The St. Raphael Oil is a sacramental like holy water it is not the Holy Oil used in the Catholic Church’s Sacraments. (A sacramental is an object, a prayer,etc. that helps us grow in our spiritual life and increases our devotion to our faith.)
In using sacramentals, as lay people we should not confuse this oil with the Church’s holy oil that is conferred only by a priest in the Anointing of the Sick. It is for personal use and never sold.
It should be noted that Jesus instituted the Sacraments; the Catholic Church instituted the Sacramentals. Another difference is that the Sacraments are said to work by the direct power of Christ, while a Sacramental obtains grace or power by the prayers of the Church. The purpose of all Sacramentals is to help people grow in faith. In essence, they are contact points that represent Catholic faith.
Blessed Oil should not be associated with superstitions such as the Blessed Oil having a magical power in itself. Blessed Oil is a symbol of God’s grace at work through the faith of the believer. Such faith must be Jesus-centered, as was the faith of the blind man in John 9; he had faith in Jesus, not in the mud and spittle used by Jesus to heal him.
Otherwise, the Blessed Oil can be used in similar fashion as Holy Water. You can bless yourself or another by proxy, you can place a cross of the oil, above your doorposts and windows, and in other ways similar to how we use Holy Water. It is used as a healing balm and/or a protection against evil.
The usage of Blessed Oil by lay people is an ancient custom of the Catholic Church. It can be used when praying for the sick as long as a clear distinction is being made between the Sacrament of the sick and Sacramental use of the blessed oil. In this particular usage, the Blessed Oil as a Sacramental is no different than the usage of blessed salt, palms, ashes, etc.
Remember it is your faith, combined with Almighty God’s power and Will, in the Holy Name of JESUS, through the powerful intercession of the Archangel St. Raphael, all the prayers that go into the oil as it is being prepared, and the priestly blessing that heal you through this holy oil. It is good to remember that the holy oil is just a vehicle that God uses to heal us. We are all instruments of God, only God is the Divine Physician and healer.
Some are healed instantly, some progressively, some spiritually, some physically, and some mentally. Some are healed in all three areas. You may be healed of something other than what you ask for. Whatever Almighty God’s Will is for you and your particular spiritual mission on this earth.
ALL GLORY GOES TO ALMIGHTY GOD!