Wintergreen EO - how dangerous?

[paillo]

Following up from a thread in the CP forum...

Personally I am scared to death of wintergreen. Made a bunch of M&P with herbs for closet fresheners a couple of years ago, but then after reading the warnings I trashed them all (so not even a stray dog, much less a child, could dig them out) and have my wintergreen EO stashed somewhere I'll never use it. Am I justified in being so scared of this EO? Are there safe uses?

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

Use it in a diffuser so that you get the aromatherapy benefits without the skin contact.
http://roberttisserand.com/2012/03/wintergreen-oil-safety/

 

[Lindy]

The risk comes through ingestion. It takes very little to kill a child or animal (my cousin died from Wintergreen poisoning). I have somewhat softened my view on this oil. It is a great analgesic and if handled responsibly it is safe. Keep in mind that eucalyptus is just as toxic but since it doesn't smell like candy it is far less likely a child it going to eat it.

If you have children in the home then if you can keep all of your EO's locked somewhere or in the top of a closet where there is no chance the children can reach it then you are taking proper precautions. My aunt had put the wintergreen eo in a cupboard that was very high thinking it was out of the reach of the girls. Unfortunately children are inventive and Carol had Shirley help her climb up onto the cupboard and together they managed to get the wintergreen. Carol drank some and was dead within a very short time.

 

[melstan775]

That's a sad story Lindy.

 

[hoegarden]

sorry to hear that Lindy.

 

[paillo]

That's a sad cautionary tale, Lindy, so sorry

And Shawnee, great idea about the diffusers. Have been meaning to make some up. What kind of base do you use? Last ones I made were with dipropolene glycol, perfumers' alcohol and EOs, but wasn't too happy about using the DPG.

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

When I say "diffuser", I'm talking about an oil burner..you know, the kind that you can melt wax tarts in? A little bowl above a tea light candle or the electric kind. I just put a bit of water in the bowl with about 20 drops of EO...as the water heats up, it will warm the EO "diffusing" the scent into the air...same idea as steaming.

Here's my PERSONAL theory on EOs that are more prone to toxic effects...I am not a medical professional, so this opinion is based on my research of essential oils, apprenticeship under a Master Herbalist, and common sense (How do you like that disclaimer? )
Any EO if taken internally CAN be toxic, though some more than others. Your skin can also absorb EOs, which then enter your bloodstream and are filtered through your liver and kidneys...so overuse, but especially of certain ones, can produce toxicity in your system. Unless you have had hands-on professional education with the safe usage of the more toxic EOs, you should avoid their use. There are so many easily acquired and relatively safe EOs that generally you can find one of the safer ones to use for most any issue. I don't like "alarmists", but I do think caution should be practiced with essential oils.

 

[ruby61]

That is very sad story. You need to treat your eo's similar to your lye. Research each eo before you use it, treat it like a med because many have been used that way for years before modern medicine was around. Shawnee you may not have a medical background, I do and I guarantee you probally know way more than I do. It is one of the things I plan on learning about in the future.

 

[Lindy]

Thank you everyone. My cousin (Shirley) was never forgiven by her mother and she named her first born Carole in tribute to her lost sister.

Shawnee & Ruby61 I totally agree. Essential Oils need to be treated with the same respect that you treat over the counter drugs. You also need to be aware that people with reduced liver function (I'm one of those) are more likely to go toxic quickly. It is the reason I always recommend 3% or lower even in soap. You don't know what medical conditions people have and how quickly they can build up to toxic levels. Very few people put soap on the hands/body and rinse it off before actually cleaning themselves so the soap remains on the skin for a period of time. Then it gets washed off.

I am not a medical professional either but I am a certified clinical aromatherapist who reads everything I can get my hands on about aromatherapy.

 

[Second Impression]

I'm so sorry your cousin died this way, it's terrible. Thank you so much for being so open about it though, lots of us have small children and we can't always out-thinl what trouble they'll get into until the damage is already done. This is a timely warning for my family especially, we babygate the hallway every night to keep a sleep walking 3 year old and a curious 2 year old safe from early morning adventures into the kitchen. Just found out this morning that my 3 year old can take the gate down on his own. Since your cousins climbed to the EO's, I'll be getting a locking box for mine now, my kids have been known to climb the cabinets before and are masters at defeating child locks.

 

[Lindy]

It is a very long time ago but it has always reminded me that we need to be careful. When I first got into all this Wintergreen was something I simply would not allow in my home. But as I've learned more about how to safely handle essential oils and no small children around I am starting to use it as it is just so good for muscle rubs and such. I think what turned the tide for me was when I discovered how toxic eucalyptus is.

If my cousin's story can help make sure one child stays safe, then I'm happy to share it.

 

[hoegarden]

Thank you everyone. My cousin (Shirley) was never forgiven by her mother and she named her first born Carole in tribute to her lost sister.
.

I guess the saddest thing is that this accident change the whole life of a person. I hope her family will eventually forgive her and understand that it is an accident.

The hardest thing in life is to lose the support of your very own family. All the best to your cousin.

 

[Lindy]

Her Mother died many years ago and she passed several ago from Cancer. I don't think she ever forgave herself.

 

[Badger]

That is so sad, Lindy. I am sorry that this happened, and I do hope that others can learn from the experience.