How to Make Your Own Natural Homemade Baby Wash {GUEST POST}

You might be sorry you asked this, but I do have a source…it’s from a doTERRA rep, so just be aware that this may be information mixed with commerce, as my mom would say. But it’s cited, and I’m going to copy the entire lengthy document for you here:

Neither lavender oil nor tea tree oil can be linked to breast growth in young boys
Robert Tisserand
Background
In a recent report, a correlation is alleged between commercial products containing
lavender and tea tree oils and breast growth in young boys. Three cases were seen in boys
aged 4-7, who had all been using such products. In each case, the breast growth reduced
to normal parameters within several months of ceasing to use the products. Subsequent
laboratory testing showed that both essential oils had estrogen-like properties (Henley et
al 2007).
In the report, no information is given about any of the constituents of the products used.
The information given about product use is sparse, and we do not know for certain
whether any of the products contained lavender or tea tree oils, since they were not
analyzed by the researchers.
The cases
Case one
In the first case, “The patient’s mother reported applying a “healing balm” containing
lavender oil to his skin starting shortly before the initial presentation.” No further details
of the product or its use are given, but a healing balm sounds like something that might
only be applied to a small area of skin. If so, then it is unlikely that any ingredient could
have entered the boy’s blood in sufficient concentration to cause gynecomastia within a
short time period.
Case two
In the second case, a styling hair gel was applied to the hair and scalp every morning,
along with regular use of a shampoo. Both tea tree and lavender oil are cited on the
ingredient list of both products.
In a subsequent website report, it is claimed that the two hair products used in this case
were manufactured by Paul Mitchell, and that these were analyzed by a competitor. The
shampoo was said to contain “very low concentrations” of tea tree oil, and the content in
the hair gel was “virtually undetectable”. Lavender oil concentration was not checked
(Neustaedter 2007).
Dermal absorption of fragrance from shampoo application has been estimated to be 80
times less than that from body lotion (Cadby et al 2002). If the website report is genuine,
considering that shampoo is a wash-off product, and that there was only a negligible
amount of tea tree oil in the hair gel, tea tree oil can be ruled out as a possible cause of
this boy’s gynecomastia. However, liberal use of a hair gel rich in lavender oil could
result in moderate dermal absorption of lavender oil constituents (Cal 2006).
Case three
The third case involved “lavender-scented soap, and intermittent use of lavender-scented
commercial skin lotions”. This sounds as if there may not be very much natural lavender
oil present. Further, soap is a wash-off product, and the use of lavender lotion is
described as “intermittent”. Whether any absorption of genuine lavender oil took place at
all seems doubtful.
Since dermal absorption of soap fragrance is some 266 times less than that from body
lotion, it is virtually impossible that the fragrance in a soap could be absorbed in
sufficient quantity to cause any physiological effect (Cadby et al 2002).
Of great interest is the statement that, in this third case, a fraternal twin used the same
skin lotions, but not the soap, and did not develop gynecomastia. It would be reasonable
to assume that, since the soap could not be responsible for the effect, and since the twin
used the lotions without any problem, the gynecomastia in this third case must have been
due to some cause other than essential oils.
The in vitro testing
The in vitro evidence shows weak but definite endocrine disrupting effects for both
lavender and tea tree oils.
The second case was the only one in which tea tree oil was involved. Tea tree oil was
tested because it was deemed to be “chemically similar” to lavender oil. However, apart
from the fact that both are essential oils, they have little in common chemically.
The composition of the essential oils tested is not given, nor is any other information
about them, apart from the supplier. Since they do not appear to be organically grown,
biocide content is a possibility.
Discussion
It is unusual in such reports not to name the products suspected as being responsible for
the effects under discussion. In the circumstances, it is also curious that the labeled
ingredients were not cited. It is even more surprising that no attempt was made to
ascertain, retrospectively, whether any constituents of lavender or tea tree oil were
detectable. If the products are not named, no one else can test them either.
Even assuming that one or both of the essential oils were present at some level, we do not
know what quantities of essential oil constituents may have penetrated the skin, but we
do know that transcutaneous absorption from fragrances takes some time. The amount
that could find its way into the blood from a wash-off product such as a shampoo or soap
is negligible, because the time of skin contact is so short. Skin absorption from tea tree
and lavender oil constituents is measured in hours, not minutes, in and some instances
even leave-on products result in minimal dermal penetration (Cal 2006, Reichling 2006).
The Henley et al report mentions that none of the boys had been exposed to any known
endocrine disruptor, such as medications, oral contraceptives(!), marijuana or soy
products. However, no mention is made of other known endocrine disruptors, such as
organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, polychlorinated dioxins, alkyl phenols, pthalates and
parabens (Darbre 2006). Both pesticides and phthalates have been found in essential oils,
and both phthalates and parabens are commonly found in cosmetic products.
It is, therefore, entirely possible that other ingredients in the products caused the
gynecomastia. Pesticides, PCBs and dioxins are found in the environment, often in food,
and it is also possible that some local surge of environmental hormone disruptors caused
these cases in Colorado.
No attempt was made to identify the constituent(s) responsible for the in vitro effect, but
it is reasonable to expect that any hormonal action in an essential oil would be due to one
or two constituents, or even contaminants. It is noteworthy that, while in vitro hormonal
effects from essential oil constituents have been previously reported, these are generally
very weak, and have been estimated as being at least 10,000 times less potent than 17β-
estradiol (Howes et al 2002).
There is no evidence that the effect seen in vitro would take place in vivo, and much
more research would be needed before any definite determinations could be made. Many
estrogenic substances have previously been identified from plant sources, and very weak
activity is typical of these phytoestrogens (Chadwick et al 2006, Howes et al 2002).
Conclusions
As the report states, breast growth in pre-pubertal boys is extremely uncommon, yet three
cases are reported within a short period of time, and all in the same clinic. Considering
that some 200 tonnes per annum are produced of both lavender and tea tree oil, that most
of this goes into personal care products, and that very little of the evidence presented for
these 3 cases is convincing, the press reports of caution are premature.
Even if one or more of these cases was linked to product use, any connection with either
lavender or tea tree oil is unproven. Other known endocrine disrupting ingredients in the
products could have played a role. Furthermore, we do not know what other factors, such
as dietary or environmental, may have played a part.
The in vitro work reported by Henley et al (2007) does indicate a hormonal effect.
However, this cannot be extrapolated to estimate actual human risk, especially without
knowing more about the essential oil constituents causing the in vitro effects seen.
No connection was established between the in vitro work and the three cases, and the
case for tea tree oil having an effect on prepubertal gynecomastia is especially weak.
Phytoestrogens generally have a very weak hormonal activity, and it is implausible that
the amounts of essential oil that enter the body from product use would have a significant
effect. Further research will hopefully clarify these issues.
References
Cadby PA, Troy WR, Vey MG 2002 Consumer exposure to fragrance ingredients:
providing estimates for safety evaluation. Regulatory Toxicology & Pharmacology 36:
246-252
Cal K 2006 How does the type of vehicle influence the in vitro skin absorption and
elimination kinetics of terpenes? Archives of Dermatological Research 297: 311-315
Chadwick LR, Pauli GF, Farnsworth NR 2006 The pharmacognosy of Humulus lupulus
L. (hops) with an emphasis on estrogenic properties. Phytomedicine 13: 119-131
Darbre PD 2006 Environmental oestrogens, cosmetics and breast cancer. Best Practice &
Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 20: 121-143
FMA 2007 http://www.fmafragrance.org/sub_pages/020107henleyresponse.pdf
Henley DV, Lipson N, Korach KS, Bloch CA 2007 Prebubertal gynecomastia linked to
lavender and tea tree oils. New England Journal of Medicine 365(5): 479-485
Howes M-J R, Houghton P J, Barlow D J et al 2002 Assessment of estrogenic activity in
some common essential oil constituents. Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmacology 54:1521–
1528
Neustaedter R 2007
Reichling J, Landvatter U, Wagner H, Kostka KH, Schaefer UF 2006 In vitro studies on
release and human skin permeation of Australian tea tree oil (TTO) from topical
formulations. European Journal of Pharmaceutics & Biopharmaceutics 64: 222-228