- The Dangers of Learning as You Go
- The Most Important Fact About Essential Oils – Efficacy
- Could Essential Oils Really Be Dangerous to Your Family?
- In the Hands of the Untrained
- Reason #1: Not All the Information Out There Is Complete
- Reason #2: Essential Oils Are Uber Powerful
- Reason #3: Essential Oils Are Not Always Safe for Children
- Still Want to Use Essential Oils? Learn to Do It Safely!
- Essential Oils Packed for the Road
- Essential Oils and the Brain
Just because something is natural doesn’t mean it’s safe.
In the case of essential oils, there are going to be fewer side effects than man-made medications or phthalate-laden fragrances, but if oils are effective, then they have to make actual changes which means there could be negative or even dangerous effects as well. Knowledge is power (and safety)! For example, some essential oils are not safe for children, but some are gentle enough to be safe even for babies.
RELATED: Face Mask Side Effects and Solutions
Jumping in without any research or knowledge is foolish.
A few years ago I asked readers to share their goals for essential oils. These quotes are actual comments people shared:
“I so need some help figuring out how to best use mine!”
“I just purchased my first set of essential oils and would love to learn more about the many uses for them.”
I’m not going to pick on them, but it worries me.
It’s just how I started.
And I was wrong.
The Dangers of Learning as You Go
I’m definitely the type of person who is prone to jumping into something new with the bare minimum of information, just so that I can take one of my famous baby steps.
I’ll buy an unfamiliar vegetable or cut of meat and then figure out how to use it.
I’ll try a new recipe without thinking it through all the way, sometimes delaying dinner to a disastrous end.
I over purchase at the Farmer’s Market and find the time to preserve what is already in my house after the fact.
But if I’m in the market for something big like a computer, I always do my research first and painstakingly read reviews and weigh the options (or I make my husband do it). It’s too expensive to mess up.
Really, I understand where the folks are coming from who are beginning to use essential oils and just want to jump in and try something out, but I want you to learn from my mistakes today.
I regret my baby steps with essential oils.
The Most Important Fact About Essential Oils – Efficacy
The truth to establish before we can have an educated discussion about the safety of essential oils is their efficacy.
ARE essential oils effective – or not?
Based on stories you can’t avoid from real people, online and often in person, you may have decided this for yourself already.
But if you’re wondering about actual scientific studies, they aren’t hard to find either. Just a few examples:
- as effective or more than standard treatment for Candida albicans
- effective (although not perfectly so) against Staphylococcus aureus
- showing promise against West Nile
- rosemary and basil essential oils effective antibacterial agents against even multidrug-resistant bacteria
- even aromatherapy is being found to have genuine effects on anxiety
And my own post on essential oils as better antibiotic choices than prescriptions also demonstrates power and efficacy.
Essential oils are either powerful for helping our bodies OR they don’t do much – we can’t have it both ways.
Logic tells us that if they really work, which people bothering to use them must believe, we can’t treat them like there are no limits.
We can’t just use them in any situation without training and feel like there could be no possible side effects because they are “natural.”
Either they work and should be respected, or they don’t. I strongly believe the former is true. But what do we need to know to use essential oils safely?
Could Essential Oils Really Be Dangerous to Your Family?
A few years ago, I wrote a post called:
I compared essential oils to other common helpful but potentially harmful tools:
In the Hands of the Untrained
There are plenty of things we use on a regular basis that could be harmful and require both responsibility and training: automobiles, weapons, even kitchen knives.
They’re great to serve a purpose, but they can cause problems if used incorrectly.
For the most part, accidents happen for one of two reasons (or both):
- The people handling the item are not trained to use it.
- Some people, especially young drivers, simply don’t think they will get hurt – the rose-colored glasses and youthful feeling of invincibility prevent them from sensing real danger.
Essential oils often trick well-meaning mamas in the same way.
Plenty of people, even those sharing information about essential oils (raises hand), are untrained to handle them. Yet the Internet makes it very easy for us to talk about natural remedies and for others to listen.
And just because it’s “all natural” doesn’t mean it can’t harm anyone, but we are easily lulled into a false sense of security by “natural remedies” just because of their name.
There was a bit more lengthy analogy to a handgun at first, and boy, did I take heat! One reader on Facebook suggested that I was saying using any essential oil is like holding a gun to your head. Overreaction!
I just wanted to make clear that we need to think critically about something so powerful. If a remedy is effective, then it must have the potential to cause side effects. Although my own family was not hurt (that I know of) by my use of essential oils without understanding all the precautions and risks, neither are most people who have unlocked guns in the house.
But some are.
I really wanted to emphasize that we need to treat essential oils as powerful, potentially dangerous things that can do great good but also great harm. Not everyone who uses one oil needs to be fully trained, but I do recommend that people dig into more than one blog post – including this one – before embarking on home doctoring.
Even when used incorrectly, they won’t often kill or even harm anyone – but we need to understand that they could and stop treating essential oils like a bottle of dishsoap: squirt, lather, rinse, repeat.
However – in that post which made such a splash and I hope was helpful to many, not scaring them away but teaching caution – even I didn’t have allllll my facts straight. I’m sharing the 3 reasons below (still valid!) but correcting any errors.
Reason #1: Not All the Information Out There Is Complete
I remember a scene in Person of Interest (I love Jim Caviezel, amen?) where the main character, a military-trained spy-turned-Robin-Hood chastises a group of young gangsters for holding their guns sideways in the classic gang “so cool” manner. He tells them condescendingly that they can’t possibly aim that way.
In other words, learning from someone else who hasn’t been professionally trained can mean that you don’t learn the right way.
Buying essential oils and jumping in with both feet before actually taking time to educate oneself about how they work and what precautions should be taken is a little reckless, much like driving a vehicle without a license.
I learned to drive on country roads with my dad, before I took driver’s ed. What made that safe? (1) He knew what he was doing, and (2) we took it slowly.
Just because someone says, “Use X essential oil to treat such-and-such a symptom,” doesn’t mean all the instructions are included or valid.
It’s far too easy to just see a tip like “use lavender to help treat eczema” or “peppermint essential oil helps headaches” and not know how to proceed but feel a sense of safety because hey, “they’re natural.” Better to take it slowly…because, for example, peppermint isn’t recommended for pregnant women or children before a certain age, but that’s not always in every quick note about what you can use an essential oil for, you know?
It’s also important to understand safe dilution for essential oils before slathering them on your body (or your children’s bodies). It’s not hard to do – but I feel it’s vital we take the time.
Do you know how to properly dilute essential oils?
Reason #2: Essential Oils Are Uber Powerful
Essential oils are the most potent substance of a plant that there is. Thousands of plants can go into one little bottle of essential oil, and different manufacturers can produce wildly different potencies, making recipes without knowledge of individual oils a bit of a gamble.
Many well-meaning sources of information recommend too great a quantity in skincare recipes, use non-kid-friendly oils in family health resources without youth warnings, don’t detail diluted oils for topical use and can be brazen in describing regular internal usage without enough cautionary information.
There are plenty of factoids one should know before using something as powerful as an essential oil.
Essential Oils & Homeopathy
For example, did you know essential oils can’t be combined with homeopathics? I didn’t for quite a long time and used them at the same time as homeopathy for ear infections more than once.
Homeopathics don’t always interfere. However, if you use peppermint, eucalyptus, tea tree and a few other very strong smelling oils in conjunction with homeoapthy, they may stop the homeopathic remedies from working. It doesn’t make anything dangerous happen, as I originally thought, it just nullifies something you’re trying to do. (source)
Topical Essential Oil Use – Always Dilute
Topically, many essential oils must be mixed with carrier oils or they can burn the skin or have other deleterious effects.
I didn’t know that either. Ahem.
Plus essential oils do expire – and I always kind of thought they’d last forever!
Internal Essential Oils? Use. Great. Caution.
Whether humans can safely ingest essential oils at all is a topic embroiled in great controversy, but if you’re just dabbling, you might not even know that.
Many oils are recommended for internal use without including cautions about frequency – even gentle oils like lemon shouldn’t be taken internally on a daily basis, and a great many should never be used internally.
I was blindly following incomplete advice years ago and gave my son practically undiluted oregano oil by mouth. Guess what? It burns.
Let’s just say that as much as learning together with your children is a worthy pursuit, this isn’t a topic to learn by experience.
In the same vein, it’s pretty common for people to assume that there are no side effects to natural oils. In fact, antibacterial oils (oregano, Thieves type blends, clove, cinnamon, tea tree, etc.) should be followed up with probiotics, just like prescription antibiotics need to. They can wipe out beneficial gut flora just like the chemical stuff can. (Here are some guidelines on how to rebuild the gut after antibiotics or any infection.)
Just because something is natural doesn’t mean it can’t hurt you, especially if you are just using it without understanding all the potential repercussions.
And guess what else? I’m not a doctor, naturopath, nurse, or anything else. So everything I’m spouting here? Could be wrong too. But I’m learning to err on the side of caution and “do more reading” than just recommending people to step forth in this arena.
Do I think that one needs to be professionally trained to use essential oils at all? Certainly not. But they should do some research and know that there ARE risks so that they’re not running blind.
A few more quick reads on EO safety:
- 6 ways EOs can harm you – just to be informed, not to scare you! But you gotta know the risks.
- This article also lists negative reactions to EOs, but I really like the 5 quick tips to avoid adverse effects: wear gloves, wash hands, always dilute properly, rotate to avoid sensitization for long-term use, and buy from trusted sources. My personal favorite after years of use and trying many brands (there are lots of good ones!) is Plant Therapy, both because I appreciate that they have aromatherapists on staff (you can ask questions via customer service) and because they’re actually affordable. Plant Therapy‘s KidSafe blends were formulated by Robert Tisserand, agreed upon by many to be a foremost expert in our day on essential oil safety.
- Not a quick read, but my friend Katie pulls out more research and details than most, and her post on essential oil risks and safe ways to use them is a must.
In general, the side effects of essential oils include:
- Skin sensitivity (rash, reactions, burns, sores)
- Photosensitivity (some oils are not ok under sunlight)
- Problems for pregnant or nursing women (list of unsafe EOs for pregnancy here)
- Medial interactions with certain diseases (especially asthma, liver disease, high blood pressure, diabetes) and medications (some oils can counter the effects of a med you may be taking)
- Overuse leading to sensitization/allergies (this WebMD story is well worth reading, again, not to scare, but for knowledge’s sake)
- Ingesting oils never meant to be ingested (I would never ingest an essential oil without confirming safety with a professional and probably cross-reference that)
- Katie also reminds us of potential problems with plastics and surfaces and essential oils
- Not always safe around pets
And one of the more important safety notes:
Reason #3: Essential Oils Are Not Always Safe for Children
Our drugstores have children’s versions of everything from cough medicine to vitamins, but most people, myself included, don’t always understand at first that there are also “children’s versions” in the world of essential oils.
Certain oils are not to be used on children under two years old, and others aren’t safe for kids under six.
I have used oils on children in both age groups that I later found out were not recommended. You want to talk about mommy guilt, I’m right here.
If you are looking to get started with essential oils, here’s a list (which may be incomplete) of oils to avoid for children (copied from this SOURCE):
- Cajuput Melaleuca cajuputi, Melaleuca leucadendron – avoid using on children under 6
- Chaste Tree Vitex agnus castus – avoid using (all routes) on prepubertal children
- Clove Bud, Clove Leaf, Clove Stem Syzygium aromaticum, Eugenia caryophyllata, Eugenia aromatica – avoid topical use on children under 2
- Eucalyptus Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Eucalyptus globulus, Eucalyptus maidenii, Eucalyptus plenissima, Eucalyptus kochii, Eucalyptus polybractea, Eucalyptus radiata, Eucalyptus Autraliana, Eucalyptus phellandra, Eucalyptus smithii – avoid using on children under 10
- Lemon Leaf/Lemon Petitgrain Citrus x limon, Citrus limonum – avoid topical use on children under 2
- Lemongrass Cymbopogon flexuosus, Andropogon flexuosus, Cymbopogon citratus, Andropogon citratus – avoid topical use on children under 2
- Marjoram (Spanish) Thymus mastichina – avoid using on children under 6
- Oregano Origanum onites, Origanum smyrnaeum, Origanum vulgare, Origanum compactum, Origanum hirtum, Thymbra capitata, Thymus capitatus, Coridothymus capitatus, Satureeja capitata – avoid dermal use on children under 2
- Peppermint Mentha x Piperita – avoid using (all routes) on children under 6
- Rosemary (1,8-cineole chemotype) Rosmarinus officinalis – avoid using on children under 6
- Wintergreen Gaultheria fragrantissima, Gaultheria procumbens – avoid due to methyl salicylate content
- Ylang-Ylang Cananga odorata – avoid topical use on children under 2. (not for use when pregnant)
This post is one that I continue to go back to, if only to remind me to do my research well before trying something as potent as EOs. Who knew there were different kinds of eucalyptus and that some are great for kiddos while others are super harmful?
Do you ever see people recommend a certain kind of eucalyptus for congestion? Nope. They just say “eucalyptus.” You have to do the digging to find out the rest of the story.
I recently got some “Eucalyptus Dives” from Plant Therapy because it’s a KidSafe alternative for congestion. I looooove that PT does the legwork for me on child safety, and every bottle that IS safe for children over 2 has a KidSafe label right on it. This helps a lot when your child is coughing in the middle of the night and you’re reaching for that diffuser with groggy sleep in your eyes!
Just like gun safety, I don’t want you to be left untrained with essential oils, unaware of the risks, or using the wrong ones on children.
Here’s a post with some lists of EOs that ARE safe for kids, how to use them, and even some info on how to use EOs with babies (it’s a “hydrosol” which I had never even heard of before!).
Still Want to Use Essential Oils? Learn to Do It Safely!
If you’re wondering, I do still use essential oils. I still recommend them to friends.
But I am cautious and lean on the side of using them aromatically first, which is much less potentially volatile than topically or internally. (Did you know there are various schools of thought on that based on your oils training and whether it’s based in French, British or German foundations?)
If you’ve got a stash of bottles and no training, or if you keep hearing about the power of essential oils and want to “dabble” with them – don’t.
Don’t just dabble.
Learn it right.
You certainly don’t have to be a trained aromatherapist to use a few oils for home doctoring, but please make sure you’ve dug in a little bit and learned enough to know what you don’t know, to know to use caution and move slowly, just like driver’s training.
Note: I’ve been asked a dozen times to sell essential oils. I’d love to, in one way. I would love to help arm mothers and fathers with tools to help them treat their families naturally. It’s empowering. But I don’t feel like I know enough to (a) commit to a brand and (b) teach proper use. So I’ve always declined the invitations, even though I know people make buku bucks doing it. Just sayin’.
Essential Oils Packed for the Road
I made this quick little video for you so you can see how I travel with my oils, but if you’re not the video-watching type you can read all about what I packed below.
Immune Boom
The Immune Boom roll-on can go right on people’s hands, especially if one person gets sick, everybody’s getting immune boom on their hands. I left my main bottle of Immune Boom at home, but that one is nice to have for diffusing if someone in the house is sick.
Germ Destroyer
This is my go-to. I diffused it in the Airbnb that we’re staying in this week just because it smelled a little musty moldy, and I would also diffuse it if anyone started getting a bug or a tickle in the back of the throat.
A lot of essential oils brands have their germ destroyer blends and they all use really hot oils like cinnamon or oregano, which are not recommended for kids, but Plant Therapy’s formula uses all kid-safe oils and it has kind of the same properties as those other really well-known brand name germ destroyers that I’m sure you’ve heard of.
Sweet Slumber & Calming the Child
My favorite thing about Plant Therapy is that they’re very sensitive to the fact that some essential oils aren’t completely recommended for kids, so they have this huge kid-safe line and most of what I buy from them is from that line.
One of my kids really really likes having sweet smells at night so this Sweet Slumber blend is perfect for him since it’s one of the kid-safe blends.
Calming the Child is another kid-safe blend that I diffuse on alternate nights with the Sweet Slumber blend.
Sneezy Stop
The allergies have been kicking it up down here in this part of the county, and one of my kids especially needs this blend right now.
Sniffle Stopper
This is another one of my go-to’s if anyone gets a cold, this is what they get on their chest, diluted of course. I can just mix up a dilution in my hand or in a small bowl with the coconut oil or avocado oil that I brought with me, or I can use the roll-on I have which is pre-diluted and really easy and quick to use. Make sure you read up on how to properly dilute essential oils.
Frankincense
I use frankincense oil frequently, so I always like to have it with me.
Kid-Safe Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is one of those oils that is not generally kid-safe, but Plant Therapy sells a special variety of eucalyptus oil that is totally safe for kids. This is another one that gets diffused if people are having a little trouble breathing, especially at night.
Grow Ease
This one is for growing pains, and I love having this one in a roll-on because when a kid is having growing pains and they’re crying in the middle of the night, the last thing I want to do is be mixing up my own my own dilution.
Tummy All Better
I have this one in a roll-on to just roll that right on the upset tummy.
No More Warts
We have at least one kid with some warts right now, so we’ve been using No More Warts daily. I have had success with this in the past. It’s a slow process, and it takes weeks to months depending on how big the wart is, but it does work.
Lavender, lemon, and tea tree are classics that are always good to have around. There are so many remedies that call for these three that I choose to bring them even though I didn’t have a specific purpose in mind for them when I packed. In the past I’ve used lavender as a little dab on bug bites, but we have other itch remedies with us so I haven’t used it for that on this trip. I used tea tree in the bedroom that smelled the funkiest all weekend.
Roll-Ons vs Undiluted Bottles of Essential Oils
I splurge for the roll-ons for oils that I’m gonna use all the time and the ones that I want to use quickly. For example, if somebody started to get a tickle in their throat, or they’re started to get sick, I’m going to grab my Immune Boom or Germ Destroyer and put it like behind their ears on their neck at night or even on their feet so that the all those kids-safe things are going into their bodies.
Essential Oil Diffusers
I always bring at least one if not two diffusers with us when we travel. The one you’ll see in the video is called NovaFuse from Plant Therapy. It’s really easy to use, just add water and a couple drop of oil and turn it on. I also have the AromaFuse with us this summer. Both of them work really well, the NovaFuse just has a slightly smaller footprint and height so it takes up less space in my bag. It also comes with a USB power cable so it can just plug right into your computer, which is really nice for traveling.
Essential Oils and the Brain
Watch this quick video for info on the vagus nerve, how essential oils can be a “backdoor” entry to health, and the importance to your whole family of getting into a parasympathetic state more often:
Can’t see the video? Watch Essential Oils and the Brain here on YouTube.
Grab Jodi’s bonus chapter here.
And the oil she held up in the video is one of her own special blends, appropriately called Parasympathetic. You can get your own hands on some here.
I know this is an older post but I am sitting here freaking out as I used EO’s for a few months eight years ago topically on my 10 year old when she had a horrible case of molluscum contagiousum. She had over 100 all in her armpit region and I was desperate as nothing was working and she was headed into 6th grade so she would be changing soon in front of other. So many success stories from moms on social media who used EO’s to treat them. I am a nervous wreck now as I thought these were safe. I used tea tree, Tag a Way (thuja occidentallis) lemon myrtle, frankincense and my pediatrician even recommended clove and oregano oil! I diluted mostly but I don’t know if I got the right dilution and sometimes I used them neat. I don’t know I can’t remember everything as this was going back to 2013/2014! But I feel absolutely awful! She never had any skin irritation or any other reactions..but now what damage did I do to her long term? She’s 19 and healthy but I’m so worried now that I did long term damage!
I don’t think you need to beat yourself up over this for sure! If she didn’t have any reactions at the time and she’s healthy now I don’t see any reason to suspect that she had lasting damage. You do the best you can with the information you have and now you have more information moving forward. 🙂
Thank you for responding! I am just concerned as there was a study I saw no and of course not back then, that citral which is high in lemon myrtle oil reduced fertility and egg quality in rats! I am so hopeful that I did not harm her fertility!!!
Thank you for this informative article. I had an incident last week that sent me to the hospital after taking the thieves EO. I had been fighting a cough and low grade fever at night and my sister gave me some thieves oil. I don’t know the dilution but it was just a tsp. My mouth started tingling, then my right hand went numb, and I lost the ability to focus, since it was late at night I just went to bed. When I woke in the morning I still had the same symptoms and went to the hospital where I was told I had a stroke. (I am 71 years young). However all tests came back negative for stroke. By the next day symptoms began to subside and they sent me home. I have found ZERO info on the Inet as to possible side affects. So I now have stroke listed on my medical charts.
How frightening, Roger! I’m glad everything subsided but definitely stay away from oral ingestion in the future. I hope it wasn’t a tsp undiluted! 😮
First off I know this is an old post but I wanted to say “How Dare You?” , how dare you warn people that something could be dangerous??? Don’t you know that you are scaring people. I mean people might never use a car ever again because of the dangers. How dare you suggest that people get training before they drive a car?? As an automobile saleswoman this offends me. An automobile saved my sisters cousins life by driving them to the hospital and now people may never use this wonderful life saving device. thanks to your blog.
Ok I hope you could tell I am being sarcastic, and I hope you have learned more but here are some good resources for beginners who want to learn more about essential oils in a brand neutral environment.
The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy: Over 800 Natural, Nontoxic, and Fragrant Recipes to Create Health, Beauty, and Safe Home and Work Environments Paperback
by Valerie Ann Worwood
The Complete Aromatherapy and Essential Oils Handbook for Everyday Wellness Paperback
by Nerys Purchon and Lora Cantele
I love this, I’m about to begin my home study of level one certified aromatherapy when my books come in! 😀 it took me one full week ok edensgarden.com to decide which oils I needed and which ones were safe etc. Finally figured that part out and my 22 oils came on 4 days later. Then on to more studying. I have really only use lavender EO in coconut oil (1-2 drops of EO on 1 TABLESPOON=6teaspoons=30ml of coconut oil or olive oil) for my kids all under 4. This was after I contacted a registered aromatherapist in my area
Emailed her a pic of my oils and my “blend” and she gave me the precautions, safety tid bit and I was okay for doing this. Then I started contacting the schools approved by the NAHA and asked them questions by sending emails and looking at their websites and content. (NOT ALL CURRICULUM IS THE SAME. IT IS BASED UPON THE SCHOOL AND IF IT FOLLOWS NAHA GUIDELINES) so I could learn from school what another wasn’t teaching or for most part….anyways, I still have yet to really “use” my oils and it’s been a month. I have “experiemented” with THOROUGH research and insisting on emailing these schools. However, these experiments have only been used on my husband and my friend so far and it was the same blend. I recommend everyone check out aromahead.com they have a free beginner class on BASICS of course not everything BUT it will get you started onto knowing what questions to ask next and what to look for when deciding oils for families with children and babies. Remember, always keeps them tightly sealed in cold or atleast not hot area away from sunlight to ensure their shelf life. Yes they have shelf lives and yes they can go rancid and oxidation because of heat, light and air. Be cautious and always always make sure you look at the amount a recipe is giving and dilute it PROPERLY because some say 40 drops total in 2 tablespoons….. ya…not safe. That’s alot of oils in 2 tablespoons of carrier oil. You can follow me on pinterest too. I try to pin educational things that I know myself to be true because of talking to registered/certified aromatherapist and because I am working on the dilution rates myself. Can be very tricky but I’ll get it one day! 😀
1 tablespoon equals 3 teaspoons! I’m sorry for my poor math in that last comment!!!! 6 teaspoons is 2 tablespoons
Not combining homepathics with EO is not something I’ve heard of before! Do you have more info on that to share?
Homeopathics are very carefully formulated. When eo’s are introduced it can throw off the homeopathic meds. Eo’s are chemicals. If your homeopathic meds are formulated to contain a specific amount of something like linayl acetate, amd then you add lavender essential oil, you are adding a large amount of Linayl acetate. Now the ratio of your meds is thrown off.
I cannot find even one story online of anyone going to hospital because essential oils. NOT ONE. If it happened certain people would pounce on it and tell the world. The only info regarding oils and hospitals is about how are starting to use essential oil in their everyday care of patients.
By your logic no one should cook! After all people learn how to cook as they go, too. And people have been hurt by cooking. Burns, bacteria, sharp knives, etc.
Annalise Wright went to the hospital for an anaphalactic reaction. It was all over fb about a year ago. There are injury reports from AIA that are easily Googled. Just Google essential oil injury report. The info is readily available.
http://aromatherapyunited.org/injury-reports-2014/
http://aromatherapyunited.org/injury-reports/
The second link has the Feb 2015 report and the october 2015 report.
I would like to start by saying that I am glad that a friend shared this article with me. It helped me reflect on my practices as an oil user and oil sharer.
I recently started using essential oils this summer. When I first ordered my young living oil starter kit, I dug in and did a lot of research. I read lots of blogs, books, and oil reference books. I talked with people that I knew used essential oils and I researched different companies. At first I was afraid to use oils because what I had read was so contradictory and I just did not know what to do EVEN after having done quite a bit of research. At some point I felt that I just had to try out my oils and I jumped in. Once I got a taste for using oils I really got into it and I have learned a lot more from using them.
I am thinking that it is not possible to know everything before taking the plunge into some new territory. Yes you can be as informed as possible but humans are hard wired to learn as they go.
I agree 100% that just because something is natural, that does not always mean it will be good for you. I agree that people should be informed about everything they put on or in their bodies. But I also know that if I had not just “jumped in” and started using my oils, my husband and I would still be using motrin all the time, I would have lost layers and layers of skin on my hand when I suffered a very severe burn, I would have sleep problems, I would still be suffering from bursitis pain in my back (even after physical therapy), my allergies would be controlled with a drug induced fog, and most importantly – I would not know what I know now about essential oils. I am now able to actually store safety information about oils in my brain because I am using them. In the beginning I had no schema about essential oils so it was hard to attach the information somewhere.
When I think about people in our communities that we depend on for their important skills and information. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, scientists, etc. I see that that to some degree, they all learn as they go.
So I am wondering a few things:
At what point is it safe to just jump in and try out the oils?
At what point is it safe to get information from people that are “learning as they go” too?
With all this being said… I am still ordering a copy of Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals so that I can be a more informed distributer of oils.
Emily,
You ask great questions! In my personal opinion, I just want to do enough research to know the hazards, safety for children, stuff like that. I want to learn about dilution. And then I can “jump in” but starting with lower potencies and on adults first, aromatic first, stuff like that. But I probably don’t know enough to say much! I just think you want to have done *some* research and it sounds like you did lots and knew what you were “jumping in” to. 🙂 Katie
I very much appreciated your article; it had the right attitude, because there are powerful oils which can be dangerous in the wrong hands…especially in the hands of those who don’t realize their power, which is the case for many people who buy them. I remember years ago getting into TeaTree oil and for a short while selling products based on it. I had a small bottle of the oil, and somehow my 2-year-old son got hold of it and opened it. I didn’t know how far he’d gotten with it and I called poison control. They said if he had any I would know it almost immediately because it is extremely toxic. Thankfully he hadn’t gotten that far. I of course should have protected him better from it, but also, I didn’t realize the power of it. It should have been a clearly labeled warning on the bottle and on anything related to purchasing it. I’ve seen the oil mentioned many times online and never seen any cautions mentioned related to it. So I think there probably are other similar dangers in the various oils, and some people realize them and relay them, and some don’t. Some companies are probably better than others about it as well. Perhaps it needs regulation, or the companies themselves ought to take it on themselves to make sure the dangers are known to every single purchaser. It makes me far more cautious about my interest in oils than I would be otherwise. Thank you very much for making people aware; you may save a life. I think the commenters who got defensive and quite snarky probably want to sell their oils unhindered and you just might cost them a sale. I kind of hope you do.
Important story, Connie, thank you for sharing!!! 🙂 Katie
This was a well thought out article and I appreciate your personal insight and experience. I LOVE essential oils. They have benefited my family from my first accidental stumbling onto them when I suffered a terrible case of poison ivy! That being said, because they are such a potent component of natural medicine, and social media has gone BERSERK with information and MISinformation, this post has and will ruffle many feathers. Nobody likes rain on a parade. The more I read and research and learn about EOs, the more cautious I am on behalf of my family. Just like prescribed medication, I want to know the benefits and risks of what is used for my family. My love of lavender oil does not exclude physician care. And there are well meaning people who don’t take the time to do personal research and understand – and anyone who cautions them is told they are ruining the whole thing for everyone. Bah! The fact that there are a variety if ways to use herbs for natural health – tissanes/teas, tinctures, essential oils, etc – is lost on a lot of people. It is a science really, and while we should be curious and somewhat experimental, we must proceed with reasonable caution and respect the advice of experts – and not rely solely on word of moth alone!
Hi Katie,
I just read your post and was fascinated by your article. Thank you for taking the time to do the research and write this article. You mentioned how EO’s and homeopathy can’t be combined. I was wondering if you could tell me more about it. I would love to get your input on that topic. Thanks:)
hi there!
Just wanted to pop in and say I love your blog, and as someone heavily invested in seeking knowledge about essential oils, I really do appreciate this post from you! I had unsubscribed from many of my favorite blogs when they give unscrupulous essential oil advice, taking internally, using topically without dilution, no warnings, health history, etc. I am so relieved that you are not doing that “just to make a buck”. I am taking an advanced aromatic medicine course in October, and am enrolled in the practitioners course through Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy.
I wanted to point out, there are not three different schools of “thought”, (German, English, French) when it comes to aromatics. There is only aromatherapy. The “three different schools of thought” comes from a major MLM and it’s a pretty nice way of saying “oh you don’t agree with me? Well I follow such and such school of training” it’s a myth, and it is false information.
Other than that, I pretty much agree wholeheartedly with this post! Thanks so much for writing it, I know essential oil safety and usage is a very hot topic (kind of like politics lol!) and I support this post and your blog. I will continue to read and if you’d like more information on essential oils, you can visit
Aromamedical.org (Martin Watt gives a lot of credible, scientific papers and evidence based research on EO usage)
Robert Tisserand blog (Facebook, website) (safety information)
Essential Oil University (Facebook) (chemical analyses and myth debunking)
Aromahead (school for aromatherapy and lots of useful info)
Atlantic institute of aromatherapy (school and lots of useful info as well)
Be well! Hugs
Karlie,
That’s so interesting about the “schools of thought” being erroneous – thank you so much for your kind comments and good links for more info!! 🙂 Katie
Hello,
I dpnt usually have the time or interest to respond to blog posts, but for some reason this just requires my attention. I just find the inflammatory comparison to loaded guns, the weak pubmed abstract saying oils can kill you, and the otherwise lack of concrete sources to be annoying. Truth is, education is “essential” when using any product…but helping your readers gain understanding without using fear-based imagery and language is also super important, don’t you think? 🙂
It’s a tough balance Tanya – that headline gets more eyes on this than a gentle approach would. If you read the comments, you’ll find quite a few people who have been hurt by EOs and were thankful that I was spreading the word…but I know it was a bit overboard…it’s just that it works… Katie
I know someone used essential oils on pimples over 6 months person was totally Nonreligious before but 1 year after person is now VERY religious…I believe essential oil mess up with your brain.
I know someone else takes essential oils who NOW truly believes that the government is involved in cloud entrail ( not sure of spelling ) conspiracies and that the government is dooming everyone..this person also gargled with essential oils and now has tooth bone decay
I’m glad someone posted about the dangers. I first heard about EO about 2 years ago from a friend on Fb. She told me all about DoTERRA. I never heard of the company nor EO. I looked more into them and she said when I’m ready-basically can afford it-she’d help me out cuz she was a sales rep. In the past 2 years I’ve learned all about MLM companies, the fight, or whatever, that made DoTERRA branch into their own company from Young Living. From a lot of websites I’ve read taking EO internally generally isn’t recommended UNLESS you do these things, and the things are stated. DoTERRA and Young Living don’t seem to share the same precautions, so that was a big fat red light for me. I’ve also gotten a lot of invites for DoTERRA “parties” and the company hopes more people will sign up to be one reps. Where I live that will become impossible to successfully sell as the area will be saturated with sales reps. Also, after reading about the government not grading EO, DoTERRA and Young Living’s claims aren’t true. EO’s are EO’s. It would be fantastic if everyone educated themselves on how to properly use/maintain. I continue using EO’s but I only have 8, the essential ones for me, and I’ve noticed they work 🙂
Thank you for posting this. Even if people think it’s too harsh, I thoroughly agree that you should use caution and educate yourself. I’ve got several friends who are selling oils and they all suggest taking some of the oils internally for one reason or another. The company I’ve ordered most of my oils from says not to take internally unless being supervised by a doctor. I think I’ll err on the side of caution and just not take internally! The people I know who sell oils have only been using them for a year or two themselves, so I can’t imagine they know everything about every oil either and are largely relying on information from the company they sell from. Nor have they had the time to see the effects of long term use of some of these oils.
Hi! I listened to some of the OE summit and was enthused but I have a question. I have a 4 year old, 2 year old and 2 month baby in the house and I would like to diffuse oil. Is it ok to use oils this way? I’m thinking of peppermint oil, clove, cinnamon and lavender. If you can’t answer can you give me a source that can? I would like to use a diffuser but don’t want to put the children at risk for anything. How about using it very mildly? Thanks!
Hi Arlene,
I’d recommend this site: http://learningabouteos.com/ for info. Personally, although I’ve done it in the past for kids, I wouldn’t use the “hot” oils like cinnamon or clove for whole house diffusion. Lavender is generally seen as very safe for all ages. Plant Therapy has “kid-safe” blends as well, so I would check those out for whatever purpose you want to diffuse. Good luck! 🙂 Katie
Just came across this article via Pinterest.
It’s interesting, but I wonder why you made statements such as “For example, did you know essential oils can’t be combined with homeopathics? I didn’t for quite a long time and used them at the same time as homeopathy for ear infections more than once.”
Without further explanation?
Linda,
A very valid question! I guess I wasn’t trying to teach as much as encourage people to DO research and get educated – so this was an example of a mistake I personally made, and I learned my lesson through a personal friend so I didn’t even have links to share.
🙂 Katie
I am into essential oils, but to be honest, I really don’t know how to use them. On the bottles or in the descriptions, it says they can be used aromatically, topical, or ingested. That’s nice, but I need someone to instruct me on how they work that way. For example, I think my husband has a hard time breathing at night, so I put a couple of drops of peppermint oil on his pillow case. We were talking about the oils the next day, and he was saying that one of the oils got onto his face and burned his face all night. I learned not to use peppermint oil on pillow cases now! I am a distributor now, but I can’t tell anyone how to use the oils until I learn how for myself. But I am looking forward to learning how to use them and share whatever I learn with others.
I’m glad to see the popular mom bloggers admitting error in this area. I got started in oils with a MLM company and knew in less than a year it was not my thing. The information I saw on the Internet by other distributors was dangerous and irresponsible. I decided to get certified by one of the leading individuals in the US for aromatherapy. My training was from Jade Shutes. I am now working on level 2 certification. I did not feel it was safe for me to even use oils on my family or self unless I understood them at a chemical level. Lots of natural substances are toxic to humans or pets. Thank you for being part of stopping this dangerous trend.
Hi. I’m so glad I found your site! You asked us to share our experience with EO. This is an area I’ve only learned about a year ago. I have a bottle of Holy Oil from a Christian Book Store from 9 years ago. When my oldest was 5 or 6, he’s 14 now, he would get raging high fevers. 104 deg F or higher, pushing 105. I’d take the Holy Oil and make the sign of the cross on his wrists and ankles. In 1/2 an hour the fever was down to a reasonable level. Growing up my Mom told me a story about a cousin of hers, he could read at 3 years old, but got a 104 degree fever and lost his ability to read and had brain damage. Mom told me to be careful with fevers, so you can imagine the panic I’d get over the 104 fever. I felt like the Spirit of God was *in* the oil curing my son and felt so blessed. Fast Forward to now, I think the Holy Oil has some Frankincense in it and that might be the fever reducer. Frankincense really lifts my mood when I breathe the scent. For aromatherapy, if it smells nice and helps someone take deep calming breathes, then it is helpful. Someone else may not enjoy the Frankincense aroma like I do. That bottle of Holy Oil, lost in the move (where are you?) helped us both.
I had Mono in highschool. Took antibiotics for acne for years. My health is not so good and medical doctors brush me off as depressed. In this last year, I tried a couple EO because my husband’s friend sent us samples for our move and we liked them. Matt, my husband, ordered more and I’d take a drop of lavender and rub it on my tonsils. I did the same with Frankincense. I’ve used both on the bottom of my sons’ feet. Used Tea Tree when there was head lice in a group of my daughter’s friends last February.
I’m sorry you had the Oregano Oil burn your mouth. That’s sad 🙁 The carrier oil part is important. I did a similar thing with the Frankincense. I put a few drops in my ear and that must be what cancer radiation treatment felt like to my dear cousin Dawn. Worst pain ever. But the pain shot down through my ear into my lymph in my neck and cleared up a swollen gland that was there since Mono, so 25 years. I melted coconut oil and followed the Neat Frankincense with the coconut oil to dilute it 🙂 The next day I braced myself and treated the other ear. I imagine the Oregano Oil burning your mouth was as intense as my ear experience.
Thanks again for your post!
Bren
Thank you for this, Katie.
I really appreciate the work that you do!
Blessings – Jen
One of the first things I look for when I find a new blog during my random nutrition/homesteading/parenting internet searches is: Do they sell Essential Oils??? I still like and respect many of these women for other aspects of their blog, but if they actively endorse a specific EO brand or try to sell one from a MLM it makes me a bit wary of their “natural” advice. My favorite uses for EOs are homemade cleaning products, DIY beauty products (for smell) and pest suppression/bug deterrant… and I am still learning about them. What I would like to see are studies on the specific properties these oils have, like “antibacterial” or “antiviral”. I am quite skeptical and rarely pick a side on issues I don’t know much about…I dither and go back and forth in my journey to find my answers. I certainly don’t feel confident enough to start using EOs as medicinal treatments, yet I would also like to avoid prescription medications- quite a struggle! Lastly, as for all the evidence and stories of how EOs have worked for people- anecdotes are not the same as scientific fact. They are a great starting point, but the human body is still mysterious in many ways, especially when it comes tot he placebo effect. Bad Science by Ben Goldberg is an excellent read on how scientific rigor is lacking in many areas of medicine…he is a Dr. and definitely has his issues with certain alternative healthcare ideas, but he also isn’t letting big pharma off the hook for abuses in the prescription medication world. Sorry for the long post, thank you for your research!
also Katie, it is so refreshing that you are willing to forego the potential financial gains of selling EOs in light of the fact you’re not a licensed aromatherapist or medical practitioner… thank you! IMHO, this is the most intellectually honest position for a layperson to take 🙂
Thanks Danielle,
I’m so glad Kitchen Stewardship is connecting with you today. 🙂 As for studies on EOs, there are some out there – I think there are some listed here http://www.learningabouteos.com/ and of course Tisserand is a great source: roberttisserand.com/
But more are needed to be sure!
🙂 Katie
I recommend anyone who had a bad reaction to please report it. Atlantic Institute of aromatherapy is taking anecdotal reports to get the word out that serious side effects can occur when using essential oils unsafely.
You can just do a search ‘injury report’ and ‘Atlantic Institute’. You can also read previous reports there. REALLY scary reports there. We need to spread the word to keep everyone safe and making good choices. 🙂
Thanks Becky, That’s good to know!! 🙂 Katie
Thanks for this great post. I gave my 4 year old daughter a drop of rosemary oil in water when she had a flu and a few hours later she had a seizure! I didn’t make the connection until I googled “essential oil seizure” trying to treat the seizure and it turns out that essentiL oils caused it! I had no idea ! This information needs to get out.
By the way if oils don’t work together with homeopathy, I would choose homeopathy any day.
Annalise, please consider reporting this at Atlantic Institue. See my post below. I hope your little girl is doing better now!
I liked this post and your writing style. You brought up a good point. Live and learn, double check and safety first!
Hi Katie!
Just wanted to share a website someone recently sent me. Their Facebook page is helpful too.
Like others have stated, do your research and learn, learn, learn from as many sources possible.
http://www.essentialoils.org/
JenE
Personally, I am ALL about research before I start anything new. Especially if there will be an investment involved. I even took the time to create an excel sheet that lists every individual oil in the blends of DoTerra, Young Living, and Eden’s Garden, so that I could figure out which blends did what the best. I’m not brave enough to try any internal. I’ve used topical, diluted with FCO. My best results have been from buying diffusers. My kiddos have had the least amount of illness this year! Granted, we’re talking only sick once compared to sick 2-3 times. Research is SO important, especially when you find 5 sources all saying different things. So far, no mishaps in our house. But for each “illness” I’ve looked for a remedy, I’ve looked in 20+ sources!
Hi Katie, thank you so much for sharing this information. I just picked up my first bottle of theives that I was planning to use on my gums for recession and gingivitis. All sites I’ve pulled up have not provided anything such as this so I”m really glad to see this so I can do further research. My son takes homeopathic remedy’s so I was so glad to see your comment on that is well. How do you feel about using theives on gumline and it’s impact on our flora while using that way?
Hi Susan,
I can’t really comment on thieves on the gums…I would expect it to impact flora just as any topical application, which is “yes.” But I have a suggestion for your gums! Have you looked into oil pulling? http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2011/10/26/whats-with-oil-pulling/
🙂 Katie
Katie, I have really respected your blog in the past and have recommended many a friend to check it out. I love how you wrap your Catholic faith into cooking and homemaking, and you always seem to offer a new perspective for me to consider. However this post was written prematurely and without thorough research. I can tell you are concerned about accuracy and finding the TRUTH. You shared this 2 hour podcast but mentioned that you have not listened to it yet. Please, for the sake of your readers and everyone who is being scared off from natural remedies that can really help their families, listen to the podcast, read the research articles, and understand the warnings about essential oils on a deeper level. You will not regret it, I promise. The good stuff is towards the second half, but because of your position as a blogger with a respectable following, you owe it to yourself and your followers to listen to the whole thing. http://katieleverenz.com/eucalyptus-oil-evidence-based-podcast/
Juli,
I do appreciate the link, thank you so much. I’ve been trying hard to listen to things on my phone more while I cook or do dishes so maybe this will actually happen! Otherwise, I just don’t have the time. But many readers have recommended it, so I’m anxious to check it out.
Thanks,
Katie
Hi Katie,
I just got a diffuser and I’m wondering if the same safety issues apply to diffusing oil. It seems like it would be safer, since it’s only 4 drops diffused into the room, but I haven’t found any information on this. Do you still have to be careful about the oils you diffuse around children?
Lindsey,
I have to plead ignorance here, but the comment “Sue” just left makes sense. If aromatherapy is effective, then it has to carry risk too. I’ve totally diffused a germ-fighting blend before with oils not safe for kids and used cinnamon and clove to steam treat my littles, but I won’t anymore. I have some fir on order. 🙂 Katie
Lindsey, you do need to be cautious about what essential oils you diffuse around children. For example, peppermint has been shown to slow breathing down in children, sometimes dangerously so. Please visit learningabouteos.com. They have a page dedicated to essential oil use and children- what is safe and what is unsafe.
Diffusing does have a risk but the risk of it is not as high and actually quite less than , one it’s not in direct contact. You do breathe it in, the molecules from the oils go to your lungs but that is why it’s ADVISED to use turn your diffuser on 15 min and then leave it for 45 min. And so forth. So your not getting so much at once, and your body has time to adjust to the oils and seep in. If you use the same oils for too long; be it, topically, diffusing, bathing, inhaling etc. Your body can develop an immunity from it and sensitivity, which is an allergic reaction to them. So alternate between oils to lessen this change.
Lots of good advice…some that need some work! “Did you know there are various schools of thought on that based on your oils training and whether it’s based in French, British or German foundations?” There are no schools of thought…that is a Myth. There are different LAWS, and just like you are going to find more Homeopathy used in England than the USA, and more Ayurveda used in India than in the USA, you are going to find more internal use in France…but only by MDs, and EOs are purchased at the pharmacy not at a home party after church! But this schools of thought stuff is a myth.
Thanks Sue – I’m always learning!
🙂 Katie
I am curious as to why you list Clove Bud as not for topical use with children, when the Vintage Remedies course says it is safe at a 1% dilution for teething babies. I ask this from the vantage of one who is trying to learn before I start using–not as one defending my current practice.
Jenn,
I wish I knew the answer! The list not for use with kids is just a copy from the source noted in this post, so I have no idea the reasons. I’d get a third opinion, I guess…but I like that VR recommends diluting a lot. 🙂 Katie
Yes, I signed up just to comment. My comment: The ignorance here is appalling. How about y’all go get some REAL information. Start with pubmed.gov. Go on. Argue with THAT website.
Or, go find this one: how many deaths due to FDA-approved medications (Hint: thousands) vs deaths due to pure essential oil use, experiences or newbie (Another hint: ZERO).
Here is a testimony from an osteopathic physician about eucalyptus – oh yes, that silly little thing about eucalyptus that keeps resurging just like the “Elvis is still alive” stories.
“Daniel is an osteopathic physician currently working in emergency. (Osteopathic physicians are licensed to practice medicine and surgery in all 50 states and are recognized in sixty other countries, including all Canadian provinces.)
” ‘Just now I responded to another concerned mama who had stumbled upon a blog post discussing the dangers of Eucalyptus oil, specifically 1,8 cineole.
‘To be clear, we think that it is important to question and search for the truth. And we are always open to reading about emerging science. Evidence-Based is Dan’s middle name. He truly has made a name for himself in the medical community for being an evidence-based practitioner and lecturer. Having said that, we think it is not only irresponsible but quite saddening to read the fear-provoking and, quite frankly, uneducated remarks of the ‘mom blogger’ or self-appointed aromatherapy police. I realize that I am speaking harshly, but it is infuriating to see the studies quoted (or maybe we should say, misquoted) and used to spread fear about natural solutions. The infuriating part is that many who lack an understanding of physiology or even basic biology read an abstract from one case report (not even a clinical study-but a case report) and feel as if they know how to interpret it and that it thus predicts outcomes for others.
‘One of the most common case reports referenced links eucalyptus oil to seizures. This was a case report of a young girl who received an over the counter lice treatment and then started convulsing in seizures. That sounds scary, and I would be nervous too…except that Dan informed me that the most common side effect of lice treatment is seizures. So, regardless if there was eucalyptus oil present or not, seizures are a common side effect. One case report does not make it a link. This is something that a lay person, or someone outside of the medical community, would not know. Instead we see a little blurb ‘Eucalyptus is linked to SEIZURES” and we think, “Oh my goodness, what am I doing to my baby!’
‘This is the part that truly gets to me.
We have looked at the studies on PubMed and the case reports referenced. If we had any concerns, ANY, we would not be using eucalyptus on our own 9 month old let alone recommend it to others. That is where [our oil] is truly stepping up to the plate. Dan just had a call with Dr. Hill this week discussing the need for further evidence base, both for the proper usage and safety, of essential oil. They are working towards having medical symposiums geared towards medical professionals – not wellness advocates. This is not something I am seeing the aromatherapy world doing and it isn’t something that I know of any other essential oil company- or even any other herbal based remedy company doing. Their attempt to bridge the gap between natural solutions and modern medicine is something to be commended and it is a necessary step as we move forward. If any of the advising physicians on the medical advisory board or the physicians panel found concerns with these blog posts that continue to pop up, they would voice their concerns. They are not compensated by [the company]. They are doing it because they see a vision, of merging the two worlds and bringing a more holistic approach to patient care.
‘I hope that soon we will have a more sturdy foundation to respond to these uneducated and fear causing posts. Until then, I can say that we aren’t ignorant, we have looked at everything, and we still use eucalyptus on our sweet little girl Eliza and she is 9 months old. She is actually congested tonight and I’m SO thankful that we have essential oils. I’m thankful for their purity, potency and safety.'”
(I have removed the company name in the interest of being brand-neutral.)
No, I don’t think your post is about ignorance. I think it is about overweening pride. You’d rather get your “blog” out there by using inflammatory information, regardless of who you hurt by doing it.
In October of ’13, essential oils saved my husband’s life. Yes, I was a total newbie. He had a brain stem stroke. A BRAIN STEM STROKE. Go look that one up. Thank GOD that I never saw tripe like you’ve posted here, because if I’d listened to you, my husband would be dead instead of back at working teaching bilingual second-graders in less than seven weeks. Uh, yes, you read that one right, too. Think I’m making it up? Unlike you, I can actually document it. He was at St. Joseph’s hospital in Bryan, TX.
You should be ashamed of yourself. Now, I’ve got to go do damage control that your mommy blog has caused. Hopefully, it won’t cause loss of life.
What an amazing story, Charlotte, and I’m grateful as well that you had and knew how to use natural remedies. I thank God I have them quite often, too, but I also know that there’s so, so much to learn, and I’m woefully inadequate when it comes to finding all the right sources.
I”m very excited to hear about MDs using and recommending essential oils and natural remedies and do very much hope that your “Dan” will be able to get more evidence-based research out there, especially in the medical community. Thanks for sharing about that…you weren’t very kind about it, but your story is compelling and I know you’re just very passionate about this subject.
Peace, Katie
Sheesh. People need to go back and reeducate themselves on what an analogy is. It’s a broad sweeping comparison of SOME the similarities between two things. She’s not saying “EO’s are basically guns,” or “EO’s are basically as dangerous as guns.” She’s saying both can be dangerous in untrained hands. End of analogy. English 101, people.
Anyway…I appreciate this post. I’m right there with you – I’ve totally used EO’s on my kids that real aromatherapists would absolutely consider verboten.
Oops, it only posted half of my comment. Anyway…I’ve misused oils based on bad info, and I can think of many friends who regularly ingest them/use them freely with children/etc. So I think this post is absolutely necessary!
Thanks LJ, I appreciate the supportive comment! 🙂 Katie
I just wanted to thank you for this post! I love my EO’s and think that they are great for so many things, but have noticed how people are becoming almost reckless with them because they’ve become the hip, new cure all. Thank you for reminding us all that if they are so powerful to do the wonderful things that they do that they are also powerful enough to cause harm if not used safely. Study up from multiple sources everyone!
That’s why I stick with Young Living Essential Oil company. Because they tell you what is and is not safe for pregnant, young children, under 6, under 2, and those with sensitive skin and/or skin allergies!! They tell you how and what base oils to use with each one that suggests base oils, which ones you can use to diffuse, dilute with a base oil, use neat (which means you can use without a base oil), use in a gel cap (and how many drops). Research is a must, and Young Living provides all the details and a wonderful (no waiting) customer service to answer all your questions. And if they don’t know….they will call you back after researching the question and finding an answer themselves. Also, I have found them to be Christian based, which is AWESOME!!!
This is great information and apparently people are passionate about oils 🙂 Several years ago I took some Young Living Thieves capsules (without taking probiotics) and they really did some damage to my gut flora. I had major digestive issues for quite a while after that. They really are powerful!
Have you found that all oils are safe when diffused?
Of course all oils are not automatically safe when diffused. Inhalation is the most effective manner to introduce the chemicals into your bloodstream. So you need to know what you are putting into your body by inhalation as much if not more so than topical application.
And safety is not brand specific, if rosemary is contraindicated for you…EVERY brand will have the same risks, for example. I hope you consider reporting your injury from YL ingestion: https://aromatherapyunited.wordpress.com/category/injury-reports-2014/
First off, I think there is a huge difference between dabbling on yourself and dabbling on children. When I have a health issue that the doctors can’t help and no one has a clue about, instead of sitting there hopeless and sick, I will try almost anything that makes sense to me. I have had worst effects from modern medicines versus any essential oil experimentations. However, I do know the number one rule that almost all cannot be used undiluted and most have questionable use internally. (Although I do make an exception for yeast infection suppositories because that is one place modern medicine and really even alternative medicine has frequently disappointed me).
I know what you meant about not being a doctor, but honestly I have met some unhelpful doctors for strange issues and have found better information online many times in those cases. But I know either way, you have to make a disclaimer).
Thank you for this post! Very good information. It’s tempting to want to dabble when you see it on a lot of natural health websites. I only currently have lavender and a breathe essential oil blend that I just put in a diffuser. I haven’t bought any others just because I honestly don’t know a whole lot about them and just like you say, I feel that I need to read into it more before I just go buying things. So again, thank you!
First time reader of your blog and your post was RIGHT ON. I have only been dabbling with oils for a year and have never ingested any of them because frankly I don’t know enough about them.
What concerns me is the number of people I know that recommend to ingest them and I don’t think they know what they are talking about.
Wintergreen is supposedly toxic to ingest but I have been on companys’ websites that do not mention that at all. Scary.
Also, the “oil wars” that I constantly see online are getting oil. Everyone claims that theirs in the best and the only one that is “therapeutic grade”. Give me a break-“therapeutic grade or certified grade” is not a mandated program. Show me where the oil was sourced and how it was sourced. Was it steam distilled or did they use hexane when they processed it? Too many people who don’t know what they are talking about. Keep up the good work!
aghhhhhhh! I really should just stop reading the comments because they’re pissing me off.
1. I think your post was balanced and informative.
2. I do NOT think you were promoting any worthless propaganda to push your own agenda or to sell some product.
3. I’ve come to the same conclusions as you’ve posted for the exact reasons you gave.
4. Haters gonna hate. Nah just kidding. But seriously, im sorry people are responding this way to you. It’s a shame.
I myself tend to jump into things kind of half cocked if it doesn’t seem like a “big decision”, EOs included. Because so much of the jargon out there and well meaning people promote EOs as perfectly safe because they’re natural I dove in. Then started researching. Thank the Lord there were no serious side effects or issues other than slightly reddened skin from using clove oil topically with a carrier oil(too much clove). But once I started doing the research I found myself quite paralyzed by the vast amount of information out there and the vast amount of conflicting information. Gahhh!!!!
I was shocked to find out some of the things I did, including the 3 things you listed above. I also happened upon an essential oil “lesson” one of my friends friends offered one afternoon. Learned a ton there too. So much that I realized how little I actually knew.
We use few oils for few ailments. The baby gets none and my older kiddos pretty only ever come in contact with peppermint oil. I occasionally diffuse oils in the air but rarely. And that’s about it. I don’t feel there’s enough consistent information out there to make a decision about ALL oils and it’s over whelming.
Eh, so there’s my story. Loved your post! Sorry for those who are responding so poorly and unable to see your heart behind this. That it’s directed more toward people like you and me;-) and that’s a good thing! We’re all here to support and help each other. Just because some of you readers out there didn’t NEED this warning (and praise the Lord you were able to find all the proper information the first time around!) doesn’t mean there aren’t people out there who truly DO need it. Thanks again lady!
Thanks, Katie – it was a long day for me reading and responding, too. 🙂 Katie
Katie,
Well, I usually agree and learn a lot from your posts but am going to have to disagree with your post here — well mostly… I would definately agree with the research and learning aspect of essential oils, but what I was a bit taken aback on was how many pictures of DoTerra specifically you had posted in your “oils are scarey” part of your post. Are you suggesting that that company in particular is careless? Also, you take a crack at the fact that there are those who are making money selling oils, and then you proceed to attach a link to a company that you receive a commission from for every purchase I make through your link….. what?
In my experience I have learned MORE and have been cared for greatly by purchasing from a friend and going to her class and then when we come up against a question we don’t know, we find out together. Whereas if I just purchase from the store, I don’t have that support at all. SO, for me getting into the oil “system” has been quick a learning experience. I walked away from your article feeling like everyone would be suspect now of anyone trying to sell oils and that is unfortunate because there are a lot of good “salesmen” out there that are learning and sharing. Plus even among TRAINED aromatherapists there is great disagreement about what should be taken internally, or how to apply different oils.
Jen,
You are so right, as with most issues in the health arena, there’s so much conflicting info. It’s tough!
The reason the pictures show only 2 brands, doTERRA and Plant Therapy, is only because those happen to be the 2 brands I own. I wish I would have turned them around for some photos but didn’t have that foresight for “stock” pictures back in early summer when I was snapping these.
I’m not sure which part felt like a crack at those earning an income from selling oils – I think it’s wonderful that WAHMs can help others and have a business, just as I do. It just wasn’t right for me personally because I didn’t have the time to invest in education for myself.
Katie
I am new to this website – the link was sent to me by a friend – and I am amazed at the number of people who misinterpreted the intent of the post.
Never was it even implied that you should not use EO’s. The ONLY CAUTION mentioned was that you should RESEARCH FIRST before using them because they are very powerful and that USING THEM INCORRECTLY CAN HAVE DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES.
Does no one read AND COMPREHEND these days?
Katie – thank you for such a valuable and informative post. You have a new fan.
Thanks and welcome!! 🙂 Katie
Bravo, Katie. Bravo. This post made me think, brought clarity, abd was much needed. And I know you abd the heart you bring to this blog. I can always depend on getting non biased, thoughtful content from you.
Thank you Trina!
Hi Katie,
I’m a long time reader and just wanted to add my 2 cents for all those lost in the drama of this post. Thank you for your blog and all the research you do!
To KS readers new and old,
So the gun analogy got your attention? That was the point! In this world of advertising and marketing a good deal of the info you are going to hear about EO’s is from those who are out to make a buck, for better or for worse. Another big chunk of the info you’ll hear is from excited, albeit uneducated EO users who are just repeating the same info they were fed when they bought the oils or info they have heard from other untrained EO users along the way. It may be true, but it might be false/incomplete. Either way, if you are interested in EO’s you will be hearing a lot on the subject. As I understand the post, Katie’s point was to say “Wake up! Not everything you are repeatedly being told about EO’s is truth.” So don’t get so caught up with the analogy, that you lose the essence of this post: Essential Oils are useful, healing, and a great addition to the home medicine cabinet. However they can be dangerous. Do your own research, especially if not being advised by a person who is trained in aromatheropy. Bam. End of subject.
{hugs} to you and thank you! 🙂 Katie
Late to the party. But AMEN.