Aromatherapy: The difference between marketing and facts
Water is 100% natural but deadly...
My first thought when asked to write this article was about safety. Everywhere you look, “natural” is treated as a synonym for “100% safe.”
As my chemist husband pointed to me on many occasions just 2 micrograms of batrachotoxin produced by a cute poison dart frog can kill a fully grown man in seconds.
It’s important to understand the difference between marketing and facts. Water is 100% natural and generally 100% safe (assuming there’s no chemical spill in your area). However, if someone decides to drink a gallon of water in 30 minutes, it could be fatal—and someone’s final hours would be neither pretty nor painless.
Aromatherapy is the art of applying essential oils to assist with emotional and physical imbalances. Essential oils are chemical compounds and should always be treated with respect. Some are relatively harmless, some can cause skin burns, and some can be downright deadly. It's also crucial to understand the difference between fragrance oils and essential oils.
Fragrance Oil – A synthetic product that mimics the scent of an essential oil but has none of its healing properties.
IMPORTANT: Fragrance oils must never be used in aromatherapy. They can cause poisoning. Always use essential oils from reputable sources.
Essential Oil – Not actually an “oil,” but the distilled chemicals from plants and flowers. Essential oils are complex, natural combinations of hydrocarbons, alcohols, phenols, methyl ethers, aldehydes, ketones, organic acids, esters, oxides, and lactones. One essential oil can contain a handful—or hundreds—of different chemical components.
Safety First
Unless you are a trained aromatherapist (see the list of approved schools here: NAHA Approved Schools), always follow these basic safety rules:
Never ever apply essential oils directly to your skin and especially to an infant’s skin.
Never ingest essential oils.
If anyone in your household is prone to seizures, avoid these oils: camphor, fennel, hyssop, rosemary, lavandin, sage, spike lavender, and thuja.
During pregnancy and breastfeeding, use essential oils only under the guidance of a qualified aromatherapist.
People with high blood pressure should avoid camphor, hyssop, rosemary, and spike lavender.
Always dilute essential oils in a carrier oil before applying to the skin (maximum 15–16 drops per 1 oz of carrier oil).
For children (2 years and older), dilute essential oils to a maximum of 1% (5–6 drops per 1 oz of carrier oil).
Do not use essential oils on animals - their biology is very different.
Store essential oils in tightly closed, dark glass bottles away from sunlight and heat to prevent the quick destruction of chemicals.
Citrus oils (including bergamot), cumin, angelica root, rue, and lemon verbena are photosensitizing. Avoid sun exposure for at least 12 hours after application to prevent severe burns from UV light.
Never apply essential oils near the eyes or other sensitive areas.
If you need to remove essential oil from the skin, use a carrier oil (any cooking oil will do) —not water—as essential oils are not water-soluble.
Choosing Quality Essential Oils
Always use only high-quality essential oils. One of the best ways to determine quality is by checking the Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) test results. All reputable aromatherapy suppliers will have these documents available and should be happy to share them with you.
Avoid oils that are:
All sold at the same price
Stored in clear bottles
Choosing Safe Essential Oils Responsibly
Unfortunately, in the pursuit of profits, some essential oil suppliers have forgotten about sustainability. As a responsible consumer, avoid rare or hard-to-find essential oils.
Also, steer clear of exotic essential oils. They are often not safe, which is why they are not commonly distilled or used in professional aromatherapy. Recently, I’ve seen Szechuan pepper essential oil—known to cause severe skin irritation, numbness, tingling, dizziness, and headaches—and even garlic essential oil, which can lead to skin burns and lung inflammation.
To stay safe, look for the historical use of plants and essential oils. If rosemary or thyme has never been used traditionally to treat cancer, it's highly unlikely that the plant has suddenly developed miraculous new properties.