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Cautions when using essential oils:Before using Essential Oils make sure you note the following:
Not all oils are created equal. For example, oils commonly referred to as pine, genus Pinus, come in a variety of species. Different species within the same genus can be considered more or less sensitising or toxic than others. Therefore, it is important to review a comprehensive aroma-therapeutic reference regarding each species usage and hazard information and consider the following: STORAGE – Keep in tightly sealed dark bottles, away from heat, light, children and pets. GENERAL USAGE – For external use only. Keep away from eyes and mucus membranes. Don’t operate equipment or vehicles after use of relaxation or sleep inducing oils and vary prolonged or constant use of the same essential oil. VENTILATION – Essential oils are concentrated, and exposure to excess or concentrated essential oils can cause headaches or other symptoms. Use with caution and adequate ventilation. PATCH TEST – Put a single drop of the essential oil to be tested into 3 – 5 ml of a carrier oil such as Sweet Almond or Peach Kernel, blend well and then place a drop or two of the blend on the back of the wrist or inside the forearm, cover and leave on for twenty four hours. Ensure that if covering with a plaster that the subject is not sensitive/allergic to the plaster. If irritation, itching or redness occurs within a short time of application, bathe the area with cold water and wash the test oil off. If redness or irritation occurs over a twenty four hour period, discontinue use or further reduce the concentration level used. NEAT APPLICATION – Essential oils should not be applied directly to the skin. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For example, lavender and tea tree can be applied to cuts, burns and insect bites, sandalwood and ylang ylang as perfume and lemon to warts. Always do a patch test first and keep away from eyes and mucous membranes. PHOTOTOXICITY – These oils can cause skin pigmentation and irritation if exposed to direct sunlight. These oils include angelica root, bergamot, cumin, ginger, grapefruit, lemon, lime, lovage, mandarin, orange and verbena. HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE – hypertensive individuals should avoid hyssop, rosemary, Spanish and common sage and thyme. EPILEPSY – Due to their powerful action on the nervous system avoid sweet fennel, hyssop, rosemary and all types of sage. DIABETES – Avoid angelica. PREGNANCY – Because of uterine stimulation or possible toxicity, during pregnancy use a half dilution of essential oils and avoid ajowan, angelica, star anise, aniseed, basil, bay laurel, calamintha, all types of cedarwood, celery seed, cinnamon leaf, citronella, clary sage, clove, cumin, sweet fennel, hyssop, juniper, labdanum, lovage, marjoram, myrrh, nutmeg, parsley, peppermint, rose, rosemary, Spanish sage, snakeroot, spearmint, tarragon and white thyme. SENSITIZATION – For individuals with very sensitive skin or allergic sensitivity some oils my cause a reaction. Test patch for individual sensitisation French basil, bay laurel, benzoin, cade, cananga, coriander, cubeba, Virginian cedarwood, Roman and German chamomile, citronella, geranium, ginger, hops, jasmine, lemon, lemongrass, lemon balm, litsea, lovage, mastic, mint, orange, Peru balsam, Scotch and long leaf pine needle, styrax, tea tree, white thyme, tolu balsam, turmeric, turpentine pine, valerian, vanilla, verbena, violet, yarrow and ylang ylang. DERMAL IRRITATION – Some oils may irritate the skin, especially for sensitive individuals or in high concentrations. Dilute these oils in half the usual strength and don’t use more than three drops when bathing. These oils include ajowan, allspice, aniseed, sweet basil, borneol, cajeput, caraway, Virginian cedarwood, cinnamon, clove bud, cornmint, eucalyptus, ginger, lemon, lemongrass, parsley, peppermint, Scotch and long leaf pine needle, white thyme and turmeric. TOXICITY – Some oils should be limited to use for not longer than two week intervals and used in moderation because of toxicity levels and include ajowan, star anise, aniseed, exotic basil, bay laurel, West Indian calamintha, white camphor, cascarrilla bark, cassie, Virginian cedarwood, cinnamon, clove bud, coriander, eucalyptus, sweet fennel, hops, hyssop, juniper, nutmeg, parsley, Spanish sage, tagetes, tarragon, white thyme, tuberose, turmeric, turpentine pine and valerian. HAZARDOUS OILS – You should consult an aroma-therapeutic reference for specific information about these types of essential oils because they are considered to be hazardous in inexperienced hands or can cause severe dermal irritation. These oils include bitter almond, arnica, boldo, broom, buchu, calamus, brown and yellow camphor, cassia, chervil, cinnamon bark, costus, deertongue, elecampane, bitter fennel, horseradish, jaborandi, melilotus, mugwort, mustard, oregano, pennyroyal, dwarf pine, rue, common sage, santolina, sassafras, savine, savory, tansy, thuja, red thyme, tonka, wintergreen, wormseed and wormwood MEDICAL ATTENTION – Discontinue use if redness, burning, irritation or itching occur. Follow warnings, precautions and seek medical attention for any problems. Notice: You should respect usage warnings and do a patch test as outlined above, and consult your physician with any question about your personal situation. In addition, this list is only a general guideline and does not cover every conceivable hazard or plant species available in nature. |
Please ensure that you have READ and
UNDERSTOOD all of the points on the
WARNINGS
page before attempting to use any aromatherapy oils.
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