Essential Oil Safety

By Thomas Doyle

     Essential oils are GREAT!!!  They can be used to help with a wide variety of ailments and household issues.  Essential oils have powerful therapeutic properties, and despite the critics, there are lots of scientific studies to back it up. However, a WARNING is in order.  Essential oils are concentrated solutions of natural occurring chemicals.  As such they are only safe when used properly. They have a wide range of benefits include health, beauty, cleaning insect control and more.  There is a reason they are popular.
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     Because they are concentrated solutions of chemicals there are RISKS.  A single drop of essential oil has the same amount of chemicals as many cups of herbal tea from the same plant. For example, did you know that it takes?

• 256 pounds of peppermint leaf to make 1 pound of peppermint essential oil
• 150 pounds or more of lavender flowers to make 1 pound of lavender essential oil
• Thousands of pounds of roses to make 1 pound of rose essential oil 

First- Some Basic Rules

• Never ingest essential oils without consulting a professional. Multilevel marketing consultants are not professionals. There are currently no national standards that define who is a qualified professional when it comes to essential oils and herbs. This means you need to ask questions. That includes looking into where the practitioner was trained, how many hours of class time, do they have a degree and is it from an accredited institution. There are a few essential oils used routinely for culinary purposes (Peppermint, Spearmint, Clove, Cilantro), but even these are highly diluted in the finished product.​

• Do not apply pure essential oils to your skin.  Always dilute them with a carrier oil. 
• Keep out of reach of children
• Avoid contact with the eyes and mucous membranes
• Use only “natural” essential oils, avoid synthetic fragrance oils

How to dilute your essential oil.

• 0.5%  -  Infants and small children (12-24 months) - 1 drop of essential oil to 2 Tablespoons of carrier oil
• 1%  -  Elderly and Facial applications – 3 drops of essential oil to 2 Tablespoons of carrier oil
• 2%  -  3 drops of essential oil to 2 Tablespoons of carrier oil. Maximum strength for daily use.
• 5%  -  6 drops of essential oil to 2 Tablespoons of carrier oil. Short term use ONLY

Please consult with an aromatherapist, Master Herbalist or medical professional before using essential oils on children under two years of age. Hot oils such as Cinnamon, Clove Bud, and Oregano should be diluted to 0.5%, and should not be used on children under ten years of age.
 
THESE SUGGESTED RANGES ARE NOT RECOMMENDED DOSAGE.
 
Patch test: For first time use of an essential oil, a safe practice is to place a drop of diluted essential oil to a small area of skin such as the inside elbow. After application, be aware of adverse reactions for the first 24 hours. Possible reactions include skin irritation, headache, nausea, respiratory complaints or dizziness.

Some Essential Oils Increase photosensitivity
Certain oils can make your skin more sensitive to the sun, which can set you up for a sunburn, even with just minor exposure. Never apply any of these essential oils to your skin if you are going to be exposed to the sun or to UV rays. They do not promote tanning. Instead they are likely to cause pain, blistering, swelling and irreparable damage to your skin. If you have used any of those oils on your skin, wait a minimum of four hours after applying before being exposed to the sun. Here is a list of these oils​

• Lemon essential oil
• Lime essential oil
• Grapefruit essential oil
• Orange essential oil
• Bergamot essential oil

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4. Pregnant or Nursing
Everyone knows that while pregnant or nursing you should be careful about what you eat and do.  Essential oils can affect hormones, gut bacteria and other aspects of health and extreme care should be used when taking them while pregnant or nursing. There is evidence that essential oils can cross the placenta and get to the baby. The effects of essential oils can be compounded in utero. I’m not saying they should not be used during pregnancy, but that extreme care should be taken and research done first. During pregnancy and nursing I recommend using essential oils for aromatherapy and highly diluted use of approved essential oils for topical application.
Many oils are considered safe during pregnancy, especially after the first trimester. A good rule is to always check with a professional and use caution with any herbs used during pregnancy.
The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA), recommends that pregnant women avoid the following essential oils:​

• Wintergreen essential oil
• Sage essential oil
• Mugwort essential oil
• Tarragon essential oil
• Birch essential oil
• Aniseed essential oil
• Camphor essential oil
• Hyssop essential oil
• Parsley essential oil (seed or leaf)
• Pennyroyal essential oil
• Tansy essential oil
• Thuja essential oil
• Wormwood essential oil​

 If you’re nursing, you may want to avoid peppermint essential oil as it can decrease milk supply. On the other hand, if you’re in the process of weaning, it can be helpful when used topically on the breasts.

Potential Medication Interactions
If you take a prescription drug, it’s important to find out if the essential oil you plan to use may interfere with it. If you’re uncertain about whether to use the oil with a medication you’re taking, don’t use it. Individuals with liver disease, renal disease, a compromised immune system, or those taking multiple medications, should consult with a qualified, professional before using essential oils. Here are some common herbs/essential oils and the medications they interfere with.

• Wintergreen                      Warfarin; intensifies blood thinning
• Lemon Balm                      All; affects the livers ability to metabolize drugs.   
• Cinnamon, clove               Aspirin, Heparin, Warfarin; Inhibits platelet adhesion                                                      and intensifies blood thinning
• Lavender                            morphine, oxycodone, lorazepam, diazepam, and                                                             alprazolam. Due to the relaxing qualities of lavender,                                                     this herb could potentially enhance the effects of central                                               nervous system depressants, including narcotics and                                                       anti-anxiety agents. 

There are many more so do your homework

Children or babies
Never, Never treat children as an adult.  This includes treatment with essential oil, herbs and tinctures.  Children are smaller, have much thinner, more delicate skin are in the process of still growing. They tend to be more sensitive to essential oils. Most experts recommend that the oils should be diluted at least two times more than an adult. 

Generally, oils such as orange, lemon, lavender, chamomile and frankincense are considered safe for use on children when diluted, although it’s still advisable to check with a professional first, and then perform a skin test. There are also certain oils that should never be used around a young child or baby, like wintergreen, eucalyptus, rosemary and peppermint. Those oils contain compounds that can actually slow breathing, or even stop it in those who have respiratory problems. Additionally, you should always treat essential oils like you would any type of medicine, and keep them out of reach of children – oils like wintergreen can be fatal if swallowed.

More is not better!
The biggest mistake one can make with essential oils and other herbal medicines is using too much and or using it too often. Treat essential oils like you would a medication and, be sure to consult an expert. In many cases the actions of essential oils and herbal medicines, can change dramatically dependent upon the dose taken.  And just because you can’t smell it anymore does not mean it’s not still in your system.  

Essential Oil Quality
To really benefit from essential oils, it is imperative to use oils that are 100% free from adulterants, additives and extenders. Oh, and one last note, there is no such thing as therapeutic grade. Essential oils are either pure or adulterated.  The amount of specific chemicals in an essential oil can vary dependent upon the plants used.  Environment, weather, stressors, soil make up and many other factors can cause variation in essential oil make up. 

Bearberry Essentials carries 30 different essential oils, and we custom blend 8 for special purposes.  We also take orders and will blend to specific to your needs.  If at any time you have a question about using essential oils, herbs or tinctues please send us an email at bearberryessentials@gmail.com
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