Safe soap-making with wintergreen

[new12soap]

Wintergreen is not only dangerous when in ingested, it is chemically very similar to aspirin only far more potent and even topically can be a blood thinner. Another poster (I am sorry I do not recall if it was here or elsewhere) shared that they used wintergreen in a pain relief balm for arthritis and very nearly killed the user. I have no idea what "safe" levels would be, but there are a lot of other scents I would choose over wintergreen for that very reason. If you do not know how much is too much, I would say do NOT risk it!

 

[lra]

I bought the commercial grade wintergreen recently from bulkapothecary. Below is the description:

"Botanical Name: Gaultheria Procumbens Plant Part: Leaves Extraction Method: Steam Distilled Origin: India Color: Colorless to pale yellow clear liquid. Common Uses: Wintergreen Essential Oil has long been used as a pain reliever. It is also used in formulas to ease respiratory and sinus issues. The commercial grade variety is best suited for manufacturing purposes rather than for therapeutic use. It works great for soap making. Consistency: Thin Note: Middle Strength of Aroma: Strong Aromatic Scent: Wintergreen Essential Oil has a strong mint candy flavor. Cautions: Avoid use if pregnant. Safety in young children, nursing women, or those with severe liver or kidney disease is not known."

I should stop the idea of making soap with wintergreen then.