Thursday, September 1, 2011

Aromatherapy Chapter V by Deborah Dolen Essential Oil Toxicity



AROMATHERAPY - Chapter V Essential Oil Toxicity


Excerpt How to Make Perfume and Aromatherapy Basics Copyright © Deborah Dolen 2011


The first thing you should about essential oils is which ones are toxic. Most students learn this last, such as myself--and they need to know it first. You may be surprised what is considered toxic. The web is overflowing with 'recipes' and 'formulas' that are fairly ignorant to what is toxic and why. Pennyroyal and Wintergreen are all too often seen in web recipes. They should not appear in any with great words of caution and dilution. This does not mean the author of any 'recipe' knows what they are doing. In fact, just the opposite. Some essential oils can overwhelm the kidneys and liver and shut them down.

If used as recommended, and under the care of a qualified practitioner, aromatherapy is very safe. Please remember that essential oils are very concentrated. Do not use too much. (Too much is not better in the case of essential oils). Also, please be wary of any allergies people may have to essential oils. (Try on a small spot to see whether there is any allergic reactions before exposing the whole body). Caution is particularly recommended for patients who are pregnant, have allergies, high blood pressure or epilepsy. Be careful with young children or babies.

If you accidentally spill the essential oils on your skin or get any in your eye, wash it off immediately with whole milk. Milk with some fat in it is best for reducing irritation and removing the oil actually in the eye. You may also use olive oil or other vegetable oil to resolve any issues if you are experiencing a burning sensation which would be possible with oils like Peppermint.

Watch out for inflamed skin if you use essential oils. If you consume the oil by accident, drink a lot of milk, eat soft bread, and go to the nearest poison control center for appropriate action. Oral consumption of aromatic oils are strongly discouraged unless you are under the care and supervision of an experienced practitioner. Many of these essential oils are very toxic. You should not apply the undiluted essential oil on your body as these are very concentrated and you may experience discomfort. The exception to this is Lavender oil which can be applied safely in the undiluted form for burns and insect bites.

It is a very good idea to keep your eyes closed while inhaling the aromatic oil. This helps build up your imagery which enhances the effect of the essential oil. It also prevents the "fumes" from irritating the eyes at close range. Don't apply any oils close to your eyes. Essential oils are very potent, some are only toxic at high levels. In general, here are the usual suspects, I have included the Latin names to avoid any confusion: Almond, bitter (Prunus amygdalus var. amara) Inula (Inula graveolens) Khella (Ammi visnaga) Mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris) Pennyroyal (Mentha pelugium) Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) Thuja (Thuja occidentalis) Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) Bitter Almond is a delicious scent, my favorite scent of all essential oils.

That is until I learned that particular essential oil is essentially cyanide. In fact, it is better to say that Cyanide smells like almonds. The bitter almond, soaked first in water, is a common way authors poison their fictional characters. The bitter almond makes an irresistible Christmas cookie. The bitter almond is shorter and fatter than the sweet almond. The sweet almond does not create cyanide.

Sassafras is another beloved essential oil adults will say they cherished as a child, but it is toxic. Wintergreen, another refreshing scent--is also toxic. Sweet Birch smells very much like Wintergreen, or Ben Gay, and is highly toxic to the liver when absorbed through the skin. Both Wintergreen and Sweet Birch contain methyl salicylate. Methyl salicylate is a wintergreen-scented chemical found in various over-the-counter products, including muscle ache creams as an anti-inflammatory. A marvelous essential oil, we will use, but with caution. Overdose from methyl salicylate occurs when someone accidentally or intentionally take more than the normal or recommended amount of a product containing this substance.

Here is an example when people think "more is better." A seventeen year old athlete died in 2007 from applying far too much Ben Gay all over her body. Here are the symptoms of overdose. Click here for the story of the athlete. Pennyroyal is another essential oil you may hear used in recipes, is poisonous because it does not take much to shut the liver down. Fairly inexpensive, Pennyroyal is an attractive alternative to women seeking abortion because of the minimal cost; they can buy herbs to brew an infusion, drink it in the privacy of their own homes and in a maximum of a few days the pregnancy will be aborted. The dosage to abort is not far from the dosage to kill the adult, so it is very, very dangerous, beyond the fact it is illegal.

Other Essential Oil Top Considerations: Do not use the following essential oils if you have: High blood pressure: Do not use Hyssop, Rosemary, Sage or Thyme. · Epilepsy: Do not use Sweet Fennel, Hyssop, Sage, Rosemary and Wormwood. Skin Irritation: Allspice, Basil, Bay, birch, Bitter Almond, Black Pepper, Cassia, Cinnamon Leaf, Cinnamon Bark, Citronella, Clove bud, Costus, Cumin, Fennel, Fir Needle, Ginger, Lemon, Lemon Grass, Lemon Verbena, Melissa, Myrrh, Oak Moss, Orange, Peppermint, Oregano, Parsley seed, Pimento Berry, Pine, Tagetes, Red and Wild Thyme and Wintergreen. Most of these require large amounts to burn--but Cinnamon and Cassia only take a drop to irritate. The following essential oils will make your skin more sensitive to sunlight: all Citrus oils, Angelica, Bergamot, Lemon, Mandarin, Orange and Lemon Verbena. If essential oils get into your eyes immediately flush with cold milk or vegetable oil to dilute. If stinging persists, seek medical attention. If undiluted essential oils get onto your hands use cream or vegetable oil to dilute and wash with soap and warm water. Repeat this process if necessary. Essential oils that are safe in pregnancy include: chamomile, jasmine, lavender, Neroli, Rose and ylang-ylang. Notice they are all floral, so this can be an easier way to remember essential pills safe for pregnancy. ~Revised by Deborah Dolen & Group 7.18.2008 via Wiki.



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