Risks and Dangers of Essential Oils

Katie Wells Avatar

Reading Time: 8 minutes

This post contains affiliate links.

Read my affiliate policy.

Warning- risks of essential oild and how to use them safely
Wellness Mama » Blog » Natural Remedies » Risks and Dangers of Essential Oils

Essential oils are all the rage lately, and with good reason. They are, in a sense, a pharmaceutical grade natural remedy with incredible power. But with great power comes great responsibility, and there are many essential oil resources online giving worrisome blanket advice about their use.

Don’t get me wrong. I love oils and I use them daily. Most often, I use them diluted in natural beauty or natural cleaning recipes, but I also use them aromatically and therapeutically at times.

Because of the strength of essential oils, I am cautious of over-using them and want to make sure that my family always uses them safely. Here are some important things to know about essential oils (and of course, check with a certified herbalist, aromatherapist or doctor) before using them.

Essential Oils are Highly Concentrated

Did you know that it takes:

  • 256 pounds of peppermint leaf to make one pound of peppermint essential oil
  • 150 pounds or more of lavender flowers to make one pound of lavender essential oil
  • Thousands of pounds of roses to make 1 pound of rose essential oil

Essential Oils contain very concentrated properties of the herb or plant they are derived from. A very small amount of EOs often has the qualities of many cups of herbal tea from the same plant. For instance, one drop of peppermint essential oil is equivalent to 26-28 cups of peppermint tea. This isn’t to say essential oils should not be used, but they should be used carefully, with proper education and in safe amounts. If you wouldn’t ingest dozens of cups of an herbal tea, you should probably think twice before consuming the equivalent amount of essential oils.

Essential Oils on the Skin

I use essential oils in many of my beauty recipes like lotion bars and herbal face oil but in diluted amounts. The key word is “diluted.”

In most cases, essential oils should not be used undiluted on the skin. There are exceptions, of course, but most of the time, essential oils should only be used undiluted under the care and guidance of a trained medical or aromatherapy practitioner. Due to the small molecular size of essential oils, they can penetrate the skin easily and enter the bloodstream.

As a general rule, essential oils should be diluted in a carrier oil like coconut oil or almond oil in a 3-5% solution. On  practical level this is 3-5 drops of essential oils per teaspoon of carrier oil (and much less if using on a baby or child).

Undiluted use on the skin can cause irritation or an allergic reaction in some people, and I’ve even read cases of someone getting a permanent sensitivity to a certain oil after using it undiluted on broken skin. Some oils, like lavender, rose and chamomile are typically considered safe for undiluted skin use, but I’d still personally dilute them (most of these are expensive oils and would be costly to use undiluted anyway).

I personally test any essential oil, diluted, on my arm before using on a larger part of my body. Some essential oils are considered ok to use undiluted on the skin if an individual isn’t sensitive to them, but again, always check with a qualified practitioner first.

From a personal perspective, I have first hand experience with the potential problems with undiluted skin exposure. I tried a new massage therapist in our small town since she had a special deal for “aromatherapy” massage. I assumed this meant that there would be essential oils in a diffuser during the massage. To my surprise, as the massage began I felt drops on my back. I realized a few seconds later that she was pouring essential oils on my back… a lot of them. I asked her what oils she was using and she assured me that they were safe, but I got a headache soon after.

In all, she probably poured 80+ drops of undiluted essential oils on my back. I had shivers and a headache for the rest of the day and a large red spot on my back (12 inches in diameter) that lasted several days. Certainly, I should have asked her to stop instead of just asking what the oils were, but what shocked me was that she did not ask if she could use essential oils on me, she did not ask if I was pregnant or had a health condition first and I found out after that she was not even a trained massage therapist or aromatherapist but that she had just “invented” the technique as a way to therapeutically use essential oils.

Again, I should have acted differently and probably asked to see her massage license first, but my experience with this amount of essential oils on the skin was not a positive one.

Bottom Line: Exercise caution and do your research before using essential oils on the skin, even undiluted.

Photosensitivity of Certain Oils

I always include a caution on my recipes that include citrus oils that they may make the skin more sensitive to the sun. These oils have certain constituents that can make the skin more sensitive to UV light and can lead to blistering, discoloration of the skin or burning more easily from minor sun exposure.

Though the risk of photosensitivity or phototoxicity varies based on the way the oil was distilled, oils generally considered photosensitive are: orange, lime, lemon, grapefruit, and bergamot.

Internal Use of Essential Oils

This will be a controversial point, but many essential oils are not safe for internal use and others should be used with extreme caution. Since essential oils are the equivalent of 10-50 cups of herbal tea (depending on the herb) or 20x the recommended dose of an herbal tincture of the same herb, they should only be taken internally in situations where they are absolutely needed and with extreme care (and under the guidance of a trained professional).

Here’s the thing- essential oils are extremely potent plant compounds that can have a very dramatic effect on the body. Many online sources tout their “antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral and antifungal” properties. You know what is teeming with many types of bacteria? Your gut.

Research is emerging constantly about our extremely diverse gut microbiomes, but we do not fully understand them yet. We do know that gut health drastically affects other aspects of health and that imbalances in the gut can cause problems in the skin, brain and other parts of the body. The effects of essential oils on gut bacteria have not been well studied yet and the very real antibacterial properties of essential oils may kill many types of bacteria in the gut (including beneficial and necessary bacteria).

In fact, the studies conducted about the antibacterial properties of essential oils compare them to antibiotics and suggest that they may be an effective alternative to antibiotics (here’s one study).

Antibiotics can be life-saving and necessary in some cases (they saved my husband’s life several years ago) but they should not be used regularly, preventatively or without the oversight of a medical professional. If essential oils can act in the same way as antibiotics, we should exercise the same caution in using them internally.

In most cases, some of the same benefits of an essential oil (taken internally) can be obtained by using the herb itself (fresh or dried) or a tea or tincture of that herb.

Many essential oils are considered “GRAS” or Generally Recognized as Safe for food and cosmetic use. However, most essential oils have not been studied, especially in concentrated internal amounts. Things like vinegar, salt and baking soda also are given this status, but that doesn’t mean they should be consumed regularly or in large amounts. Always do your research first!

Essential Oils During Pregnancy or Nursing

Essential oils can affect hormones, gut bacteria and other aspects of health and extreme care should be used when taking them while pregnant or nursing.

There is evidence that essential oils can cross the placenta and get to the baby. The effects of essential oils can be compounded in utero and extreme care should be taken with essential oil use during pregnancy. Again, I’m not saying they should not be used during pregnancy, but that extreme care should be taken and research done first.

I personally would not take any essential oil internally during pregnancy (or even while nursing). At these times, I stick to aromatherapy and very diluted use of approved essential oils in skin care recipes and baths. I also always re-test an oil in a diluted skin test before using it during pregnancy.

Many oils are considered safe during pregnancy, especially after the first trimester (depending on the source), but again, I’d check with a professional and use caution with any herbs used during pregnancy. Even oils that are considered safe may be harmful to certain women and there is some speculation that the actions of some oils on hormones can cause dangerous hormone imbalances during pregnancy.

Oils Considered NOT Safe During Pregnancy

Aniseed, Angelica, Basil, Black pepper, Camphor, Cinnamon, Chamomile, Clary Sage (often used during labor by midwives safely), clove, fennel, fir, ginger, horseradish (should not be used by anyone), Jasmine, Juniper, Marjoram, Mustard, Mugwart (should not be used by anyone), Myrrh, Nutmeg, Oregano, Peppermint, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Wintergreen.

I would personally recommend checking with a doctor or midwife before taking an essential oils during pregnancy.

Peppermint essential oil may decrease milk supply while nursing, and as such, I avoid it topically while nursing.

Use on Babies and Children

This is one of the things that concerns me the most with a lot of the essential oil recommendations I see online. In my opinion, essential oils should never be given internally to children or used undiluted on the skin. They should be diluted  more than they are for adult application and care should be taken with any essential oils considered “hot” as they may cause damage to the skin.

In general, oils like lavender, chamomile, orange, lemon and frankincense are considered safe for diluted use on children, but I would personally still do a skin test and check with a doctor first.

Some oils have caused seizures in children and extreme caution should be used (this article from a naturopathic pediatrician explains more and gives some case studies– since people have commented, I want to mention that I do think her post is overly alarmist but she makes some good points as well). To clarify- these seizure reactions were rare and most were in people who were predisposed to seizures, but this still isn’t a risk I would take with small children.

Others, like peppermint, rosemary, eucalyptus and wintergreen should not be used around young children or babies. These herbs contain menthol and 1,8-cineole. These compounds can slow breathing (or even stop it completely) in very young children or those with respiratory problems. Of course, they should never be used internally or undiluted on the skin for children, but these particular oils warrant caution even for aromatic use. I would not personally ever use these oils on or around babies for this reason.

This article from the University of Minnesota cautions about the use of peppermint and similar oils in children under six, because: “Menthol-one of the major chemicals in peppermint oil-has caused breathing to stop in young children, and has caused severe jaundice in babies with G6PD deficiency (a common genetic enzyme deficiency) (Price & Price, 1999).”

Since the effects of essential oils are more concentrated on children, it is prudent to exercise extra caution when using essential oils on them. Personally, I stick to using safe essential oils in a diffuser or in very diluted amounts in beauty and cleaning products.

Important note to add: pets can be just as vulnerable.

Essential Oils in Plastics

Another thing that is not often mentioned is that essential oils should never be stored in plastic containers, especially in concentrated forms. Many essential oils can eat through plastics when undiluted, and even when diluted, they can degrade plastics over time.

I make homemade cleaners with essential oils in glass bottles for this reason (even though they are very diluted) and store homemade beauty products in glass whenever possible.

This caution also extends to other surfaces in the house, which I found out the hard way. A bottle of wild orange oil was left on a piece of homemade furniture in our house and when I picked it up the next day, it had stuck to the piece, pulling off the finish and stain when I picked it up. Apparently, there was a little bit of the oil still on the bottom of the bottle (likely from my hand when pouring it). Be extremely careful about leaving any oils, especially citrus oils, on wood or other stained surfaces.

The Good News

Though there are a lot of warnings about safe use of essential oils, they are wonderful natural remedies when used correctly. I hope that this post doesn’t discourage anyone from using essential oils, but rather encourages proper research and safety first.

I use essential oils almost daily, but I make sure to research each oil and its proper use first. It can also be really helpful to find a trained aromatherapist, herbalist or naturopathic doctor to ask specific questions about essential oils. It is also important to make sure any essential oils you use are organic and very high quality.

Safe Ways to Use Essential Oils:

At the end of the day, essential oils can be a great and safe natural remedy, if used safely. The main ways I use essential oils are:

I reserve undiluted skin use and internal use for times of real need when the benefits outweigh the risk and I avoid using essential oils in this way on babies/children or when I am pregnant.

What essential oils do you use? Have you ever had any negative effects from their use?

Vitamin C serum helps support skin health by boosting collagen production and the natural acids in Vitamin C can help tighten skin and make it smoother.
Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

498 responses to “Risks and Dangers of Essential Oils”

  1. Mary D. Avatar

    Katie, in a previous article you mention that you diffuse peppermint oil often, but here you say that you would not do so around young children for safety reasons. I know you have almost always had young children 🙂 and we will be in the same boat. Can you clarify for me? Do you diffuse it in the open areas of your house but just not in the children’s rooms or closed spaces? Just wanting to understand! Thank you!

      1. Mary D. Avatar

        Okay, perfect! That’s what I thought and what I do too. Thank you!
        Is that how you use the pumpkin spice room spray as well? I have read that some of the oils in that are better not used with younger babies/children. But I was thinking of diffusing it in an open space with very little of each oil.

      2. Randi Avatar

        This was my big thing! I have a 2 year old and wasn’t sure about diffusing. So is it still not good to use something for a cold on his skin if using coconut oil to dilute? Well in your opinion because this is the first site I’m trusting so far, I am researching tonight the things to buy!
        Thanks for asking Mary!

        Thank you

  2. Becky Brewer Avatar
    Becky Brewer

    Hi, I’m currently pregnant and starting to make my own handsoap, shampoo, toothpaste and such. Everything I’ve made I’ve gotten the recipe from Wellness Mama (love everything on here). In this post it was mentioned that pregnant women shouldn’t ingest Peppermint, I used peppermint in the homemade toothpaste, is that too much to be ingesting, or should I be fine. I would ask my OB but she doesn’t seem the type to know about anything natural and would probably just try to talk me out of making my own products.

  3. jessica Avatar

    I have alot of questions about essential oils I’m. Hoping you can help me with. My sister is in a persistent vegetative state due to lack of oxygen to the brain. We order our essential. Oils from frontier. And use the aura cacia oils but I have no clue about essential oils how to mix them the best ones ect. My neighbor. Just started buying the young living brand an I saw they have an oil called brain power an after googling it I came across some success. Stories about it being used on coma patients an they put it on the roof of their mouth. It’s like 80 on younglivings site and 60 on amazon my neighbor was saying that amazons oils vs younglivings oils on their website look the same on the outside but the oil on the inside are different. My question is is younglivings oils better then aura cacia? Aurua cacia is alot cheaper they don’t have the brain power blend nut I know the oils it’s made from and could I make the brain power with the aurua cacia oils?

    1. Dianne Avatar

      I would say that Young Living Essential Oils are better than Aura Cacia oils because YL has a seed to seal commitment that guarantees that the oils have not been adulterated in any way. I have watched a video on youtube produced by Aura Cacia where they show very unclean methods of extracting their oils. As to buying as a wholesale member of Young Living or buying on amazon, there is no guarantee on the seed to seal commitment when you buy from amazon, and it has been reported several times that the bottles bought on amazon have been tampered with. I have seen articles that it is not safe to buy health products of any kind on amazon because the tampering is prevalent. I commend you for doing research for your sister’s health!

    2. Jamie Avatar

      I would want to talk to someone qualified and knowledgeable about EO’s before treating your sister. Make sure to read the whole article and comments to also help. I learned it is not wise to use straight EO’s on the skin and taking something internally can have serious risk and only a professional could help you make the right choice. Plus there is not enough scientific data to prove EO’s are even safe internally (this is how I took it). As an above person stated : Find a “Professional Aromatherapist you can communicate with from a reputable association such as NAHA or AIA.”

    3. Susan Avatar

      Check out nativeamericannutritionals.com – they have customer reviews galore and a chart comparing their blends to Young Living and DoTerra…but cost less as they aren’t an MLM company and you are buying direct. Cheap shipping too.

    4. Donna Avatar

      I use Brain Power and LOVE IT!!! But NO Aura Cassia is not a pure brand and I would avoid it at ALL costs! Same goes for NOW brand oils… NOT PURE and NOT GOOD! I know of a few people who have been harmed by those brands. Please do not use them. YL is tested and they can prove that all the oils are solvent free. This is not true the the vast majority of other brands available in health food stores. By law they are ALLOWED to lie and say it is 100% pure when it truth it can be up to 95% solvents!!! I personally would not trust anything from a health food store… but that is just me. Money matters little when it is HEALTH that you want… and they are still cheaper than a doctor or hospital visit!

  4. Katie Avatar

    On a side note off topic….I would have questioned a ‘massage therapist’ that didn’t ask about pregnancy or other medical issues before the massage started.

  5. Sara Avatar

    THANK YOU for this! Many really do need to realize that although natural, essential oils also have safety considerations. I hope that some of the people who do not believe what they are told in concern for their safety follow you and your blogs! Just because something is pure and natural does mean it is safe for everybody.

  6. Eric Zielinski Avatar
    Eric Zielinski

    Hi Katie,

    I enjoy reading your articles because they are evidenced-based, but I’m sad to see that this one falls short of your normal standard. Your blog instills fear in your readers and much of it simply isn’t based off of peer-reviewed sources.

    A perfect example is the arbitrary list of oils that are NOT safe for use during pregnancy. This is not the case whatsoever.

    Also, your recommendation to have your readers ask their doctor about oils is quite misleading. MD’s, DO’s and even DC’s receive little to no training whatsoever on the safety and efficacy of therapeutic-grade essential oils.

    There are many, many more points, but I want to be respectful because I have so enjoyed your work over the years.

    Please consider working with a professional researcher to help clean up this article.

    Thanks!

    1. Katie - Wellness Mama Avatar

      I have to disagree Eric. I have searched (and asked doctors, midwives, and aromatherapists) and there are simply not studies about the safety of many oils during pregnancy. In many cases, there are not peer reviewed studies about essential oil use as plant compounds like this cannot be patented and the cost of these studies is prohibitive. I realize that many doctors do not receive formal training about EOs and I definitely think everyone should check with an herbalist or aromatherapist as well for that reason. Even the term “therapeutic grade” is largely unregulated and often used by MLM as a way to market their products (many of which are not actually certified organic). If you have peer reviewed studies that show the safety of oils, especially during pregnancy, I would love to see them and you have my email. I appreciate how respectfully you commented and am open to reading any studies you send. Warmly- Katie

      1. Eric Zielinski Avatar
        Eric Zielinski

        Hey Katie,

        You make a good point, clinical trials are limited. However, that doesn’t give us license to arbitrarily advise against certain oils and compounds like many aromatherapists and midwives are in the habit of doing. I deeply respect aromatherapists and midwives; their training is usually quite thorough and they are very passionate about what they do.

        But, and this is a BIG but, their training determines their oil usage and recommendations and are greatly influenced by the country that live in. U.S. aromatherapy schools, for instance, are traditionally quite reserved when it comes to oral consumption of essential oils, whereas their European counterparts take a very different approach. Unfortunately, this bias has caused many people to be misled against the internal usage of essential oils, which has been a regular practice by folk medicine for literally millennium.

        Per your request, here’s some research for you:

        Because they are two of the most common herbs that people put on the chopping block, let take ginger and peppermint use in pregnant women. First off, my wife used both herbs and essential oils quite extensively during her three pregnancies and home births, and sings their praises. On the other hand, could someone experience an adverse reaction? Sure! Any one could be allergic or sensitive to anything, but that’s anecdotal and not true evidence.

        A 2004 article published in the Complementary Therapies in Nursing Midwifery sums it up best,

        “The safety and efficacy of each of these herbal remedies is discussed here. Only ginger has been subjected to clinical trials among pregnant women, though all three herbs were clinically effective against nausea and vomiting in other contexts, such as chemotherapy-induced nausea and post-operative nausea. While safety concerns exist in the literature for all three herbs with regards to their use by pregnant women, clinical evidence of harm is lacking.”

        Bottom line: proof that peppermint and ginger cause harm in pregnant women does not exist.

        Like anything, you can find articles that support whatever viewpoint you’re trying to promote. But’s that a two-edged sword. Personally, I don’t know of any chemical in peppermint or ginger that could cause deleterious effects in pregnant women or their babies. Subsequently, I am not surprised when I read studies that support them for pruritus (itching), nausea & vomiting, for instance.

        Just some thoughts.

        Thanks for the dialogue.

        References

        https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14744504
        https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3813175/
        https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92775/

        1. Katie - Wellness Mama Avatar

          I agree- and I’m not giving blanket advice to anyone not to take or use essential oils. I have seen many cases recently of reckless advice being given about essential oil use and the purpose of this post was to encourage people to research and use caution, especially if pregnant or on babies and children. As you know, EOs are extremely potent and can have a very strong impact (good or bad) on the body. I see advice on blogs and Pinterest all the time encouraging people to give their children EOs internally or use them undiluted on babies… these kinds of things worry me a lot.

          In regards to the pregnancy stuff… None of the studies you provided showed the safety of internal use of any of these substances and one of them just referred to the herbs themselves, which could mean tea or tincture and not EOs. That same study, for what it is worth, said that no harm was found from use of cannibis either- I’m curious if you would encourage a pregnant women to use cannabis as well or if your own wife did. The one study that talked about EO use specifically referred to peppermint oil on the skin (diluted in a carrier oil), which I talked about in this post as a safe way to use it. Peppermint is known to be a uterine stimulant and I know many knowledgeable midwives who caution against it, especially in the first trimester. It can decrease milk supply, so it is often avoided while nursing.

          Again- I understand where you are coming from and my purpose is not to dissuade people from using essential oils, just to encourage more research, dialogue and safe use. Yes, midwives are not trained specifically in essential oil use, though they do receive training in herbs and their uses during pregnancy (which would extend to use of their EOs also) but aromatherapists are specifically trained in EO use and risks. I would argue, however, that both midwives and aromatherapists are much more highly trained and accurately trained than the small army of self-educated essential oil enthusiasts with no formal training whatsoever who are encouraging people to give essential oils internally to children or rub eucalyptus undiluted on the feet of a baby.

          I know that you have a personal interest in people using essential oils and that you promote them, and again, I’m not trying to keep anyone from using them. I just think the blanket recommendations about their use can get dangerous.

          1. Eric Zielinski Avatar
            Eric Zielinski

            Hi Katie,

            Forgive me if I misunderstood your article, but when I read your list of Thou Shall Not Use These Oils for pregnant women, I didn’t see anything about internal use. Everything I wrote was in regards to non-internal use of the plants and oils that are supposedly counterindicated for Mamas, because you made it quite clear that internal usage was a “no-no.”

            The internal oil debate is another beast all together, and so is cannabis oil. Maybe we can grab a cup of herbal tea (without essential oils) and chat off-line. 😉

            Lastly, your comment about peppermint being an uterine stimulant is simply not founded on science. In fact, just the opposite:

            “The spasmolytic effect of jasmine absolute was most likely to be mediated through cAMP, and not through cGMP. The mode of action in vitro resembled that of geranium, lavender and peppermint oils.”

            https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12203263

            Same thing with your comment about decreased milk supply. I’m telling you, I’ve search far & wide to find anything about it in the literature and it just doesn’t exist. It’s an old wives tale. My wife bagged over 1000 ounces of milk in her first month of nursing, and she regularly used peppermint oil and drank peppermint tea. BUT this isn’t “proof.” I cannot recommend that women use peppermint oil to boost their supply because of my wife’s experience.

            Likewise, I will not deny that its impossible for a mom to experience an adverse effect to peppermint and produce less milk. I’m just saying that #1 it’s not proven clinically, #2 I have never heard of it personally in our midwifery/home birth circles and #3 I don’t think it’s right to instill hesitancy in women because of hear se.

            You can’t believe everything on the Internet. As one of the most influential wellness bloggers today, you have a a loyal following of people who listen to you and I suggest taking this approach:

            “Research supporting the negative effects of these oils are limited or nonexistent. Nonetheless, there are various sources that claim women should not use them during pregnancy or while nursing.”

            Making this type of comment would leave it more open to the reader to truly do their own homework.

            Regarding personal interests, you affiliate with Mountain Rose, so touche!

            Again, great work on your website. I just hope you’d consider cleaning up this piece a little. If you’d like some help, shoot me an email and I can give you a hand. 🙂

            Shalom

        2. Cindy Avatar

          This has been an interesting and friendly discussion that I find intriguing. You both make valid points. I would like to see the two of you team up in the future if possible. I feel it would be helpful to your readers as a means of clarification. I have to admit, it can be a little confusing after you read some of the comments from others-not Dr. Z. Thanks.

          1. Alli Scott Avatar
            Alli Scott

            Very nice discussion, and as an EO user who is trying to be an educated and thoughtful consumer, I appreciate this level of respectful and research-based dialogue. And I agree with Cindy! Please consider more posts where you two possibly team up!

          2. Jessica Avatar

            I agree that this was a nice and respectful dialogue and I appreciate that.

            But criticizing From an objective argument standpoint:
            Eric, you seem to rely heavily on your wife’s experience and that does a lot to discredit what you’re writing. If you had strong research as the main body of your argument and then a “p.s. My wife had this experience” that may be different. Wellness mama does a much better job of keeping her content mainly intellectual and scientific with small bits of anecdotal evidence. I trust her opinion a great deal more.

          3. Je'Nelle Avatar
            Je’Nelle

            Hi Katie,
            I was wondering as well where exactly your list of eo’s to avoid in pregnancy came from. I use eo’s and feel I do good research before use. I’m currently pregnant and have had severe hyperemesis throughout the first trimester. Ginger and peppermint (especially peppermint) have been extremely beneficial to me. I was very surprised to see them in your list. I didn’t check every source listed at the end of the article, but I did read the last 2 posted (the pregnancy safety data sheets) and neither mention either of these oils as unsafe. Just curious where this list came from.

        3. Malori Avatar

          I know a certified midwife (Stephanie Fritz) who is very experienced and uses essential oils extensively with her patients (and even recommends taking EO’s internally during pregnancy). She wrote the book “Essential Oils for Pregnancy, Birth and Babies.” When I become pregnant, that will be the resource I turn to with regards to essential oil usage during pregnancy.

          1. Misty Avatar

            Please research other sources as well Malori. I cannot endorse Stephanie Fritz’s protocols and actually shudder at the thought of someone following her advice. Keep in mind she is very high up in the MLM chain so she absolutely has something to gain by advising you to use massive quantities of essential oil. Request the handout from her website and ask any non-MLM trained aromatherapist their thoughts…

  7. Nadine Avatar

    Katie, Katie, Katie. THANK YOU. Seriously, thank you. I’m a LMT and doula and am on my journey (slow journey) to becoming a clinical aromatherapist. I was totally appalled this week when I saw a blog about how to treat pink eye naturally. They actually recommended rubbing undiluted lavender around the child’s eyes! My little aromatherapist heart almost exploded. How dangerous! I’m very unhappy with how people are abusing essential oils. I’m so sorry that you had a bad experience with massage. That was a crazy amount of oils. Luckily for my clients…they get a drop on a tissue to inhale and everything else is diluted with organic jojoba oil. Thank you so much for writing this! You made my day. Keep doing what you’re doing. We all really appreciate you.

  8. kate Avatar

    Wow! Are you a certified aromatherapist? You should do some more homework on that peppermint and seizures topic.

    You can’t write a lengthy article on a topic you have so little info about.

    1. Donna Avatar

      I’m sorry but I have to agree with Kate on this. This article – to my way of thinking – is misinformation and fear and little else. I am disappointed by it to say the least…

  9. Maura Avatar

    Great article!!
    I had learn a lot from it
    But now I have a question, which EO I should use for Diy body butter for my 4yr old daughter?

  10. Sarah Avatar

    Thank you for this. There is an extremely helpful Facebook group called “using essential oils safely” that I would encourage anyone to join who is looking for answers on this topic. They are very conservative and there are several certified aromatherapists that chime in on what is recommended and what isn’t. I personally have 2 small children and need unbiased information on what is safe (not from the company who is selling it!)

  11. Rabia Lieber Avatar
    Rabia Lieber

    Thanks for the great info! I’ve been using some EOs lately on myself and my 11YO daughter. I only uses one or two drops in each teaspoon of olive oil. They seem to be helping both of us concentrate and focus during the day.

  12. Kreichert Avatar
    Kreichert

    Thank you SO MUCH for this article!! There is so much misinformation out there about EO’s since the MLM’s have gotten so ubiquitous!

  13. Cortney Avatar

    This post is very informative and very helpful as I begin to delve into learning about EO’s! What are your thoughts on Eucalyptus Oil for children? Is there a reputable site that discusses what is okay and not okay to use on children? My daughter (9 months old) had bronchitis and we used it to help her cough and clear her nose by putting it on her feet and sometimes chest. I used a teaspoon of coconut oil with 2 drops. I guess I’m now questioning whether that was safe and if she were to get sick again, if it’s okay to continue to use.

    1. Cortney Avatar

      I answered my own question! I just found some interesting articles about not using Eucalyptus on children under 10 years old…Yikes! I’m glad nothing serious happened but I will be sure to be more careful. The lady I spoke with recommended it and I just trusted her. That won’t happen again! Thank you again for this article. It has really made me more aware of how important it is to research before using EO’s because they are very potent.

      1. Donna Avatar

        On the feet or in a diffuser only for babies!

        Eucalyptus and Menthol – what does everything think is in VapoRub or BenGay??? Except those products are petrochemical in basis and NOT all natural in any way at all! But no one thinks twice about using those since we all grew up with them… And to my way of thinking, there is NO way a product made from crude petroleum sludge is better than a pure EO. I mean, think about it – which would you really want on your body? And if applying EO’s neat to the skin is against the American model of Aromatherapy because they will soak into the skin and harm the person, WHY would you want a product made from crude oil on your skin? Does that not soak into your cells as well?? Think about it!

        Eucalyptus (IF pure and undulated!!!) is fine for a diffuser or a bit mixed with coconut oil for older kids.

  14. Holly Avatar

    Thank you for the great article. I have recently been researching a lot on eo because I have been using them way too freely in the past. Do you know off hand from your research if frankincense and tea tree oil are safe to use when pregnant or trying to conceive? I will do research now of course but wondered if you knew off hand. It would great if you wrote an article on which beauty products are safe to use when pregnant. That is one thing that I find hard to come by are beauty products that are truly safe when pregnant and nursing. Thank you for all the great info!

  15. cassondra Avatar
    cassondra

    Hello wellness mama, first i want to start off by saying thank you very much for this article and posting the links to where you got your info. Really when it comes down to brass tax every thing we eat (example gmos) to products we use are just as toxic (see ewg.org) finding what is safe and works can be a challenge. I have grown up around essential oil use as my mother is a lmt and reflexologist and has been for 20yrs. We are huge believers in essential oils and there benefits. But appreciate when people are informed about there use. Unfortunatly where we live anything natural is highly frowned upon so there is not a doctor to ask so most people need information like this. Every person is different with what the body can handle and not handle. Research from the pharmaceutical side will always show the risks of an essential oil while hiding those same risks from the medication they prescribe. In the long run i would rather take my chances from a natural side then from putting a chemical in my body. Anyways thank you for the informed article.

  16. Patti Connell Avatar
    Patti Connell

    Katie: I am in desperate need of a solution to dry mouth!!! Especially at night!!! I broke my hip last October and have been in pain pills but am down to only one a day and still experience horrible dry mouth at night!! Any ideas??

  17. Shannon Avatar

    This is a very informative article, thank you. It is a great resource for essential oils.

  18. Betsy Avatar

    What about using DigestZen for infant reflux? It contains peppermint but I know I have heard of using this as a remedy…

    1. Sue Avatar

      NO! Would you pour a handful of aspirin into your hand and give it to a baby because someone on the internet (who was of course, selling aspirin) said it was safe? NO.

    2. Dana Avatar

      Betsy, I’ve had luck diluting the oil 4 drops carrier oil to 1 drop Digestzen and only apply to the bottom of the child’s feet. Rub the oil in your hands first then on the babies feet…never drop essential oils directly on a child.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *