# Essential Oils Cautions



## flyingpig (Jun 21, 2009)

Something I put together for another forum....I can't claim this one as original writing as it's put together from a variety of sources...just good info...


We've all used essential oils. They are useful in aromatherapy, massage, perfumes and medicines. At the very least, I always have tea tree, lavender, patchouli, oregano, peppermint and eucalyptus at hand.

However, just because EOs are easy to buy does not mean they are safe! Essential oils are powerful, concentrated botanicals, which MAY OR MAY NOT have the same properties as the leaves or other parts of the herb. Only a few of them are safe to use neat (directly on the skin), and with very few exceptions they should never be ingested.

Some EOs can produce severe reactions in sensitive individuals, and may induce lifelong sensitivity if one is overexposed. Aromatherapists and massage therapists who mix their own oils are particularly vulnerable.

Here are some commonsense precautions to observe when working with EOs:

    * Keep them away from children and pets.
    * Don't use on babies, children or pets.
    * Keep them away from flame - they are flammable.
    * Don't apply neat; dilute with a carrier oil.
      NOTE: Tea tree, lavender, patchouli and a few others are safe in small amounts for most people.
    * Even diluted, you should always do a patch test on the inner arm - don't use if redness or irritation develops.
    * Don't inhale directly from the bottle. Hold the bottle a few inches from your face and waft the aroma toward your nostrils using your free hand.
    * Do not ingest essential oils.
      NOTE: A few drops of peppermint oil in a glass of warm sugar water is a good remedy for upset stomach. Oregano oil is taken in capsules to combat bacterial and viral infections.
    * Keep them away from eyes, nose, ears, and any bodily opening or mucous membranes.
    * Never assume an EO has the same properties as the plant.



Here are the most hazardous of essential oils, which should generally be avoided altogether: bitter almond, buchu, camphor, sassafras, calamus, horseradish, mugwort, mustard, pennyroyal, rue, savin, savory, southernwood, tansy, thuja, wintergreen, wormseed, wormwood.

NEVER USE DURING PREGNANCY: aniseed, peru balsam, bay laurel, basil, benzoin, bergamot, bitter almond, basil, birch, cajeput, camphor, cedarwood (any variety), celery seed, blue chamomile, cinnamon, clary sage, clove, cypress, dill, fir, eucalyptus, fennel, grapefruit, hyssop, juniper, spike lavender, lemon, lemongrass, marjoram, myrrh, nutmeg, oregano, parsley seed, pennyroyal, peppermint, scotch pine, rosemary, sage, spikenard, st. johns wort, thuja, thyme, valerian, yarrow.

Don't ever put these on the skin: cinnamon, ajowan, cassia, clove, costus, elecampane, fennel, oregano, pine.

Will cause light sensitivity: Most citrus, angelica, bergamot, lemon verbena.

If EOs get in the eyes, flush with cold milk or vegetable oil.

To remove from hands, dilute by rubbing hands with cream or vegetable oil, then wash more than once in warm soapy water.

Many essential oils if spilled are required to be handled as hazardous waste! Tea tree for instance, must be absorbed by an inert material, sealed in a container, and disposed of in accordance with various laws.

Don't mean to scare anyone. I know very few people who have been harmed by essential oils. Still, it could happen. Soyez sage!


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## Guest (Jun 21, 2009)

Good post, very informative. I've never used camphor oil but I got two free bottles of the stuff when I bought a load of others. I now know why they were free. It's because camphor isn't great.



			
				flyingpig said:
			
		

> * Don't inhale directly from the bottle. Hold the bottle a few inches from y



Does that mean I'm going to die now?


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## Guest (Jun 22, 2009)

Good information for sure , thank you for posting it. 

I guess I will be withering away to my demise too , I am guilty of being a closer than 12 inches sniffer. Didn't know that before.

Kitn


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## flyingpig (Jun 24, 2009)

Kitn said:
			
		

> Good information for sure , thank you for posting it.
> 
> I guess I will be withering away to my demise too , I am guilty of being a closer than 12 inches sniffer. Didn't know that before.
> 
> Kitn



No, you won't wither away...however, for those who are sensitive it is a good way to become permanently sensitized to some oils.  Other than us soapers, people most at risk of becoming sensitized - which is like developing an allergy - are aromatherapists and massage therapists who mix their own oils.  Just use common sense and never assume that just because something is legal and commonly available it must be perfectly safe.


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## Guest (Jun 28, 2009)

That is good to know flyingpig , I have been over sensitive to scents for many many years , long before I started soaping.

kitn


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## mandolyn (Jun 29, 2009)

Wooohooo! Thanks for posting that. It's really important to know all that.


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## honor435 (Jul 9, 2009)

there using lemon and lavender at childrens hosp. in mpls, lavender is safe for children, lemon eo is used for cleaning and takes out most stains.
orange is also sun sensitive.


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## kittywings (Jul 10, 2009)

I've used oregano oil directly on my skin with no issues... It burns a little bit at first, nut after using it a while...nada (by burning, I mean it FEELS like it's burning, but there's no redness or anything visual).  I'm pretty hardcore though... so most people probably WOULD complain.


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## lovetosoap (Jul 10, 2009)

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/aromaa-c.html

Here is a very informative eo chart that includes what oils to avoid if pregnant and other contraindications


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## MsBien (Jul 12, 2009)

This is something that I keep going around and around about.  I am wondering if the citrus would be problematic to the skin when it is in soap.  What do you think?  Is a wash-away product as big of a threat to skin in the sun?

Stacie


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## carebear (Jul 12, 2009)

it's not a photosensitizer unless left on the skin - in soap it is fine.


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## Bnky (Aug 24, 2009)

Flyingpig:  Thank you for posting this, I have a couple of questions that maybe you can help me with since you are familiar with this.  I have been reading a number of sites and have not seen bergamot listed (to not use during pregnancy).  It seems many of the online sites list different EO's as safe or unsafe during pregnancy.  I've also bought and seen handmade soaps (in stores) with EO in them that do not have any type of warning for pregnancy on the label.  Do the EO's pose a problem in soap since it is being washed off?  If so, I wonder why the labels do not stess this?


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## Bubbles Galore (Oct 2, 2009)

> If EOs get in the eyes, flush with cold milk or vegetable oil.



All the MSDS I've read say to flush with water for 10 or 15 minutes.


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