How to Remove Essential Oils

Sometimes it can be necessary to remove essential oils quickly; examples are when children put them on their skin unknowingly, when a person has a sensitivity or reaction to an oil, or when we mistakenly apply the wrong oil--such as cayenne--to our skin.

Attempting to wash oil off with water is futile, and often makes it worse because water forces oil deeper into the skin, increasing the absorption rate.

I have always promoted the removal of oils using corn starch.  Corn starch is available in most health food stores, and in grocery stores in the baking section.  It absorbs multiple times its weight in oil, and does so quickly.

I like to keep a medium sized tupperware container of corn starch in the area where my oils are stored.  Then it is immediately available if I should need it.  For those who are doing treatments for others with essential oils, such as spinal compresses, having corn starch available is a necessity.

Recently one of our members sent me this link to another blog.

http://sonshineinthewildwood.blogspot.ca/2013/10/warningdont-wash-off-essential.html

In this post, the young mother writes about how her child dowsed himself with oil, and how she removed it.  She used vegetable oil to dilute it, which seems like a good idea and appears to have worked very nicely.  Check it out.

By the way, I found it interesting that the writer of this blog was concerned about the peppermint oil burning the skin of her 2 year old son.  In my experience, real and genuine hand distilled oils do not burn the skin, even when applied neat.  They often do create a burning sensation, and redness, but never an actual burn.  If the oils you are using will do this, it is extremely likely that they contain added phenols, and are not pure (no matter what the label says!).

Getting essential oil out of the eyes is a different matter.  I have not personally had this experience, but have heard that milk is one of the best choices for removing the oil.  Put a cotton ball or pad into milk, then wipe the closed eye from center to outer edge.  Keep repeating it until the oil is no longer burning.  With some of the stronger oils, it may be necessary to see a medical professional to make certain there is no damage to the eye.

There are ways to test essential oils for a reaction, before applying them liberally on the skin.  One great way is to place a drop or two of oil on the inside of the elbow.  Let it sit for 30 minutes--if it is going to cause a reaction, it will have begun already in most cases.  (Redness is normal; blistering or rashes are not, and indicate that this oil is not right for the person, and should be removed).

After 30 minutes, if there is no reaction, you may wish to place a bandaid over the area and leave it over night.  This will give a complete picture of how the person handles the oils.  If there is no reaction by morning, the oil is safe for that person.

We tend to get so comfortable with our essential oils, that it is easy to leave them where children could access them.  Please be wise and keep them out of the reach of small children!  An ounce of prevention in this case really is worth a pound of cure.