Safety Archives - Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy

Why Dilute Essential Oils

by Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy | Apr 20, 2018 | Safety

If you’ve been using essential oils for a while, then you’ve probably come across information about dilution (using a small amount of essential oil in a carrier oil before skin application). Maybe you don’t see what the harm could be in placing a few drops of a pure, natural essential oil on the skin. But we’re here to tell you, do not underestimate these potent chemical cocktails.

Essential oils are produced by the aromatic plants that we as humans have been using for thousands of years in health and healing. However, once these oils are contained in our little bottles, they are incredibly concentrated. The average yield of essential oil is between 0.01-1%. That means for every pound of a high-yielding plant, we might get 10 or more milliliters. This will be much less for a low-yielding plant.

So just consider for a moment how many Rosemary leaves or Lavender flowers you’d need to get what’s in a single drop of concentrated oil. Placing this much plant material on our skin has never been common practice, nor has our skin adapted to it as such.

Why you need to dilute your essential oils:

It increases the possibility of absorption by spreading the oil over a larger surface area. More surface area can absorb the blend, whereas neat (undiluted) oil can only go so far before evaporating.
It decreases the likelihood of a negative reaction. (Super plus!)
It helps the environment by preserving the oils, since we are using less of them. A single bottle can last 10x as long with dilution.
As neat oils evaporate, they are very drying to the skin and can cause irritation, sensitization, or phototoxicity.

Dilution is simple and easy. In general, using up to 15 drops in 1 ounce of carrier oil is a good, general recommendation that will get you approximately 2.5%. The recommended dilution can vary, however, depending on the oils used, the objective, and the person they are being used on.

If you want to get more detailed in your dilution, consider purchasing our Aromatherapy Practitioner Reference Manual. (It’s a mini-course on its own!)

You can also join us in the Atlantic Aromatic Library, where we discuss dilution and so much more. It’s our goal to help create safe and effective aromatherapy practices.

And remember, the more you dilute, the less likely you are to experience a skin reaction! Don’t find yourself filling out an injury report on our growing database.

So, we want to know:

Have you been diluting your essential oils?
If not, has something we’ve shared started to change your mind on using them neat?

Leave us a comment with any questions you have about dilution. We’ll be sure to answer them here or even in-depth in a future post.

Be safe out there with those precious oils!

Aromatically Yours,

Nyssa

Top Ten Worst Injuries from Essential Oils of 2014—Part Two

by Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy | Feb 5, 2015 | Safety

We are continuing to present our “Top 10 Worst Injuries from Essential Oils” from the 2014 injury reports. The list featured below contains the top five worst cases. This is Part Two of a two-part series.

Learn more and help spread information on safety and the costs of misuse.

Stop the unsafe use of essential oils! Save yourself, your friends and family, babies, and animals.

See Part 1 for cases 6-10.

Here are summaries with direct quotes from the testimonials we received (please excuse the grammar). Most, if not all, of these were due to bad advice and misinformation.

Top 10 Worst Injuries from Essential Oils (Part Two):

5. Oral use. Due to ingesting a “lot of” oils—multiple drops multiple times a day—of Lemon and Grapefruit in water, one person now has been diagnosed with stomach problems, chronic digestive upset, and is looking at possible gallbladder removal.

4. Diluted blend on baby’s feet slows breathing. “blends X & XX were used on separate occasions on my son at 13mo. The blend was very diluted (topical on his feet), he was 13mo, and I was informed it was ‘safe’. His throat started closing on him and his breathing slowed to a very dangerous level. After further research, I found out they both contained eucalyptus & Rosemary, both unsafe for kids under six. We had applied it & diffused it around him before his reaction, so it wasn’t his first exposure to it. Very scary holding your child while they are helpless.”

3. Undiluted topical and oral use causes rashes. “It took months to accumulate in my system, but once the rashes started, I could no longer use any oils without the rash coming back. I was told by XX Reps that I was detoxing and that I should use more oils. I was told to try different oils for the rash. I was told to take sulfur. I was told that it’s impossible to be allergic to the oils. I was told that I must have a defective gene which is causing the rash.”

Please don’t buy this and other myths. The essential oil chemistry expert Dr. Robert Pappas previously addressed this, as well as other myths, on his Facebook page for Essential Oil University.

2. Vaginal yeast infection leads to permanent scarring. “Was advised by a consultant to soak a tampon in tea tree oil, insert it before bed, wear it overnight and by the morning my yeast infection would be cleared up. Before bed that evening I put 5 drops of Tea Tree Oil on the tip of a tampon (I was worried about soaking the tampon as she instructed & using too much), I inserted the tampon and soon noticed a warm sensation. I called the representative as she told me it was normal and how I knew it was working. I went to bed and woke up about 6-7 hours later feeling like napalm had been poured into my vagina. I could not remove the tampon myself the pain was so bad. A neighbor drove me to the nearest hospital; They removed the tampon immediately and treated me for chemical burns with a prescription of burn jelly to continue using for the next 10 days, and more antibiotics to prevent the burn from becoming infected. At the 30 days check the tissue had scabbed over & partially healed. The 60 day exam the scabs were all gone but he noted I may have scars remaining and at the 90 day exam he told me scarring was present and would likely not completely heal.“

1. Undiluted blend to six-month-old’s chest resulted in two febrile seizures. “…Fever was only 99 and stopped breathing, foamed at the mouth; after 10 min violent seizing, turned purple and stopped breathing. Companies need to start warning about the seizure effects with wintergreen, eucalyptus, fennel, etc! My son doesn’t have epilepsy or any medical conditions. Once I removed his shirt and washed his skin at the hospital 45 min later he stopped seizing and returned to normal.”

We were downright shocked by some of these cases. They’re getting worse, and the saddest part is, they’re totally avoidable with proper aromatherapy education.

We have to stop this from happening. You can help.

Share essential oil safety information with your friends! You never know who has been fed incorrect or incomplete information. Please make sure that your essential oil education originates from a qualified aromatherapy professional. There are a lot of voices of reason in this situation. Make sure you’re listening to them!

Top 10 Worst Injuries from Essential Oils of 2014—Part One

by Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy | Feb 1, 2015 | Safety

This is Part One of a two-part series. Here are five examples with direct quotes (please excuse the grammar) from our 2014 Injury Report. These are short quotes from the report. This is not the report nor are these quotes our words. Most, if not all, of these cases are due to bad advice and misinformation. This is why we believe that education is the key to safety.

We love our essential oils and our fellow humans, so we want to help put an end to dangerous and unsafe practices. Most of these cases improved once those affected discontinued use of the oil(s).

Here is a list of the 10 Worst Adverse Effects we received in 2014. We’ve included a summary with direct quotes from the testimonials.

10. Undiluted oils applied to a small sore. “Blend/frankincense” was used and the next day, her skin turned red, bubbled up, and peeled. When she voiced her concerns, she was told it was “detox, that there’s no way to be allergic or have a bad reaction to the oil since they are natural.”

However, qualified aromatherapists know that the “detox” claim is not true. Dr. Robert Pappas talks about this myth here.

9. Undiluted oils on wrist. Someone used two drops of Clary Sage and Ylang Ylang on their wrists several times a day for about 10 days. Their wrists started itching, broke out in red blotches that turned into blisters, which spread to an area of approximately 3 cm x 4 cm. After a month with no oils and jojoba, it cleared up. “Lesson learned: Always dilute your oils and never use neat oil application to the skin.”

8. Undiluted oil on mouth sores. “Between 25-35 drops of essential oil on canker sores in mouth on tongue after being told it was safe. This resulted in a trip to ER because of racing heart, panicking, gagging, dry heaving, extremely hot, fever, dizzy and sick and high blood pressure … I thought I was going to die.”

It is so heartbreaking to read these sometimes. That is why it is so important to spread this information so that we can hopefully prevent adverse reactions and don’t have any deaths due to misuse.

7. Undiluted long-term use leads to sensitization. One person had been using essential oils since 1997. By 2005, she started having small reactions. Finally, by 2014, this person found help in understanding sensitization and the safe use of essential oils. Unfortunately, because of the years of previous misuse, she can only use oils in low dilutions (if at all) and has turned to hydrosols & flower essences. “Now have A LOT of sensitivities and allergies to a wide range of fragrances and EOs.”

Though we can become sensitized to a single oil, we can also become sensitized to many single oils and blends because they share common chemical constituents. By overusing oils now, we deprive ourselves of being able to use them in the future. Remember the saying, “Less IS more.”

Read Part Two here.

Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Sensitized

by Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy | Jul 5, 2014 | Safety

Remember that song by Waylon Jennings: “Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys. Don’t let ’em pick guitars or drive them old trucks. Let ’em be doctors and lawyers and such.”

Well, right now, the problem isn’t that your children will grow up to be cowboys. The real issue is that they’ll be doctors and lawyers with severe sensitization to essential oils. The doctors can treat others from the same generation, while the lawyers can start a class action lawsuit suing the sales reps and companies promoting dangerous use. Sounds scary, doesn’t it? And why haven’t you heard about this issue before? It is well documented in the industry that certain oils cannot be used on the skin without risk. Additionally, one can develop an allergy from the overuse of any essential oil. It is an allergic reaction created by overuse. See these references on sensitization here and here; see here for more safe use info, including an Injury Report.

Unfortunately, so many well-meaning moms go onto the Internet and find blogs that instruct them to apply all sorts of undiluted aromatic formulas to their kids. This can be for everything from the sniffles to ADD, ADHD, and more. The scary part is, these blog writers and groups often have no training or safety data information, yet they’re giving harmful advice about essential oils to anyone who reads their posts.

Do Your Research

I know now what drives moms to take advice on medicating their children without seeing if it’s safe. It is possible that they were looking for alternative ways to help children, and oils can help in some cases. But essential oils are potent. Just because they’re “pure and natural” doesn’t mean they can’t be harmful. It is dose-dependent, as the links above state. If you were to put undiluted essential oils on your children’s feet (like many mommy blogs instruct), besides lifelong sensitization, your children can develop an aversion to smells like Peppermint and Clove. One mom reported her child said, “No more feet, mommy!” This made her stop. Please listen, and stop hurting your own child on a sale rep’s advice. Before doing something recommended, ask is it safe, look at the sites above, or send me an email! Here is a condensed page for a quick reference on safety.

What will this do to the next generation? Besides hurting the children instead of helping them, this practice also strips aromatherapy of its healing properties. By repeatedly applying undiluted essential oils to your children, or allowing medical professionals like chiropractors to do so, will you create a generation of children who are overly sensitized to essential oils as gentle as Lavender? As an aromatherapy expert who has repeatedly seen the healing power of these oils, it’s tragic to me that so many will not be able to benefit from their effects.

Why is this happening?

So, where does the push to use undiluted oils for every type of ailment come from? You might be dismayed to know that it comes from essential oil companies who hope to sell their products by making every kind of claim possible. In reality, diluted oils are more efficacious and way more cost-effective, which is the point of using natural products. By saying the oils are “natural and pure” and can be used undiluted daily, these companies are selling tons of oils while actually increasing sensitization in their customers.

As someone who has put so much time and effort into practicing safe, healing aromatherapy, this makes me very sad.

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree?

Lavender: It’s Not Always Calming

by Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy | Jun 30, 2014 | Safety, Sylla Says

Recently, I read a story from a mother who found out what worked for her child and what didn’t. This mainly concerned Lavender essential oil. The mom realized that not all recommended oils work like they’re supposed to. She has consented to me sharing her story so that it might help others. I am thankful to be able to do so.

Here’s her experience, in her words:

“I just wanted to share with you all just how important it is to research EOs before using them, especially on children. I’m a huge researcher, but even I missed this. My 7 year old has epilepsy, and it originates in his frontal lobe so, of course, ADHD comes with the territory. It’s been difficult, so I started researching ‘EOs for ADHD.’ I only paid attention to the homemade blends that used oils that I knew were safe ‘in general’ for a child his age.

A little over a month ago, I tried a blend with Vetiver, Lavender, and an MLM blend that had just a few other oils in it that were not contraindicated for children his age. By day 3, he was like a different child, and it was not in a good way! He was wired, disrespectful, hitting his baby brother, and extremely restless. I posted here for help, and someone mentioned how children with ADHD could have opposite effects with the oils meant to calm the body. It made sense to me because he has an opposite effect with Benedryl. So I stopped using the blend and my sweetheart returned.

I still needed to figure out a way to help him to focus and not be so impulsive, though, so I tried a different blend with only 3 single oils: Cedarwood (2 drops), Frankincense (1 drop), and Lavender (2 drops). I put this in a teaspoon of unscented lotion and massage it into his back (whatever’s left on my hands I rub on his feet just b/c he likes a foot massage). I started this on Friday. By Monday (day 3), he was out of control. He even pretty much told me he hates me, and my son has NEVER said that to me a day in his life. I was keeping a behavior log, so I knew it was the oils. And the one oil both blends had in common was Lavender. So, the researcher that I am, I searched high and low until I found out why Lavender oil would change my child’s personality so much. I found this:

‘For those with epilepsy, be aware that several essential oils may trigger an epileptic seizure and these could include Lavender, Fennel and Rosemary.’

Now, I never stop at one source. I searched more and actually, the type of Lavender in question is SPIKE Lavender. Some sources credit regular Lavender as an oil that calms epilepsy. However, knowing that epilepsy presents itself in different areas of the brain, it should be expected that each situation will have different reactions. This information is enough for me to avoid ANY type of Lavender oil on or around my son permanently. It’s not safe for him. I stopped using it yesterday, but it’s still affecting him today. He is so restless, it’s unreal. However, I’m glad I know WHY he’s had such a terrible few days. And why he would tell his momma that he hates her.

I check multiple sources for good and bad. Also, once I introduce anything new to my children (natural or not) I keep a journal on their behaviors, because sometimes you just never know what’s going on and what could be causing it….This is proof that the oils are indeed strong and capable of affecting a person negatively if used incorrectly.”

An Update

“I just wanted to update you all on how he’s doing after I stopped using Lavender on (and around) him. The last day we used it was Tuesday. Today, he is back to my sweet little boy, and it’s obvious that he has a very clear mind now. He even told me that he feels like ‘a new boy’ and that he knows how to make better choices. He was able to complete over 2 hours of school review worksheets in an hour because he was just that focused. It’s crazy to see just how that one oil had such a negative effect on him. I know it’s not a common reaction, but it is obviously his reaction and I’m glad to have the sense enough to know that not all oils work the same for every individual.”

This is an excellent story that shows how every one of us is different. Though Lavender seems harmless and calming, it had the opposite effect in this case. It took a courageous mom to research and find out what was causing the problem, and thankfully she did. So, all mothers out there who are looking for EOs to help with your children’s behavior, take this as a serious warning to make sure you do your research first!

Read the 2014 Injury Report

by Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy | Apr 27, 2014 | Safety

In an effort to continue offering aromatherapy education centered around safety, we spent years collecting data on cases of the adverse effects of essential oils.

Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, we are currently not collecting data on essential oil injuries. Additionally, the website that hosted all the previous reports is no longer available, so those reports are not up for viewing at this time. However, we do hope to be able to get those back out in the future.

Keep up-to-date with any changes on our main injury reporting page.

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