An essential oil may have great medicinal qualities, but is it right for you? Essential oil safety should be considered before using your first drop of the aromatic oils. Here are precautions, dilutions, & best practices for safe essential oil use.

Would you believe me if I told you that I am a trained aromatherapist who doesn’t really like to use essential oils very much?

Oxy-moron?

It’s the truth.  I have a degree in Complementary and Alternative Medicine through the American College of Healthcare Sciences, with a double major in both Herbal Medicine and Aromatherapy.  Roughly 100 different essential oils are currently in my possession.  Furthermore, I love what essential oils can do and how they smell. I do use them in practice and when my client’s needs warrant them.  But they aren’t the go-to in my holistic “war chest”.  And they shouldn’t be the only tool in yours either.

Why my aversion?  It is all about strength.  To illustrate my point– I love a good single malt scotch.  I need to drink liquid.  Scotch is a liquid.  But I am not going to drink a single malt scotch to quench my thirst, when something else – water – is going to be just as, if not more, effective and altogether safer.  So, why rub your feet with costly and potentially toxic essential oils when a cup of tea might do to ward off that nasty cold?

Essential oils are the highly concentrated, volatile essences of various plants, resins, and gums.  While essential oils are reflective of the original plant matter, not all constituents are carried over during the distillation process. Most herbalists feel strongly that the “whole plant” is better than that sum of its parts – that there is inherent synergy in the natural state of the constituents.  Distillation is thereby a refinement of sorts and a disruption of the plant’s natural synergy.  As a holistic healthcare practitioner, my “front line” to address concerns of a client are always going to consist of nutritional, herbal and vitamin/mineral recommendations.  Essential oils are an additional tool, but one that I put a lot of forethought and care into using.

I have been moved to write this post after biting my tongue too many times.  Why? Because I see friends and family posting online about how they are using essential oils internally. Sometimes I overhear conversations about using essential oils on babies from other parents when picking the kids up from school.  And finally (spoiler, I am gonna sound like a jerk here), when I mention that I am an aromatherapist, a frequent response is “oh, so is my mother/sister/brother/aunt/neighbor. She sells Doterra/YoungLiving/Melaleuca essential oils” (FYI, solely selling MLM oils does not a proper aromatherapist make, but to also be fair there are some highly educated distributors too).  While this post is not intended to be derogatory to MLM companies or make people feel bad about their choices, it is intended to clear the air, give a little tough love, and offer real, actionable advice on the correct use of essential oils.

So, when we do decide that essential oils are appropriate, how do we use them correctly?  Here is the nitty gritty on essential oil safety and use!

Essential Oil Safety Dilution Ratios

If there is but ONE point that I want to drive home – it is that essential oils should be diluted in a fixed carrier oil (think olive, coconut, avocado oils) before application.  It is one of the most basic tenets of essential oil safety.  Neat (undiluted) application is rarely recommended and usually reserved for individual allergy and sensitization testing.  Safe essential oils dilutions range between 0.5-5%, depending on the individual and application technique.  Please note, that these are general guidelines and that there are certain essential oils that should never exceed 1% of a mixture.  If there is a known allergy or sensitivity to a particular plant group, associated essential oils should be avoided altogether.

• 0.5%: Pregnant women, small children (12mo-4yrs, I do not recommend applying essential oils to infants), and the frail or elderly.
• 1-2%: Daily use facial or body lotions/oils
• 3-4%: Acute needs such as wound care or pain relief
• 5%: Typically not recommended, short-term use only.

The following table may be helpful for calculating dilutions:

Essential Oil Ingestion

In a quest to make myself eternally unpopular, I am going make a bold statement – DO NOT INGEST ESSENTIAL OILS.  Sorry, Pam-from-the-gym, dousing your water bottle with grapefruit essential oil isn’t going to burn off those love handles or thunder thighs (although I sure wish it would)  That peppermint essential oil isn’t gonna cure your acid reflux, Todd-from-accounting.  Actually, improperly ingested essential oils can do harm more harm than good by irritating (even burning) mucous membranes and disrupting gut flora.  Unless under the guidance of a qualified aromatherapist or health care practitioner, don’t self-medicate internally with essential oils. There, I’ve said it.

Also, keep essential oils out of the reach of children and pets.  And for the love of all things sacred, please do not put essential oils in your eyes.  It should go without saying — but there is a popular article circulating that says otherwise.  Sigh…

Essential Oil Toxicity and Therapeutic Margin

Another key part of understanding essential oil safety, is knowing not everything that is “natural” is “safe”.  In fact, there are a few essential oils considered toxic at otherwise safe dilutions.  The therapeutic margin of herbs and essential oils refers to the line between a helpful dose and potential toxicity. For instance, wintergreen (a potent pain reliever), should never exceed 0.5-1% of a total blend.  Toxicity, sensitization, irritation, and phototoxicity (increases damaging effects from UV exposure) factors of ALL essential oils are well beyond the scope I could cover in this blog post, but here are a few “usual suspects” for which to consider when blending and diluting:

• Toxicity potential and contraindicated for pregnancy: anise seed, basil, birch, camphor, hyssop, juniper, mugwort, parsley, pennyroyal, sage, tansy, tarragon, thuja, wintergreen, and wormwood.
• Mucous membrane irritants: bay, caraway, cinnamon bark/leaf, clove, lemongrass, peppermint, and thyme
• Dermal sensitizers: cassia, cinnamon bark/leaf, and peru balsam
• Photosensitizers: angelica root, bergamot, cumin, expressed citrus essential oils, and rue

Diffusing Essential Oils

While it may seem relatively harmless, inhalation via diffusion into the atmosphere is the quickest way that essential oils are absorbed into the bloodstream. As such, it is imperative that you “know your audience” before diffusing.  Those with acute and chronic respiratory issues, allergies, infants, small children and the elderly can have serious and even life-threatening reactions to certain essential oils — especially those with camphor-y aromas.  Avoid diffusion in the classroom, offices, and areas with poor ventilation.  Discontinue use immediately if respiratory issues arise.

Don’t Be Fooled by Essential Oil Marketing

Don’t be fooled by clever marketing when determining essential oil safety.  It is terribly easy to get sucked in by terms like “pure”, “natural”, and “therapeutic grade”.  Clearly, these are qualities that we want in our essential oils, right?  Truth is, those terms are essentially meaningless as they are not properly verified by an independent third party.  Beware of companies that use these ambiguous terms freely and seek those that can substantiate their claims via an independent body or produce lot testing.  For instances, I order many of my essential oils from a Mountain Rose Herbs (while I am a brand partner, this is not a paid link), whose commitment to batch testing and quality standards is second to none in my experience — I have toured their lab and I have a thorough understanding of their testing equipment.  Other labeling indicators of high-quality essential oils include:

• Both common and Latin/botanical names
• Country or origin
• Chemotype
• Growing conditions (organic, farmed, wildcrafted)
• Production method (steam or water distillation, expression)

I hope my tough love essential oil lesson hasn’t upset too many folks.  Really, my goal is not to shame anybody, but rather to spread the good word on essential oil safety.  It certainly does not take a degree in Aromatherapy to properly use these essential oils (although it does help).  Careful planning, forethought, and some “best practices” will ensure a safe and pleasurable essential oil experience.

FDA Disclosure

I am a trained herbalist with a degree in Complementary and Alternative Medicine, I am not, however, a doctor. Posts in this blog are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Before using any herbs, check for appropriate dosage, drug interactions, and contraindications. Information contained herein is not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prescribe. Please consult your primary care physician regarding your specific health concerns.

References:

National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy.  Explore Aromatherapy

Dorene Petersen.  Aromatherapy 101, ACHS 2015

E. Joy Bowles. The Chemistry of Aromatherapeutic Essential Oils. Allen & unwin, 2003.