Migraine after blending eo's

[Jezzy]

Hey.. I have a massive migraine after trying to copy a recipe given to me by a friend... I can't get the smell out of my nose even after smelling coffee... :cry: i can't even believe that I went ahead and made soap with this!

Could any of you tell me which one the migraine causing oil was?

Lavendel
bergamot
patchouli
tangerine
ylang
clove

a can't get the smell of lavendel out of my nose...

 

[PrairieCraft]

Hi, it's me again. I am so sorry to hear you had this reaction. Hopefully this won't put you off of enjoying the soap you just made. My husband is a migraine sufferer and you never know what will bring one on. You were probably overwhelmed with all of the strong smells combined. Maybe next time try working with your EOs with a mask on and limiting the amount of smelling you are doing. It can make even a non-migraine sufferer get a headache, I've even made myself nauseous before. It seems silly not to smell them but all of those oils except the tangerine are pretty strong and intense. My guess is it wasn't any one in particular, just too much exposure.
After the soap has cured for a while I would be interested to know if the combination still bothers you. Lavender always seems to stick in my nose as well, it isn't a favorite of mine.

Working with EOs while wearing a mask, in a well ventilated room(hot and stuffy makes scents stronger it seems) and cutting down on the amount of time you are exposed might be something to try.

On another note, for a migraine, I have had good results with the husband and quite a few clients with cold/ice packs. Put them at the back of your neck, across your forehead, on your shoulders. We keep a freezer full of cold packs ready to go at all times and that seems to bring a little comfort at least to the sufferer. You are supposed to limit the amount of time you leave the cold packs on to 15 minutes, and always place a cloth between the ice and your skin. My husband, however, would bite my hand if I tried to take them away after 15 minutes so he leaves them on til they aren't cold anymore.

 

[carebear]

could be any of them - people vary in their sensitivities. or it could just be that it all was just too much - try to limit yoru exposure.

 

[Jezzy]

Thanks Prariecraft and Carebear!

Feeling normal today. I used my netty pot last night to get the lavender out of my nose.

I soooo hope that I am not going to have to throw that soap away. I use to buy soap from a lady that gave me her secret recipe. I loved this combo! I was really surprised that there was almost 1/4 lavender in there that isn't my favorite either!

 

[supersoaper3000]

Lavendel? Sind sie Deutsch? Oder verkaufen sie ihre lavendel auf Deutschland? I am sorry to hear of your reaction! One of the tricky things about EOs is the lack of research into the synergistic reactions of various oil blends. Also the lack of grading standards for EOs can come into play here. Was the original made with first distillations? Or third? Not all EOs are created equal, and it helps to know the general quality strength) of your oils.
Ylang Ylang has been known to cause headaches in high concentrations. Personally I don't like the way it blends with Patchouli either.

Aside from all the good advice you are getting from the above posts, I would say avoid adding oils to really hot soap, cover your face and keep a breeze going.

Last, and I may stimulate a little debate here, I suggest keeping EO blends as simple as possible. A long list of ingredients looks very impressive, but can lead to unforeseen problems (headaches, respiratory issues etc) if inhaled repeatedly while in hot soap. There is an art to finding the right balance of smells, sometimes less is more...

DO NOT THROW YOUR SOAP AWAY! Sorry about the caps...all EOs mellow with time, set it aside for a few weeks and give it an indirect sniff later. I wager in a month the dominant players in that blend will be the clove and the Patch. I hope you are able to use and enjoy the product you have been working on

 

[Jezzy]

Oops.. No I am an american living in Germany. I will be in upstate NY in a few weeks to visit family.

The reason I was blending those oils is because I have ordered oils ect ect with those eo's i love the blend so much that I wanted it too. The lavender was good. But I think that was what set it off..

I didn't throw away the soap and.... Yeaaaa I can smell it without wanting to get sick

 

[rubyslippers]

Thanks Prariecraft and Carebear!

Feeling normal today. I used my netty pot last night to get the lavender out of my nose. !

....netty pot! now your talking.....those pots are amazingly effective! (sorry to get off topic) Glad you're feeling better

 

[Jezzy]

Thanks! Yep... LOVE my Netty Pot! It really helped get that scent out of my nose!

 

[princessleia]

migraine from essential oils

I came across your post on a web search and registered in order to reply because you need to know this:

Patchouli causes migraines. I can't tolerate the smallest amount of patchouli without getting a headache. I've been to the emergency room from exposure to patchouli. Avoid using the soap that you made. Try blending your other oils without adding patchouli. Don't make soap, just blend a drop or two of each oil. Stop and move to another location if you become light-headed, dizzy or nauseous.

Hope this helps.

 

[Jezzy]

Wow! Thats very nice of you princessleia! Thanks a lot!

 

[SoapMedic]

everyone is different! I get a terrible headache as soon as I open a bottle of ylang!! It's the only eo I've worked with that gives me that problem (and yet it's a great blender so sometimes I just grin and bear it.)

 

[anissa_mathias]

Last, and I may stimulate a little debate here, I suggest keeping EO blends as simple as possible. A long list of ingredients looks very impressive, but can lead to unforeseen problems (headaches, respiratory issues etc) if inhaled repeatedly while in hot soap. There is an art to finding the right balance of smells, sometimes less is more...

You are so right. The best blends often contain only two or three oils. Clove is also a strong essential oil and has been known to cause sensitivity. Depending on how much you used, you may have to much in the soap.

 

[Lindy]

For every EO there is someone who is going to be sensitive to it. People with ragweed can't usually use chamomile. I'm allergic to citrus so if I am doing a blend needing it I have to mask up, glove up and generally look like I'm going into a poison gas zone because for me it is, but pretty much everyone else in the world is great with it.

So it depends on your own sensitivies as to how you'll react to any given EO.

 

[Woodi]

It's true, we all react differently to scent. I get migraines from lots of different ones, have had to learn, just from opening the bottle. Lavender makes me sneeze and cough now (after 9 years of using it); mints sometimes give me a headache, many FO's do.

Good luck in finding which ones you can easily use!

Meanwhile, wearing a mask is a good idea. You can look as attractive as this in your soaproom, NOT.

and on bad soapmaking days, you may look like me here: pic taken two years ago.

 

[Lindy]

ROFLMAO!!!! Diane good one - love the pictures, especially the second one!

Your advice is sound and your mask is fabulous!