The Four Best Places To Apply Roll-On Essential Oils
If you are familiar with essential oils or use them often, odds are you have either bought or made your own essential oil blends in a roll-on bottle. Roll-on bottles are meant to make the topical application of essential oils easier. Why? Because the oils are already diluted with a carrier oil, all you have to do is rub the rollerball along your skin. No mess, and no need to carry around more than just a bottle or two! Plus, you can feel comfortable with your family using essential oils by using roll-on essential oils, knowing that the blends are safely diluted to your family's needs.
The Four Best Places To Apply Roll-On Essential Oils
Roll-on essential oils are pretty fantastic, but did you know that there are a few main areas of the body where you can apply your roll-ons for maximum benefits? While you technically could apply essential oils just about anywhere, the following four specific areas are the best places to apply your roll-ons:
Bottom of the Feet
Did you know that your feet have some of the largest pores in your body? With larger pores, your feet can more easily absorb essential oils through the skin and release the benefits of the oils into your bloodstream. This means that you can experience the effects of essential oils faster.
Tip: Reflexology is a great way to help get the essential oils from your feet and into the body. Reflexology is the act of applying pressure, particularly to the hands, feet, and ears, to promote relaxation and stress relief. Plus, all of your nerve lines end in your feet. So, by massaging your feet after applying your roll-on oils, you may be able to experience greater relief faster.
Behind the Ears
Your skin varies in thickness across your body, and behind the ears is one of the areas where your skin is more permeable or absorbent. This makes it easier for essential oils to get through the layers of skin and into the skin. Plus, your mastoid pressure point is located behind the ear, and this pressure point can help you experience greater relief from pain, inflammation, and swelling. So, by applying essential oils that offer those same benefits, you may be able to experience greater results.
On the Temples
Your temples, located on the side of the head between the forehead and ear, are areas of the body that most people turn to for headache and migraine relief. But instead of just massaging your temples to get rid of a headache, try applying your essential oil roll-on. Your temples are a pulse point, which means that there are blood vessels (or in the case of your temples, the temporal artery) close to the skin's surface. As a result, essential oils can get into your bloodstream faster, allowing you to experience quicker results.
On the Wrists
The inner wrist is another common location to apply roll-on essential oils, and the reason for that is because the wrist is another pulse point. Your radial artery runs along the inside of your wrist, which makes it easy for your body to absorb essential oils into the bloodstream.
Other Places to Apply Roll-Ons
When using roll-on essential oils, you can apply your oil to more than the four areas discussed above. Here are some other common areas to apply your roll-ons:
- Around the ankles: This is another pulse point with the posterior tibial artery.
- Abdomen: The abdomen is a particularly great spot to apply oils when experiencing any sort of tummy issues, such as nausea, indigestion, or bloating.
- Side of the neck: Your carotid artery runs along each side of the neck, which makes that area another pulse point.
- Inner elbow: This is yet another pulse point but with the brachial artery.
- Chest: Applying oils to the chest is especially great for when you feel congested or have a cough, as you can also breathe in the oil while it is absorbed through your skin.
- Problem spots: Roll-ons are great for applying oils directly to problem areas, such as insect bites or blemishes.
- Back of the knees: As yet another pulse point, this spot has the popliteal artery running through it.
A Note On Safe Topical Application
When applying essential oils directly to the skin, it is important to make sure that you always properly dilute your oil with a carrier oil. Not only will a carrier oil help the essential oils absorb into your skin, but it can also help prevent irritations that may occur due to the potency of essential oils. Dilution rates can vary by age, personal sensitivity, and the type of oil you are using. Use this dilution chart to find the right dilution rate for you. It is also good to perform a patch test before applying more essential oils. Simply apply the roll-on in a small area of skin; if you experience any sort of irritation, you may want to avoid using that particular oil or blend.
Resources:
Guerra, Julia. “Putting Essential Oils On Your Feet Is The Secret To Getting Them To Work Better.” Elite Daily. 31 January 2018. https://www.elitedaily.com/p/putting-essential-oils-on-your-feet-is-the-secret-to-getting-them-to-work-better-8077521
“How Essential Oils Work.” 21 Drops. https://www.21drops.com/pages/how-essential-oils-work
Pitman, Vicki. Aromatherapy: A Practical Approach. Nelson Thornes Ltd. https://books.google.com/books?id=FTxofb0MUoMC&pg=PA31&lpg=PA31&dq=skin+behind+the+ear+more+permeable?&source=bl&ots=uG2cbSHfku&sig=ACfU3U3Y53CHjRhaYMg4ibLGY5Zk5EuCpA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjmssikkIDiAhU3HTQIHY2yCdYQ6AEwE3oECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=skin%20behind%20the%20ear%20more%20permeable%3F&f=false
Shutes, Jade. “Undiluted Application of Essential Oils.” New York Institute of Aromatic Studies. https://aromaticstudies.com/undiluted-application-of-essential-oils/
