential oils derive from organic matter, it’s imperative to understand that they have a shelf life. Track how long you keep your oils in rotation. If they’re over a year or two old, throw them out and make new batches. Knowing the shelf life of your oils will help you avoid using expired and diluted oils that might cause unwanted reactions, as they’re no longer working at their full potency.
Using essential oils to improve certain areas of your life is an exciting endeavor. But it’s vital to understand a few basic things before you get started.
