Tag: Essential oils safety
An important part of empowered Health and Wellness is an understanding of the Safety and proper use of what we are introducing to our systems.
Plant medicine and Herbal use can contribute to a sensitivity and physical response in our system just as much as a concentrated oil can. And of course we can support and strengthen our immune response to protect us from an accelerated reaction, but the purity and concentrated potency of CTPG oils can not be ignored. These are very effective and very safe to use, but care must be considered when applying them topically and some oils are particularly sensitive to light and exposure to the sun and UV light.
TOXICITY-PHOTOSENSITIVITY AND PHOTOTOXICITY
Photosensitization is the process in which ultraviolet (UV) radiation combines with a particular substance and causes chemical or biological changes. Some essential oils contain furocoumarins, a special class of constituent that can cause photosensitization of the skin.
The most commonly found furocoumarins in essential oils are bergapten and oxypeucedanin. The chemical structure of these molecules (and their metabolites) allows them to form cross-links with skin cell DNA, in turn making the skin especially susceptible to UV radiation.
During the process, free radicals and singlet oxygen are also formed and can inflict damage on cellular membranes, organelles, and proteins.
If exposed to sunlight (which gives off UV radiation) after topical application of a photosensitive oil, the skin may become temporarily darkly pigmented, red, or irritated.
Photosensitivity and phototoxicity apply to topical use of essential oils only and do not pose the same risks when used internally. When using a photosensitive essential oil topically, avoidance of sunlight is recommended for up to 12 hours after use.
Always use a carrier oil when applying an essential oil topically to your skin and always apply these oils WHERE THE SUN DON’T SHINE to avoid a Phototoxic or Photosensitive reaction!
Essential Oils that May Cause Phototoxic or Photosensitive Reactions:
- AromaTouch®
- Bergamot
- doTERRA Breathe®
- doTERRA Cheer®
- Citrus Bliss®
- Citrus Bloom®
- Cumin
- Elevation
- doTERRA Forgive®
- Grapefruit
- InTune®
- Kumquat
- Lemon
- Lime
- doTERRA Motivate®
- doTERRA On Guard®
- Purify
- Slim & Sassy®
- Sunny Citrus
- Tangerine
- Wild Orange
- Zendocrine
Resources
- doTERRA Educational Resource on Photosensitivity and Phototoxicity
- Plant Perspective
- Chemical Carcinogenesis
- Organ Toxicity
- Cellular Toxicity
- Toxicity In Vivo Studies
- Toxicity In Vitro Studies
- Chronic Toxicity
Jennie Knourek
Herbalist, Phyto/Aromatherapist & Wellness Advocate. Trained Massage Therapist
Owner/Admin of OpenRoadEssentials.com and Crunchy Biker Clubhouse and Healthy Happy Strong Tribe on Facebook
Join my FREE Online Class to Learn More about Essential Oils
The oils in this blend have been studied for their strong abilities to kill harmful bacteria, mold, and viruses. This blend can be diffused into the air or be used to clean and purify household surfaces.
Primary Benefits
- Supports healthy immune and respiratory function when used internally*
- Ingest to support the body’s natural antioxidant defenses*
- Use internally to promote healthy circulation*
- Energizing and uplifting aroma
Ingredients
Wild Orange Peel, Clove Bud, Cinnamon Leaf, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Leaf, and Rosemary Leaf/Flower essential oils.
Open Road Essential because:
- supports healthy immune system
- soothes sore throat
- numbs toothache
- diffuse in stinky hotel rooms
- spray in air vents/curtains
- spray carpet by bed
- spray bed cover
- disinfect… you get the idea!
You can learn more here and even get your own!
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Would you like to learn more about the use of essential oils to support your health?
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Essential oil safety is so very important.
Please follow the following tips and guidelines as you learn the proper use and common sense practices of using Essential Oils for you Health and Wellness.
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Do not put oils in eyes, ears, or up nose!
- If you get oil in your eye, apply 1-2 drops of carrier oil to the eye to ease the burning. Do not use water!!
- Citrus oils can cause photo-sensitivity (this means your skin may and will burn when exposed to UV light). Do not apply to exposed skin prior to being in the sun.
- Please reference oil/drug interactions in the books. Caution for epilepsy.
- Always use glass containers, not plastic, with your oils.
- Apply a small amount of oil to your skin to test for a skin reaction before using.
- Should you have irritation, redness, itching, or burning, apply a carrier oil (coconut oil, olive oil, or a natural vegetable based oil) to the area to dilute the essential oil and stop the sensation. DO NOT USE WATER!!
- Be sure to read labels prior to ingestion. Some oils should not be taken internally.
- Typical application is 1 drop or less for most applications. It is important to remember that therapeutic grade essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts and should be used with reasonable care.
- To improve absorption, slow evaporation, allow for the distribution of oils over a greater area, and prevent skin sensitivity it is recommended to use a carrier oil with all oils.
- Please consult a physician when using with medications of if you have any health concerns.
- For dilution see below chart.
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Essential Oil Gum Recipe
What You Need
- Six ounces of natural beeswax
- 1 drop of clove essential oil
- 2 drops of cinnamon essential oil
What You Do
- Use or make a double broiler.
- Melt your beeswax.
- Add the essential oil drops.
- Pour the mixture into a silicon mold or ice tray and freeze for 2-3 hours or until hardened.
- Chew!
Important Note: Please do not use cheap essential oils for this recipe. You will be ingesting these oils as you chew the gum so I highly recommend you avoid brands that may have synthetic additives (which are not always listed on the bottle).
Our personal recommendation are DoTerra essential oils have been tested for purity and are labeled appropriately for internal use. But many cheaper oils aren’t safe to use internally due to how they were produced so be aware.
You can add a healthy sweetener such as xylitol or stevia if you like. I think the cinnamon oil added enough flavor but ultimately it’s up to you and your preference.
There are also other oils options to include as an alternative like Slim and Sassy Blend, Lemon, Grapefruit, Peppermint or Spearmint, and you can even consider OnGuard Blend.
Why use Clove Oil?
For many years, clove oil has been used in dentistry as a numbing agent. It’s powerful and safe as long as it is diluted (which the beeswax does in this recipe). Clove oil is the perfect solution when experiencing a bout of sensitive teeth after eating something cold or drinking a hot beverage and goes well with cinnamon.
And it has also been reported that clove oil decreases decalcification of teeth and actually stimulates remineralization. Now that is awesome!
Why Cinnamon Essential Oil?
Because it tastes good! It has also been linked to improved immune function because it is naturally purifying and germ-destroying. Cinnamon also lifts mood and helps to relieve sadness or self-doubt. And some even believe it to be a natural aphrodisiac – WHAT?!
In Closing
Chewing gum has its benefits. So as long as you don’t chew like a cow. hewing can be a healthy activity for your oral heal and your cravings.
And with a couple of minutes, three ingredients and the amazing power of essential oils, you can make your own chewing gum that tastes good, improves the condition of your teeth and improves your mood. Sounds like a win!
Sugar scrubs are a great way to exfoliate and soften your skin and can easily be customized using different types of sugar, salt, and essential oils.
This festive fall sugar scrub is gentle on your skin and has a delicious spicy fall aroma. (This scrub is naturally white in color but can be changed with natural, skin-safe, food coloring.)
Ingredients
-¾ cup white sugar
-½ cup Fractionated Coconut Oil
-4 drops Cassia oil
-4 drops Clove oil
-2–4 drops Ginger oil
Tip: You can use brown sugar or sea salt in place of white sugar and almond oil, grapeseed oil, or olive oil in place of Fractionated Coconut Oil.
Instructions
-Combine sugar and Fractionated Coconut Oil in bowl.
-Add essential oils.
-Stir until the mixture is the consistency of a slushy. You may need to add more sugar or -Fractionated Coconut Oil for desired consistency.
-For separate colors, divide scrub into bowls separate bowls and add color then carefully pour each layer.
Let me know how I can help you! – Jen & Joe
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Our preferred choice in Essential oils are directly from the wholesale provider and producer of the oil. Exclusive partnership relationships with generations of harvesters and growers and a company who’s integrity and caring are second to none. A Customer Service department with caring commitment to quality control and support of their customer base and direct guarantees from the company to ensure quality, efficacy and potency. If you would like to learn more about our personal choice and journey with the oils and supplements which have transformed our lives, please visit our site HERE
Categories
Essential Oils Safety
We thought it was important to share this from “Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals” by Robert Tisserand, Rodney Young –
Summary
• A typical essential oil is a complex mixture of some 20–200 organic compounds, the great majority being present at levels of less than 1%. If sufficiently potent, these may still be important either therapeutically or toxicologically.
• Essential oils are moderately volatile and lipid -soluble, and have a very small degree of water solubility.
• Essential oils are either distilled or, in the case of citrus oils, cold-pressed. Other forms of aromatic extract include concretes, absolutes, resinoids and CO2 extracts.
• There is a degree of variation in the concentrations of constituents in essential oils from the same species of plant. This is due to factors such as the plant’s environment and growing conditions, harvesting and distillation techniques, or genetics.
• Plants of the same species that generate essential oils with quite different constituent profiles are called chemotypes. Chemotypes are genetically determined.
• Essential oils are not generally subject to microbial contamination.
• Contaminants such as phthalate esters and biocides may be found in essential oils , and traces of solvents such as cyclohexane may be present in absolutes.
• Essential oils are subject to adulteration, in which either odorous or non-odorous substances are added to increase volume and, therefore, profits.
• Contaminants and adulterants are generally detectable by laboratory analysis, such as GC, MS and NMR spectroscopy.
• Contamination or adulteration may increase toxicity.
• Some essential oils are very sensitive to the effects of light, heat, air and moisture. To avoid degradation, all essential oils should be stored away from direct sunlight in tightly stoppered dark glass bottles in a cool place such as a refrigerator.
•The addition of antioxidants to essential oils prone to oxidation (or preparations containing them) is recommended.
•Degradation can lead to increased hazards. The oxidation of some terpenes, for instance, makes them more likely to cause skin sensitization.
•Most toxic effects of essential oils are attributable to known constituents.
•Each essential oil constituent is composed of one or more functional groups attached to a hydrocarbon skeleton. It is the combined effects of these constituents that lend the oil characteristics such as odor, therapeutic properties and toxicity.
•The types of compound found in essential oils include hydrocarbons, alcohols, phenols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, ethers, peroxides, lactones, carboxylic acids, furans, furanocoumarins and sulfur compounds.
•Phenols are often irritants, aldehydes and sesquiterpene lactones may be skin sensitizers, some ethers are carcinogenic, and some bicyclic, monoterpenoid ketones are neurotoxic.
•Isomers are compounds that have identical numbers and types of constituent atoms, but differ in the ways in which their atoms are arranged in the molecule. Structural isomers differ in the way that their atoms are connected together, while geometric and optical isomers have the same connections between atoms, but different arrangements of atoms in space.
Notes
1. It is important, for reasons of clarity, to distinguish between the various types of oils and extracts, and not all of them are referred to as ‘essential oils’. Unfortunately, however, there is no single word to describe the whole family of aromatic extracts, especially since for many people the word ‘extract’connotes a material that is specifically not an essential oil.
2. CO2 extracts are relatively new and little used, and consequently there is little or no toxicological data on them. However, they are used in aromatherapy, as are the even newer ‘phytols’. Both CO2 extracts and phytols (not to be confused with the constituent, phytol) more closely resemble the aromatic material as it occurs in the plant, than do essential oils, but they are both more costly.
3. β-Eudesmol, and various wood essential oils, mitigate the toxic effects of organophosphorus pesticides (Chiou et al 1995; Li et al 2006).
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