7 Important Facts You Absolutely Need To Know When Buying Essential Oils
Wikipedia's definition of essential oil is "a concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants". Essential means that the oil carries the plant's distinctive "essence". Essential oils are gaining in popularity these days, and not just with aromatherapists, massage therapists and others who use them in their work. Neighbors and friends are exploring essential oils. Many people attribute physical and emotional benefits from essential oils.
However, you need to be aware of some potential dangers when using essential oils. I briefly outlined the most important ones in a previous article entitled Aromatherapy and Essential Oils. I would like to expand on this subject a little more for you.
- Concentration: Essential Oils are extremely concentrated; if applied in their pure form to skin they can be very irritating and might cause an allergic reaction. In addition they could possibly lead to liver toxicity. Animals, especially cats, are sensitive to essential oils. (Not for use on pets.) All oils need to be mixed (diluted) in a carrier oil, such as almond, olive, hazelnut, or grapeseed oil. These oils are considered "neutral"-there would be no adverse reaction when mixing an essential oil with them. No more than 10% of the total mixture should be the essential oil-0.5-3% is most often recommended.
- Pregnancy: Use of essential oils in pregnant women is not recommended because of lack of evidence to support the safe use during this time.
- Gynecomastia: This is an abnormal growth of breast tissue in the male. Studies have reported that using lavender or tea tree oil in pre-pubescent boys can lead to this condition. While usually benign, this condition might cause the young male some embarrassment.
- Pesticides: There is some concern that there might be some residual pesticide to be found in the distilled essential oil. One way to be sure the oil you buy is pure is to look for the word "organic" in the oil description.
- Ingestion: While some essential oils are used in the flavoring of foods, under strict regulations and guidelines, it is not recommended that you take internally any oil for therapeutic purposes without consulting a highly trained and licensed professional (aromatherapist) beforehand. Some oils are highly toxic, such as eucalyptus oil.
- Flammability: The flash point for each oil varies; citrus oils, tea tree oil and lavender oil are some oils that are considered a Class 3 flammable liquid. This means the flashpoint is between 50-60 degrees C (122-140 degrees F). When you consider that water boils at 212 degrees F and becomes steam, these oils require a much lower temperature at which they can vaporize and ignite.
- Toxicity: I have already stated that some oils are toxic if ingested, such as eucalyptus oil. The MDL (median lethal dose) needed to kill at least 50% of test subjects (rabbits) is measured in mg/kg body weight. For most oils, this amount is only 0.5-10mg/kg. Putting this in perspective, it takes 6mg/kg of arsenic to be considered a fatal dose.
This information is not meant to scare people or to keep them from deriving the many benefits associated with aromatherapy and essential oil use. You just need to have a healthy respect for the oils and do some research before you buy. Then you can safely enjoy the many wonderful scents and goodness of essential oils.
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