TOXICOLOGY

[Denise Morgan (Helping Hand)]

TOXICOLOGY

Some essential oils are simply too toxic and have no place in Aromatherapy. The oils include: Bitter almond, camphor brown and yellow, rue, wormwood, sassafras.

More hazardous oils include: mustard, wormseed, calamus, pennyroyal. These are generally available. However, sage and thyme have not yet been withdrawn from general use in Aromatherapy.

The adage “Less is better” is one to keep in mind when working with essential oils. They are powerful, active substances that should be used in small amounts.
Each drop of essential oil is filled with a host of aromatic molecules, many of which may present a certain degree of toxicity.

Oils that are not safe for home use: origanum, thyme, sage, wintergreen, savory.

In pregnancy avoid essential oils as the unborn baby should not receive any.

These oils should not be used on the skin at all: Cinnamon, cassia, pennyroyal, thuja, mugwort.

These oils may cause very slight irritation on sensitive skins, especially if used in compresses/in baths: basil, rosemary, fennel, verbena, lemongrass.

The following oils should not be applied to the skin prior to sunbathing or going under a sun-bed: bergamot, orange, lemon, any other citrus oil, grapefruit, verbena.

We have to be super safe. Even the most toxic essential oils are not harmful if only one or two small doses are taken, and they are less toxic than some chemical drugs.

It is important to note that essential oils are able to cross the placental barrier. They are also present in a mother’s milk. Therefore, if you are pregnant or nursing, be aware that any aromatherapy treatment you undergo will affect your baby equally. You would be well advised, during the period of your life, to forgo any aromatherapy treatment that incorporates essential oils.

[Denise Morgan (Helping Hand)]

Essential oils, used for everything from insect repellents to aromatherapy and fragrance, are very strong and need to be used with care, but they can cause environmental health problems if the brand doesn’t provide pure oils. Some oils have petroleum-based solvents added, which can be very toxic. Petroleum-based solvents are often long-lasting in the environment, are stored in our fat, and are a source of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) that negatively affect indoor air quality.

1. Beware of buying oils that may be months old or badly stored before you get them. Obviously the further back you can get in the chain of supply the better, although that is not easy in aromatherapy.
2. The big oil traders say they are experimenting with lab test strips which will detect if an oil has a lot of peroxides in it. That should prevent an oil which is already badly oxidised from reaching aromatherapy suppliers.
3. Add lavender; petigrain; neroli; rosewood; and any other high linalool content oils to those not to be used on the skin once they are over about 6 months old and/or have had a lot of air in the bottle.
4. Store all your oils that are not in daily use in your refrigerator in an airtight box. That alone will considerably delay oxidisation.

Do an easy blotting paper test to see if your oils are pure. Put a few sample drops of your oils on a blotting paper. Pure essential oils will not leave any residue once they have
evaporated, whereas petroleum solvents will.