Aromatherapy blogs 2
Education and training/
15.03.24
| Most of these numerous blogs are run by untrained and inexperienced people, yet they give all kinds of advice on health issues. They may be selling attractive products, but often these are made at home with no safety assessment or consumer safeguards - particularly in the USA. Another problem I have noticed is that some link from a blog to an essential oil supplier. Some suppliers sites look so spiritual that people then believe everything they say. Some of the sites I have come across contain many essential oils on which there is no known safety data and therapeutic effects have been invented. Beware of those talking about 'oils with high energies' this is nothing but marketing hogwash designed to lure the gullible. Beware of those claiming they only deal direct with artisan farmers, this is most unlikely for all the oils they sell. It is NOT the way the essential oil trade works. |
Update April 2017
In the last few years I have noticed a big increase in blogs and web sites being set up just to make money via links to Amazon shops and oil suppliers. Often the people who write the information on the blog have no experience within the essential oils trade or even in aromatherapy. They take their medicinal claims for essential oils from other web sites and aromatherapy books which they assume are credible. Frequently these books give grossly inaccurate and dangerous information because the authors have no sound training in what they write about. Very few publishers have any interest in the accuracy of the books they print, the only objective is sales at any cost. People are putting themselves at risk of harm by following these sites and using the information provided. I would urge my readers to look at the other articles on this site and in particular take note of claims which are taken from the traditional use of the herbs and not the essential oils. If you then see such claims on blogs or web sites this will indicate someone who does not know the subject. If you look at the auto connections being made by watching the toolbar at the bottom of your browser, and there are a lot, then you can be pretty sure the site is making money from those links and that may be the only reason for its existence. You will find most blog sites use these autolinks as standard as well as dumping dozens of spying cookies onto your hard drive.
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For new readers, please note my original site was established in 1994. Compare the experience of this author to the numerous blog owners. Their hit numbers may be high because of the huge numbers of links, a method used simply to increase exposure and sales. I only carry links to those I trust, while many blog owners point you to the biggest deceivers in our trade.
I wrote the article below a couple of years ago, but recently I discovered some alarming sites that masquerade as educational, but are promoting disreputable suppliers as well as providing inaccurate information. One of several linked sites was: www.learningabouteos.com and nourishingtreasures.com These sites were run by a Lea Harris who has links to and has accepted donations from Young Living and DoTerra distributors. This lady is - one assumes - getting paid for all those links and does not seem to care who she directs her readers to. Lea Harris claims she qualified in July 2013 as a Certified Aromatherapist with Advanced Graduate training from Aromahead Institute. Therefore I question how someone so newly trained, and with only a limited knowledge of the International trade in essential oils, or analytical chemistry, or safety issues, can give accurate information on the numerous blogs she has become associated with.
As Ms Harris has posted on her site the email she sent me after seeing this article, but without my responses, I am now posting that below in the full response.
She had links to DoTerra and Young Living distributors who maintain their oils are all "therapeutic grade", yet on this site: http://thehumbledhomemaker.com/2013/09/essential-oil-mistakes.html Lea said "The fact is all essential oils are therapeutic grade". Talk about double standards making money out of the links, while at the same time implying these companies are liars - see my other articles for more on the ML scammers.
learningabouteos.com gave misleading information. Good examples are to be found with the advice about what essential oils to avoid in pregnancy: At least 50 percent of the essential oils mentioned are permitted food flavourings under FDA and other authorities regulations. It is ridiculous to say "avoid all these oils" because anyone eating processed foods can't avoid them and there is no sound evidence that the low levels used in food are hazardous to a foetus. For more see my other articles. Lea's information said "pulegone... can cause liver toxicity for the mother". This is based on a handful of cases where huge amounts of the oil have been consumed. See my article on pennyroyal. Of course the oils she mentions should not be consumed as medicinal substances during pregnancy. It took me years to research and evaluate safety data on essential oils. How someone newly qualified is able to do that is a bit of a mystery.
In the case of the Aromahead Institute that Lea trained with, they are also promoted by her for training courses, yet they sell or sold many essential oils on which there is no sound information of therapeutic use and some of the oils have no known safety data. For example, in the Scholars Program course, they claimed to teach "therapeutic properties and uses of over 100 essential oils". However, there are nothing like that number of essential oils with credible therapeutic data. Many of the properties are taken from the appallingly inaccurate aromatherapy books, or are invented based on the chemical profile of the oils. See articles in my archive for more on that.
Another site Lea recommended is Queen Homeschool Supplies who sell Double Helix Water. Just another quack product designed to fool the gullible into parting with their cash. They sold a blend of Cinnamon bark and leaf oils yet claimed: "Both produce similar results, and have similar aromas". I don't know what they are using but these oils are totally different in composition, fragrance and uses. Such statements indicate to me a business who know nothing about the products they sell and are probably relying on badly trained therapists or the popular aromatherapy novels. They also linked to sandiqueenholisticwellness.com who used DoTerra essential oils and whose distributors are notorious for making illegal medicinal claims - see aromatherapyunited.org
Another site Lea promoted was: aromaticsinternational.com who sell oils with absolutely no safety testing or credible therapeutic use data on the plants essential oil such as: blue Tansy, Ghandi Root, guava leaf, Linaloe Berry, Palo Santo and others. They sell RoseWOOD oil which is a threatened species and comes under CITES regulations. Some of their medicinal claims for oils such as Bergamot are the usual trade fabrications.
OIL QUALITY AND ANALYSIS. Learning about eos requested donations for third party testing of essential oils. |
They provide no information about accounts for donations towards analysis. Is all the money being collected going towards its declared aim? Who knows except the site owner!
Learning about eos gave no information on the expertise & training of the analyst, neither is this information on the web site of pyrenessences who do some of the work. Shipping essential oils from the USA all the way to France for analysis is ridiculous when the US has world leaders on essential oils. I expect it is because most in the aromatherapy world don't have the first clue about the REAL essential oil trade and its many experts.
I would suspect some of the oils claimed to be "not in compliance" are in fact perfectly genuine oils. Never forget, making an essential oil fit standards such as ISO, can be achieved via chemical manipulations of various kinds.
The essential oil trade has some fantastic analysts with a lifetime of trade knowledge dating back before aromatherapy was even thought about. It also has those offering analytical services who rely on University databases. That data is often created by using lab distillation of plant materials. The resulting oils can vary significantly from commercial bulk distilled oils. There are other analysts who both test and sell oils and are known to doctor what they sell. Analysts who also supply oils are not going to tell people that an oil from one of their best customer is adulterated.
Some of the certificates of analysis from the 3rd party testing site point to a French producer of essential oils who claim their oils are produced in "copper stills". This indicates to me that their expertise in producing essential oils is suspect because in the REAL essential oil trade it has been known for years that the best quality oils are produced in stainless steel equipment. Copper is a chemical catalyst and changes the oil composition from its more natural state.
Facebook and twitter: |
Most of the above sites have facebook or similar pages. Never ever rely on such blogs for accurate information.
Most of these social media sites are being used to fool the public into purchasing poor quality products and services. Home made products are also being sold without any kind of safety assessment. The page owners get friends and customers to constantly post messages about how wonderful the products and services are. These can look incredibly convincing but the whole system is just marketing and most people are sucked in by it. Only old hands in the aromatherapy world know what these sites are like, newcomers do not have a clue that what is being sold is quack medicine cures and lousy courses at hugely inflated prices. Also some dangerous information is put on these sites by people with absolutely no training in anything to do with human health and often their information is gleaned from other web sites of dubious merit.
What to be on the lookout for: Many of these blogs give no contact information for the person running it. You have to register to post a message, then they have your email address and name which can be sold on to commercial spammers. You don't get their email address!! Look to see if there is a business address.
Look to see if the individual running the blog gives information on what training they have had. Check the schools web site and see what claims are being made. Look in my articles and book reviews for information on common errors which give indications on if the training provider really knows what they are talking about, or they just parroting common trade myths.
Look to see if the blogger is giving replies on major health problems. If they are, question their training and origin of their knowledge. Do they have links to multi level businesses, that alone should warn you off.
Try using a search engine to search for the bloggers name. Also search for the business or product name and add the word 'scam' after it. That may tell you if others have been dissatisfied.
In the case of essential oils sales look for things such as expressed Bergamot & Lime and/or Cinnamon bark oils being sold without warnings. Look to see what medicinal claims are being made and bear in mind most such claims are illegal in the USA even though many still make them.
What prompted this update: Every few weeks I used to check the stats on my web server to see who was adding links to my site. I discovered that Lea Harris had added a link on her site to one of my articles on phototoxicity without asking me. On my home page it clearly stated Do NOT link to this site without asking. I wonder how many other links are on there without the owners knowing. I have no objection to someone trying to get some accurate information on aromatherapy to a wider audience. However, I have a huge problem when it is being done is such a way as to make money via ad links; sending people to disreputable and dangerous suppers and self promotion of those with a dubious knowledge base. Back to top.
| Original article |
Now that many of the old aromatherapy newsgroups have declined in popularity, the latest selling techniques being used by aromatherapy outlets is to set up these blog pages. These pages are usually linked to a particular supplier and seem to be offering helpful advice - which sometimes is the case. However, I have frequently found no contact information and no information as you who runs the blog. If no contact information is available, you can be pretty sure the site is just aimed at making money via the google ads system. That system can give links to the biggest scam artists on the Internet.
In other cases, we have so called 'aromatherapists' who set up these blogs in order to promote themselves. You will rarely find information on these pages to if the person running the blog has any training, yet they give out all kinds of therapeutic use information. Other 'supporters' then add comments to the page making it look like the owner is very knowledgeable. Don't forget two things:
1. The blog owner can add fictitious names and contact details - and they do.
2. The blog owner can delete any comments that they do not like.
The vast majority of these blogs are in the total control of whoever set them up. They can delete any negative comments, or comments from those who know a lot more than they do.
You should be most cautious in assuming that the information found on many of these blogs is accurate. I have seen examples of some highly dangerous essential oils being recommended, and in dangerous methods of use. There are also numerous examples of wrong information on all aspects of the use of essential oils. Many of these blogs take their information from the popular aromatherapy books which are crammed to bursting with wrong and dangerous information.
Please read article the 'Internet sales' as it is very relevant to the way these blogs operate.
An old blog worth exploring is: aromaconnection.org
Response to the review of the learningabouteos.com website. |
Lea Harris responses = LH in blue
LH- I was recently made aware of a post you recently published, inferring myself and my website(s) are scams.
MW- Your sites are not listed as scams. That is a general comment about facebook and similar blogs which is why I took great care to separate the article into sections.
LH- I am unsure where you got the information you posted, but I wish you had contacted me first before posting, as your assumptions about me and my website(s) are in error.
MW- Most information was from your blogs or the many sites you link to as well as from individuals who contacted me with more detailed information on your activities. Especially those who tried to correct your information and were then CASTIGATED BY THE BLOG OWNERS FOR THEIR EFFORTS.
LH- Before I refute your statements, I want to say that I am the opposite of the “scam marketing” websites you refer to in your “older article” referenced at the end of the post about me and my website(s). I am all about busting those myths, and am very irritated and distraught over the inaccurate information that is perpetuated (mostly by MLM reps) on those kinds of websites.
MW- So why do you take money from them and litter your blog with links to some of the biggest con artists on the internet?
LH- To lump me in with those websites is totally inaccurate, as everything I have done on my LAEO website has been to combat the dangerous information being shared across the web.
MW- As above.
LH- and to freely educate others about safe and proper usage of essential oil safety. Everyone who has been following me and my website(s) knows this. Safe and accurate information is a passion of mine and something I take very seriously.
MW- You have clearly not been in this trade long enough to understand the complex issues involved with safety and I strongly suspect you have just assumed those who taught you know their subject. I know those teaching safety based on chemical criteria are wrong and it is an issue I was constantly fighting years ago when I was on the newsgroups.
LH- I hope you will consider posting this rebuttal on your website.
MW- Those who post your information and support you on their blogs DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO MAKE CRITICAL COMMENTS and people who do are removed. These blogs - as I explain in my article - are controlled by some people who are only interested in promoting themselves, their products and services. Therefore why should I post your response? I might if you allowed me to publish my responses here as well.
MW- I wrote the article below on
aromamedical.org 'aromatherapy-blogs' a couple of years ago, but recently I discovered some alarming sites that masquerade as educational, but are promoting disreputable suppliers as well as providing inaccurate information.
LH- Masquerade as educational?” Learning About EOs is ALL about education.
MW- It is not, your sites are about linking to numerous products and services.
LH- LAEO does not “promote disreputable”, or ANY, suppliers. I strive to the best of my ability to always provide accurate information, which is why I have chosen well-respected and award-winning mentors to learn from.
MW- You have not been in the trade long enough to have the ability to distinguish between mentors who know their subjects and those who have been teaching junk for years. All you seem interested in are those who have created names for themselves via clever publicity. Suggest you read my book reviews.
MW- One of several linked sites was: learningabouteos.com and nourishingtreasures.com These sites were run by a Lea Harris who had links to and has accepted donations from Young Living and DoTerra distributors.
LH- I have accepted donations from everyone, yes, including YL and DT reps who have donated in support of their brand. Other reps have also donated in support of their brands, and those are listed as well.
MW- As I said in my article, that means you do not care who your readers are sent to. That is what linking like that does, it sends people to quacks and con artists.
MW- This lady is - one assumes - getting paid for all those links and does not seem to care who she directs her readers to. Lea Harris claims she qualified in July 2013 as a Certified Aromatherapist with Advanced Graduate training from Aromahead Institute. Therefore I question how someone so newly trained, and with only a limited knowledge of the International trade in essential oils, or analytical chemistry, or safety issues, can give accurate information on the numerous blogs she has become associated with.
LH- The link to the rep sites, and other websites, were provided in exchange for donations. When we raised funds for testing, I offered to link to anyone's website who donated $25 or more to our testing. Although some of those links (which you can find at the footer of our website (learningabouteos.com/ do go to rep's websites (which I do not get paid for), there are more links to other non-aromatherapy websites such as Traditional-Foods.com, Smithspirations.wordpress.com crunchybetty.com and others.
MW- So you admit raising funds by providing links to disreputable businesses such as Young Living and DoTerra distributors and other sites selling quack products.
LH- I am flattered that your informant states I appear to be in my early 20's, when in fact I will be 35 soon.
MW- Admitted error and removed from the article. That was based on the impression one of my informants gained.
LH- As for me “claiming” I graduated, I did in fact graduate. You can see me listed as a graduate of Aromahead Institute here: www.aromahead.com/graduates . I am the last one on the page. You can also feel free to contact Andrea Butje.
In defense of my school, I received wonderful training. I am a fast learner, and when I am in, I am all in. I soaked up every page of information I was taught, and passed the tests with flying colors. As far as I know, all the information I have shared as a guest poster on other blogs, as been accurate to the best of my knowledge, and lined up with the
training I have received. I am all about safety.
MW- You have clearly not been in this trade long enough to be able to distinguish between good training and bad.
LH- I also frequently reference Robert Tisserand's newly-released 2nd edition of Essential Oil Safety, which I have been devouring since September.
MW- Robert is one of a handful of people in this trade that I have any respect for. However, even he has been drawn into making guesses on safety and therapeutic activity of essential oils based on unreliable chemistry.
MW- She had links to DoTerra and Young Living distributors who maintain their oils are all "therapeutic grade", yet on this site: thehumbledhomemaker.com/2013/09/essential-oil-mistakes.html Lea said "The fact is all essential oils are therapeutic grade". Talk about double standards making money out of the links, while at the same time implying these companies are liars - see my articles for more on the ML scammers.
LH- Again, I linked to any reps or website owners who provided a $25+ donation to our testing. Again, I do not make any money from the donor links. I also do not agree with much of the information released by MLM companies.
MW- How do we know you do not make money out of this testing project?
MW- learningabouteos.com gives misleading information. Good examples are to be found with the advice about what essential oils **to avoid in pregnancy**: At least 50 percent of the essential oils mentioned are permitted food flavourings under FDA and other authorities regulations. It is ridiculous to say "avoid all these oils" because anyone eating processed foods can't avoid them and there is no sound evidence that the low levels used in food are hazardous to a foetus.
For more see my articles archive on aromamedical.org. Lea's information says "pulegone... can cause liver toxicity for the mother". This is based on a handful of cases where huge amounts of the oil have been consumed. See my article on pennyroyal. Of course the oils she mentions should not be consumed as medicinal substances during pregnancy. It took me years to research and evaluate safety data on essential oils. How someone newly qualified is able to do that is a bit of a mystery.
LH- Better safe than sorry. I would rather avoid an essential oil that might be okay, than encourage use and have it end up harmful. Incidentally, I am in the process of updating this page to include essential oils that have been proven safe, although I will not be changing the information currently provided, as I believe it to be true.
MW- Lea, I have been providing safety information since the early 1990s. I have hundreds of scientific research papers on the subject, not just abstracts from online databases which some in this trade use. Safety has always been my overriding position and some of those who used to be on the newsgroups can confirm that. What I will not tolerate is those who teach safety based on chemical guesswork. If an essential oil is a permitted food flavouring with no restrictions during pregnancy, then that is good enough as long as the oil is diluted for external application. Other articles of mine explain why the leading lights in aromatherapy screwed this up from day one and continue to teach such junk. They did not understand the differences between herbal extracts and essential oils. ALL the leading aromatherapy associations and most teachers continue teaching that trash to this day.
LH- With all due respect, in this day and age, it doesn't need to take years to research and evaluate safety data on our own when we have legends such as Robert Tisserand just an e-mail away, and schools like Aromahead Institute (approved by AIA and NAHA) who have teachers such as Andrea Butje, who was presented by AIA with a Lifetime Achievement Award this year. I am a proud Aromahead Graduate and was so happy for my teacher that she won the AIA award at the conference this year!
MW- (Approved by NAHA) Would that be the organisation whose chairperson Jade Shutes took over again and was promoting the internal use of essential oils. That is despite NAHA past policy being against internal use and the numerous reasons why this is fraught with dangers, not the least of which is aromatherapists being accused of "practising medicine without a license" and possible jail time in some States? The AIA I also have little respect for as their teachers continue teaching the same old trash referred to above. Lifetime awards in these organisations are a member popularity award that's all.
MW- In the case of the Aromahead Institute that Lea trained with, they are also promoted by her for training courses, yet they sell or sold many essential oils on which there is no sound information of therapeutic use and some of the oils have no known safety data. For example, in the Scholars Program course, they claim to teach "therapeutic properties and uses of over 100 essential oils". However, there are nothing like that number of essential oils with credible therapeutic data. Many of the properties are taken from the appallingly inaccurate aromatherapy books, or are invented based on the chemical profile of the oils. See my other articles for more on that.
LH- According to Robert Tisserand, who just released his second edition of Essential Oil Safety which boasts over 400 essential oils profiles which include over 4,000 references to scientific data,
MW- There are plenty of essential oils with credible therapeutic data.
There have never been 100 essential oils with credible therapeutic properties. Numerous oils have had those properties invented based on chemical criteria; badly assessed scientific reports where a herbal extract has been used rather than the essential oil; lab based tests on antiviral activity not then replicated invivo, etc. etc. The followers of the French aromatherapists are the worst for fabricating actions.
MW- Another site Lea recommended is Queen Homeschool Supplies who sell Double Helix Water. Just another quack product designed to fool the gullible into parting with their cash. They sell a blend of Cinnamon bark and leaf oils yet claim: "Both produce similar results, and have similar aromas". I don't know what they are using but these oils are totally different in composition, fragrance and uses. Such statements indicate to me a business who know nothing about the products they sell and are probably relying on badly trained therapists or the popular aromatherapy novels. They also linked to sandiqueenholisticwellness.com who use DoTerra essential oils and whose distributors are notorious for making illegal medicinal claims - see aromatherapyunited.org
LH- Queen Homeschool Supplies provides their own line, Essential Vitality, that was in our first round of testing for Myrrh essential oil. They were rated the best out of 5, ahead of YL and DT.*
MW- Every aromatherapy supplier has to purchase many of their oils from the same world source producers as everyone else. They buy those via middlemen some of which are notorious for adulteration of oils. The analysis question gets back to who did it and their experience and training.
LH- To reiterate, we do not endorse products from ANY company. "I get asked A LOT which diffuser I recommend. I always recommend the SpaVapor! I loooove mine! learningabouteos.com/spavapor"
MW- Oh so that direct link to Amazon is not a recommendation?
LH- As stated on all of our testing pages, the essential oil tested reflects that oil from that batch only, and does not speak for the whole company and/or any other products they may provide. I am sure Sandi Queen can speak for herself regarding the statement(s) you made about her and her products.
MW- Another site Lea promoted is: aromaticsinternational.com who sold oils with absolutely no safety testing or credible therapeutic use data on the plants essential oil such as: blue Tansy, Ghandi Root, guava leaf, Linaloe Berry, Palo Santo and others. They sold RoseWOOD oil which is a threatened species and comes under CITES regulations. Some of their medicinal claims for oils such as Bergamot are the usual trade fabrications.
LH- I would not say that we “promote” any essential oil companies.
MW- I would maintain that simply by proving links that your readers will assume this is an endorsement.
LH- Website/Companies are listed because we tested them. This does not mean we “promote” or endorse any of them. However, AI's Tea Tree did test “In Compliance.”
LH- I am sure Karen Williams would tell you that they provide GC/MS testing along with the reports for all of their oils and they do get their information from credible and reputable sources.
MW- Oh come on, everyone claims that!! I have been around too long to fall for such statements without further investigation.
MW- Numerous cookies are being dumped into your Internet cache if you skip between the links on these sites which are nothing but spying tools for marketing purposes.
LH- I am unsure if you are referring to my website, but we don't spy on anyone and our website isn't about marketing.
MW- I did not say you were spying, but cookies are used for that very purpose, try reading the latest re the NSA and cookies. When I jumped from one site to another using your links I found around 20 cookies in my cache.
MW- Learning about eos requested donations for third party testing of essential oils.
They provided no information about accounts for donations towards analysis. Is all the money being collected going towards its declared aim? Who knows except the site owner!
LH- As all donors and participants know, we kept running totals of donations in our Facebook Group, and it was updated with each donation.
MW- Anyone can say anything on a blog such as facebook. Only accounts provided by a third party accountant can be reasonably relied on.
MW- Learning about eos gave no information on the expertise & training of the analyst, neither is this information on the web site of pyrenessences who did some of the work. Shipping essential oils from the USA all the way to France for analysis is ridiculous when the US has world leaders on essential oils. I expect it is because most in the aromatherapy world don't
have the first clue about the REAL essential oil trade and its many experts.
LH- Information is on the analyst's website, and described on the Peppermint Essential Oil testing page under “Our Chemist” here: learningabouteos.com/PMtest
MW- It gives no information on this analysts training it just says "Daniel Dantin is a world-recognized chemist,"I have not seen any of his work published by the REAL essential oil trade. I am not saying he is not an expert, I do not know for sure, but if some information on his work is not given who knows?
LH- There are probably only two or three chemists in the US who are not already tied to an essential oil company. We chose Pyrenessenes Labs because they are a highly respected lab and were recommended to me by several aromatherapy experts. We wanted the best, even if that meant sending the samples out of the country.
MW- Then clearly your course has not given you much about the numbers of experts involve with quality controls in the real essential oil trades. People may wonder why I keep referring to the "real" essential oils trade. That is simply because aromatherapy is a drop in a very large bucket and many in the bulk oils trade consider it a minor part of their business. If you want to find out more go any horticultural University library and look for the journals of the flavour, fragrance and horticultural trades as well as associated trades.
MW- I would suspect some of the oils claimed to be "not in compliance" are in fact perfectly genuine oils. Never forget, making an essential oil fit standards such as ISO, can be achieved via chemical manipulations of various kinds.
LH- Yes, that has been debated. However, adding synthetic ethyl vanillin is unacceptable.
MW- Agreed
MW- The essential oil trade has some fantastic analysts with a lifetime of trade knowledge dating back before aromatherapy was even thought about. It also has those offering analytical services who rely on University databases. That data is often created by using lab distillation of plant materials. The resulting oils can vary significantly from commercial bulk distilled oils. There are other analysts who both test and sell oils and are known to doctor what they sell. Analysts who also supply oils are not going to tell people that an oil from one of their best customer is adulterated.
LH- Right. This is why I wanted a chemist not tied to a brand.
MW- But both people you used are associated with oil suppliers.
MW- Some of the certificates of analysis from the 3rd party testing site point to a French producer of essential oils who claim their oils are produced in "copper stills". This indicates to me that their expertise in producing essential oils is suspect because in the REAL essential oil trade it has been known for years that the best quality oils are produced in stainless steel equipment. Copper is a chemical catalyst and changes the oil composition from its more natural state.
MW- Facebook and twitter: Most of the above sites have facebook pages. Never ever rely on facebook pages for accurate information.
MW- Most of these social media sites are being used to fool the public into purchasing poor quality products and services. Home made products are also being sold without any kind of safety assessment. The page owners get friends and customers to constantly post messages about how wonderful the products and services are. These can look incredibly convincing but the
whole system is just marketing and most people are sucked in by it. Only old hands in the aromatherapy world know what these sites are like, newcomers do not have a clue that what is being sold is quack medicine cures and lousy courses at hugely inflated prices. Also some dangerous information is put on these sites by people with absolutely no training in
anything to do with human health and often their information is gleaned from other web sites of dubious merit.
LH- I take issue with the libelous statements directed at me and my website(s). LAEO is not “fooling the public into purchasing poor quality products and services.” We don't offer products or services. We are about education. We do not offer “quack medicine cures” or “lousy courses at hugely inflated prices.” We also do not have “dangerous information”
MW- I never said you supplied anything. I said you direct people via your links to such people. You even direct people to books you say you have not read. You are most definitely NOT just about education as all these links prove.
LH- I do have training from a world-renowned school, Aromahead Institute, approved by both NAHA and AIA.
MW- There we go again making these claims such as "world renowned" If you say it enough people believe it!!
MW- What to be on the lookout for: Many of these blogs give no contact information for the person running it. You have to register to post a message, then they have your email address and name which can be sold on to commercial spammers. You don't get their email address!! Look to see if there is a business address.
LH- We have contact info listed, and do not sell any info to spammers.
MW- When I wanted to send you a message I could not do it without signing up to the blog. I refuse to do that as I want nothing to do with facebook and suchlike.
MW- Look to see if the individual running the blog gives information on what training they have had. Check the schools web site and see what claims are being made. Look in my other articles and book reviews for information on common errors which give indications on if the training provider really knows what they are talking about, or they just parroting common trade myths.
LH- I give information on my training in several places. I am all about busting myths.
MW- Again the comments were general ones aimed at bloggers.
MW- Look to see if the blogger is giving replies on major health problems. If they are, question their training and origin of their knowledge. Do they have links to MM businesses, that alone should warn you off.
LH- We do not endorse MLM businesses, and we do provide advice in our forum.
MW- Again the comments were general ones aimed at bloggers.
MW- Try using a search engine to search for the bloggers name. Also search for the business or product name and add the word 'scam' after it. That may tell you if others have been dissatisfied.
LH- We do not sell products. We only offer educational information.
MW- Again the comments were general ones aimed at bloggers.
MW- In the case of essential oils sales look for things such as expressed Bergamot & Lime and/or Cinnamon bark oils being sold without warnings. Look to see what medicinal claims are being made and bear in mind most such claims are illegal in the USA even though many still make them.
LH- Again, we do not sell any products.
MW- Again the comments were general ones aimed at bloggers.
MW- What prompted this update: Every few weeks I checked the stats on my web server to see who is adding links to my site. I discovered that Lea Harris had added a link on her site to one of my articles on phototoxicity without asking me. On my home page it clearly states Do NOT link to this site without asking. I wonder how many other links are on there without the
owners knowing. I have no objection to someone trying to get some accurate information on aromatherapy to a wider audience. However, I have a huge problem when it is being done is such a way as to make money via ad links; sending people to disreputable and dangerous suppers and self promotion of of those with a dubious knowledge base.
LH- I apologize for sending traffic to your website. I have removed the link. It was not done to make money (I don't believe we have an arrangement where you pay me for traffic to your website), and I didn't consider you a “disreputable and dangerous supper.” I stumbled on your page via google, and there is nothing on that page that states I need permission to promote
it. However, I apologize, and the link has been removed.
MW- The message not to link is on my home page. I do not intend putting that on every article on my site.
MW- I apologise for getting your age wrong and that has been fixed. Every other comment I stand by.
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Oils hyped by numerous aromatherapy suppliers. This is of particular relevance in the USA where laws on therapeutic claims and consumer safety issues of essential oils are rarely enforced. |
Below is a sample of a huge list of oils that are sold because therapists and the public have fallen into the trap of believing what oil suppliers and some aromatherapy teachers tell them. The main problems are:
1. 95% of aromatherapy courses and authors have never educated people on the significant differences between herbal medicines used internally, and the same plants essential oil used externally. Many in aromatherapy are misled into believing these oils work for the same conditions as herbal medicines.
2. Suppliers are constantly trying to keep a high profile by offering 'new' oils without knowing if they are safe, or more effective than existing oils. They will find a few pieces of academic scientific investigations and start plugging the oil to make sales. They will tell you "xxxxx author or course provider says it is wonderful" to get themselves off the hook without really having a clue about its use or safety.
3. Many of these oils have no history of use in traditional medicine. Most were written about by aromatherapy authors because the perfume or food trade uses or used them. That is misleading and fraught with dangers (see 5.) If an oil is used in fragrance production in small volumes it may be safe, that does not mean that its use in aromatherapy on the skin, or internally, is also safe.
4. It is crazy to base effectiveness or safe uses of essential oils based on aromatherapy urban rumours. That is the basis on which most of the uses of these novel oils are promoted. "Well my customers have used it for years and say it works". You will hear that frequently and it is just a technique used to sell novel oils. Facebook type blogs are the worst for these urban rumours becoming accepted as reality.
5. Many oils have been produced for use in the food flavouring and fragrance trades. You should always remember that these trades usually only use minute volumes of oils in products, often as low as a few parts per million. Therefore, an oil that has GRAS status for use in food, may not be safe when used at the far higher volumes used in aromatherapy massage, or in some home produced cosmetics.
The following comments apply only to skin application or internal use. The sale of many of these oils for non skin contact fragrances may be fine. What I have a problem with is:
1. Aromatherapy suppliers and 'names' who make therapeutic claims with no real evidence.
2. Those who mislead about the activity of these oils with claims based on herbal medicine.
3. Claims based on academic research where the safety on humans has not yet been assessed.
4. Medicinal use claims based only on the major chemicals in the oil.
5. No warnings given on oils that are well recorded as being hazardous.
6. No warnings given on oils where safety is not known.
Do not interpret "safety unknown" as meaning anything other than what it says. It means that the oil has not (as far as I can ascertain) undergone formal safety assessment and therefore no one knows if it is safe or not. Some judge safety based on the major chemicals in the oil, that is fundamentally flawed because minor components can cause allergic reactions. What chemistry is useful for is to assess the potential shelf life of essential oils due to chemicals that are known to degrade quickly in the presence of oxygen such as the pinenes, d-limonene, linalool, etc.
| The list below is not complete and never will be due to "new" oils constantly being introduced by suppliers. |
Alligator Juniper Wood, Juniperus deppeana. Safety unknown. Hugely variable in composition depending on sub species and habitat. For example, a-pinene can be 5% up to 22% with huge variability in the other components. Therefore the reliability of any therapeutic claims is questionable.
Aloe Wood: A perfume and incense product - oil not used in traditional medicine - trees all endangered species.
Amyris: No traditional medicine use of this oil - trees all endangered.
Angelica Root: The oil was always produced for the fragrance trade - when introduced into aromatherapy, most attributes were based on traditional herbal use.
Balsamita Carvone: No idea on the oil and I doubt anyone really has!
Balsam Peru Oil: This oil is a known sensitising agent and sellers should give a warning.
Balsam Poplar Oil, Populus balsamifera: No skin safety testing.
Basil Grand
Basil Bush
Basil Camphor
Basil Eugenol
Basil Thymol: All these have No skin safety testing- massive differences in chemical composition compared to the known tested Basil oils - therapeutic differences are just guesswork based on the major chemicals, a very faulty concept.
Blue Lotus absolute: No known safety data - no traditional use of the essential oil.
Blue Tansy, Tanacetum annum: No known safety data- no traditional use of the essential oil. No traditional use of the herb. The therapeutics are speculation and invention. You will find this stuff being sold by hundreds of suppliers yet none of them know its real safety or efficacy. You will also see some who confuse it with Tanacetum vulgare which is extremely toxic. BEWARE!!!
Boronia: No skin safety testing - don't know about traditional use.
Buddha Wood, Eremophila Mitchelli: No known safety data.Sold by numerous suppliers with therapeutic claims for which there is no basis. This oil contains some unusual chemicals about which little if anything is known. That can be good or bad, but if the oil is not tested for safety nobody knows!!
Buplevre:No skin safety testing- don't know about traditional use.
Bupleurum, Bupleurum fruticosum: No safety testing. This oil does have some research on its potential therapeutic uses. However, its chemical composition is hugely variable and thus only research based on the actual source of oil used is valid. Oil from another location may be completely different.
Cassie: A Perfume absolute - never used in traditional medicine.
Calamus: Primary use as a chemical conversion starter material - the only use of the oil is modern; 100% based on extrapolations from the herb use - a dangerous oil.
Calamint Lessor:No skin safety testing. Extensive traditional use of the herb; the oil may have uses but we do not know the safety factors.
Calamint Common: (ditto)
Calendula (Marigold): No skin safety testing: No such essential oil is recognised by the big essential oil traders or data resources - it is a fragrance trade absolute which has no traditional use as a medicine - all claimed therapeutics are based on use as herbal medicine.
Calophyllum:No known safety data - no traditional use of the essential oil.
Cape Chamomile, Eriocephalus Punctulatus. No known safety data. Most therapeutics seem to be based on the fact this oil contains azulene and it is assumed to be similar to german chamomile, yet the main chemical does not even occur in german chamomile!!
Cedarwood Himalayan: No known safety data, probably OK, but trees are being over exploited and as a result causing flooding down stream from the mountains.
Celery Plant: This oil was produced for food trade use only. Only traditional use is the seed or its water or alcohol extracts in herbal medicine.
Chamomile Moroccan:No known safety data - only introduced to AT as a cheap substitute for german chamomile - chemistry is complex and contains unknown chemicals with unknown action - Moroccan traditional medicine does not list the oil.
Chervil: This oil was produced for food trade use only.
Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil: This oil is mentioned here because you will come across suppliers selling it with no warnings about how dangerous it is. You will also find stupid and dangerous claims such as "Great for digestion" along with several other medicinal claims most of which are based on the internal use of cinnamon bark or bark powder.
Cistus: Only the absolute has been tested - not used in traditional medicine.
Cistus CT: (Ditto).
Coco absolute: No known safety data on skin sensitisation.
Coffee absolute:No known safety data on skin sensitisation.
Combava: Another citrus oil.
Combava Petitgrain Another type of Petitgrain.
Nettle and Copaiba, Codistilled Oil. No known safety data on skin sensitisation. Since we know stinging nettles contain extremely complex chemistry, this means any oils yielded should be properly tested.
Cyperus Round: No known safety data- no traditional use of the essential oil.
Cyperus Nagar Matha: (ditto)
Cypress Arizona: No known safety data - no traditional use of the essential oil.
Cypress Wood: (ditto)
Davana: Extensive use of the herb - no traditional use of the essential oil.
Elderflower absolute or CO2 extract: No known safety data - no traditional use of these extracts.
Eucalyptus, rosrata: No known safety data.
Eucalyptus, campanulata: No known safety data - very different to globulus which is known.
Eucalyptus, masala (camaldulensis): No known safety data.
Eucalyptus, dives:No known safety data - very different to globulus which is known.
Eucalyptus, polybractea - Cineole: Similar to globulus safety of which is known.
Eucalyptus, polybractea - Cryptone: No known safety data - safety of cryptone suspect.
Eucalyptus, radiata: Similar to globulus safety of which is known.
Eucalyptus, smithii:No known safety data.
Eucalyptus, staigeriana:No known safety data - very different to globulus which is known.
For several of the above you will come across claims such as "antiviral" and even "Diuretic" etc. These claims are without any foundation, but people really believe them.
Fleabane Common: No known safety data - no traditional use of the essential oil.
Fingerroot, Boesenbergia pandurata: No known safety data. Any health claims are inventions.
Fir - Corkbark, Abies lasiocarpa var. arizonica: Any supplier who tells you such an oil can keep for 3 years cares nothing about their customers health and safety. All oils that are very high in a&b pinenes are capable of degrading in a matter of 6 months (depending on storage).
Fragonia, Agonis fragrans: No known safety data. No traditional use of the oil. Therapeutics 100% invented based on the oils composition. You will see a lot of hype over this oil.
Ghandi Root, Sugandh mantri: No known safety data. Therapeutic uses seem to be all based on the traditional use of the root as herbal preparations. The essential oil was NOT used.
Garlic: This oil was produced for food trade use only - crazy to use it in aromatherapy - a known allergen.
Galanga Large: This oil was produced for food trade use only.
Galanga Lessor: (ditto)
Gingergrass:No known safety data.- no traditional use of the essential oil.
Ginger Lilly, Kapur Kachari,Hedychium spicatum: No known safety data. There are several varieties of Hedychium giving variable essential oil compositions. Most claimed effects seen on aromatherapy sites are taken from the traditional use of the root or alcoholic extracts, NOT the essential oil. The oil has been tested for antimicrobial activity but other safety tested oils give better results.
Goldenrod, Solidago canadensis: No known safety data. Therapeutic claims are nearly all based on the traditional use of the herb, NOT the essential oil.
Gotu Kola:No known safety data. No idea as an essential oil is not produced commercially. All info probably based on the herbal use or the macerated oil which is available.
Greenland Moss-Labrador Tea, Ledum groenlandicum: No known safety data. The therapeutic use claims made are dangerous and preposterous such as; "viral hepatitis, enteritis, toxemic nephritis, microbial nephritis and infectious prostatitis". I know of no validated research proving this and in any case it would have to be via internal use and not the external use of the oil. From my research it would seem once again we are looking at therapeutic use claims based on the traditional use of the herb rather than the essential oil.
Grindelia, Grindelia squarrosa: No known safety data. Therapeutics 100% invented based on the oils composition or traditional herbal use. High in a-pinene and d-limonene and therefore a 3-4 year shelf life (as some suppliers declare) is most unlikely unless they have added antioxidants.
Guava Leaf, Psidium guajava: No known safety data. Therapeutics 100% invented. Claims on a long shelf life are not reliable as this oil contains a lot of d-limonene know to degrade into skin sensitising agents.
Helichrysum varieties: This species is enormously variable in chemical composition depending on geographical location and variety. The safety of H. angustifolia is known, the other varieties it is not known and will vary with each variety.
Khelkla - Ammi Seeds: No known safety data. No traditional medicine use of this oil - mainly used as a herbal drink. Contains a lot of linalool which may degrade giving a short safe shelf life.
Kunzea, Kunzea ambigua: No known safety data. No traditional medicine use of this oil. Most claimed therapeutic uses seem to be from a French doctor well known for inventing the use of essential oils. Oil contains a lot of a-pinene which degrades into sensitising agents making a claimed shelf life of 4-5 years improbable.
Lanyana:No known safety data. - traditional medicine use, no idea.
Larch-Tamarack, Larix laricina: Safety data is vague. Delta-3-carene has been implicated by some dermatologists as being the sensitising agent and there is a lot in this oil. It also has a fair amount of a-pinene which degrades into skin sensitising agents.
Lentisque Essential Oil, Pistacia Lentiscus: The absolute has been tested and sensitisation on some people was produced, but the essential oil is safety not known.
Lilac CO2 Extract, Syringa vulgaris: No known safety data. Therapeutic uses unknown.
Linaloe Berry, Bursera delpechiana: Safety data is limited-rare reported cases of skin problems. Oil is variable in composition with some sources finding high levels of linalool which is known to degrade into skin sensitising agents. Therefore shelf life is limited. No sound therapeutic use information.
Hemp Seed: Only a fixed oil is recognised - any distilled oil is 100% safety unknown.
Inula graveolens:No known safety data even though this oil is used by a lot of aromatherapists. The experience of aromatherapists and suppliers can in no way be considered an accurate monitor of any side effects of an essential oil. There is no centralised reporting system in place and suppliers cannot be trusted to report adverse reactions reported to them. Some samples of this oil contain a lot of p-cymene which is an acknowledged skin sensitiser.
Although there is a little research on the antimicrobial activity of this oil, most claimed therapeutic uses are based either on the traditional uses for the herb, or are inventions based on its individual components such as Borneol. In addition, the herb is subject to huge fluctuations in its composition depending on where it is grown.
Jatamansi, Nardostachys Jatamansi (also known as green Spikenard): Safety on the skin is vague as no authoritative testing seems to have been published. The herb has been widely used in Ayurveda, and the oil used in perfumery, but its use in aromatherapy seems to be based on traditional use of the herb.
Juniper-Dwarf, Juniperus communis var. nana:
Juniper-Rocky Mountain, Juniperus scopulorum: High in sabinene. Beware of medicinal claims you will come across for these oils such as "detoxifier, supports the kidneys, lymph and respiratory systems". External use will not achieve these claimed effects and internal use would be very dangerous.
Mastic, Pistacia lentiscus: Safety on the skin is vague. The absolute is known to cause skin reactions. Some samples are high in a-pinene which may limit shelf life. This tree produces two essential oils, the leaf and the fruit. Both oils differ markedly in chemical composition. Therefore it is vital to know which oil is being purchased. These distilled oils were never used in traditional medicine.
Monarda Fistulosa: No formal skin safety data. Traditional use was the herbal extracts. So if you see claims such as "Powerful anti-viral and anti infectious. Liver/gall bladder supporter", they are not the properties of the essential oil.
Muhuhu - African Sandalwood, Brachyleana hutchinsii: No known safety data. Composition is nothing like real sandalwood oils. This oil is typical of one of those where academic studies has found antimicrobial effects, yet no studies published on its safe use on the skin. The primary traditional use for this tree was for wood products.
Neem, Azadirachta Indica: Safety on the skin is vague. Although this herb and the fixed oil have been widely used in India, the essential oil was not. That was primarily used as an insecticide. Most therapeutic claims are based on the use of the herb or fixed oil.
Opopanax - Sweet Myrrh, Commiphora guidotti: A safety warning should be given on this oil because some people have shown sensitisation reactions. Its use in cosmetics is restricted to less than 1%.
Palo Santo - Holy Wood, Bursera graveolens: No known safety data. The vast majority of therapeutic use claims are taken from the traditional use of herbal extracts NOT the essential oil. Some samples contain a lot of d-limonene making this oil an easy target for adulteration. High d-limonene may reduce any safe shelf to less than a year.
Plai, Zingiber cassumunar: Only the toxicity is known, no skin safety testing results published. Most therapeutic use information seems to be gleaned from tests done on alcoholic or methanol extracts, or on the use of the oil in a cream base. Therefore, be wary of therapeutic claims on suppliers web sites for the oil.
Rabbitbrush, Ericameria nauseosa: No known safety data. Some samples contain a lot of d-limonene making this oil an easy target for adulteration. High d-limonene may reduce any safe shelf to less than a year. Any therapeutic use claims are speculation or invention.
Ravintsara sometimes called Ho leaf, Cinnamomum camphora: A vast amount of hype and misinformation surrounds this oil. To call it Ho leaf is not correct because the oil declared to be 'Ravintsara' is high in 1,8-cineole and true Ho leaf is nearly all linalool. As with several similar oils, the therapeutic uses were "made in France" by certain authors who invented therapeutic uses based on an extremely faulty knowledge of the true chemistry of essential oils.
Rhododendron, Rhododendron Anthopogon: No known safety data. Beware of any medicinal claims. There is no known traditional use of this oil. The a+b pinenes are high and therefore care with storage times is necessary. University studies - like with many oils - have shown medicinal activity in-vitro but without safety data its use on humans is unwise.
Rosemary verbenone, chemotype: No known safety data, and differs so much from the cineole variety that no guesses should be made. The chemical verbenone is available as a synthetic additive and trade sources claim it has been used by certain oil trade middlemen to 'create' this oil. Beware of all therapeutic use claims, most are those of ordinary rosemary or are complete fabrications originating from one or two French therapists.
Rosalina, Melaleuca ericifolia: No known safety data. Claimed traditional use is not correct because Australian natives never used distillation, this is a marketing ploy used by numerous suppliers.
Samphire Essential Oil, Cristhmum Maritimum: No known safety data.p-cymene can be rather high in this oil which makes it a potential sensitiser.
Sandalwood Australian:Safety on the skin is vague, animal tests done by Scantox on behalf of Mt Romance in Australia indicate low toxicity. Oil is extracted from wild trees which are *not being replaced in the wild*.
Saro, Cinnamosma fragrans: No known safety data. Therapeutic claims seem to be traditional uses of the herb, NOT the oil.
Snakeweed, Gutierrezia arizonica: No known safety data. No known therapeutic use data. Oil composition likely to be highly variable due to the numerous sub varieties used.
St. John's Wort Essential Oil, Hypericum perforatum: No known safety data. The herb is a known photosensitiser making the need for proper skin safety testing of the essential oil vital. All therapeutic use data likely to be drawn from the extensive traditional uses of the infused oil and herbal extract. The essential oil was NEVER used in traditional medicine. Yet another oil that was an experimental distillation and then half the worlds suppliers jump on the band wagon without any knowledge on uses or safety.
Sugandha Kokila, Cinnamomum glaucescens: No known safety data. Contains lot of methyl cinnamate which puts question marks over its skin safety. No known therapeutic use data. If someone is allergic to cinnamon, or balsams such as Peru balsam they should not touch this oil.
Tagetes - Marigold Essential Oil, Tagetus minuta: A known photosensitiser and sensitiser. However you will find it being sold with no warnings. Most of the therapeutic claims are once again based on the traditional use of a herbal extract, NOT the essential oil about which little is known.
Tamala, Cinnamomum tamala: No known safety data. The oil is high in linalool which is known to degrade into sensitising agents and that can happen rapidly, see old lavender. Therefore anyone who claims a shelf life of 4 years does not give a hoot about your health.
Thyme chemotypes other than the thymol type: The chemical composition of most of these chemotypes is so different to the thymol type (the safety of which is known), that these chemotypes should be considered as safety unknown.
Trinity blend: This blended oil contains sagebrush (Artemesia tridentata) on which there is no known safety data. It also contains a lot of a-pinene which is know to decay into sensitising agents. Therefore do not believe any web site who claim this oil lasts 3-4 years.
Verbena (Lemon) - Lippia citriodora: Safety well recorded and so dangerous it is banned in cosmetic products. Most therapeutics on web sites are based on the traditional use of the herb, NOT the oil.
Vitex agnus castus - Leaf and Berry oils: No safety data on either essential oil. Great concerns over possible side effects on the female hormone system. No sound clinical studies on its safety or therapeutic uses have been published to date. An oil which has been promoted purely on the basis of urban rumour and on the acknowledged actions as a herbal medicine. Certainly an oil to be treated with the utmost caution, if it were up to me I would ban its use as a human medicine until adequate studies have been conducted.
Xanthoxylum Xanthoxylum armatum: No known safety data. Traditional therapeutics based only on herbal extracts NOT the essential oil.
Wild Tansy Oil - Tanacetum vulgare: An extremely toxic oil which no reputable aromatherapy association would permit members to use. The chemistry is hugely variable making any therapeutic uses unreliable. Most seen on web sites is 100 percent based on the past uses of the herbal extract NOT the oil. Ignore statements such as "A premier oil for immune system. Known to fight the flu, cold and infections".
White Ginger Lily Absolute Hedychium coronarium: No known safety data. Do some simple arithmetic on GLC/MS analysis you will find on websites. I have found analysis of this absolute which only gives 66 percent of the components. In such a case the question has to be posed "well what is the rest of it made of", could it be just bulked out with fixed oil, fragrance chemicals, or a cheap analysis which has failed to identify all of the components in the oil? It is common to find 5 percent unidentified, but 35 percent is peculiar. No confirmed therapeutic data.
White Sage Oil Salvia apiana: No known safety data. Although this oil contains around 70 percent of 1,8-cineol, there are 30 percent of other constituents including the pine's which are know to decay into sensitising agents.
Yarrow oil - Achillea millefolium: No known safety data. Not an essential oil ever used in traditional medicine. It only came into aromatherapy as a cheaper substitute for german chamomile. Most of the claimed therapeutic uses you will see on the Internet are taken from the traditional use of the herbal extract given internally.
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Safety issues page posted on August 5, 2013 by Lea Harris from learningabouteos (dot)com |
Below is the information provided on the above site. It is typical of the incorrect and misleading pseudo science which originated about 20 years ago from 2 or 3 people in France. That wrong information has been parroted ad infinitum by other teachers. Their claimed therapeutic uses and safety are based on organic chemistry not phytochemistry (which these people knew nothing about). Their invented data is endemic in aromatherapy courses. The trade associations who approve teachers do not want it known that they are peddling garbage, but would rather students heads are filled with the fairy tales which most therapists seem to desire.
Claims made are marked with "..."
The incorrect and misleading information I have commented on are in blue CAPITALS.
“Chemical Families, Therapeutic Properties, and Safety Considerations”
“The components that essential oils are made up of are classified into chemical families according
to their molecular structure. Knowing the chemical families and their therapeutic properties can
really help us learn which essential oils to use for various health concerns. There are also safety
concerns within each family that are to be taken into consideration as selections are made. Here is
a brief summary of the different chemical families, the therapeutic properties, and any safety
concerns. Keep in mind that essential oils are complex, individually, and may or may not follow
along 100% with the chemical family guidelines”.
"Monoterpenes
This chemical family is made up of components which evaporate quickly and are considered 'top notes' as they are the first aromas to hit your nose in a blend.
Monoterpenes generally are:
antiseptic ' great for cuts
analgesic ' relieves pain
rubifacient ' increases blood circulation
decongestant ' relieves respiratory congestion
antibacterial (some also antiviral)
excellent for diffusing ' they kill airborne germs
skin penetration-enhancers ' great for getting deep into sore muscles, tendons, and ligaments".
LUDICROUS, THERE ARE AT LEAST 600 MONOTERPENES OF VASTLY VARYING PROPERTIES. THUS NO RELIABLE GENERAL PROPERTIES CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THEM.
--------------------
"Essential oils with more than 60% monoterpenes include: Bergamot, Black Pepper, Cypress, Frankincense, Grapefruit, Juniper Berry, Lemon, Opopanax, Sweet Orange, Ravintsara, Rosemary, and Siberian Fir".
SO WHAT, THAT TELLS YOU NOTHING, LOOK AT HOW DIFFERENT THESE OILS ARE: BERGAMOT & BLACK PEPPER.
"Safety Considerations: Monoterpenes are prone to oxidation and have a shelf life of only 1-3 years. Once oxidized, they can cause skin irritation, and are best discarded (or diffused)". THIS IS DANGEROUS ADVICE AS A & B PINENE AND D-LIMONENE (COMMON IN MANY ESSENTIAL OILS) CAN OXIDISE AND DEVELOP SENSITISING CHEMICALS WITHIN MONTHS SO ADVISING 1-3 YEARS IS HAZARDOUS.
-----------------
"Sesquiterpenes
This chemical family's therapeutic properties are difficult to generalize. So don't generalise!!
Here are some therapeutic actions and the Sesquiterpene-family essential oils associated with them:
Anti-fungal: Myrrh, Patchouli, Spikenard
Analgesic: Black Pepper, German Chamomile, Ginger, Myrrh, Ylang Ylang" +++Analgesic means to relieve pain, but no indication is given on mode of use+++.
"Antiseptic: Cedarwood, Ginger, Myrrh, Vetiver".
ANTISEPTIC IS USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH A SUBSTANCE THAT KILLS MOST ORGANISMS CAPABLE OF CAUSING ILL HEALTH. THAT IS NOT SOMETHING WHICH MOST ESSENTIAL OILS ARE CAPABLE OF. SOME ARE ANTIBACTERIAL, SOME ANTI FUNGAL, SOME BOTH BUT WITH THE OILS MENTIONED THEY ARE NOT THE BEST FOR SUCH PURPOSES.
---------------------
"Anti-inflammatory: Cedarwood, German Chamomile, -Ginger-, Myrrh, Patchouli, Spikenard, Ylang Ylang". GINGER IS A RUBEFACIENT NOT ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, YOU CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS, IT HAS TO BE ONE OR THE OTHER.
"Antispasmodic: German Chamomile, Ginger, -Opopanax-, Spikenard".
OPOPANAX IS A SKIN SENSITISER.
"Sedative: German Chamomile, Myrrh, Patchouli, Spikenard, Ylang Ylang".
RELAXANT MAYBE BUT NOT SEDATIVE.
"There are really no safety concerns with Sesquiterpenes other than they can be irritating if oxidized."
IT IS 100 PERCENT WRONG TO MAKE SUCH GENERALISATIONS BASED ON BROAD CHEMICAL GROUPS. THAT IS NOT THE WAY ESSENTIAL OILS WORK. EACH OIL IS A CHEMICALLY COMPLEX INDIVIDUAL SUBSTANCE AND MAKING SUCH SWEEPING GENERALISATIONS IS NOT ONLY STUPID IT CAN BE DANGEROUS.
"They have a long shelf life of 6-8 years".
AN INCORRECT GENERALISATION. FOR EXAMPLE, BLACK PEPPER CAN CONTAIN A LOT OF A&B PINENE WHICH DEGRADE INTO SKIN SENSITISING AGENTS. DELTA 3 CARENE IS ALSO A SKIN SENSITISER. YLANG OIL IS WELL RECOGNISED FOR ITS FAST OXIDISATION RATE AND LOSS OF FRAGRANCE.
------------------------------
"Monoterpenols
The chemical structure of Monoterpenols are similar to that of Monoterpenes. The difference? A hydroxyl molecule. The location of this molecule determines the therapeutic property of the oil (isn't that fascinating?)." THIS IS NOT CORRECT. NO SINGLE MOLECULE CAN BE HELD TO DETERMINE THE PROPERTIES OF AN ESSENTIAL OIL WHICH CAN CONTAIN HUNDREDS OF DIFFERENT MOLECULES. IT IS FUNDAMENTALLY UNSOUND PSEUDO SCIENCE.
"Monoterpenols have a wide variety of therapeutic properties. Some of these often include:
strong anti-infectious agents, such as terpinene-4-ol, a chemical component found in Tea Tree". WHAT THE HECK DOES ANTI-INFECTIOUS MEAN?
"antibacterial, antifungal, and even antiviral, thanks to linalol, a chemical component found in Lavender and Rosewood". LINALOOL ANTI VIRAL, I THINK NOT.
"anti-spasmodic effects thanks to menthol, a primary component found in Peppermint
anti-fungal action found in Geranium" COMMENTS AS FOR MONOTERPENOLS ABOVE.
"Some of the essential oils highest in Monoterpenols are: Rose Absolute (93%), Rosewood (91%), Palmarosa (80%), Thyme ct linalol (61%), and Basil (56%)".
"The only safety consideration in this chemical family is menthol, which can irritate the skin. Menthol should be avoided on children under 5 years of age. Shelf life is 3-5 years".
INCORRECT. BOTH TEA TREE OIL AND LAVENDER (MENTIONED ABOVE) ARE KNOWN TO DEGRADE AND IT CAN BE LESS THAN ONE YEAR. BY THE TIME TEA TREE IS 3-5 YEARS OLD IT IS LIKELY TO BE A MAJOR SKIN SENSITISER. THERE ARE DOZENS OF OILS CONTAINING THIS CHEMICAL FAMILY AND IT IS PREPOSTEROUS TO GENERALISE ON THE ACTIVITY OF ANY OF THOSE.
----------------------------------------------
"Sesquiterpenols
The oils in this chemical family are considered 'base' notes, as they are physically heavier on a molecular level, and are the last notes to float out of a bottle when you are sniffing a blend. Sandalwood is 85% sesquiterpenols.
General therapeutic properties of Sesquiterpenols are:
anti-inflammatory
immune supporting
sedative
skin healing
antibacterial
antispasmodic
excellent tonic for lymph system as well as veins Ludicrous" CLASSIC BEAUTY THERAPY HYPE.
"There are no safety concerns with these oils. Shelf life is 6-8 years".
THE QUESTION OF SAFETY DEPENDS ON WHAT OTHER MOLECULES OCCUR IN A SPECIFIC OIL THAT CONTAINS SESQUITERENOLS, THE VOLUMES OF THOSE OTHER CONSTITUENTS AND HOW EASILY THEY OXIDISE.
---------------------------------------
"Esters
This chemical family is not only highly antispasmodic, but are also often:
sedative
soothing
analgesic
anti-inflammatory
and helps the body deal with stress
Some of the essential oils with the highest percentages of esters are Roman Chamomile (80%), Jasmine Absolute (52%), and Helichrysum (49%)".
INCORRECT, MANY ESSENTIAL OILS CONTAIN ESTERS. SOME OF THOSE OILS ARE KNOWN TO BE SENSITISERS SUCH AS PERU BALSAM AND TOLU BALSAM. THE LONGER THEY ARE STORED THE MORE THEY DEGRADE.
"There are only two components that are best avoided: methyl salicylate present in Birch, and sabinyl acetate present in Juniper oil. Methyl salicylate can be poisonous if used long-term on the skin, and sabinyl acetate can cause liver toxicity. Shelf life is 3-5 years". SEE ABOVE.
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"Phenols
Phenols are very active and stimulating ' an excellent choice when you want to nip an aggressive infection in the bud.
Clove Bud essential oil is 67% Phenols and is the 'poster child' of Phenols. Excellent for combating infections, but should be avoided by people on blood thinners due to its high eugenol content.
Base notes, Phenols sticking around longer and making them more apt to irritate the skin. When using high-Phenol oils, dilute well. Use no more than 5 drops per ounce of carrier oil (1% dilution), to prevent irritation on mucous membranes and skin.
Shelf life is 3 years.
Aldehydes
Aldehydes are excellent for fungal issues. Melissa, and it's near-twin, Lemongrass, are two oils right around 80% Aldehydes. Neral and geranial are two specific Aldehydes Melissa and Lemongrass sharePhenols
Phenols are very active and stimulating ' an excellent choice when you want to nip an aggressive infection in the bud.
Clove Bud essential oil is 67% Phenols and is the 'poster child' of Phenols. Excellent for combating infections, but should be avoided by people on blood thinners due to its high eugenol content.
Base notes, Phenols sticking around longer and making them more apt to irritate the skin. When using high-Phenol oils, dilute well. Use no more than 5 drops per ounce of carrier oil (1% dilution), to prevent irritation on mucous membranes and skin.
Shelf life is 3 years.
"Aldehydes
Aldehydes are excellent for fungal issues. Melissa, and it's near-twin, Lemongrass, are two oils right around 80% Aldehydes. Neral and geranial are two specific Aldehydes Melissa and Lemongrass share". GENUINE MELISSA OIL IS HUGELY VARIABLE IN COMPOSITION AND YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY GENERALISE ON ALDEHYDE CONTENT, IT DEPENDS ON WHICH VARIETY AND FROM WHERE IN THE WORLD.. GENUINE MELISSA OIL IS HUGELY VARIABLE IN COMPOSITION AND YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY GENERALISE ON ALDEHYDE CONTENT, IT DEPENDS ON WHICH VARIETY AND FROM WHERE IN THE WORLD.
Aldehydes usually have the following therapeutic properties:
anti-fungal
antibacterial
anti-inflammatory
antispasmodic
sedative
and can even reduce fever". THAT IS TOTAL FABRICATION BASED ON HERBAL MEDICINE!!!
"This is another chemical family where low dilution and short-term use is strongly recommended. Dilutions over 1% can result in skin irritation. Aldehydes are most definitely not recommended for internal use ever, even at low doses. People suffering with glaucoma or estrogen-related cancers should be particularly cautious". THERE IS NOT A SHED OF SOUND EVIDENCE FOR THIS WARNING, PARTICULARLY AS THEY SAY ABOVE "Aldehydes are most definitely not recommended for internal use ever,". THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO EVIDENCE THAT SUFFICIENT ESSENTIAL OIL CAN GET INTO THE BODY VIA EXTERNAL APPLICATION IN MASSAGE TO HAVE ANY EFFECT ON CANCERS. LEMONGRASS OIL FOR EXAMPLE IS A PERMITTED FOOD FLAVOURING.
"Aldehydes oxidize easily and have a shelf life of only 1-3 years". MORE LIKE 6 MONTHS - LEMONGRASS OIL IS NOTORIOUS FOR ITS FAST RATE OF POLYMERISATION.
"Ketones
The primary reason to choose oils from the Ketone chemical family would be for respiratory infections, as they are very effective expectorants and mycolytics. Peppermint has more ketones than most other essential oils, although Rosemary, Vetiver, and Spike Lavender have an effective amount as well.
Ketones are also generally:
analgesic
antispasmodic
rubifacient
cicatrisant
wound healing
Although Ketones do have components which are non-toxic, there are very real concerns with camphor in particular.
Pinocamphone and isopinocamphone are also neurotoxic, and these components are found in Hyssop (Hyssop officianalis).
Also found in Hyssop (Hyssop officianalis), as well as Sage, Mugwort, Thuja, and Pennyroyal are pulegone and thujone, potential abortifacients. Do not use if pregnant or around children".
SEE MY ARTICLE ON PENNYROYAL. SAGE IS ANOTHER OIL ON WHICH THE AROMATHERAPY TRADE STILL PUBLISH THEIR NONSENSE ABOUT "THUJONE". I DISMISSED THAT YEARS AGO BUT IT IS STILL TAUGHT.
"Short-term use of low dilutions (1%) is considered safe. Shelf life is 3-5 years". DOUBTFUL.
"Oxides
"The most important Oxide component is 1,8 cineole, which is wonderful for respiratory issues. 1,8 cineole stimulates mucous and activates the cilia found in the mucous membranes.
Other therapeutic properties of Oxides generally are:
antiviral
anti-fungal
antibacterial
can stimulate blood flow to the brain when inhaled"
Eucalyptus is your best choice for an Oxide high essential oil, as it contains around 80% Oxides. Rosemary and Laurel Leaf contain around 40% Oxides and are also good choices.
Although Oxides can provide relief to asthmatics, in some people it can set off an attack, and caution must be given. Other safety concerns are skin irritation due to oxidation of oils.
Oxides should be avoided on children under the age of 5. Shelf life is 1-3 years.
Ethers
Ethers have very effective antispasmodic properties.
Some popular ethers are: Anise, Fennel, Nutmeg, and Tarragon".
"Safety considerations for the Ether chemical family are high, so these are to be used preferably only when Esters don't work. These safety considerations are: liver toxicity, estrogen-like activity, neurotoxic effects, are psychotropic (influences mood and behavior, as well as affects the brain), and genotoxicity (interferes with DNA)". THIS IS ABSOLUTE GARBAGE. ANISEED AND FENNEL OILS ARE COMMON FOOD INGREDIENTS AND PERMITTED FOOD FLAVOURINGS. THE MENTIONED EFFECTS ARE FROM CASES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE DRUNK THE OIL IN EXCESS, OR FROM UNRELIABLE ANIMAL TESTS.
"Specific Ether components and the safety concerns they present are as follows:
Apiole oral doses are poisonous, and can cause an abortion in pregnant women. SURE IF ANYONE DRUNK IT.
Methyl chavicol (estragole) ' carcinogenic in rats, likely to cause cancer in humans. High percentages of estragole are found in Tarragon, Hzvozo Bark, and Tropical Basil. OUTDATED GARBAGE, THESE EFFECTS ON HUMANS WERE DISMISSED MANY YEARS AGO. BASIL OIL IS A PERMITTED FOOD FLAVOUR.
Methyl eugenol ' high doses are carcinogenic. WHAT DOES 'HIGH DOSES' MEAN?
Trans-anethole ' Avoid if pregnant or breastfeeding. This component is found in high concentrations in Anise and Fennel essential oils. BOTH PERMITTED FOOD FLAVOURINGS WITH NO CAUTIONS DURING PREGNANCY OR BREAST FEEDING. THIS IS PROBABLY AGAIN BASED ON PSEUDO CHEMISTRY. INDEED THE HORMONAL EFFECTS OF THESE OIL ARE INCONCLUSIVE AND IT IS PROBABLY BASED ON CONSUMPTION OF THE SEEDS WHICH MIGHT HAVE A HORMONAL COMPONENT NOT FOUND IN THE OIL.
"Of all chemical families, Ethers present the most serious safety issues. This is concerning because many people see the names of herbs, such as Fennel, Basil, and Nutmeg and are less concerned with dosage due to their familiarity and often frequent use of these herbs.
Excerpt taken from the e-report, Using Essential Oils Safely. FREE when you sign up for our newsletter here".
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aromamedical.org
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