aromatherapy [101] - essential oil safety

In spite of the many wonderful benefits of essential oils, they are  extremely potent and should be handled with care. Essential oils should never be applied directly onto the skin, or as they say ‘neat’, because they are very rapidly absorbed into the skin tissues which may cause skin irritation, allergies, sensitization, even conditions such as dermatitis. Furthermore, some essential oils are so lethal that they may even damage the vital organs through skin absorption or inhalation alone. That's why organisations such as the IFRA and ICCR regularly evaluate and, when necessary, impose restrictions on the sale and use of any essential oil if it were to be found detrimental to human health.

Not to worry, you won’t find some mysterious men in black knocking on your door one day demanding the surrender of your treasure trove of essential oils for inspection. Besides, almost all the essential oils that sold in retail stores have already been subject to stringent tests and approval by your local FDA or equivalent authority.

To prevent from accidentally compromising your own safety or those to whom you administer the essential oils, the onus lies on you to know and adhere to their safe dosages and applications.

In any case, the following rules of thumb apply to all essential oils:

1. Never ingest an essential oil without first consulting a certified trained aromatherapist.
2. Never apply an essential oil directly onto the skin or eye.
3. Never use an essential oil on infants and children unless otherwise specified.
4. If you have a health condition, consult you doctor or an aromatherapist before using it.
5. Check the expiry date before purchasing an essential oil.
6. If you suspect the one you found in some dark corner of your closet has been left there for too long and is most probably expired. Do not use on skin or on your pet. Use it for purposes that don’t involve skin contact.

Finally, new and unfamiliar essential oils are increasingly being sold online and in stores. So, be extra careful about their authenticity and legitimacy lest you end up forking out thousands of dollars in medical bills for something which costs you only tens.