CAJEPUT 100% PURE & NATURAL ESSENTIAL OIL ~ POURED …



Chapter 1

Introduction to the safe use of essential oils by Alison Mackenzie Spring 2014

Contained in this document is an introduction to the safe use of essential oils and perfumes, its contains information that we have gathered from the “Great and the good” of the aromatherapy world, from experts including Tisserand , Burfield and Wormwood. Folks I respect, I have tried to keep this concise as possible and have listed my references at the end of this chapter for you to read further. As ever, if you need any further information or need any help; please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Enjoy Alison x

Safe Use of Essential Oils & Perfumes

The most important thing I can ask you to remember about essential oils is “Just because they are natural does NOT mean they are safe”.

There are essential oils which can cause dermal sensitization; there are also others that are toxic. Sensitivity in people varies, so what your skin can happily handle may not be true of other people. Always, always err on the side of caution and check your facts. There are a lot of potentially harmful blends strewn across the internet by well meaning folks, which in some cases may cause dermal reaction.

According to Burfield, “Although many essential oils are potentially hazardous materials, if handled in the appropriate manner, the risks involved in their use can be very small. So therefore, most commercially offered essential oils are safe to use for the purpose intended in a domestic/ professional or clinical environment.”1 The informed use of essential oils may create occasional irritation or minor discomfort, but it is extremely unlikely to create serious injury or lasting physical problems,2 particularly when basic guidelines are followed.

Safety of essential oils ~ The Factors to consider

1. Quality you basically get what you pay for with essential oils and if they are too cheap, there is a reason for it. They are either old stock or diluted with a chemical medium such as di propylene glycol (DPG), this is also known as adulteration. The other possibility is that that are synthetic copies of course. That being said, there are a number of suppliers charging through the nose, so shop around and look at your supplier’s background, see if they are offering genuine certification , traceability and if the oils are batched and have best before dates, you may also be paying for unnecessary packaging etc. Depending on what you are going to use your essential oils for should guide you on your choices, if you are going to use them in skin preparations always choose better quality oil.

2. Application Method: There are several methods of applying essential oils, skin, inhalation, diffusion or taken internally.

Skin application (dermal application), if applied to the correct dilution in a suitable medium i.e. base oil, cream or butter, this is generally considered to be safe with the majority of the population.

There are vulnerable sections of the population and extreme care should be taken if not avoided all together with these folks, these include, young children, pregnant (especially in the first trimester), the elderly, people with heart issues, cancer patients(especially where massage is being considered), epilepsy or sufferers of skin sensitization. We also consider people with nut allergies, as all essential oils have come into contact at some stage of their lives with nut oils, whether it’s where they are produced or where they are stored and bottled. There is little information available on the effects on essential oils on nut allergy sufferers but we always err on the side of caution. “So if in doubt, do nowt” as the old saying goes. Remember essential oils MUST NEVER be used on cats, caged birds or reptiles as they cannot metabolise them properly and it can cause death, similarly to the effect lilies have on cats. You may have noticed a warning label on M & S lilies.

3. Inhalation/ diffused or taken internally. Again each of these methods has their own safety issues coupled with those talked about in dermal application and careful consideration must be taken. Inhalation represents a low risk to most people if kept to less than one hour, however remember there are some oils that can heighten the mood or cause the user to feel “Drunk” after prolonged exposure. For instance “Clary sage, we call it the “Champagne oil” as prolonged exposure leaves you feeling tipsy. We notice its effects when pouring large batches, I think this is one of the main reasons it’s been used in the last stages of labour. Each of the above methods has safety issues which need to be considered. The potential safety concerns with dermal application will be discussed below. With regard to inhalation, inhalation, from a safety standpoint, presents a very low level of risk to most people. Even in a relatively small closed room, and assuming 100% evaporation, the concentration of any essential oil (or component thereof) is unlikely to reach a dangerous level, either from aromatherapy massage, or from essential oil vaporization.

Tisserand and Balacs further point out that “the only likely risk would be from prolonged exposure (perhaps 1 hour or more) to relatively high levels of essential oil vapour which could lead to headaches, vertigo, nausea and lethargy”. With regard to internal use, we avoid this at all costs as there is very little reputable information available regarding safe dosages.

3. Chemical composition, allergens:  Essential oils rich in aldehydes and phenols are known to cause skin reactions in a percentage of the population. There are lists available of these oils at the end of this document, you have various options, and you can either heavily dilute them if you must use them or avoid them and use an alternative. Essential oils rich in these constituents should always be heavily diluted prior to application to the skin. It should be pointed out, these reactions are used to provide a positive reaction in some cases, and for instance, cinnamon components are used in a number of lip preparations because it causes the lips to plump up.

*bark is more irritating than leaf

4. Dosage/dilution to be applied: Generally the dilution rate for essential oils and perfume oils is 1-5%, or 5-7 drops to 10ml of base medium. This is considered to be the safe working figure for the majority of the population. Be aware though, there is always somebody who is sensitive to even a minute amount of essential or perfume oil, so do your homework and ask if they have an sensitization issues, for instance with washing powder. If they react to personal care products there is a high chance they will react to your blend. With knowledge you can usually blend your way around these issues for people with sensitive skin by choosing oils such as peach and apricot as your base and then slowly introducing them to others in minuscule dilution.

5 Skin condition: If the skin is some way damaged, inflamed or broken is said to be more permeable to essential oil and thus more prone to reactions. It can be dangerous to apply essential oil blends if the skin’s condition is compromised and may result in the condition being worsened.

6. Age: Young children including babies and toddlers and the elderly are far more sensitive to the potency of essential oils and therefore the dilution rate is a lot smaller. The general consensus is 0.5 - 2.5%, however as a company we have decided to avoid blending for youngsters because of the safety concerns. From a personal point of view we have found that products that caused sensitization in our children, ceased to be a problem once they grew up.

Essential Oils Irritants

Here is a list of oils that are know irritants, we would say avoid them or heavily dilute them

|Essential Oil |Latin Name |

|Bay |Pimento racemosa |

|Cinnamon bark or leaf |Cinnamomum zeylanicum* |

|Clove bud |Syzygium aromaticum |

|Citronella |Cymbopogon nardus |

|Cumin |Cuminum cyminum |

|Lemongrass |Cymbopogon citratus |

|Lemon verbena |Lippia citriodora |

|Oregano |Origanum vulgare |

|Tagetes |Tagetes minuta |

|Thyme ct. thymol |Thymus vulgaris |

Dermal Sensitization is a type of allergic reaction. It occurs on first exposure to a substance, but on this occasion, the noticeable effect on the skin will be slight or absent.

subsequent exposure however to the same oil or similar produces a severe inflammatory reaction brought about by cells of the immune system (T-lymphocytes).7 The reaction will be represented on the skin as blotchy or redness, which may be painful to some individuals.

The problem with dermal sensitization is that once it occurs with a specific essential oil the individual is most likely going to be sensitive to it for many years and perhaps for the remainder of his/her life. The best way to prevent sensitization is to avoid known dermal sensitizers and avoid applying the same essential oils every day for lengthy periods of time. Sensitization is, to an extent, unpredictable, as some individuals will be sensitive to a potential allergen and some will not.8

According to Burfield (2004), the following oils listed in Table 2 are considered to be dermal sensitizers and are not recommended for use in aromatherapy massage.

Dermal Sensitizers (we have noted tea tree oil can act as a sensitizer after prolonged use for instance 3 -4 weeks)

|Essential Oil |Latin Name |

|Cassia |Cinnamomum cassia |

|Cinnamon bark |Cinnamomum zeylanicum |

|Peru balsam |Myroxylon pereirae |

|Verbena absolute |Lippia citriodora |

|Tea absolute |Camellia sinensis |

|Turpentine oil |Pinus spp. |

|Backhousia |Backhousia citriodora |

|Inula |Inula graveolens |

|Oxidized oils from Pinaceae family (e.g., Pinus and Cupressus species) and Rutaceae |

|family (e.g., citrus oils) |

Photosensitisation

Remember a skin tanning product called “Bergasol”? Many years ago, the bergamot components of this product caused your skin to turn a gorgeous shade of brown because of photosensitisation.

An essential oil that exhibits this quality will cause burning or skin pigmentation changes, such as tanning, on exposure to sun or similar light (ultraviolet rays). Reactions can range from a mild colour change through to deep weeping burns. Do not use or recommend the use of photosensitizing essential oils prior to going into a sun tanning booth or the sun. Recommend that the client stay out of the sun or sun tanning booth for at least twenty-four hours after treatment if photosensitizing essential oils were applied to the skin. Certain drugs, such as tetracycline, increase the photosensitivity of the skin, thus increasing the harmful effects of photosensitizing essential oils under the necessary conditions. Table 3 lists some common essential oils considered to be photosensitize. A general rules is citrus oils, however it’s been found more recently in some cases to be dependent on whether they are cold pressed (expressed) or distilled

Phototoxic Oils ~ Reacts with the sun

|Essential Oil |Latin Name |

|Angelica root |Angelica archangelica |

|Bergamot |Citrus bergamia |

|Cumin |Cuminum cyminum |

|Distilled grapefruit |Citrus paradisi |

|Expressed lemon |Citrus limon |

|Expressed lime |Citrus medica |

|Distilled orange |Citrus sinensis |

|Distilled tangerine |Citrus reticulata |

|Verbena |Lippia citriodora |

Non Phototoxic Citrus Oils

| Essential Oil |Latin Name |

|Bergamot: Bergapteneless |Citrus bergamia |

|(FCF: Furanocoumarin Free) | |

|Expressed grapefruit |Citrus paradisi |

|Distilled lemon |Citrus limon |

|Distilled lime |Citrus medica |

|Expressed sweet orange |Citrus sinensis |

|Expressed tangerine |Citrus reticulata |

Mucous membrane irritant

A mucous membrane irritant will produce a heating or drying effect on the mucous membranes of the mouth, eyes, nose, and reproductive organs. It is recommended that mucus membrane irritating essential oils not be used in a full body bath unless placed in a dispersant first (e.g., milk, vegetable oil). It would also be wise to put the dispersed essential oils into the water after you have gotten into the bath. Bay, clove, cinnamon bark, lemongrass, and thyme ct. thymol essential oils should be avoided in baths completely. Table 5 lists some common essential oils considered to be mucous membrane irritants.

Mucous membrane irritants

|Essential Oil |Latin Name |

|Bay |Pimento racemosa |

|Caraway |Carum carvi |

|Cinnamon bark or leaf |Cinnamomum zeylanicum |

|Clove bud or leaf |Syzygium aromaticum |

|Lemongrass |Cymbopogon citratus |

|Peppermint |Mentha x piperita |

|Thyme ct. thymol |Thymus vulgaris |

Pregnancy and Essential oils

The great and the good of the essential oils world have made the following comments about using essential oils whilst pregnant and the possible complications:

According to Tisserand and Balacs, crossing the placenta does not necessarily mean that there is a risk of toxicity to the fetus; this will depend on the toxicity and the plasma concentration of the compound.

It is probable that essential oil metabolites cross the placenta due to the intimate (but not direct) contact between maternal and embryonic or fetal blood. Tony Burfield goes on to say, “to my thinking the responsible attitude is to discourage the use of essential oils completely during the first few months of pregnancy”.10

Jane Buckle comments “the use of essential oils in pregnancy is a contentious subject, especially during the vital first 3-month period. It is extremely unlikely that a nightly bath containing a few drops of essential oils will cause any problems for the unborn child” and later states “there are no records of abnormal foetuses or aborted foetuses due to the ‘normal’ use of essential oils, either by inhalation or topical application.”11

According to Wildwood, “A common myth in aromatherapy is that massage oils containing essential oils such as Clary sage, rose or even rosemary can cause a miscarriage and hence should be avoided throughout pregnancy. Authors such as Ron Guba, Kurt Schnaubelt, and Chrissie Wildwood have all pointed out that there have been ‘no recorded cases of miscarriage or birth defect resulting from aromatherapy massage using therapeutic applications of any essential oil.”12

Ron Guba points out that toxicity during pregnancy is almost exclusively due to pregnant women taking large, toxic doses of essential oils, notably pennyroyal (rich in the ketone, pulegone, which is metabolized to the highly toxic furan epoxide, menthofuron) and parsley seed (rich in the dimethyl ether, apiol) in an attempt to abort the fetus.13 And Battaglia shares this insight: “the judicious use of essential oils together with appropriate forms of massage by a skilled therapist can help ease the discomforts of pregnancy and provide a sense of nurturing that will comfort the mother at times she is likely to be feeling rather fragile.”14

Due to the lack of clear information regarding the toxicity of essential oils during pregnancy, it would be best to adhere to general safety guidelines. According to Tisserand and Balacs, the following essential oils should not be used during pregnancy: rosemary, wormwood, rue, oak moss, Lavandula stoechas, camphor, parsley seed, sage, and hyssop.15

Essential oils that appear to be safe include cardamon, German and Roman chamomile, frankincense, lavender, geranium, ginger, neroli, patchouli, petitgrain, rosewood, rose, sandalwood, and other nontoxic essential oils.16 It would also be prudent to avoid the internal or undiluted application of essential oils throughout pregnancy.

Essential oils to Avoid throughout Pregnancy, Labour, and while Breastfeeding

|Essential Oil |Latin Name |

|Aniseed |Pimpinella anisum |

|Basil ct. estragole |Ocimum basilicum |

|Birch |Betula lenta |

|Camphor |Cinnamomum camphora |

|Hyssop |Hyssopus officinalis |

|Mugwort |Artemisia vulgaris |

|Parsley seed or leaf |Petroselinum sativum |

|Pennyroyal |Mentha pulegium |

|Sage |Salvia officinalis |

|Tansy |Tanacetum vulgare |

|Tarragon |Artemisia dracunculus |

|Thuja |Thuja occidentalis |

|Wintergreen |Gaultheria procumbens |

|Wormwood |Artemisia absinthium |

IFRA Banned Oils The list below shows some of the oils, with their common name, botanic name as well as other common names it might be known under. If you know of any other oil that was omitted, kindly mail us at aromatiqueoils@

IFRA banned oils 

|Name |known as |Botanical name |Action |

|Cade oil crude |prickly juniper and juniper tar |Juniperus oxycedrus |Carcinogenic |

|Calamus oil |sweet flag, myrtle flag, sweet |Acorus calamus |Carcinogenic |

| |rush and sweet sedge | | |

|Costus root |kuth |Saussurea costus |Sensitizer |

|Elecampane oil |scabwort |Inula helenium |Sensitizer |

|Fig leaf absolute |  |Ficus carica |Sensitizer |

|Horseradish oil |  |Armoracia rusticana |Toxic and irritant |

|Mustard oil |black mustard |Brassica nigra |Toxic and irritant |

|Peru balsam |balsam of Peru, Balsamo |Myroxylon var. pereirae |Sensitizer (distilled oil is allowed) |

|Savin oil |  |Juniperus sabina |Toxic and sensitizer although Juniper |

| | | |phoenicea oil is allowed |

|Verbena oil |  |Lippia citriodora / Aloysia |Sensitizer |

| | |triphylla | |

|Tea absolute |  |Thea sinensis / Camellia |Sensitizer |

| | |sinensis | |

|Sassafras oil |  |Sassafras albidum |Carcinogenic |

|Stryax gum |oriental sweet gum and storax |Liquidambar orientalis |Sensitizer |

|Wormseed |(also called Epazote or Mexican |Chenopodium ambroisoides |Toxic |

| |Tea) | | |

|Wormwood oil |  |Artemisia absinthium |Neurotoxin |

IFRA restricted oils 

The following oils are not banned but care must be taken with the amount of active ingredients (compounds) contained in the oil, and the possible side effects of sensitizing and phototoxicity must be kept in mind when treating a client.

|Name |known as |Botanical name |Action |

|Angelica root oil |  |Angelica archangelica |Phototoxic |

|Bergamot oil |bergamot orange |Citrus aurantium ssp. Bergamia |Phototoxic |

|Bitter orange oil |Seville orange |Citrus aurantium |Phototoxic |

|Cassia oil |cassia bark, Chinese cinnamon |Cinnamomum cassia |Sensitizer |

|Cinnamon bark |cinnamon, Ceylon cinnamon |Cinnamomum zeylanicum |Sensitizer |

|Cumin oil |comino, jeera |Cuminum cyminum |Phototoxic |

|Grapefruit oil |  |Citrus paradisi |Phototoxic |

|Lemon oil |  |Citrus limon |Phototoxic |

|Lime oil |  |Citrus aurantifolia |Phototoxic |

|Tagetes oil and absolute |muster-John-Henry, khaki weed, |Tagetes minuta |Phototoxic |

| |stinking Rodger | | |

|Oak moss absolute and |  |Evernia prunastri |Sensitizer |

|resinoid | | | |

|Pinaceae oils |to have less than 10 millimoles |Pinaceae mugo, P. nigra, P. pinaster, |Sensitizer |

| |peroxide per litre |P. sylvatica | |

|Rue oil |herb of grace, herbygrass |Ruta graveolens |Sensitizer |

|Verbena absolute |  |Lippia citriodora / Aloysia triphylla |Sensitizer |

|Tree moss absolute |  |(Pseudeo) Evernia furfuracea |Sensitizer |

So now we have had a look at safety here are the general rules to abide by:

General Safety

1. Keep all essential oils out of reach of children and pets.

2. Do not use or recommend the use of photosensitizing essential oils prior to going into a sun tanning booth or the sun. Recommend that the client stay out of the sun or sun tanning booth for at least twenty-four hours after treatment if photosensitizing essential oils were applied to the skin.

3. Avoid prolonged use of the same essential oils.

4. Avoid the use of essential oils you know nothing about on your clients. Research and get to know the oil prior to using it on others.

5. Avoid the use of undiluted essential oils on the skin, unless otherwise indicated.

6. If you suspect your client may be sensitive to specific essential oils or if your client has known allergies or sensitivities, it may be wise to perform a skin patch test.

7. Know the safety data on each essential oil and place into context of use and knowledge.

8. Use caution when treating a female client who suspects she is pregnant or has been trying to become pregnant.

9. Keep essential oils away from the eyes.

10. Essential oils are highly flammable substances and should be kept away from direct contact with flames, such as candles, fire, matches, cigarettes, and gas cookers.17

11. Make sure your treatment room has good ventilation.

12. Do not use essential oils internally unless properly trained in the safety issues of doing so.

We hope you have found this document of some use look forward to providing you with more information as we receive it

Much love Alison x

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References we have used in this document

1 Burfield, T. (2004). Opinion Document to NAHA: A Brief Safety Guidance on Essential Oils.

Retrieved October 2, 2005.

2 Schnaubelt, K. (2004). Aromatherapy Lifestyle. San Rafael, CA: Terra Linda Scent.

3 Schnaubelt, K. (2004). Aromatherapy Lifestyle. San Rafael, CA: Terra Linda Scent.

4 Tisserand, R., and Balacs, T. (1995). Essential Oil Safety. New York: Churchill Livingstone.

5 Schnaubelt, K. (2004). Aromatherapy Lifestyle. San Rafael, CA: Terra Linda Scent.

6 Tisserand, R., and Balacs, T. (1995). Essential Oil Safety. New York: Churchill Livingstone.

7 Bensouilah J, and Buck P. Aromadermatology. Abindon, UK: Radcliffe Publishing Ltd.

8 Tisserand, R., and Balacs, T. (1995). Essential Oil Safety. New York: Churchill Livingstone.

9 Bensouilah J, and Buck P. Aromadermatology. Abindon, UK: Radcliffe Publishing Ltd.

10 Tisserand, R., and Balacs, T. (1995). Essential Oil Safety. New York: Churchill Livingstone.

11 Bensouilah J, and Buck P. Aromadermatology. Abindon, UK: Radcliffe Publishing Ltd.

12 Tisserand, R., and Balacs, T. (1995). Essential Oil Safety. New York: Churchill Livingstone.

13 Burfield, T. (2000). Safety of Essential Oils. International Journal of Aromatherapy, Vol 10.1/2

14 Buckle, J. (2003). Clinical Aromatherapy. Philadelphia: Elsevier Science.

15 Wildwood, C. (2000). Of Cabbages & Kings Aromatherapy Myths, part II. Aromatherapy Today, 14, p. 12–14.

16 Guba, R. (2000). Toxicity Myths. International Journal of Aromatherapy, Vol 10.1/2

17 Battaglia, S. (2002). The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy. Australia: International Centre of Holistic Aromatherapy.

18 Tisserand, R., and Balacs, T. (1995). Essential Oil Safety. New York: Churchill Livingstone.

19 Tisserand, R., and Balacs, T. (1995). Essential Oil Safety. New York: Churchill Livingstone.

20 Buckle, J. (2003). Clinical Aromatherapy. Philadelphia: Elsevier Science.

21 Schnaubelt, K. (2004). Aromatherapy Lifestyle. San Rafael, CA: Terra Linda Scent.

22 Buckle, J. (2003). Clinical Aromatherapy. Philadelphia: Elsevier Science.

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