Essential Oil Safety

In recent months, I have read an increasing number of Blogs, Facebook posts and websites recommending that individuals orally ingest essential oils.  The core curriculum produced, by the Aromatherapy council (in the UK), when outlining methods of use and application of essential oils, makes no reference to the oral administration of the oils.

As a member of the Federation of Holistic Therapist I am aware that their stance is that the oral administration of essential oils is a potentially high-risk practice.  They state that oral ingestion of essential oils is not covered by their membership or insurance cover, therefore it is worrying that members of the public are being encouraged to use oils in this way.

I recently came across an American company selling essential oils at a health show I was attending as a delegate.  I was shocked at the salesperson’s lack of knowledge about essential oils.  They were advising members of the public to buy and internally ingest essential oils without knowledge of the basic contraindications to the use of some oils.  In conversation, I was concerned to discover that the representative was unaware that people with epilepsy or high blood pressure should avoid rosemary oil.

If you consider that one drop of chamomile essential oil is roughly equivalent to 50 cups of chamomile tea, it is clear that taking a few drops of the essential oil internally could have unforeseen side effects.  There is a risk of mouth/stomach irritation if essential oils are added to, and drunk in water as our mucous membranes are more sensitive than skin. 

Many of the companies that are selling and recommending the ingestion of essential oils are supplying food grade essential oils, which specifically means that they are safe to flavour food with.  They have not been passed as safe to ingest internally a few drops at a time like a medicine.

It may same to some that I’m scaremongering, however the concern amongst professional aromatherapists is that over time, adverse reactions to the unsupervised/unregulated oral ingestion of essential oils will occur.  The safety of essential oils may then be questioned and ensuing regulation may result in the public no longer being able to purchase essential oils.

For those who wish to learn more about the benefits of essential oils and how to use them safely, I would recommend the book “Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young.