| Research Notes: Essential Oil Safety | | by Florapathics, | To understand essential oil safety is to know what essential oils are and what they are not. Essential oils are volatile oils, so they are evaporative at room temperature, and their odor is perceptible to the olfactory system. The dictionaries define essential oil as: “any of a class of volatile oils that give plants their characteristic odors and are used especially in perfumes and flavorings�?[1], and as “the highly volatile substance isolated by a physical process from an odoriferous plant of a single botanical species.�?[2] The oil bears the name of the plant from which it is derived; for example, sandalwood oil or lemongrass oil. Such oils were called essential because they were thought to represent the very essence of odor and flavor.
Essential oils are very potent and should never be placed directly on the skin, but should be diluted with carrier oils, lotions, or aqueous solutions. You might ask yourself why you see people putting essential oil directly on their skin, like all the people in the 60’s and 70’s that used patchouli? To answer the patchouli question you need to understand patchouli oil. Patchouli is a heavy, balsam-like oil that has therapeutic qualities that help to relieve dry and chapped skin. It is known for its moisturizing qualities and small amounts applied directly to the skin have shown no serious allergies. However, it should not be assumed that all essential oils are equal—that if one can be used directly on the skin then another one can also—just because it is an essential oil. Even though patchouli oil is great for the skin, it is toxic internally and should still be used with caution when not diluted. Another oil, lavender, has become the best selling essential oil in the world because of its wonderful, sweet, tea-like, herby scent and all of its soothing and calming properties. Lavender is considered to be non-sensitizing, non-irritant and non-toxic; however, even though it is rare, there are known instances of people who are highly sensitized to lavender and have had severe allergic reactions to oil placed neat (directly on the skin without dilution in a carrier). Those persons would most likely not have been affected if they had used a small amount of the lavender oil in carrier oil or other natural form of dilution.
For instance, when receiving a facial treatment from a clinical aesthetician at a spa, he or she might spray a lavender hydrosol on the face or use lavender essential oil in water or aloe vera as a toner, or perhaps tea tree oil in a jojoba solution as a cleanser for acne and oily skin. What is not often said enough is that essential oils are acids and safety and common sense must be practiced when applying them, especially on extremely sensitized skin. Furthermore, just because something is all-natural and organic doesn’t mean that it doesn’t contain harmful constituents if used in a disproportionate amount. Use caution and only use essential oils directly on the skin that have been patch tested and diluted with a carrier oil or base formula.
If there is interest in essential oils for internal applications based on therapeutic properties, it isn’t always necessary to apply essential oils to the skin. They can be used by diffusion into the air with a nebulizing diffuser or heat diffusion. The volatile oils are dispersed into the air and then breathed in through the nose, thereby entering directly into the blood stream. An essential oil such as bergamot has been shown to clinically reduce depression: inhalation of bergamot stimulates endorphins which are known to produce euphoria and relieve pain. For migraines, taking deep inhalations of rosemary or lavender essential oil will generally provide relief in a short period of time.
There are also individualized concerns about safety with essential oils. Did you know that for an epileptic the use of rosemary essential oil can cause seizures? Some essential oils, if taken in oral doses, could cause convulsions in a vulnerable person. “People with epilepsy who are taking suppressant medication are probably no more vulnerable than non-epileptics. Epileptics who are not on medication are vulnerable, as are people who do not realize they are epileptics. Externally used essential oils are no more likely to cause a fit than any other fragrance or strong odor.�?[3] Children are especially sensitive and the use of most essential oils should be avoided on children under 2 years old—even then there should be supervision and possibly a doctor’s approval. “It has been said that clients should not drive following aromatherapy massage with certain essential oils, such as clary sage. Perhaps more sensible advice would be to recommend not driving if the client feels significantly disoriented, following aromatherapy massage with any essential oils. In the majority of cases disorientation following treatment is both mild and transitory. Only in rare circumstances is driving proficiency likely to be effected.�?[3] “As a general rule undiluted essential oils are not used in massage, nor are they applied to the eyes, diseased skin, mucous membrane, or broken skin (cuts, wounds, surgery, etc.). This is to avoid causing inflammation. However, there are instances in which the benefits may outweigh the risks. Such instances could include: bites and stings, burns, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, leg ulcers, malignant ulceration (fungating carcinomas), mouth ulcers, neutropeniculceration, pressure sores, tinea, verrucae, warts, etc. In many of these instances medical supervision would be advisable.�?[3] Patch testing essential oils is recommended to find out how individual skin types are affected by essential oils. “To test for irritation, apply the essential oil, at double the concentration you plan to use it at, to the inside of the forearm for 48 hours.�?[3] If any form of irritation occurs, i.e.: redness, swelling, blisters (rare) or itching, it is recommended to wash the area with warm water and unperformed soap and then exposing the skin to air (but not direct sunlight) to help let any residue oil evaporate.
For using herbs internally to combat illness, it is recommend to use an herbal extract after researching the properties and constituents in a therapeutic reference. Additionally, for further research, Florapathics provides an online therapeutic index at www.florapathics.com to look up product profiles, constituents, and actions of the essential oils or herbal products that may help with a condition or just improve general health and wellness.
http://www.ascension.net/articles.asp?Category=2&Article=342 | |
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