By Martin Watt An advisory document first written for the New Zealand therapists association.

This issue of taking essential oils as medicines is a minefield, and I think it best to give an overview of the arguments for and against. THE !E"TI#$ #% E""E$TI&' #I' !&'IT(. 1a) The vast ma)ority of *ure essential oils are *ermitted food flavourings. Therefore, their internal use in the a**ro*riate amount should not cause *roblems. "ome have been used since the middle +,--s, by the medical *rofession in Britain the !"& and other countries. This use Includes listing in various $ational *harmaco*oeias. .es*ite the hy*e emanating from the follower/s of one or two %rench doctors, essential oils are NOT widely *rescribed internally by their medical *rofession. However, clearly that method of use does have benefits, *rovided ade0uate medical diagnosis has been undertaken, and *rovided Internationally acce*table safety levels are com*lied with. 1egretfully also not the situation with the followers the %rench style of internal medication with essential oils . The big *roblem comes with the term 2*ure2. The fact is that des*ite the marketing hy*e from aromathera*y su**liers, huge amounts of essential oil adulteration do occur. This can involve adding solvents like diethyl *hthalate 3*ossibly carcinogenic4 and other solvents 5 natural and man made. 1b) "o, even if a thera*ist is com*etently trained 3another issue in itself4, how do they know that the oil they are going to give someone is definitely the genuine article. The fact is in 66.67 of cases they .# $#T 8$#W WITH &B"#'!TE 9E1T&I$T(. 1c) I don/t know about all aromathera*y insurance *olicies, but I do know that in Britain, the I.%.&. *olicy has a /get out/ clause for the insurers. This says the thera*ist must only use 2*ure essential oils2. "o if a thera*ist were sued by a client, and the insurers found the oil used was not com*letely genuine, then the thera*ist would be on their own with absolutely no legal assistance. What represents 'acceptable qualifications' to permit the internal prescription of essential oils?

I do not feel that any courses I have heard of *rovide ade0uate training on all of the *eri*heral issues surrounding internal medication using essential oils. Most doctors or *harmacists are not trained on how to use essential oils internally. Even the best trained Medical Herbalists are not ade0uately trained to use most essential oils as medicines 5 mainly because they can be misled by trade hy*e about sources of genuine oils. With all my knowledge of essential oils and the trade, I would *ersonally only ever use maybe : to ; oils internally. Those I would only use if I knew the e<act origin of those oils and could be certain they were genuine. Even with full chemical analysis, I would still not use the rest. I would not want to have anyone I advised, ingesting unknown contaminants which occur in fragrance chemicals 9#MM#$'( added to essential oils.

Aromatherapists competence to prescribe internal use I can say with a fair amount of knowledge on this sub)ect, that few aromathera*ists are what I would consider ade0uately trained in *athology and diagnosis. Those sub)ects are critically im*ortant, because if do not know how to differentiate between someone having a sim*le stomach u*set, or a ma)or gastrointestinal tract disease, then giving oils internally is *laying with fire. Even on those courses that teach the internal use of oils, the sub)ect of clinical diagnosis is a**allingly inade0uate. In addition, on most such courses, the use of essential oils is taught on which there is no safety data available and on which there is scant evidence of thera*eutic efficacy. I have here evidence on such matters from so called /leaders in the field/. %or e<am*le, a leading member of the British &romathera*y #rganisations 9ouncil 3&.#.9.4 said in her course notes, 2$iaouli oil is good for rectal cancer, tuberculosis, breast cancer and genital her*es2, no reference, no safety data, not even any unverified anecdotal information=== Conclusion. &romathera*ists are constantly being fed h ped!up trash during their training and afterwards. Therefore, one has to consider very seriously the im*lications of allowing them 3via their codes of conduct4 to e<*eriment on *eo*le. If you can/t *rove that a *articular essential oil has well documented clinical effects, then *atients are being used as >uinea *igs. That is illegal in most countries unless the *atient is given ade0uate warning that they are to be e<*erimented on. 9ertainly, the /e<*erience/ of aromathera*y teachers is not an ade0uate method of ascertaining the usefulness or dangers of /untested/ essential oils. &romathera*y has no system of monitoring either thera*eutic effects or adverse effects. Therefore, /e<*erience/ is a most unreliable method to rely on. It must always be remembered that aromathera*y as a *rofession is only about ?- years old. Therefore, with many essential oils, there is absolutely no traditional information that can be drawn on as a guideline on uses and side effects. "o on balance# m opinion is that aromatherapists do not ha$e an thing li%e sufficient %no&ledge on essential oils or medicine# to be trusted to safel and effecti$el use essential oils as medicines. Back to to* 'ac% to Articles Archi$e 'ac% to (ome page "ource and cop right) htt*@AAwww.aromamedical.com To*icit + ths The Actual ,is%s of -ssential Oil .se By 1on >uba In the wide variety of &romathera*y books and *eriodicals available today, we find many recommendations regarding the safe, thera*eutic use of essential oils, often contradictory and seldom su**orted by either references, research or actual clinical e<*erience. In this *resentation, I will e<*lore the range of recommendations made and address the validity of each, es*ecially addressing the underlying assum*tions and reasons for these statements. I have *ersonally been involved in the both the *ractice and the business of &romathera*y since arriving in &ustralia in +6BC. Having always a**roached the thera*eutic use of essential oils from the 2radical2 %rench 2&romatic Medicine2 *ers*ective, I have long noted the many incongruous and e<aggerated statements regarding essential oil to<icity. #ver these *ast twelve years, through my involvement with various government and industry bodies, I have s*ecifically focused on this to*ic of essential oil to<icity as one area of study, given the *otential

2*oisons scheduling2 of various essential oils by the &ustralian $ational .rugs and Doisons "cheduling 9ommittee. Why is there such a diversity of opinion regarding essential oil toxicity? Three reasons a**ear to me outstanding 5 that of 2*hiloso*hical2 differences, the lack of knowledge amongst *ractitioners and authors and the fear of *ublic misuse. /hilosophical 0ifferences) !tilising .r. .aniel DEnFel/s conce*t of the 2&romatic Try*tic2 3+4, we can characterise 2Holistic2 &romathera*y as fundamentally 2energetic2 in nature. Encouraged by the work of Maugerite Maury in %rance during the +6?-/s 3G4, this a**roach has become the dominant form of &romathera*y *racticed in English5s*eaking countries. Em*loying relatively low dosages of essential oils 3generally G.;7 or less in massage a**lications4, the ma)ority of thera*eutic effects noted a**ear to be *rimarily of a secondary 2energetic2 or 2terrain2 nature, as in the case of acu*uncture or homeo*athy, for e<am*le, as well as working via the olfactory s*here. &ctual *hysical doses of essential are /ingested/ via &romathera*y massage treatments, but the dosages are 0uite small, *erha*s on average from ;- to ,;mg. 2Holistic2 &romathera*y originally develo*ed *rimarily in the domain of beauty thera*y. Dractitioner training, even u* to the *resent day, has tended to concentrate more on massage and other a**lication methods, than on an in5de*th understanding of essential oils from both the chemicalA*harmacological view*oint and their full history of use in traditional medicine. M. Maury also stated her own *reference to avoid the more 2medical2 a**lications of essential oils, including internal use. "uch a**lications, she felt were best left to medical *ractitioners. 3?4 %ollowing from M. Maury, the growth of 2Holistic2 &romathera*y continued *rimarily in England by those influenced by her, such as Marceline &rcier and .aniele 1yman. .evelo*ing from the domain of beauty thera*y, we can see a *articular 2dogma2 has evolved, one that is 2gentle2 and oriented from an 2energetic2 *ers*ective towards both 2low5dose2 a**lications and the avoidance of internal and other 2high5dose2 a**lications. &s such, I suggest that this *articular bias has served as the 2*hiloso*hical base2 on which many of the common statements regarding essential oil to<icity are based. In contrast, we can say the %rench 2&romatic Medicine2 a**roach that has develo*ed most strongly amongst %rench medical *ractitioners 3as well as naturo*athic and herbal medicine *ractitioners4 since 1. M. >attefosse/s work in the +6?-/s, is more of a 2*hysical2 a**roach. This 2%rench2 a**roach often utilises com*aratively high doses of essential oils both to*ically and internally, to realise dose5de*endent *harmacological effects. This disci*line relies on a greater understanding of the chemical structure and the *harmacologicalAto<icological effects of essential oils, to suggest safe dosage levels and contra5 indications for use. I can therefore suggest that such dosage recommendations re*resent a more realistic view of the safe uses and *otential to<icity of essential oils for all *ractitioners. 1imited 2no&ledge &s I have mentioned above, 2Holistic2 &romathera*y training has not generally taken into account any in5de*th training in either the chemistry or known *harmacology of essential oil com*ounds. &s such, we can notice that many of the dosage recommendations and contraindications mentioned in &romathera*y literature are based on an incom*lete or limited understanding of the issues involved. What can be noted in many *ublications are statements that are based on the attitude@ 2If I do not know about the *ossible negative effects of an essential oil, then, if any *ossible negative effect might be noted, I/m going to recommend that *eo*le not use such oils at all or else in very tiny amounts2.

To err on the side on caution may be considered laudable. However, we can notice that such e<aggerated statements has led to a common *erce*tion that the thera*eutic use of essential oils can be an e<tremely risky *ro*osition, even amongst those who are *ur*orted to be highly 0ualified *ractitioners. It is my *remise, that those who would call themselves &romathera*ists should be the most 0ualified in the actual uses and the *otential to<icity of essential oils, as we would e<*ect those with either medical training 3with *harmaceutical drugs4 or medical herbalists 3with herbal *re*arations4 to have with their common *rescri*tions. /ublic +isuse The vast ma)ority of &romathera*y books are written for the lay *ublic. In this regard, care is taken to recommend dosages and essential oils that will neither create negative reactions or lawsuits. Hence, dosages are ke*t e<tremely low and any essential oil that might be construed to have any *ossible negative effect, such as during *regnancy, is routinely advised to be best left alone. If we ins*ect such books, we also find that these *ublications, easily accessible to the *ublic, are often used as 2te<tbooks2 in &romathera*y *ractitioner training. If we observe further, we also find that many *ublications offered for *ractitioners and health *rofessionals make many of the same recommendations. Why is thisH I suggest that 2&romathera*y2 still needs to go beyond being )ust a 2good feeling2, fad thera*y. &s with the standards that have develo*ed relative to the training and *ractice of medical herbalism, &romathera*y demands a level of *ractitioner training that is com*rehensive in it/s sco*e and knowledgeable in all the effects of essential oils 5 both *ositive and *otentially negative. -ssential Oils and To*icit 3ssues &s with most medicinal drugs, whether of a 2synthetic2 or a 2natural2 origin, the com*ounds *resent in essential oils have the *otential to create serious, even fatal to<ic effects, if ingested in overly large 0uantities. There are numerous cases re*orted in to<icological literature regarding both serious 3non5fatal4 and fatal outcomes of essential oil ingestion in both children and adults. These cases are generally due to accidental ingestion by young children, attem*ts at creating abortions in *ast years and the use of essential oils for suicide attem*ts. There are more rare cases of to<ic effects due to overly large doses of s*ecific essential oils being 2self5*rescribed2, 2*rescribed2 to children by *arents or *rescribed to clients by ill5informed thera*ists. Most essential oil com*ounds have a 2non5s*ecific2 to<ic effect, whereby the absor*tion of these li*o*hilic com*ounds into cellular membranes can eventually lead to disru*tion of membrane *ermeability. The *rimary to<ic outcome is that of the disru*tion of ion channel function in nerve cells, first affecting the heart and central nervous system, leading to cardiac and res*iratory de*ression. 3:4 To create such effects, however, re0uire huge dosages, in the order of ?--m' and beyond. 9ertain aromatic com*ounds, most notably +,B cineole 3as in many Eucaly*tus s*ecies4, cam*hor 3borneone4 3as an isolated com*ound or as in 1osmarinus officinalis 9T cam*hor and 'avandula latifolia4 and methyl salicylate 3as a synthetically derived com*ound or as in >aultheria *rocumbens4 have s*ecific to<ic effects at much lower doses. These com*ounds make u* the bulk of both serious and fatal *oisonings in children and adults, due not )ust to their to<icity, but to the common availability of *roducts containing these com*ounds and their re*uted beneficial *ro*erties. 3;4 >iven the ra*id and almost com*lete absor*tion of essential oils ingested orally, this route of administration has the highest *otential for to<ic effects. %irst aid measures for ingestion of significant amounts of *articularly to<ic essential oils 3such as more than Gm' of high5cineole Eucaly*tus oils in young children4 is straightforward@ take the child to the nearest hos*ital emergency room or at least call or a Doisons Information 9entre for instructions. The vast ma)ority of accidental essential oil ingestion in children results in few, if any sym*toms and resolve safely with no medical intervention.3C4

It is often difficult to determine )ust how much of an essential oil 3or any *roduct4 a young child has ingested. If to<ic sym*toms do begin to develo*, gastric lavage, hemodialysis and other su**ortive medical measures may well be necessary. To attem*t to either dilute the stomach contents by giving burnt toast 3or activated charcoal4, milk or other foods or to try to induce vomiting is not recommended. Either a**roach, if vomiting occurs, has the *otential to allow these volatile com*ounds to enter the lungs, *otentially creating as*iration *neumonia. 3,4 2&romatic Medicine2, or the use of essential oils as ingested herbal medicines by trained *hysicians and com*lementary thera*ists, has not been res*onsible for any severe cases of to<icity. &s with any 2drug2, if an a**ro*riate dose is used 3with essential oils, this is often in the range of only +-- to ?-mg *er day4, to<icity is not an issue. In the case of the more common *ractices in &romathera*y, we are s*eaking of to*ical a**lications 5 in the form of essential oil *re*arations used in massage treatments, in baths, etc. or in the form of 2low dose2 inhalations. "uch a**lications have not created any acute or chronic systemic to<icity 5 the amounts absorbed into the body and the dosages used are far too low. '1ethal 0ose' Tests and -ssential Oils The most common test of *otential human to<icity is that of the 2'.;-2 test or the 2median lethal dose2. This test is routinely a**lied to laboratory animals 3humans do not usually volunteer4 in the testing of com*ounds used in *harmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals, flavours, fragrances and cosmetics, to name a few. In this testing *rocedure, laboratory animal are given measured doses of com*ounds until a**ro<imately half of the test *o*ulation die. The 2median dosages2 are then generally given in the ratio of milligrams or grams of test com*ound *er kilogram of bodyweight. Hence, a '.;- rating of +.- re*resents that ;-7 of the test animals died on a dosage of + gram *er kilogram of body weight. If we consider ourselves to be large rodents, this would translate to C- grams of a *articular com*ound would be the likely lethal dose to an adult weighing C- kilograms. We should consider 3outside of ethical considerations 5 but no effective substitute has yet to be found4 that such tests generally are based on either acute oral 3by mouth4 or in)ected lethal doses. This means that the '.;- dose re*resents the median to<ic dose taken all at one time, either by ingesting or by direct in)ection of the test com*ound. There are also '.'o values used. This figure re*resents the lowest dose of a given com*ound that has caused death. '.'o values are often assigned when the number of test animals used is small. &s well, since there have been human fatalities caused by the ingestion of various essential oils or isolated aromatic com*ounds, we can sometimes a**ro<imate a '.'o value for humans, if a reasonable idea of how much of a *articular com*ound was ingested is known. 9hronic 3long term4 to<ic doses and dermal 3high5dose to*ical a**lications4 have also been studied with laboratory animals. To<ic chronic doses are generally less than the corres*onding acute dose. 'ong term studies are often carried out for 6- days of e<*osure, to detail whether or not a *articular test substance has a cumulative to<icity. If it does have a cumulative to<icity, this will be seen by a lower daily dose being re0uired to demonstrate to<ic effects or death, than the acute '.;- dose re0uired in one a**lication. There are few results available for chronic to<icity of essential oils, but studies from +6;6 suggest a dose range from ; to +- times less than an acute to<ic dose. 3B4 .ermal studies *erformed on rabbits have *roduced conflicting results that do not a**ear to be terribly relevant to human e<*osure. #ne reason a**ears to be the greater *ermeability of rabbit skin to the *assage of different com*ounds, as com*ared to human skin. There are some re*orts of lasting skin damage in humans, such as due to the s*illing of undiluted 9love oil onto the skin and to the chronic a**lication of a concentrated methyl salicylate *re*aration 3covered with a heating *ad4.36,+-4 However, I have seen no re*orts to date of any fatalities via to*ical a**lication of essential oilsI fatal outcomes are due to e<cessive ingestion of s*ecific essential oils. The +ista%es in Appl ing 1045 6alues to Aromatherap Applications

In terms of the most common uses of essential oils in &romathera*y, it is the acute '.;- dose that is most relevant in this consideration. This is considering thera*ists using essential oils on their clients and *re*aring formulations for the client to use outside of visits. &nimal '.;- values can be a useful guide to *otential essential oil to<icity when we are considering the acute to<icity of essential oils, such as Wintergreen 3mostly methyl salicylate4 or Eucaly*tus s*ecies 3those with a high +,B cineole content4. %or e<am*le, an essential oil, such as Thu)a 3Thu)a occidentalis4, with an animal '.;- rating of -.B?, would translate to a**ro<imately ;- grams being a median lethal dose for an adult weighing Ckilograms. #f course, this would be a huge dose and severe to<ic effects would still be seen 3and have been4 at lower doses like +- grams. The *oint to make is again, the values we are considering here are based on acute oral to<icity, that is, the lethal dose that would be ingested all at one time. There are two areas where mistakes relative to &romathera*y 2to<icity statements2 are made@ 0osages) Essential oil dosages, such as a**lied in *re*arations for massage, in baths or for inhalations 3or sim*ly to fragrance an environment4 are generally of a minute fraction of the acute to<ic dose 3and of the chronic dose as well4. 'et us take Wintergreen oil as an e<am*le. The acute oral rat '.;- is +.G. In humans, however, methyl salicylate does a**ear to be more to<ic. >iven the numbers of fatalities in years *ast, with the amount ingested being known in a number of cases, we can estimate a human '.;- of -.?. %or a C-kg adult, this would translate to the ingestion of about +B grams. 3++4 $ow, let us say that we want to a**ly a G.;7 dilution of Wintergreen oil to our sore lower back. We then a**ly + m' of this *re*arationJ +m' < G.;7 K a**ro<imately -.-G; grams of methyl salicylate. -.-G; gms L +B gms 3'.;- dose4 K -.--+?6 or -.+?67. Hence, the a**lied dose is only -.+?67 of the median lethal dose. This is more than ,-- times less. #f course, if we increase the amount a**lied of the G.;7 formula, we increase the dosage received. Hence, if we a**lied +-m' of the formula all at once, the dose would now be -.G; grams or G;milligrams. Dutting this into *ers*ective, even if the methyl salicylate was totally absorbed, this dose would re*resent the same amount of salicylate com*ounds as found in one tablet of as*irin Wintergreen and "weet Birch essential oils are routinely mentioned as oils to avoid in &romathera*y, even for trained *ractitioners. Members of the International %ederation of &romathera*ists take a 2vow2 not to use Wintergreen essential oil. 3+G4 (et, we have the strange contradiction of many methyl salicylate5containing to*ical *roducts 3containing from +-7 to ?-7 methyl salicylate4 being readily available to the untrained *ublic 5 with few negative side5effects re*orted 3methyl salicylate, even used to*ically, is reasonably contraindicated in *eo*le taking the anti5coagulant drug, warfarin4. 3+?4 Even with this relatively to<ic com*ound 3as I would suggest that any essential oil with an '.;- of less than +.- is4, an effective anti5inflammatory *re*aration can be used with no acute to<ic effects. +ethod of Application $ot only should we consider the dosage given, but also account for how the essential oil is a**lied. We can say that when an essential oil is orally ingested, it is fully absorbed into the *ortal blood circulation. However, other ty*es of a**lications do not re*resent the same level of absor*tion and dosage.

The following chart details the *otential to<icity of each method of a**lication. This accounts for both the amount of absor*tion as well as the amount of the ty*ical doses given. Mode of application - Comments #ral ingestion 5 &ssume full absor*tion of dose. To*ical Dre*arations 5 If left unoccluded, conservatively less than ;-7 of the a**lied dose would be absorbed.%or the a**lication of +-m' of a G.;7 E# concentration, absorbed dose would be less than +--mg Maginal Dessaries 5 & ty*ical ? g *essary at +-7 E# concentration would re*resent ?--mg total if full absor*tion is acheived 1ectal "u**ositories 5 & ty*ical su**ository 3+ to ? g4 would contain G;-mg or less, which would re*resent total dose if full absor*tion is achieved. Inhalations 5 9onsidering an aerosol diffuser that dis*enses +.-m' of E# *er hour@ a ty*ical adult inhalation session of +; minutes, with less than :-7 inhaled and absorbed e0uates to a dose of less than +G;mg. In this light, we can then understand why the relatively to<ic essential oil of Dennyroyal, could be used as a safe addition as a mucolytic used in an inhalation. With inhalations, absor*tion is 0uite high, but the ty*ical dose is small. With to*ical a**lications, we cannot assume full absor*tion of a**lied essential oils. If we do not occlude 3or cover4 the site of a**lication, as is generally the case with to*ical &romathera*y a**lications, the dose is significantly lessened by eva*oration. #ne &merican study found that ,;7 of an a**lied dose of various fragrance com*ounds were absorbed through human skin when the skin was covered after a**lication. When the skin was left uncovered, the total amount absorbed dro**ed to only :.-7. 3+:4 It is clear that to*ically a**lied essential oils will *enetrate the e*idermis of the skin. However, it is an area that still re0uires further research to understand how a variety of different factors 3such as the ty*e of essential oil com*ounds, the e<ci*ient or 2carrier2 base used, tem*erature, age of the skin and on4 affect the amount absorbed through the skin. &vailable studies suggest a wide range of absor*tion amounts. d5limonene, the ma)or constituent of most citrus oils, was demonstrated to only have an absor*tion rate of G.-7 when a**lied to human tissue sam*les. 3+;4 & G.-7 dilution of True 'avender 3'avandula angustifolia4 oil a**lied to the abdomen of a volunteer, showed that a**ro<imately +-7 of the 'avender oil was absorbed into the general blood circulation, showing a relatively ra*id absor*tion rate that *eaked G- minutes after a**lication. &fter 6- minutes, both linalool and linalyl acetate 3the com*ounds tested for4 had dro**ed almost to Nero, showing almost com*lete biotransformation and e<cretion. 3+C4 "ome com*ounds found in essential oils have relatively high absor*tion rates, even on unoccluded skin, such as coumarin 3:C7 absor*tion 4 and cinnamic aldehyde 3G:74. 3+,4 'astly, a study testing *ercutaneous absor*tion with rhesus monkeys, tested three com*ounds, benNyl alcohol, benNyl acetate and benNyl benNoate 3all naturally occurring in (lang (lang essential oil, for e<am*le4. When a**lied in a moisturising lotion base, with the skin uncovered, the total absor*tion rate varied from a**ro<imately G-7 for benNyl acetate, u* to ,-7 for benNyl benNoate. 3+B4 The assum*tion here is that essential oils and like com*ounds are more easily absorbed through the hair follicles than )ust the stratum corneum or 2horny layer2 of the skin. Hence, it can be theorised that monkey skin, covered in hair follicles, would more efficiently absorb essential oils. Taking the available research into account it would be fair and conservative to state the following when figuring the absorbed dose of an essential oil a**lied to unbroken skin in some form of an e<ci*ient or 2carrier2 3vegetable oil, cream, gel, etc.4 and left uncovered@

#nly u* to ;-7 of a to*ically a**lied dose is absorbed. Hence, in the Wintergreen oil e<am*le given above, instead of the low amount of -.-G; grams being absorbed, the amount can be figured at half that value, or -.-+G; grams 5 less than +:-- times the median to<ic oral dose. This covers both the ty*ical a**lications a**lied in &romathera*y treatments, as with massage, as well as to*ical #T9 *re*arations, such as methyl salicylate containing 2liniment2 *roducts. However, in the case of broken skin, where the stratum corneum is com*romised or not *resent 3as in wounds, burns and various forms of dermatitis4, it would be more *rudent to figure a +--7 absor*tion of a**lied essential oils. 3+64 73t's all dose!related7 Therefore, we can look at a number of the essential oils mentioned in &romathera*y books 2never to be used in thera*y2, such as Hysso*, Dennyroyal, Tansy, Thu)a, Wintergreen and Wormwood for e<am*le. 3+C4 We can understand, however, that such essential oils can be used safely, if one res*ects the dose given and the method of a**lication used. There is certainly an argument against having essential oils with a high, s*ecific to<icity easily available to the *ublic. However, we are considering here the discriminative use of essential oils by thera*ists that should be trained in the details of a**ro*riate dosages and a**lications. -ssential Oils and Cancer &lso found in many books are statements regarding the non5use of essential oils containing com*ounds that have been shown to *romote carcinogenesis in animal studies and various cell assays. I have written a se*arate *a*er on this to*ic 3To<icity Myths 5 Essential #ils and 9ancer4 and will *resent a summary here. Two com*ounds in *articular, &5 and b5asarone as found in various cultivars of &corus calamus and in >uatteria gaumeri and safrole 3the ma)or constituent of "assafras albidum and #ceotea *retiosa essential oils4, have already been effectively banned 3only tiny dose levels are *ermitted in foods4 by various governmental /food and drug/ agencies around the world, due to the demonstrated carcinogenic effects in laboratory animals. Hence, these are not essential oils would ever be widely used by thera*ists nor will #T9 *roducts for thera*eutic use be made. However, using 9alamus as an e<am*le@ .r. 1udol*h Weiss, a res*ected >erman *hysician who taught herbal medicine u* until the +6B-/s, states in his book, Herbal Medicine regarding 9alamus, 2J &t the same time it should be noted that 9alamus has been widely used since anti0uity and is still much used today, and there have been no re*orts of cancer develo*ing after it was taken. It is im*ortant not to attach e<cessive im*ortance to such e<*erimental studies. JWhere 9alamus is concerned, there clearly is no need for concern if the drug is used for medicinal *ur*oses and for a limited *eriod only.2 3G-4 &5 and b5asarone have been found to be carcinogenic in rodents at elevated levels. &s is the common case, we find that large doses are fed to lab animals to elicit he*atic cancers. .osages as high as ;-mgAkg *er day 3about ? grams of 9alamus oil for an average adult4 in rats showed no to<icity or genoto<icity. G; .osages as high as ;mgAkg of a5asarone showed no embryoto<icity or teratogenecity 3birth defects4 in the embryos of *regnant mice, and doses as high as G-mgAkg, did not alter either s*erm count in male mice nor create germinal mutations in male or female mice. 3G+, GG4 These are much larger doses than would be had by thera*eutic ingestion of 9alamus herbal *re*arations or to*ical a**lication of 9alamus essential oil. &t the same time, asarone and the herbs containing it, are being studied for a strong cholesterol5 lowering effect, as well as a diverse range of other effects 5 tran0uillising, sedative, anti5ulcer, anti5 s*asmodic, anti5carcinogenic, for the treatment of gallstones and more. 9alamus has a sterling re*utation as a *owerful stomach tonic, being an e<cellent a**etite stimulant, as in the case of treating anore<ia. 3G?, G:, G;, GC, G,, GB4

#ne can reasonably suggest that the effective /banning/ of a herb such as 9alamus, is indeed a case of /overkill/ by regulatory agencies. Two other com*ounds found in essential oils, estragole 3or methylchavicol4 and methyleugenol have been demonstrated to have weak genoto<ic and carcinogenic *otential. &t this time, no governmental body has taken any ste* to limit or ban these com*ounds in foodstuffs or consumer *roducts, given the low *otential for harm. $evertheless, this has led to various &romathera*y authors giving their o*inion that therefore the essential oils of /E<otic/ Basil and Tarragon 3rich in estragole4 and Melaleuca bracteata 3rich in methyleugenol4 should not be used at all in &romathera*y *ractice. 3G6, ?-4 From Toxicity Myths !ssential "ils and #ancer$ (o& to .se -ssential Oils

3nhale O use an essential oil diffuser and diffuse for fifteen minutes at a time, one to two times daily. #r, *ut a few dro*s in a s*ray mist bottle with water, and mist the air with the s*ray. #r, add a dro* or two to a tissue, bring tissue u* to nose and inhale dee*ly for a few minutes. Appl to affected area. Essential oils are HI>H'( concentrated. Most of the time, only one dro* at a time is needed. !se one dro* twice a day to start and increase only if needed. With children, &'W&(" dilute essential oils before a**lying them to the skin. & child/s skin is very sensitive 5 much more so than an adult/s. "ome oils are very 2hot2 such as lemongrass, cinnamon, black, *e**er, cardamom, ginger, clove, oregano and thyme. They should always be diluted before a**lying. Even eucaly*tus can be uncomfortable for a child unless diluted. When in doubt, dilute. .ilute with a carrier oil 3olive oil, )o)oba oil, almond oil, etc.4 according to the following *ro*ortions@ 'ase Oil amount 1 teaspoon 8 4ml 1 Tablespoon 8 14ml 1 fluid ounce 8 94ml 9 fluid ounces 8 45ml -ssential Oil amount 9!: drops ;!< drops 19!1: drops 94 drops

:.4 fluid ounces 8 45 drops 155ml Appl to bottoms of feet, using refle<ology techni0ues. 3%or more info, consult a refle<ology chart Appl to specified energetic meridians Add to bath &ater 3add a few dro*s to bath salts or Bath >el Base4 .se as a compress 3rub one to three dro*s on location, cover with a hot, dam* towel. 9over the moist towel with a dry towel for ten to si<ty minutes.4 This intensifies the effect. 0ilute to use as full bod massage .se in a rectal implant O can hel* in cases of serious diseases such as cancer and lung conditions. &'W&(" use diluted 3+ to ; dro*s *er teas*oon of *ure cold5*ressed vegetable oil.4

3nternal use) In Euro*e, some *eo*le use essential oils internally@ They mi< them with an oil5 soluble li0uid such as honey, olive oil, or soy milk. #$'( use +--7 *ure essential oils that have been a**roved for internal use 3such as lemon, orange, *e**ermint, gra*efruit, etc. 5 consult the >1&" list4, and only one dro* at at time at first, unless you are used to taking more. Taking too many essential oils internally can cause intense healing reactions and can be ME1( uncomfortable. However, one dro* of *e**ermint, orange, lemon or gra*efuit added to a glass of water can be very refreshing and healing. It is rarely necessary to use more than this internally. "tart slo&l and add oils on gradually Ta%e intestinal herbs first if $er ill 3Mibrant 9olon %ormula and 9olon .eto< 9a*s4 or other colonAintestinal re)uvenation routine. Essential oils are very *owerful substances. They can create too much healing at once if the intestines are not first cleansed. The more ill a *erson is, usually the more to<ic they are. The more to<ic they are, the more likely they will e<*erience healing reactions from using essential oils if they haven/t first cleansed the intestines. 0o a patch test to determine an possible sensiti$it ) Before using any essential oil, it is advised to do a *atch test to determine if you have a *ossible allergy to it. &llergic reactions are rare, but can occur. To the inside of your forearm, a**ly one dro* of the essential oil mi<ed with one dro* of cold5*ressed vegetable oil or )o)oba oil. 9over with a *iece of gauNe or elastic bandage, and leave on for G: hours. If there is no irritation, rash, redness or burning sensation then it is likely you are not allergic to the essential oil and can use it safely. "%in reactions) some *eo*le get skin reactions from essential oils because they take too many of them or take them internally in large doses. They are im*atient to get well too soon and rush the *rocess of getting well. With large doses of any herb or essential oil, a healing reaction can occur. To<ins that have accumulated inside the body for years are now being released, and when the digestive organs cannot eliminate these to<ins, they will fre0uently eru*t out through the skin. These reactions are not the result of *oisoning, but the result of too vigorous an attem*t to heal. This is why I always stress the im*ortance of cleansing the digestive organs %I1"T before diving into any remedies that deto<ify the body. To succeed with any natural remedy, "'#W .#W$, start slowly, use less and give the body time to heal and re*lace damaged cells and tissues. 1emember, essential oils are highly concentrated. "torage of essential oils) &lways store essential oils in an amber or dark5colored glass bottle in a dark, cool *lace. 8ee* them away from heat.

.sing -ssential Oils ! Aromatherap "afet ' 0a$id Webb

,ules to ,emember 0o not appl pure essential oils directl onto the s%in or ta%e them internall # unless ad$ised b a qualified Aromatherapist.

"kin irritation can occur from contact with undiluted essential oils. Be *articularly careful when using aniseed, basil, cinnamon, citronella, clove, fennel, ginger, lemon, lemongrass, lemon myrtle, may chang, *ine, sage, tea tree and thyme. These essential oils may irritate or cause sensitisation to the skin in some individuals, more so than other essential oils. &nyone who knows they have sensitive skin should always use a low dilution when a**lying oils to the skin. 0o not use the same essential oil all of the time. !se a blend of oils with similar *ro*erties to achieve the best result and alternate the essential oils being used every cou*le of weeks. "ome *eo*le will find that using the same oils all of the time, are not as effective after a while. 1e*eated e<*osure or contact with some oils can even cause or aggravate dermatitis in *eo*le with sensitive skin. &romathera*ists and Massage thera*ists working with essential oils on a daily basis should be *articularly mindful to reduce their e<*osure to some of the oils listed above, as they could cause contact dermatitis over time. 0o not e*ceed the recommended dosage. .sing more essential oil does not increase the effecti$eness. "afe dilutions for making massage oils varies for adults, children and *eo*le with sensitive skin. &lways dilute the essential oils into a vegetable oil.
'irth to 9 ears old 5 &void a**lying any essential oils to the skin for the first C to B weeks,

as their liver is not fully functioning and is re0uired to *rocess and eliminate the oils out of the body. Then use + dro* of essential oil in +-ml of carrier oil. : ears to 4 ears old 5 !se G dro*s of essential oil in +-ml of carrier oil.
; ears to 15 ears old 5 !se ? dro*s of essential oil in +-ml of carrier oil. 11 ears and older 5 !se ; dro*s of essential oil in +-ml of carrier oil. /eople &ith sensiti$e s%in 5 should always use a lower dilution of G dro*s of essential oil in

+-ml of carrier oil. -pileps Essential oils *resent virtually no risk to *eo*le with e*ile*sy, as long as the oils are not taken internally. E<ternally used, essential oils are no more likely to cause a fit than any other fragrance or strong odour. 3+4 (igh 'lood /ressure There is no evidence that essential oils have an adverse effect on the control of blood *ressure in humans. We therefore consider that there is no need for contraindication of essential oils in either hy*ertension or hy*otension, by any route of administration. 3+4 /hotosensiti$it "ome essential oils cause *hotosensitivity or cause the skin to burn more easily when e<*osed to sunlight. It would be best to avoid using bergamot, lemon and cold *ressed lime in a massage oil when you are *lanning to use a sun bed or working outdoors. The risk of *hotosensitivity will remain for u* to +G hours, following to*ical a**lication of these oils. 3G4 /regnanc

.uring *regnancy, many aromathera*ists consider it *rudent to avoid the use of aniseed, basil, bay laurel, cedarwood, cinnamon, citronella, clary sage, clove, fennel, hysso*, )uni*er berry, sweet mar)oram, myrrh, nutmeg, *arsley, *e**ermint, rose, rosemary, sage and thyme, because of the belief they may harm the foetus or involve some risk of miscarriage. 3?4 The latest research available by Tisserand and Balacs suggests that most of these oils are safe during *regnancy as long as they are not taken orally and the directions for use are followed. & ma<imum concentration of G7 essential oils for a**lication by aromathera*y massage is recommended. They are of the o*inion@ 2.that the e<ternal use of cam*hor5rich oils such as rosemary are safe in *regnancy.2 3?4 Tisserand and Balacs recommend that the following oils should not be used throughout *regnancy@ 9am*hor 3white4, Ho leaf, Hysso*, Indian dill, Darsley, Dennyroyal, "age, "assafras and Wormwood. Balacs also suggests that the use of aniseed and fennel 3sweet4 should be avoided during *regnancy because of their oestrogenic activity, which may influence the menstrual cycle. 3:4 Conclusion &s I mentioned earlier I have worked in the aromathera*y and natural thera*ies industry for the *ast seven years. I have also held *ositions on the $ational 9ouncil of The International %ederation of &romathera*ists and during that time I have seen much debate about the contraindications for using aromathera*y with certain health conditions. I believe in using the latest research available for my clinic work and not )ust following commonly held beliefs that are based on information that was designed for internal herbal medicine. The concentrations of essential oils that are absorbed through inhalation, massage and com*resses is much lower than if you were ingesting the oil. !sing essential oils internally is not often s*oken about in &ustralia because there are very few *eo*le 0ualified in this area. To *rescribe essential oils for internal use, a *erson must be a 0ualified aromathera*ist as well as a naturo*ath or doctor, or someone with insurance that covers them for *rescribing internal medicines such as a herbalist. The *ractice of using essential oils internally is more common in countries like %rance and the !nited 8ingdom. The latest research by Tisserand and Balacs, as *ublished in the book Essential #il "afety in +66;, has shown that the essential oils available over the counter in most retail stores are safe if they are used in the traditional ways of aromathera*y. (ere's a summar of the rules to remember)
.o not a**ly *ure essential oils directly onto the skin or take them internally .o not use the same essential oil all of the time .o not e<ceed the recommended dosage "afe dilutions for making massage oils varies for adults, children and *eo*le with sensitive

skin Dhotosensitivity 5 avoid bergamot, lemon and cold *ressed lime

Dregnancy 5 only use a G7 concentration of essential oils in massage oil Dregnancy 5 avoid aniseed and fennel 3sweet4, cam*hor, ho leaf, hysso*, Indian dill, *arsley,

*ennyroyal, sage, sassafras and wormwood. I find it interesting that several of the oils listed to avoid during *regnancy are even mentioned, because they are listed as essential oils not to be used in aromathera*y at all. These include

*ennyroyal, sassafras and wormwood. I would also add wintergreen to this list. Even though it is listed as an oil not to be used in aromathera*y at all, it is still widely available. It is also very im*ortant that anyone taking warfarin medication should avoid wintergreen essential oil because it has established incom*atibilities, even when a**lied to*ically. 3:4 !sing essential oils during *regnancy is one area that *eo*le become e<tremely emotional and *aranoid about, however, midwives and aromathera*ists have been using aromathera*y very successfully with no re*orted adverse effects that I am aware of.