19 Helpful and Practical Facts About Essential Oils
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Confused about Essential Oils? Here are essential oil facts so you can better understand what they are, how to use them, and more.
Essential oils are a hot topic these days. I used to be a total skeptic about essential oils, but I soon found that they really worked for several problems and I was hooked.
Soon after, I thought I should try to find the best essential oils company for my buck, so I set out to compare a bunch of essential oils companies to find out more about the differences between them.
Along the way, I’ve learned a lot about essential oils and facts about them, and believe me, they are fascinating.
Some of what I have learned I put in this new guide to Essential Oils – What You NEED to Know Before You Buy.
But now I have put more here and hope to continue sharing with you.
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19 Facts About Essential Oils
I hope these essential oil facts are all as helpful to you as it has been to me. Here goes…..
Are Essential Oils Really Oils?
That’s kind of a funny question, but what I mean is, are they really oils or are they something else?
They are oils. However, they are not like the super greasy oils that contain fatty acids, but they are considered to be volatile oils and have a slightly oily feel to them.
The word “essential oil” is actually a contraction of the original term, “quintessential oil.” This term comes from the Aristotelian concept that matter is made up of four elements–fire, air, earth, and water. The quintessence (fifth element) was thought of as the spirit or life force. Evaporating or distilling the “quintessential oil” out of the plant was thought to being out the spirit of the plant.1
Basically, an essential oil is a product made by distilling either citrus rinds or other natural products. The essential oil is then separated from the water phase.
Essential Oils Come From Many Parts of Plants
A plant’s bark, roots, leaves, stems, flowers, and blossoms can all be used to make essential oils.
It Takes a Lot of Plant Material to Make a Little Essential Oil
I’ve read different figures in different places, but one of the figures I have read is that it takes 60,000 roses (about 180 lb) to make just one ounce ( 29.57 ml) of rose otto oil. Now you can see why essential oils are so expensive and why it must be tempting for some to add “fillers” to oils to make them go farther.
Essential Oils are Very Concentrated
This follows from how much plant material goes into each drop of essential oil, but it is important to note that there is a lot of power in these oils. While I don’t encourage fear of using them, some caution is warranted because they are strong.
A “Fragrance Oil”, “Scent”, or “Natural Oil” is NOT an Essential Oil
In general, if you see the term “fragrance”, “scent”, or “fragrance oil”, you don’t know what you are getting, but you are not getting a pure essential oil.
It’s kind of like the food industry in this regard. Think of how the word “natural” or “minimally processed” in the food industry means just about nothing. Same with the oils industry. You need to know your terms to know what is being sold.
Water and Essential Oils Don’t Mix Well
Do not use water to dilute Essential Oils, water only INCREASES the strength of the oil. If you ever mistakenly apply an oil to your skin and it ends up burning or itching, do not use water to address the problem–instead, you should use a carrier oil.
It is recommended to always dilute oils before using them topically. However, that diluting needs to be done with a carrier oil and not with water. The most typical oil for diluting is fractionated coconut oil, but you can use pretty much whatever oil you like. I tend to use coconut oil as it has great health giving properties.
Likewise, if you ever do happen to get too much oil on your skin, you should dilute it by putting oil onto the oil rather than trying to rinse the essential oils off with water.
If you are making a DIY item with a water base and essential oils, you will need to use an essential oil emulsifier to make the oils blend thoroughly.
What is a NEAT oil?
NEAT means no carrier oil is added.
As mentioned above, oils are sometimes sold blended with other oils, the most common blending oil being fractionated coconut oil.
Allergies and Essential Oils
It is often said that if you are allergic to a food you will be allergic to the essential oil. That may or may not be true.
My son has food allergies and while he will have a potentially anaphylactic reaction to sesame, he eats sesame oil (even cold pressed) all the time with no problems. That is an unusual situation, but it is the truth.
Essential oils have a different chemistry than the plant. If you are allergic to a chemical in the plant and that chemical is in the oil you will be allergic to the oil, however many people are not allergic to the oil. For example, I have heard of one person that is allergic to lemons but loves the distilled lemon oil and doesn’t have any reaction to it.
That being said, if you are allergic to the plant, I would personally recommend using extreme caution with the essential oil, or to avoid it completely.
Essential Oils for Children and Babies
You should never use undiluted essential oil on a baby or child and you should be very careful using essential oils on children of any age.
Remember that the younger the person is the more sensitive the skin will be. Use extreme caution when working with infants and young children.
Regardless of how you choose to use them, keep your essential oils out of the reach of children and babies.
Essential Oils and Pets
It’s important to be cautious using oils around all animals, but you especially should be cautious when using them on cats.
Cats are highly sensitive and just having them on your own body is usually enough to affect them.
Expensive Does NOT Necessarily Mean “Better”
It has been estimated that 95% or more of the companies blatantly adulterate or purchasing from essential oils “experts” that blatantly adulterate (heat, add things to or take things out of the oils, or otherwise alter them from their natural state), it is important to find a source that you can trust for your essential oils.
As a general rule, the low cost oils would likely have a tendency to be more adulterated and the more expensive oils test out to be higher therapeutically.
However, there are expensive essential oils that have been found to have issues as well. So paying extra doesn’t always mean that you are getting a better oil.
Can You Use Essential Oils Internally?
That is a hotly debated question. When I first started trying to find “The Best” Essential Oils company, I thought that it was OK to use essential oils internally but I’ve since changed my mind based on reading the opinion of many experts.
I personally think that since the oils are quite strong, it’s important to respect them and that ideally they should only be used internally under the care of an aromatherapist or practitioner. However, there are also good guidelines available that are written people with those qualifications.
Furthermore, it’s possible that the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal oils could damage the good bacteria in the gut and so it might be wise to use a probiotic when using these types of oils, and to not use them for too long of a period.
The use of such oils for a prolonged period of time might in fact make changes to your microbiome and create a problem regarding your gut health.
Do You Need to Consult with an Aromatherapist to Use Essential Oils Internally?
This is a can of worms, but I am going to open it anyway.
I commonly see folks talking about essential oils on the internet stating something like “Do not use these unless you are under the care of a certified aromatherapist.”
When I first started using essential oils, I thought differently, but I now have seen how the overuse of oils and use of them in the wrong way can be truly harmful.
Following is the official recommendation of the oils company that I recommend:
We recommend you consult with a professional before ingesting any essential oils. Consult a Medical Doctor, Naturopath, or clinically trained Aromatherapist who knows you and is aware of your medical history, as well as any medications you are on. With this information, the professional can tailor a regimen that works for your body.
And this is how I currently think as well.
Essential Oils Near Ears and Eyes
Never put essential oils in or too near to your eyes.
They are very strong and can do damage.
At least, if you are going to do it, be very very careful as I mentioned in this post on a Natural Goopy Eye Remedy.
Essential Oil Shelf Life
This is a complicated topic as many oils will oxidize and how quickly they will do that depends on how much they are exposed to oxygen. However, they typically do last a long time if stored correctly.
Here is more information on the shelf life of essential oils.
How to Store Essential Oils
Essential Oils should be stored in dark glass bottles (brown or blue, which they hopefully were packaged in), and out of direct sunlight. So an open shelf in your bathroom might not be the best place to have them.
This method of storage keeps them from having their chemistry changed by the light as it can interact with some chemicals in the oils.
Essential Oils, Emotions, and Moods
Many people talk about using essential oils for physical issues, or cleaning, or perfumes, but essential oils also can be helpful for moods and emotions. I find diluting a certain scent like a citrus oil (orange, lemon, or grapefruit), or peppermint can give me a real lift in the middle of the day.
When you think about it, this makes sense. Smells affect us. And pharmaceutical companies use nasal delivery for some medications, so the nose is one means of delivery into the body.
This post on mood-boosting essential oils has a full list of oils that are very useful for this.
How to Use Essential Oils
There are many ways to use essential oils.
– apply the oils topically to the skin (remember to dilute to a safe level always. I do not recommend using oils neat–see the next point)
– diffuse into the air
– take internally (read above for more about the internal usage debate)
– use in personal and home care products (for more examples, see my Homemade Hair Rinse, DIY Chest Rub, Homemade Hair Spray, and Homemade Peppermint Cleaning Paste)
The power in the oils is amazing. It’s so great to be able to use natural products rather than toxic chemicals for health, clean beauty, and natural home care.
Do You Always Need to Dilute Essential Oils?
Since they are so strong, it’s best to always dilute essential oils before using them.
This is crucial with “hot” oils like oregano, lemongrass, cinnamon, clove, and thyme.
Many people (particularly essential oils direct sales company representatives), recommend using essential oils undiluted. This will of course result in more sales, but it’s not really safe.
These oils are powerful even diluted and there are more concerns these days about people becoming sensitized to them. See this survey on oils and sensitization for more information.
Where to Buy Pure Essential Oils
Even if you know about basic essential oils facts, it’s important to know where to buy pure essential oils. After first joining 2 multi-level marketing essential oils companies, I decided to do some heavy-duty investigating to find out more essential oil facts and where to get the “best” essential oils for my money.
The research got to be very tedious, and the decision was a hard one to make. You can read about the research here, or skip ahead to the end here. The posts and comments did get a big dicey at times.
Furthermore, if you’d like you can go here to get a free copy of my new guide – Essential Oils – 10 Things You NEED to Know Before You Buy.
I hope these essential oil facts help you make sense of a very convoluted industry.
Choose well and use the oils to benefit your life.
By the way, having good books to guide you can be a HUGE help. Here’s one that comes highly recommended.
The Heart of Aromatherapy: An Easy-to-Use Guide for Essential Oils
This book is full of real life usage tips in addition to great safety information. It's a really great go-to that you can trust. Many people trust Andrea's essential oil expertise that includes guidance that is backed with a solid knowledge of oil chemistry.
Do you use essential oils?
Have these essential oil facts been helpful?
1 Sell, Charles. (2010). Chapter 5: The Chemistry of Essential Oils. (Can Baser K H, and Buchbauer G. Editors) in the book Handbook of essential oils: science, technology, and applications, (pp. 121-150). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group.
Just to share because I never see it mentioned. My dog has a pre existing seizure disorder. I diffused eucalyptus oil using a candle warmer in a very large open area once. My dog acted funny and when I lower the warmer he sniffed it, snarled, then walked way and had a bad seizure laying several minutes within 15-30 seconds (oops…). I looked up general seizure triggers in dogs and found eucalyptus and rosemary oils listed.
Oh that’s terrible. I will pass this on to the company though I assume they have heard about it. Thanks!
Do you have any info about using oils during pregnancy? My friend forwarded me an email from YL with some information but just want to be extra careful 🙂 Thanks!
Hi there. Here is a post that should help.
These is a lot of info on the web about what oils to avoid during pregnancy. I would do a quick search for essential oils to avoid during pregnancy and go from there. I hope to write a post about this.
I just started using EO’s I have been putting Lemon EO in my water … I like water.. use only 2 drops.. Is this harmful to me..
I can’t say. Sorry about that. I will say that I talked about internal use in this post. I don’t use them internally much at all and I wouldn’t give anyone medical advice to do so :). https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/how-to-use-essential-oils/ Hope that helps.
I really appreciated your post. I’ve been using oils and have had amazing results. I’m in agreement with you over the ingestion of oils. I think many ppl over ingest because society is so accustomed to ingesting any form of Medicine. I use YL oils and fell confident in their purity; but unless there is a very specific reason for putting oils into the digestive track, you are wasting them. They are very effective when used topically because they don’t have to pass through the digestive system. Diffusing oils and rubbing on the soles of your feet is the beauty of using oils to heal children. It is an effortless way to treat them (and cranky husbands! ) I will definitely research the oils you suggested. 🙂
Thank you! I am so glad! I’ll be interested in hearing what you think if you try it. They have a $2 off sale right now, but it’s on their Christmas blends.
Take care!
I have purchased “Tranquility & Attention Assist”. I would like to diffuse Tranquility. How many drops do I put in the water? Also, do I add more drops as I add more water? I want to apply Attention Assist on my 3yr old grandson. Do I need to dilute this?
The diffusers I have say about 2-3 drops per 100 ml. Hope that helps. In general you should dilute the oils for at least the first few times you use them to make sure there is no reaction. I can’t medically advise after that but I would say to use your best judgement. I use undiluted on my kids sometimes and diluted at other times. Thanks!
SO appreciate the unbiased info, Adrienne!
Thanks Kylie!
Adrienne, I’ve followed your entire EO series…could you clarify regarding use on pets? We have fleas, even in the midst of winter, and I know I can use peppermint throughout the house, but have heard differing opinions about actually applying on the animals (in our case a 25-30# beagle). Even if the peppermint works for the carpet/furniture, it does us no good if we can’t eliminate the ones he carries….and yeah, we live in the country, so this is a constant struggle for us…
Hi there. Thanks for asking. I acknowledge that there can be some concern when using oils on pets, but diffusing an oil should be fine, especially if its isolated to a room and the animal can walk away. Just like how humans know if something is making them feel sick and they will leave, the animals will do the same.
The companies I teamed up worked with Nancy Sheheen. She ran a large pet therapy clinic which focuses on essential oil used on pets. She uses them on birds, dogs, cats, horses, and everything else. Of course look at various sources and take care when using them around your animals.
Hope that helps!
I acknowledge that there can be some concern when using oils on pets, but diffusing an oil should be fine, especially if its isolated to a room and the animal can walk away. Just like how humans know if something is making them feel sick and they will leave, the animals will do the same.
I know a lot less about animals than humans obviously, so take my comments for what they are worth :). I had pets growing up but I have none right now and have never used oils on pets.
The companies that I have recommend have teamed up with a wonderful lady named Nancy Sheheen. She runs a large pet therapy clinic which focuses on essential oil used on pets. She exclusively uses oils in her practice and she is very smart when it comes to this stuff. She uses it on birds, dogs, cats, horses, and everything else.
I hope that helps. I have read that you can try diffusing around an animal to see how it responds prior to using it on the animal. I can’t recommend that medically, but I think I posted about it … but not sure.
Does that help?
Excellent article about oils! It was very informative for me, especially about whether or not to use them internally, thanks a lot. I will be sure to try the fractionated coconut oil it sounds very nice.
Thanks!
Thank you for a well written article. I do however disagree on your comments on animals. Some oils, particularly Lavender should not be used around cats Cats do not have the ability to metabolize oils, even through the fragrance, which when breathed in goes into the blood stream, The liver then is unable to metabolize it and could cause death, Also some oils are equally dangerous to dogs such as tea tree oil. When diluted to 1 percent such as in pet shampoos are fine, But to place even diluted onto the pads I think is too risky, Oils should be diluted to 1-2%. IE. 2% of one teaspoon. Also dog are highly sensitive to scents. If your dog or cat become lethargic, coughs, drools, becomes unstable ect… they may be having an adverse reaction to oils. I have also read that they can be sensitive to certain highly fragranced candles.
Thanks for commenting.
You are accurate in that oils need to be used cautiously around cats. Cats are not only very small to begin with, but have disproportionately small livers compared to other animals. So many oils could be more hazardous to them. The Native American and Rocky Mountain Oils customer service department usually cautions pretty heavily when using oils around cats.
I am not a cat expert, but I don’t think a cat will die by breathing lavender that is diffused into a room. Apparently the companies I represent have never had a case of an animal death (that a customer reported to us at least, which I assume they probably would have) using any pure oils. Worst case scenario the cat would just avoid the room. In fact one way that we tell people to know if an oil is safe for an animal or not is to diffuse it in the room. If the animal avoids the room while you are diffusing it then you should be caution if you decide to apply it to the animal’s skin. Remember when you diffuse an oil into the room, the oil is lightly in the air. We are talking less than 100 ppm (parts per million).
I am not sure what comments you are referring to about what I said about animals – can you tell me what in particular you disagree with?
There can be some concern when using oils on pets, but diffusing an oil should be fine, especially if its isolated to a room and the animal can walk away. Just like how humans know if something is making them feel sick and they will leave, the animals will do the same.
Of course consult with your vet on this.
Does that help? Thanks again!
I am totally with you on #11 and 12! Personal research is vital for me, even when dealing with a regular medical doctor I research the prescriptions he or she gives me.
Another thing that I have run into with aromatherapists is that we can have different attitudes about specific therapies. For example, having scientific evidence of the actual benefits is really important to me and I have run into a few aromatherapists that propose treatments or ingredients that, on further research, are considered on the fringe of aromatherapy and natural healing. There is nothing wrong with the fringe if you believe in it and want to go that way, it just isn’t the way I want to go. .
Do you know if either of the companies that you recommend or if young living our doterra have kosher supervision, meaning that there is a symbol such as the OU (a ‘U’ inside a circle), the Orthodox Union, on the package? Thx
Hi there. I can’t speak to Young Living or doTERRA but if any oils are packaged in joint packaging locations (not dedicated to one oil company) then they would need to bring a rabbi in to certify just those batches. Native American and Rocky Mountain are not technically certified. While their products are technically Kosher in their ingredients, we do not have a certified Rabbi to bless them which is the main requirement for Kosher certification.
I hope that helps :).
Thanks for the post on essential oils. I’ve been using EOs for about a year now and love the results I’m seeing. And I always love reading and learning from others. One thing that I often get held up on is diluting and the proper ratio to use. Is there any place you can direct me to that recommends what ratio to use for each individual EO? I know some EOs need to be diluted at higher ratios than others and that’s where I get stuck. Thanks so much!
If you are looking to do that I would recommend Tisserand’s Essential Oils Safety book. Most people, however, will dilute with a basic amount, according to the age of the person for whom the oil is being used and it is ultimately a personal choice.
I hope that helps! Here is the book if you are interested – it’s an affiliate link: https://amzn.to/11VeHt9
Thank you for this article. I’m learning and buy my oils from NAN. Love them! I appreciate all of your research.
You are so welcome!!
Is there any way to get special deals with Rocky Mtn or Native American? Any options for membership?
Hi there. They don’t have that but they do have sales on and off. I typically mention them in my newsletter and/or on Facebook. If you would like to be on the newsletter list here you go -thanks! https://wholenewmom.com/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-essential-oils-before-you-buy/
I have concerns about NAN and RM, I decided to purchase based on your research and recommendations. I do believe that they have good quality oils; however, I think they could do better on their websites. They have little cautionary guidelines regarding children and Eos. They also have “had” misinformation about what oils are in their blends. I have caught 2 mistakes which I brought to their attention and they immediately fixed the mistake. That was 2 that I had purchased. Makes me wonder, I let RM know that my trust factor went down by 10 points they reassured me there were no other mistakes. NAN was a lot more defensive in their response to me then RM. Eos are not harmless substances, depending on your medical condition certain oils can cause reactions so ingredient lists should be accurate with the latin names included.
I would not be surprised that in a couple of years lawsuits will be filed against certain companies (Not NAN or RM). I have friends who have injected Eos into their children based upon recommendations of a certain MLM EO company. There is so much misinformation out there about oil safety it is scary. I bit the bullet and ordered “Essential Oil Safety” by Robert Tisserand. From what I have researched this is the best and latest comprehensive book out there on essential oil safety. I figure I have about $250 worth of Eos in my house a $90 book is a small price to pay for my families health and safety.
I guess what I am trying to say is while I love NAN’s oils I just wish they had more education on their site. I find a toggle back and forth between various websites trying to determine if something is safe for kids (which is why I bought the book). RM has more info then NAN but still not enough. RM has told me that they are trying to improve their websites with more info. I know to research everything but not everyone does. They see eucalyptus helps with breathing “I think I will diffuse it in my babies room” not so fast research it. Same goes with pets here is a good list on what is safe for dogs https://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-palmquist-dvm/pet-aromatherapy_b_877199.html
Oils need to be respected not just given/used because your neighbor told you to. I strongly believe in the power of Eos when used correctly. Despite that I have contemplated given EOs up entirely because of all information out there makes my head spin. I am hoping the textbook will clarify things for me.
Hi there. I am sorry you feel that way, but I can tell you that NAN’s site used to be much more difficult to maneuver around. You should have seen it when I first recommended them :). Yikes. I wish I had a screenshot.
There is a lot of misinformation, but I would think personally that the FDA is more of a threat then the lawsuits since damages by natural things like supplements is so minimal compares to pharmas. But I do hear you.
I know they are really frustrated and sorry for the typos that occurred. We all have that problem, even huge people / companies. I have bought books with typos and caught them on huge bloggers’ sites and basically all over the place. So no one is perfect. Including me :).
I know they are really glad when folks tell them something so they catch it sooner :).
I think it’s all in perspective. Think about how many docs prescribe totally unnecessary meds every single hour and what the FDA allows to be put in and on our food all the time and even encourages it. So I personally think that the dangers and worries about oils, while they are strong, is not something to be as angry about. Does that make sense? We can gently push companies to write more to help us / and or point us to other resources without thinking that they are trying to be negligent.
I am also personally worried that if I got the textbook spinning might happen :). But still, I might get it.
I am by no means encouraging being casual with safety issues, but I am saying that I think the pendulum can swing too far in the other direction to the point that folks are petrified to even keep them in their home. I personally drank some eucalyptus thinking it was peppermint. I didn’t drink a ton – maybe 5 drops. But I called Young Living at the time (it was their oil) and they told me to not worry about it – that I would need to drink a lot more to have an issue. That really put my mind at rest b/c I had heard how toxic it was.
Here is a very interesting post about the side effects and deaths. They are pretty much limited to a narrow list of oils and ingesting a lot of it. https://leetea.hubpages.com/hub/Essential-Oil-Safety-Documented-Side-Effects-Injuries-and-Deaths-from-Essential-Oil-Ingestion
What do you think about that. Does that help?
I do not throw oils down my throat or my kids’ throats willy nilly and I am very careful. I don’t agree with those who use them all the time for everything. I think that is overboard.
It’s always best to seek an education from more than just the people selling you the oils. We are working on increasing our information and education on our website but people do need to take the initiative and find their own.
Hi again, Tania. I just got this back from the companies.
One correction to #12 on your list. I agree an “Aromatherapist” would not necessarily be the correct person to council regarding internal use. I would instead suggest the person requesting the use of essential oils as a medical treatment consult an “Aromatologist”. An Aromatologist has completed the standard 200 hours of training like an Aromatherapist and then continues their education with scientific studies in the fields of chemistry, epidemiology, and completes several case studies. They are qualified to interpret the results of the various scientific studies and GC/MS results. There are very few schools in the US (most EO medicinal training is in Europe). The Franklin Institute of Wellness offers accredited training in the US. I’m not aware of any others.
Sorry I misspoke, it looks like their Aromatology courses are not finalized online yet. They do offer an intermediate level course in Aromatic Medicine through Vintage Remedies. I’m a student and can highly recommend several of the courses. The training focuses on evidence based medical research. Great info.
Hi there. Interesting. So are you saying that you think an aromatologist would be necessary to give counsel regarding internal use / any use for therapeutic reasons of oils or are you just correcting the term that I used? Thanks!
Are there opportunities with Rocky Mtn or Native American Essential oils to sell for them like the bigger MLM companies?
No, they aren’t an MLM. Sorry. You could try a different way to make money perhaps. I am working w/ several MLMs that are less “problematic” and trying 2 new ones. I couldn’t make the big MLM oils companies work. Wanted to…..
how would you check into a MLM company for oppertunities? i am asking due to one of your responses below of someone asking you about it and you said ” you can make money other ways ” and that you were trying 2 new ones, yes this is from last year in dec but hey i thought i would ask.
Hi there. One great option is Beautycounter. I have been working with them for a long time and the income and experience has been a huge blessing to us!
I looked around the NAN site; their prices are great. Fairly new to EO use, but I’m loving it. I’ll be ordering the Clary Sage EO to use in my husband’s natural blood pressure regimen. We’re keeping his former 200s/90s BP in the 140/80 range without toxic pharma (yippeeee!), and Clary Sage was found to be more effective than lavender for lowering BP. As always, thanks for all the research you do and share. I learn so much from you.
Way to go – that’s GREAT!!! I hadn’t heard that about Clary Sage – so glad you shared! I am learning all along w/ you all but thanks for the kind words!!
The reason people recommend ingestion only under the care of a certified aromatherapist (usually always as opposed to an MLM rep who a year before didn’t even know what essential oils were), is because each person has different medical issues and needs. Whereas a certified aromatherapist would know to ask about medications being taken, etc. There are so many contraindications with medications, but I never hear about those!
And, one drop of peppermint oil can be equivalent of up to 75 cups of peppermint tea. Why the heck would you say “oh, you have a stomach ache, drink 75 cups of peppermint tea!”
Sounds ludicrous. But people do it! (take 2-3 drops of peppermint oil internally) ACK!
And, if you do ingest oils, they should always have an oil or fat included. For example, a drop of oregano oil (a very hot oil) into greasy sausage and marinara sauce for spaghetti. That would be an appropriate way to use an oil internally. Or a peppermint patty — homemade, with a drop of peppermint oil, coconut oil (the fat) and raw cacao, raw honey, etc etc.
However, I do not know many “consultants” who know those things. I know that hydrosols are a LOT safer to take internally and can give you the same benefits. So why not use those instead?
And I have read reports that someone’s liver was irreversibly damaged by taking essential oils internally… over YEARS!! so it didn’t happen all at once. You have no clue what you are doing regarding long term damage… it may take YEARS for damage to show. The burning through of your esophageal lining, or stomach lining, or your liver…. imagine being the reason your child has irreversible liver damage FOR LIFE. Yeah, no thanks. Not worth it.
I personally won’t believe something just because a blogger wrote it… I will stick with my naturopathic MEDICAL DOCTOR who has been trained in essential oils….. and understands the WHOLE BODY system. And especially understands what medications I am on and how things will interact. As you mentioned, essential oils are SUPER potent. SUPER. And so you don’t mess around with them. Seriously. You give them the respect they deserve, and use them appropriately. 🙂
Hi there and sorry for taking so long to respond – I got so busy and left some comments for later and am just getting to them. I hear you on your concerns, but when you look at the damage done by natural remedies and essential oils, aren’t we possibly getting way too worked up about it? There is of course caution that should be in practice but I think that being overly worried can lead to folks not turning to these good remedies. What do you think?
I would love to hear more. Thanks!
You convinced me and I use Native American /Rocky Mountain Oils………..they are very good and the shipping is reasonable and the are very quick!
I am so glad you are pleased with them. I am too!!
Hi Adrienne. I really enjoy your site and all of the great information you give. I am actually in school right now to become a certified aromatherapist. We just talked about taking oils internally during our last class. My instructor said she hardly ever recommends it. Have you ever looked at Amrita essential oils? There is a lot of educational information on their website. It’s a nice resource you may want to check out. http://www.amrita.net. Amrita is one of the few essential oil companies my school recommends due to the gas chromatography testing they do. The owner, Dr. Streicher, has a Masters degree in Biochemestry and a Ph.D. in Physiology. Check out his site. I think you will like it. 🙂
Hi there. Thanks! I haven’t looked at them but I will. Sadly, I can’t comment on other companies for several reasons but it’s mainly legal. I will say that you might want to read this post to see how they stack up. https://wholenewmom.com/health-concerns/toxic-overload-health-concerns/essential-oils-testing-is-it-reliable/
Hope to see you around again!!
If you do get an essential oil where it should not be, oil removes oil. Use coconut or olive on a tissue and it will dilute/reduce/remove the essential oil.
Thanks! I do think I mentioned that – did I miss something? You are so right :)!