Should You Apply Essential Oils On Your Soles?
There are two schools of thought on this and they are diametrically opposed to each other:
Pro:
WHY WOULD I PUT ESSENTIAL OILS ON MY FEET?
One of the best ways to apply essential oils was by applying them on the bottoms of the feet.
The bottoms of our feet have large pores so the essential oil molecules are able to get absorbed very quickly. Although essential oil massaged anywhere on the outside of your body will wind up on the inside, many aroma therapists believe the bottoms of your feet are especially beneficial to get them into your blood stream faster, possibly as quick as 20 seconds! Other quick-absorbing areas include behind the ear and on the wrists.
Anti:
Essential Oil Myths #4 – Your Feet are the Best Place to Apply Essential Oils
Say what?! Just about every Young Living or doTERRA sales rep recommends that the best and most effective way to get essential oils into your system is to massage those essential oils into the soles of the feet.
Why are the soles of the feet recommended? After all, the thickest skin on the human body is the soles of the feet, usually callused.
Their reasoning is that the soles of the feet contain the most pores. That may be, but they are sweat glands, and since oil and water (sweat) don’t mix, those pores are NOT going to pull the oils into the blood stream.
They also combine reflexology points with essential oils saying that by applying oils to specific points on the bottoms of the feet any condition throughout the body can be treated.
If people have obtained any relief by applying essential oils to their feet it is more likely that the relief came by inhaling the essential oil; inhalation being the best way to benefit from essential oils.
I have not tried applying the oils to my feet, but I couldn't see how it would hurt. A nice foot massage with an aromatic oil sounds good anytime, but I'll continue diffusing my essential oils.
I’ve always been interested in how belief can effect the medicinal value of a substance. Most everyone is aware of the placibo effect, but there’s also something called the nocibo effect, where an otherwise effective treatment doesn’t work, because the patient doesn’t believe it will.
So, in response to your article, I’d like to say that there is no clear evidence either way.
Peer backed studies have identified that the bottoms of people’s feet are good places to apply oils. Whether or not people believe that could effect the effectiveness of the oil.
So- I’ll still be giving my self a sedative foot massage with lavender and vetiver before bed.