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:

Aromatically– in a diffuser
Topically– Diluted in homemade lotion, toothpaste, lotion bars, body butter and other homemade recipes.

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?

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”

Jessica

January 16, 2015

Once again, I really appreciate this article from you. I love essential oils but kept receiving conflicting viewpoints on their safety And usage. I would agree with you to err on the side of caution since there is not a lot of research out. Your connection to gut health was very eye-opening to me. I have been using EO’s more and more the past year and especially for natural antibacterial properties during flu season. With a 2 year old and 8 month old I am now concerned.

Your article couldn’t have come at a better time because just last night I started diffusing eucalyptus oil in our bedroom to help my kids with congestion. There are many recommendations for that online, from reputable sources. And it really helped them sleep. But I take your caution seriously and you were very adamant about not using that around babies. Could you please send me to your references for that? I’m just trying to learn more. Thanks.

And thanks again for this article. Many health-minded ppl have acted like EO’s are like water and many conventional medicine ppl have acted like they are poison. I was leaning more towards the viewpoint of “they are really excellent when used properly” and I feel as though you helped clear up some misconceptions about how to use them properly. I really appreciate you doing that.

Reply
Doris

January 16, 2015

I recently began visits to a new, young doctor, but I didn’t know EO’s were a part of the treatments available. I then tried EO’s and was impressed by how quickly a few drops seemed to bring improvement, but so quickly that I’m skeptical and cautious. There were no written instruction or cautions with the oils I purchased. There was, however, a free lending library in the office covering many aspects of this doctor’s philosophy of healing. The doctor’s instructions for EO’s were a bit hazy.
Specifically, I have yet to read how to diffuse EO’s to use topically. There was mention of some special sort of coconut oil, but the info. wasn’t clear. Can I dilute it in cooking oil and rub it on? Where can I find a formula for using tea tree oil on my toe nail fungus? I’ve been applying it full strength at night, but after reading all the above info. I’ll stop until I learn more.

Reply
Chandra

January 16, 2015

Hi Katie! I love your blog and have followed you for several years. Yours was one of the first I read that helped me get started on a whole-foods, natural lifestyle. On this topic, however, I tend to disagree, and wanted to specifically address the issue you bring up of essential oils being anti-bacterial and thus potentially harming our gut flora. A friend of mine shared this study, which states:

“The antimicrobial activity of essential oils/compounds was measured by determining the inhibition of bacterial growth. Among 66 essential oils/compounds that exhibited ?80% inhibition towards Salmonellatyphimurium DT104 and Escherichia coli O157:H7, nine were further studied. Most of the oils/compounds demonstrated high efficacy against S. typhimurium DT104, E. coliO157:H7, and E. coli with K88 pili with little inhibition towards lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.”

Here is the link to the study:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2005.02789.x

I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you for all your work in the natural blogging world and helping us mamas keep our families healthier!

Chandra

Reply
Dawn

January 16, 2015

I LOVE my EO’s!!!! I use Plant Therapy and they are wonderful, they even make a kids specific section that is formulated just for children (takes the guess work out!!!) I never take EO’s internally and always use them diluted. Thanks for the information, love reading your blog!

Reply
rebekah

January 16, 2015

Wellness mama, I was curious if you use Oregano oil for you or your children for illness or other purpose? Thanks

Reply
Monica

January 16, 2015

I have been using On Guard on my kids, ages 4, 3 and 1. I rub a little with coconut oil on the bottoms of their feet at night. Is this not safe? And what is the safest way to use it?

Reply
1. Steph
  
  January 16, 2015
  
  I would dilute On Guard: 1 drop to 1-2 TBS carrier oil.
  
  Reply
2. Elizabeth
  
  January 16, 2015
  
  Not safe. And esp not safe for kids under 6/10. Daily use of any oil past two weeks is not safe either. Diffuse things like tea tree and sweet orange if you are concerned for illness. Diffuse diffuse diffuse. That is Tue safest way to use eo’s around children, and watch out for On Guard and Thieves type blends. They usually contain things unsafe for young kids.
  
  Reply
Janet

January 16, 2015

I am so grateful for this article. You couldn’t have said it better that EO are the new rage and touted as a cure all. I also use them but I get really frustrated by all the people now who are in to self disgnosing and think they cure everything. And I find that most of the people that think that way also sell the oils…I will be kind and not mention brands. But it is extremely disheartening to me to have someone go to a “selling/marketing” conference and come back talking like they are a Dr. I am very fortunate that over the course of my life I have been relatively healthy and have not required Dr. care very often. I try to keep stress at a minimum, I exercise regularly and I eat well. That helps me to stay healthy. I also have a sensitivity to some EO…found that out the hard way. Once agin, thank you for your article and for your research. I really appreciate it.

Reply
meghan

January 16, 2015

Fantastic article, thank you.

I personally agree with Susun Weed that essential oils are not safe for anyone either internally OR externally, and do my best to avoid them completely. Instead, I use infused herbal oils.

Articles for interest:

http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/January07/goddess.htm

http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/February05/healingwise.htm

Reply
1. Janet
  
  January 20, 2015
  
  Excellent article. Thank you for sharing. That is what I like about reading the comments…there is much to offer/share and much to glean from others.
  
  Reply
Malorye

January 16, 2015

Thank you so much for this post. I get so frustrated when people just act by listening to word of mouth, instead of doing actual research. I also love essential oils, but caution and understanding is so important when using them. I have seen co workers using and suggesting essential oils neat, and using them internally on a daily basis. It saddens me that “reputable” companies will hand out this kind of dangerous and misled advice. I have a very young child, and since she was born, I only keep Lavender, Sweet Orange, and Clove essential oils on hand. I feel that they are safe/effective and it gives me peace of mind. Thank you so much for being such a fantastic resource, and for all that you do!!

Reply
1. Malorye
  
  January 16, 2015
  
  Also, just to clarify. I only diffuse the above essential oils, the only exception would be the clove. I sometimes use it with coconut oil for tooth pain, ulcers, and ingrown nails. I love that you wrote about herbal teas Katie 🙂 I have found that herbal teas are the most amazing medicine!!
  
  Reply
  1. Elizabeth
    
    January 16, 2015
    
    My EO cautious friend, clove for teething is another dangerous one. (Just so you know) Clove on littles is dangerous and diffusing is still risky. :/ I had to learn this myself.
    
    Reply
    1. Malorye
      
      January 19, 2015
      
      Thank you so much for syaing that 🙂 You are so right. I would never use clove essential oil for teething! I was referring to adult tooth pain, and even then I only use 1 drop to 1-2 Tablespoons of coconut oil. Also, I only diffuse clove when we leave the house. I will turn on the diffuser as we are leaving to give the house an immune system cleaning/boost. I diffuse sweet orange and lavender on a fairly daily basis and love/trust them!
      
      Reply
Jevena

January 16, 2015

I do love essential oils and have used them for many years. HOWEVER–I have learned to be much more cautious with them!
One of my early essential oil experiences was using tea tree oil undiluted on toe nail fungus. After using for about a month my toe started itching madly with little red bumps all over it. The itching was insane, even keeping me awake at night.
I have to say I was pretty ignorant about EOs–Sooooo, years later I got a slight yeast infection and my friend had a health food store and suggested tea tree suppositories–did I mention I was ignorant! OMGosh. TORTURE! The itching and swelling were so bad I could not pee (sorry) and it lasted for a week. I won’t go into any more detail other than to say it has left a definite impression on me–forever!
Moral of the story–essential oils are great but please test first and do NOT use undiluted!

Reply
Elizabeth

January 16, 2015

Do you plan on changing some of your recipes to follow these guidelines? I have noticed that you have not always followed these rules, especially in your vapor rub recipe for example. I am glad to are you posting on this finally. People follow your blog closely and eo safety should be a priority. I would love to see existing recipes include warnings.

Reply
Liz

January 16, 2015

I’m too tired to go to much length here but I must say that I am quite disappointed in this article. First, let me direct you to your very own recipe for bug spray which includes 30-50 drops of essential oil in a small bottle … FAR MORE drops of EO than I would use (but then, I do go for the pure stuff). Rosemary and peppermint just a couple ingredients (better watch out for decreased breathing and you give no warnings in that article about using on pregnant women or small children, btw.

https://wellnessmama.com/2565/homemade-bug-spray/

And then I’d like to point out that there are many doctors (people with higher education) who actually USE and ENCOURAGE the use of EOs in their practice. I’ve talked to our pediatrician who chooses a more natural approach, though she is an MD, and she showed zero concern over our use of EO and actually encouraged it.

And my last point … The US is the grand central station of lawsuits and some of these MLM you are cautioning about have been around for many years. Don’t you think that they would have been involved in some hefty settlements and public sanctions by now? I actually have a book that, in black and white, states safety guidelines of the various oils including undiluted and internal use. Don’t you think these publishers would hand been put out of business? It would be all over the news! Instead, what I did see in the news is that Vanderbilt University Medical Center diffuses doterrA essential oils I their ER and has discovered reduces stress and illness among the ER staff.

Clearly, this article was written just to get clicks to your blog. I’m VERY disappointed in the lack of integrity you display here.

Reply
1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  January 16, 2015
  
  This article was definitely NOT written to get clicks or for any other self serving reason. In fact, I probably could have made money by including affiliate links to essential oils in this post… and I didn’t. There are a variety of other keywords and ways to write this that would have gotten MORE clicks and maybe even made money… that was not my point with this post.
  
  I’ve been putting off writing it for a long time because I knew there would be many who disagree… which is fine, but I think it is important to hear both sides. Again, I encourage people to consult a doctor or aromatherapist. If yours suggests using them and you have researched and feel comfortable with it…. go for it. I’m just trying to offer an alternative view from all of the distributors for oil companies who suddenly become “experts” in EOs. I typically use bug spray on clothing and do plan to update that recipe and several others. My point with this post was not to discourage people from using EOs but just to encourage more research and caution. Ironically, I’m yet to find one person who is commenting accusing me of being biased or having a “lack of integrity” whose email address, IP address or facebook profile doesn’t have a link to their EO distributor website with one of the two big companies. I really would love to understand how you think I lack integrity for encouraging people to do their own research and check with a reputable source before using something.
  
  Reply
jo

January 16, 2015

Im diabetic and Burning oils always drops my blood sugar it’s great! I wonder why and whether this can help in a cure

Reply
Tamara

January 15, 2015

Katie,
I do enjoy some of your home-made recipes. however as a health care provider, I think that when it comes to anything medical and/or science related you simply are not qualified to post a blog. As Dr. Eric commented above much of your information is simply not accurate. While you may do your own “research”, I believe your research/choice of articles is biased based on your own personal beliefs/experiences. Posts like this make me lose all respect for you as you do have a following and I believe you are misleading a lot of your readers with your posts. Please, respectfully, consider posting only about topics that that you are qualified to write about. Some of your posts cause more harm and alarm than good.

Reply
1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  January 16, 2015
  
  I don’t really see how you think I’m doing harm by simply suggesting that people do their own research and sharing the other side of the essential oil question (that is often not presented or talked about by the many untrained reps suggesting people consume these). As Dr. Eric mentioned above, most health care professionals do not receive any training in essential oils and would also not be qualified to speak about them. In fact, the only people that receive formal training about essential oils are aromatherapists and I recommend talking to them in this post. I don’t post as a doctor or health care professional. I make it very clear that I am not a doctor or healthcare professional. What I am is a concerned mom with friends who are giving their children EOs internally and this worries me, as a mom and a friend. Also, everyone writes from their own lens and experience. That being said, Dr. Eric writes from a bias as well, as he is a rep for an essential oil company, so his opinions would also be tainted by personal experience and beliefs. From looking at your comment history, every comment you have ever left was negative or critical. I have to wonder why you keep wasting so much time on a website that you don’t feel aligns with your beliefs. There are plenty of vegetarian friendly and essential oils supporting blogs and perhaps you would prefer to read those.
  
  Reply
  1. Crystal Reedy
    
    May 8, 2015
    
    Love your reply, Katie!
    
    Reply
Stephanie

January 15, 2015

I can appreciate all that you have said on this topic. A couple of people that I know treat EO’s as medicine, meaning that they are very potent and should be used with caution. I have not diluted my oils when using them on myself but I always dilute when applying to my children.
I remember seeing a few posts you had that involved doTERRA oils, that you really liked them, and (I think?) became a seller. What caused you to stop using them?
Anyway, you might already know about this FB page, but I thought it was worth a share. He debunks myths that are out there about EO’s: https://www.facebook.com/EssentialOilUniversity I also liked what Dr. Z said, that there are differences in uses depending on the country it is being used in.
Thanks for all the info you research on and share!
~Steph

Reply
KT

January 15, 2015

When you say do not use certain EOs during pregnancy, does that include personal care products with those essential oils in them? Like your soaps?

Reply
1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  January 16, 2015
  
  I typically will still use most oils that are highly diluted in soaps and lotions but not use them therapeutically during pregnancy.
  
  Reply
Mieko

January 15, 2015

Thanks for this post! I had a really bad experience with tea tree oil on my face before. I used it undiluted and literally half of my face broke out into a big red rash! It was terrible and it lasted over a week. I ended up going to the dermatologist because I thought I got chemical burns. I should have been more cautious 🙁

Reply
1. Jean
  
  June 9, 2015
  
  I just did this same thing. I am experiencing a weeping oozing rash on my face from applying tea tree oil undiluted. Did you develop an allergy to tea tree oil from this experience? I am wondering if I will need to stop adding the tea tree drops to my laundry now. If anyone else has any advice on this please chime in. Also, is anyone aware of another essential oil that is as effective for the laundry (ie. disinfecting, killing mold, etc.) Maybe I can just switch to something else. Hopefully, I won’t have to rewash all my laundry.
  
  Reply
Judy Burger

January 15, 2015

A friend facebooked your article to me and I say THANK YOU! I do not use essential oils because I have a lot of allergies. Because of this I become very fearful when I see them come out of someone’s kitchen cabinet. It make total sense to me that these are a concentrated item. It has taken me many years to figure out many of my allergies, so that I can avoid whatever it is. Example: vanilla – candles, scent sticks, etc. For years I would get a headache when I visited other people’s homes where they were burning a candle. Then one day I ran into a store to pick-up something, you know on a mission, get in, get out – as I passed the entry someone was making cotton candy and then the smell hit me. I shook my head and continued on then back to the front to check out. As I was writing my check I felt like I was about to pass out. I literally ran out of the store to get some fresh air. I sat in my car with my windows down for about an hour, until I felt it was safe for me to drive. As I got to feeling better I started examining in my mind what had just happened. It came back to the cotton candy, so I investigated “how to make cotton candy”. It’s basically white sugar and a little vanilla. That puzzled me, I use vanilla in baking with no problem. Then six months later talking to a friend, I found out the individual making the cotton candy had made a trip to Mexico just to get fresh vanilla for this event. Most of my allergies are aromatic causing severe headaches, people that enjoy these scents do not understand it, they just want to have a pleasant smelling home. I see nothing wrong with using essential oils, but I too would warn people to just start with one and then not to introduce a new one for at least a month. Spacing out the time of introducing new oils gives your body time to adjust and you time to see how it effect you and your family. Thanks again. Judy B

Reply
Sofia

January 15, 2015

I made my own toothpaste (powder) using your recipe with bentonite clay, that’s got some EO in it and I’ve also made my own mouth wash since I was having issues with bad breath a few months back. For the mouthwash I mixed about 1.5 cups filtered water with Himalayan red salt and added 4 EO at about 10 drops each, they were peppermint, clove, cinnamon and tea tree. The mouthwash works extremely well and I gargle 3 times then spit and rinse and gargle with water. I am worried I may be ingesting too much EO even though I spit. Also, I did this during first trimester pregnancy which worries me even more since I miscarried. I just want to know if the EO in the toothpaste or mouthwash is safe considering i don’t actually eat them, just brush and rinse with them. Thanks Katie for the informative post, as usual!

Reply
1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  January 15, 2015
  
  I really haven’t been able to find anything definitive on this. I’ve felt relatively safe using it in ways like toothpaste that would be spit out, but there isn’t really any research on this to know for sure.
  
  Reply
2. E.Lynn
  
  June 7, 2015
  
  Hi Sofia,
  As an RN I would like to comment that the areas inside of your mouth are quite sensitive to substances of any kind (similar to the mucous membranes found inside the nose, eyes, etc.) There are times during emergencies where pharmaceutical medications are given either under the tongue or chewed in the month due to the ability to enter the bloodstream more quickly than they would if swallowed. ( No one should ever do this with any medication without the supervision of their doctor or medical provider!) I am using this example of practice (in the hospital where I worked) to illustrate my opinion that, if pharmaceutical medications can enter the body more quickly through areas of the mouth–I would be cautious of any substance that is put in your mouth, whether or not it is swished then spit out or ingested completely. As many intelligent people have commented here, it is much better to proceed with caution and better to be safe than sorry!
  
  Reply
Jackie

January 15, 2015

Hi, thank you for writing this. I was completely unaware of this. I don’t take EO internally often but I have at times when I’ve been sick – mostly DoTerra OnGuard.

I’m a little concerned now about peppermint oil. You mentioned not to use it all at during pregnancy, I’ve been using some homemade Chapstick (your recipe) which I did put some drops of peppermint oil in the batch. I’m pregnant and wondering if I should not use the Chapstick then?

Also, you wrote that peppermint should not be used for babies or young children. What about in homemade toothpaste? I was just about to make some and was planning on putting peppermint oil in it. But my pregnant self would be using it plus my 21 month old. Is that a bad idea to use it in the toothpaste then?

I would really love your thoughts. Thank you!

Reply
1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  January 15, 2015
  
  I will clarify that in the post. I do use it in extremely diluted amounts in small quantities like lip balm and in toothpaste (though just diluted).
  
  Reply