
I recently finished “Spring Expo Season” where I had booths at women’s expos and pet expos to share information about safe and effective essential oils. I met a lot of great people and pets. And I realized that not all essential oils are made the same.
I found myself saying the same thing over and over and over again because essential oils are suddenly the hot new commodity. #theresanoilforthat But it also showed me that there’s a lot of confusion about essential oils (you can’t believe everything you read online), stores will not teach you how the use the oils, and it’s really important that you align yourself with an essential oil educator that you trust. #pickme
Here’s the thing … essential oils may be a hot topic, but they are not new, they have been around for 5,000+ years. But now they are EVERYWHERE! Seriously …. I now see essential oils at the gas stations. #saynotogasstationoils They are in stores that sell everything from food to gerbils and gun licenses, to the discount store chains, and everywhere online. #justsayno
OILS OILS OILS EVERYWHERE!
But as with everything, there are quality essential oils and inferior essential oils. There are essential oils that can improve your wellness physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually and there are oils that simply scent a room. There are essential oils that are safe around pets and those that are not. There are essential oils that are safe for babies and children, and those that are not.
I don’t know about you, but if I’m spending money on essential oils, I want to feel better physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually and I want them to be safe for me and my cats. I want them to actually DO something to help me feel better. #yougetwhatyoupayfor
So what’s a curious essential oiler to do when you’re surrounded by those little bottles but you don’t know which ones are good for you? #askallie

Here’s some of the most popular questions and my answers:
Question: Can I ingest this essential oil (especially if it’s a product that you can also eat, like lemon or peppermint)?
Answer: If the label says “do not ingest”, then the label is telling you that there is something else in the bottle other than the oil. If the label says yes, then you have a quality essential oil that can be safely used in a variety of ways and with your entire family. But be aware that the FDA does not allow an essential oil to be labeled both topical and for ingestion on the same bottle. Different labels are required for each. This is why Young Living has the Vitality line of oils (for ingesting) and all of those same oils are labeled differently for topical use. Same oil, different label. This is why it’s important to know the company.
Question: Can I topically apply the essential oil?
Answer: If the label says no, then once again the label is telling you that there is something else in the bottle. This is likely just a fragrance oil and fragrance oils tend to contain synthetic oils, too.
Question: Is it safe for me to smell the oil (directly from the bottle or through diffusing)?
Answer: Whatever you smell, topically apply or ingest goes into your bloodstream. So if you cannot ingest it or topically apply it, you should think twice about smelling it.
Question: Is it safe to use with my pets?
Answer: The #1 answer to this question is to go to the company’s website, type pet or animal in the search bar, and if the company does not promote their oils for pets, then you should not use them in that way. Here is a blog that I wrote that outlines a lot of information specifically on this hot social media topic.
Question: Is it safe to use on babies or pregnant women?
Answer: Labeling laws require cautions on products that are used in homes that have children or pregnant/nursing women. So again, go to the company website and if the company promotes their oils to be used with babies, children, and pregnant/nursing women, then you have a quality essential oil.
Question: What do you really know about the company?
Answer: When the essential oil company has their own process from having their own farms, to the seed of the plant, to growing without the use of pesticides/herbicides, to harvesting at the proper time for that plant, to distilling their own oils using only low pressure and water (no solvents or chemicals) or cold pressing citrus without solvents or chemicals, then you can safely use those essential oils with your family. And does the company specialize in essential oils?
There’s a few quality essential oil companies on the market, but most essential oils have been compromised to sell cheaply. The company that can answer YES to all of these questions is Young Living (especially when it comes to pets).
It’s why I ditched dozens or oils from other brands and moved to Young Living in 2013. I did that because I have cats, I work with animals and shelter pets, and my lawyer brain wants to keep me legally safe in what I do by making sure that the company backs how I use the products. And it’s why I teach about Young Living because, now more than ever, people want quality and they want answers.
What questions do you have about essential oils?
About Allie Phillips:
Allie is a multi-careered energy therapist (Usui Reiki Master-Teacher, Fairy Reiki Master, Integrated Energy Therapy Master-Instructor, and Advanced Crystal Master), essential oil educator, award-winning book author, attorney and internationally-recognized animal advocate, and Founder/CEO of Sheltering Animals & Families Together (SAF-T)™. She travels the globe to teach about essential oils, healing, and keeping pets & people safe from harm. She helps people create a natural non-toxic lifestyle, find financial freedom, and help animals live with comfort in our hectic world. She particularly loves helping our animal companions and those temporarily in animal shelters because for those of us who have them grace our worlds, they are our soul mates.
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