Using Aromatherapy Products At Home

Essential Oils and absolutes are safe for administration in the home provided that a few simple rules are observed:-

1. Oils should not be ingested unless a competent practitioner has recommended this course of action.
2. Avoid contact with eyes and mucous membranes.
3. When adding essential oils to the bathwater don’t use more than four drops. Some books recommend higher dosages than this - please ignore them.
4. Essential oils should not be self-administered by pregnant women, especially during the first sixteen weeks of pregnancy. Thereafter, consult a practitioner who will tell you which oils are safe in your case.
5. Do not administer essential oils to babies. All treatments for infants should be in consultation with a practitioner.
6. Although we make a general recommendation that oils should not be applied undiluted to the skin, this does not apply to the tiny (less than one drop) amounts which might be used for ‘routine’ injuries.
7. When using essential oils, wash your hands before as well as after visiting the lavatory.
8. Store oils in a dark place at low room temperature away from foodstuffs and out of the reach of children and pets.
9. Massage oil should consist of 3% essential oil(s) to 97% sweet almond or other fixed oil. For absolutes use 1.5% to 98.5%. Most treatments are dose dependent and making a blend stronger does not mean that it will be more effective. As a rule of thumb, 10 drops of essential oil(s) should be dissolved in 16ml of sweet almond. If you’re using a massage blend for the first time, test it on a small area of skin before doing a complete massage.
10. Do not use oils in any form while you are engaged in strenuous exercise, or while you are in a sauna, steam room or other humid environment, since high humidity effectively doubles the quantity of oil absorbed.

Product Information for Essential Oils

The Medicines Act (1968) forbids companies trading in essential oils to mention the therapeutic effects of the products. Consequently, the information provided about the essential oils we offer is deliberately non-specific. However, we feel bound to mention contra-indications where appropriate so that our clients know (at least) which oils should not be used in certain circumstances.

All Hermitage Oils Essential oils are 100% pure. We only buy our oils from the best sources. For example we offer French Clary Sage as standard rather than the inferior Hungarian or Russian types. Where oils are graded, as is the case with Ylang Ylang, we offer grade 1 as standard and disregard the lesser grades. No Hermitage Oils products are tested on Animals. We are against animal cruelty of any kind.