The material in this website is not meant to take the place of diagnosis and treatment by a qualified medical practitioner. Essential oils are to be used at your own discretion after consulting a qulified aromatherapist. Any application of the recommendations is at user's sole risk. As different people react differently to aromas and constituents of oils, we give no expressed or implied guarantees to the effects of their use nor accept any liabilities.
Simple Do-It-Yourself Aromatherapy :
5 Essential Oils to Relieve Stress and Simple Ailments*
Lavender - First used as perfume by ancient Egyptians 2,500 years ago, lavender is now used to treat insomnia, migraines and provide stress relief. [use with a diffuser or dab onto hankie and inhale gently].
Rosemary - This fragrant plant relieves muscle pain, low blood pressure and cold feet and hands. [* mix with base oil]
Spearmint - The oil from spearmint aids digestion and eases nausea and vomiting. [*mix with base oil and massage on belly, or dab 1 drop on hankie and fan your face when nauseaous].
Masculine scents - Bay Laurel and Ylang-ylang appeal to many men. They also treat skin rashes, rheumatism and stomach ailments. [* same precautions as the other oils].
* Never apply essential oil directly on to skin without checking with a qualified practitioner.
For safety, mix 1 drop of e.o to 1 tablespoon of base oil (i.e. olive, coconut or soya oil) and apply. Refer to our safety guidelines below.
Source: M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
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Hazardous
Essential Oils
Do not consume/take any oils
internally without consulting a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Do not
apply undiluted essential oils, absolutes, CO2s or other concentrated essences
onto the skin. If you are pregnant or have medical
conditions such as epilepsy, liver cirrhosis, cancer or any other
medical problem, use oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified
aromatherapy practitioner. Use extreme caution when using oils with children
and give children only the gentlest oils at extremely low doses. It is safest
to consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using oils on children.
A skin patch test should be conducted prior to using an
oil that you've never used before. Instructions on conducting a skin
patch test and more safety information can be found if you scroll down this
page.
The list below displays essential
oils that should not be used in aromatherapy without the express administration
by a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Many should not even be used by a
qualified practitioner!
|
Common
Name
|
Scientific
Name
|
|
Ajowan
|
Trachyspermum copticum
|
|
Almond Bitter
|
Prunus dulcis var. amara
|
|
Arnica
|
Arnica Montana
|
|
Birch, Sweet
|
Betula Lenta
|
|
Broom, Spanish
|
Spartium junceum
|
|
Boldo Leaf
|
Peumus boldus
|
|
Calamus
|
Acorus calamus var. angustatus
|
|
Camphor
|
Cinnamomum camphora
|
|
Deertongue
|
Carphephorus odoratissimus
|
|
Garlic -
|
Allium sativum
|
|
Horseradish
|
Armoracia rusticana
|
|
Jaborandi
|
Pilocarpus jaborandi
|
|
Melilotus
|
Melilotus officinalis
|
|
Mugwort
|
Artemisia vulgaris
|
|
Mustard
|
Brassica nigra
|
|
Onion
|
Allium cepa
|
|
Pennyroyal
|
Mentha pulegium
|
|
Rue
|
Ruta graveolens
|
|
Sassafras
|
Sassafras albidum
|
|
Thuja
|
Thuja occidentalis
|
|
Wintergreen
|
Gaultheria procumbens
|
|
Wormseed
|
Chenopodium ambrosioides var.
anthelminticum
|
|
Wormwood
|
Artemisia absinthium
|
Do not assume that an oil is safe to
use if it is not on this list. Always refer to your aromatherapist or qualified
practitioner for safety instructions, uses, and never, never leave aroma oils
within the reach of children!
Important Note: The information provided in the Oil Profiles area
is for educational purposes only. This data is not considered complete or
comprehensive. Please check for updates.
Safety Precautions
- Some essential oils should be avoided during pregnancy and by
epileptics and individuals with other health conditions.
- For sensitive individuals, some oils can cause sensitization or
allergic reactions.
- When using a new oil for the first time, do a 10-cent size patch test on your
skin. Place a small amount of the diluted essential oil
(never use essential oils undiluted on the skin) on the inside of your elbow
and apply a small plaster/band-aid. Wait 24 hours to
see if there is any form of reaction i.e. redness, rash, itching, swelling.
This safety step should not be ignored, even with essential
oils deemed safe as each person is different and reacts differently. It's
important that you always remember that.
- Nequid nimis i.e. without excess should be practised when using essential oils on your own at home,
use the smallest/
minimum amount of essential oils recommended by the manufacturer. If one drop is the minimum for your purpose,
don't use two
drops.
Tips for Users - DOs and DONTs
- DO be selective of where you buy your essential oils. The quality of
essential oils varies widely from brand to brand and
manufacturer to manufacturer. Some companies may falsely claim that their oils
are undiluted or pure when they aren't. Some
companies add alcohol to their essential oils to 'cut' the oil and extend their
shelf life, thus saving them cost. Be aware of what you
are paying for and how it may affect your body and your well-being.
- DON'T buy perfume oils thinking they are the same as essential oils.
Perfume oils do not give the therapeutic benefits of essential
oils and many contain alcohol. Perfume oils only smell nice, but offer no
benefits to body, mind and spirit.
- DON'T purchase oils from street fair vendors, unless it is at a
holistic event with registered vendors/companies promoting their
brands and services. The quality of essential oils at street fairs cannot be
guaranteed, and as a beginner you may not be able to
reliably judge the quality of their oils.
ESSENTIAL OILS, CONCRETES, ABSOLUTES AND CO2
EXTRACTS: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
Essential Oils
An essential oil is the aromatic and volatile extract of a plant. The essential
oil may be liquid, semi-solid or solid, depending upon the product and climatic
conditions. Oils are obtained through expression or steam distillation of the
plant. We use these oils in our skincare products and our well-being aromatic
inhalers. Some botanical species have little aroma/scent, but they produce
essential oil when macerated.
Concretes
Concretes
are highly concentrated solid or semi-solid perfuming materials. They are waxy
and are made by alcohol or ether extraction of the essence of the plant
material. We don't use concretes in our products at the moment.
Absolutes
Absolutes
are extracted from concretes using alcohol. Most absolutes are liquid, but
certain ones are semi-solid or solid. “Absolutes can also be obtained from the
water of the distillation process such as Lavender water-absolute or Rose
water-absolute…The part of an absolute one can steam distil is called an
absolute oil.” (Jeanne Rose).
CO2 Extracts
CO2
extraction or supercritical CO2 extraction is another method of capturing the
essence of the plant material. This method does not require the use of alcohol
or solvents, and the heat used is less intense, thus the product is purer. CO2
extracts are usually semi-solid to solid. CO2 is vaporized and dissipated into
the plant material, leaving only the extracted material behind. Most CO2
extracts tend to be expensive therefore most skincare makers use CO2 extracts
only in fine toiletries and perfuming. We may use CO2 extracts in future
formulations. We will keep you informed.
Oleoresins
Oleoresins
occur naturally as seepage from plants. Most commonly, oleoresins are obtained
through the solvent extraction of the plant material. They are used widely in
food preparation and cosmetics and toiletries. However, organic oleoresins can
be obtained from reputable wild harvest and organic suppliers.
Resinoids: Resinoids are obtained from naturally resinous
materials via hydrocarbon extraction.