Essential Oil Safety

Essential Oil Safety

Essential oil use is at an all time high and there are many endorsing their use and providing recipes and recommendations, but not all are aware of safe usage and the risks in their recipes. I love using essential oils and use them daily! I would love for you to geek out on oils and use them too, but SAFELY. Continue reading to learn lots on diffusing and DIY-ing with essential oils safely for adults, pregnancy, and children. 



Hello Beautiful People,

If you haven't quite realized yet.... I love using essential oils (like really, really)! I make diffuser jewelry. I make my own beauty products. I make my own household cleaning items. I diffuse in my home. I use essential oils daily. I also have in my household a husband, a 2 year old, a 6 month old and a dog. So I have to be aware of what I'm doing and when to keep everyone safe and happy.

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are made by removing the naturally occurring, volatile, aromatic parts of the plant through distillation. Essential oils can come from the seeds, stem, bark or flower of the plant. They are considered volatile because the quickly change from their liquid to gas state; which is why you're instantly hit with an aroma when you open the bottle.

When inhaled, these aromatic compounds interact with our olfactory sensors in our nose, which sends signals to our body. These signals create change in our body and minds, which is why they can have so many different benefits. 

I use essential oils so much because it makes me feel like I have some control over my environment. If I need an boost in mood or energy, I have an oil for that. If I need to clean the counter or disinfect, I have an oil for that.

I like that I can effect change naturally and to the extent that I choose. But to be able to do so, it requires knowledge and respect. Because essential oils have chemicals that interact with our bodies on a molecular level, very similar to medications. Disclaimer: I am not in no way claiming myself to be an expert and am not a certified aromatherapist (although I hope to be one soon). The following information is intended to be a guide and a starting point for you to take control and use essential oils safely.

Factors That Affect Essential Oil Safety

  • Quality of essential oil: how the plant is grown (with or without pesticides), when it was harvested, time-frame from harvest to distillation, and whether chemicals were or were not used to quicken the distillation process all effect the quality of the essential oil. To guarantee the purity of the essential oil, and ultimately your safety, the company you buy them from should be able to provide you with where, when and how the oil was produced.
  • Chemical composition: there are over 3,000 varieties of aromatic compounds and each essential oil has a different chemical composition. Depending on the types of chemicals in the oil, some can cause skin reactions, some should not be used while taking certain medications or with certain disorders, some should never be ingested, etc. 
  • Method of application: Due to their aromatic qualities, essential oils work best inhaled or diffused, but they can also be applied to your skin or take internally. The safest, and least likely to cause adverse reactions, is inhalation. 
  • Dilution rate: This is very important to consider when using essential oils topically, and a dilution rate of 1-5% typically does not create a safety concern. The more oil you use, the higher the risk for adverse reactions. Other concerns when using essential oils topically include: individual sensitivity, area oil is applied, and chemical composition.
  • Age of user: Infants, toddlers, and young children are more sensitivity to the potency of essentials oils and certain oils should be avoided. Care and caution should be considered when diffusing or essential oils topical for young children. 
  • Expiration of oil: All essential oils have an expiration date and should be used before then.
  • Storage of essential oil: All oils should be stored in a dark area, like a cabinet or box, and should not be exposed to extreme hot or cold. Most oils do not have a long shelf life (approximately 2 years) and should be used up within a year after opening due to oxidation. You can extend the shelf life of some of you essential oils by putting them in the fridge.


Dilution Rates

Type essential oil DIY into Pinterest and you will be bombarded by recipes for lotions, bath salts, roller ball bottles and so on. Some of these recipes are fantastic, but many of them call for far too many drops of essential oils for regular safe use. For daily use, a dilution rate of 2% or less is recommended. For specific short term use (2 weeks or less) a dilution rate of 5-10% is considered safe. Below are some quick guides to refer to when it comes to safe use.





So for example, when looking at a recipe for a roller ball bottle, if it recommends anything higher than 15 drops of essential oils in one bottle, make that into a master blend. You then put the safe number of drops of the master blend in the roller ball recipe.

The image below is a recipe I borrowed from Pinterest and made a couple adjustments to make it safe!
Recipes with such high amount of essential oil are intended for incredibly limited, short time use (1-2 days). Making the adjustments mentioned above allows you to use the mix for longer durations without risking desensitization and adverse reactions.

If you have any questions about reading these charts or more on essential oil safety, Plant Therapy has an excellent blog that will give you more information.

Pregnancy

Safe essential oil use during pregnancy and while nursing is important for the safety of the growing child. Essential oils are organic substances and will cross the placental barrier and can potentially affect the baby.

During the first trimester, the baby is very sensitive to potentially harmful substances because so much development/growth is occurring in a small amount of time. According to Tisserand, it is recommended to limit essential oil use to a very small amount, if not limit it all together.

After the first trimester, essential oil use is safer, but the method of use needs to be considered.

  • Topical application: a minimal amount of essential oil reaches the bloodstream and the absorption rate is very slow
  • Diffusion: will receive a continuous dose of essential oils, but it is a small amount
  • Personal inhaler: receive a stronger dose than diffusion, but only when you choose to use it (not continuous) 
Less is more is a mantra to always use with essential oils, but especially during pregnancy and while nursing. 

When using topically, less is more is important and recommended dilution rate of 1% or less for skin application. 

Final consideration when using oils while pregnant or nursing is the type of essential oil. There are certain essential oils that are NOT recommended for use. Below are some quick guides to oils that ARE SAFE for pregnancy and while nursing, courtesy of Plant Therapy Blog.






I love my oils and I love using them, but I also want to be safe around my children. Limiting my oil use while pregnant (and now until my littlest gets older) was frustrating at the time, but was appreciated in the long run.

Children

With essential oils and children, it is best to use only safe oils, as needed, for the shortest amount of time possible. Children are much smaller and are still quickly developing, so they are more sensitive to the volume and type of oil than adults are.

Generally speaking, here are some guidelines:
  • Incredibly limited, if not used at all, for children 6 months - 2 years at a safe dilution rate (0.25% - 0.5%)
  • For kids 2-10 years old, limited use of only essential oils considered safe. If using topically, dilution rate of 0.5% - 1%
  • Once children reach the age of 10, if they have not shown any sensitivity, almost all essential oils are considered safe

References




  • Plant Therapy Blog is an excellent resource. I love their product and love the focus they place on safe essential oil use.
    • You can also email their aromatherapists directly with any specific questions you have
  • Evidence-Based Essential Oil Therapy is an easy to read book to learn more about each essential oil and includes many recipes.
  • Essential Oil Safety is by Tisserand, who I've quoted many times in this blog. This book has a lot of information, but is very textbooky and can be difficult to follow and can be a more expensive addition to the bookshelf.
  • Surviving When Modern Medicine Fails is another essential oil resource I have, but do not use very often because it only has recipes and they are repetitive of Evidence-Based Essential Oil Therapy
  • Pinterest is an excellent resource to use when trying to create your own blends, but use it with caution. There is a lot of unsafe practices promoted on Pinterest, but hopefully this guide will allow you to be more critical of the recipes you find and adjust accordingly.

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