18 Jun Problems and Concerns with Essential Oils
ARE THEY SAFE?
Have you ever heard the saying ‘just because something is natural doesn’t mean it’s safe’?
Plants and herbal products contain many bio active compounds that may harm your health, and essential oils are no different.
However, when inhaled or combined with a base oil for use on your skin, most essential oils are considered safe. When using your oils, be sure to consider others in your environment who might be inhaling the aroma, including pregnant women, children, and pets.
Nevertheless, they may cause some side effects, including:
- rashes
- asthma attacks
- headaches
- allergic reactions
While the most common side effect is a rash, problems and concerns of essential oils can cause more serious reactions, and they have been associated with one case of death.
Aromatherapists believe oils that have most commonly been associated with adverse reactions are Lavender, Peppermint, Tea Tree, and Ylang-Ylang.
Oils that are high in phenol’s, such as cinnamon, can cause skin irritation and shouldn’t be used on the skin without being combined with a base oil.
ARE ESSENTIAL OILS DANGEROUS?
Essential oils are highly concentrated.
Did you know that :
· 256 pounds of peppermint leaf to make one pound of peppermint essential oil
· 150 pounds or more of lavender flowers to make one pound of lavender essential oil
· Thousands of pounds of roses to make 1 pound of rose essential oil
· One drop of peppermint essential oil is equivalent to 26-28 cups of peppermint tea. If you wouldn’t ingest dozens of cups of a herbal tea, you should probably think twice before consuming the equivalent amount of essential oils
Also, please be careful with oils around the eyes as some oils may be painful if not diluted properly. If this happens, immediate dilution by flushing the area with a vegetable oil will minimize the discomfort almost immediately. Do not use water as this will spread the oil to a larger surface and may possibly worsen the problem.
Also, it is important to know that essential oils made from citrus fruits increase the skin’s reaction to sunlight and burns can occur.
Another important element aromatherapists want you to understand is not to swallow essential oils unless they have been labelled as GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) is not recommended, as doing so could be harmful and, in some doses, fatal.
Also be aware that reactions to essential oils, both topically and orally, can be delayed as long as 2-3 days.
Even continued exposure to small amounts (a few drops a day in a bottle of water) can lead to fatigue and headaches.
Ingesting larger amounts of certain oils like Tea Tree or Wintergreen can lead to throat swelling, racing heart, vomiting and even seizures. To clarify- these seizure reactions are rare and most were in people who were predisposed to seizures, but this still isn’t a risk I would want to take with small children.
Another thing that is not often mentioned is that essential oils should never be stored in plastic containers, especially in concentrated forms. Aromatherapists say that essential oils can eat through plastics when undiluted, and even when diluted, they can degrade plastics over time.
You are more likely to have an allergic reaction to oils that have other ingredients like fillers, alcohol, and preservatives.
Injured or inflamed skin will also absorb more oil and may cause unwanted skin reactions. Make sure you choose the oil wisely and it is diluted.
ARE ESSENTIAL OILS SAFE FOR KIDS?
Young children and the elderly may be more sensitive to essential oils. You will need to dilute them even more. Just like anything else that little hands shouldn’t be able to reach, don’t make you essential oils too handy. If you have young children, keep all essential oils locked away out of their reach.
Representatives from Young Living, an industry leader with more than 5 million independent distributors, say the company’s rate of bad reactions is almost negligible, with .0072% of users reporting them.
Education and safety is top priority for Young Living as it hosts regular safety and training workshops online and in person for the distributors and the consumers.
I hope I have given you a balanced view on any concerns or problems you may come across with essential oils.
The most important element to remember is to use the best quality oils that you can afford. The essential oils that I will always trust and recommend that are the best in the world -Young Living.
Young Living‘s website has a wealth of information and if there is something that you would like to purchase, be sure to use my membership number 1433206 so you can buy these wonderful products wholesale.