Essential Oil Safety, Briefly
- Aug 17, 2016
- 2 min read
With school starting up and parents and teachers worrying about germs and staying healthy... I'm seeing a lot of references to essential oils on my news feed. That's awesome!! And scary. Please, please, please do your research on the safe usage of essential oils! Be sure you've researched safety based on the age of your child and the best method for using oils.
For instance, I've seen Thieves come up a lot on my Facebook feed -- it is NOT safe for children under the age of 10 because of the oils included in the blend (minor aside: do you even *know* what is in the blend you're using? It is SO important to know this! Do not blindly buy a blend without researching what is in the blend!). It is not because it's a product of a particular company, it is because of the properties in the essential oils in the blend (which do not, ever, vary by brand).
For babies and really small children, hydrosols are your best bet if you are intent on using a form of aromatherapy; however, herbs are better.
Etsy shops and local shops using essential oils are on the rise! This is awesome! And scary. Many shops that I've seen are not disclosing the dilution rates they use. This is crucial information for the consumer! Ask the shop owner in a message what their dilution is and what type of carrier oil they are using. This is not proprietary information and it is SO very important that essential oils are properly diluted. You'll have to do your own research on age restrictions here as well, because either the listing often won't include ages OR it is way too lenient on age groups (meaning: it is recommended far too young based on certified aromatherapists recommendations).
To back up my information, I'd like to share a link to a well known, respected aromatherapist association's safety section: http://www.naha.org/explore-aromatherapy/safety/
I try to stay away from bloggers when I'm giving advice, however, I'll link one more resource that is admittedly by a blogger, but is a Q&A with 4 certified aromatherapists. It is a fantastic concise source loaded with information that covers a multitude of questions. http://livesimply.me/2015/03/07/essential-oils-101-22-important-questions-answers/
As always, I'm happy to answer any questions about aromatherapy that I can or I will research my materials to find an answer. I can also direct you to online materials or even a free basic aromatherapy online course. I'm all about equipping you with knowledge so that you can confidently use essential oils at home while practicing safe usage for your family, and even your pets.
Comments