I decided to place my current essential oil videos here in one neatly packaged blog for you! If you have any questions for requests for future ones, feel free to shout!
This is my most recent video, regarding putting essential oils on ticks to get them to release their hold on you. The short version is DON’T DO IT. Click below for the longer version…
Next up is the use of anti-germ blends. You can use them safely and effectively…but it is not like you think! Watch to learn more!
What aromatherapy is…and what it’s not. Whaaaaa? Watch below to see what I mean!
This one is a biggie……essential oils in the bath..what is the proper way????
Lastly (for now)…when it comes to essential oil safety, at times people can try to barrel roll over you to get their point across….that does not help anyone..because no one can hear you when you are mean!
Like so many practices in life I encourage you to become educated on the proper use of essential oils. When using them, please do so cautiously, understanding that there is often misinformation on the internet. You can be assured that I support only educated and proven resources. While essential oils should not be feared they should be respected and used properly to ensure the safety of the individuals using them.
Please note that I am not a medical practitioner. The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical advice. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem, promptly contact your professional healthcare provider. By using this website, you assume full responsibility and liability for your own actions.
Aromatherapy, Not Always or Never, Not Black and White II. What do I mean by that? A quick visit to social media groups can leave you dizzy with information, some of it is erroneous; hearing statements like never use on babies, never take internally, and always dilute are commonplace.
There are times when scientific facts are misunderstood, taken out of context, and times where being overly conservative comes as a result of learning information that may instill fear or uncertainty, especially on the Internet and social media. And while it is true that we should all (myself included) work from a space of education, knowledge, experience, and comfort level, knowing the facts is equally important.
Aromatherapy would not be where it is today if it were not for what some call vintage aromatherapists, those that have been in the field for decades. Were vintage aromatherapists practicing aromatherapy differently than it is today? That is a big question, not a simple yes or no answer. One thing we do know, there are absolute differences in the realm of safety, as we simply did not know then what we know now. Just as in the allopathic model of medicine, new technologies and advances are constantly being made. Doctors consistently need to keep current on their education in order to not be left behind by the up and coming who are learning the latest and the greatest. It is equally important to keep learning and evolving in our education and our practice, learning never stops.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I have deep heartfelt gratitude for every vintage aromatherapist out there. I relish in the various views and outlooks within aromatherapy. Their breadth and depth are truly awe-inspiring.
I have seen people treated unfavorably in the past as well as recently for their efforts. Just as we should not discredit a vintage aromatherapist who may have done some things differently 20 years ago, we should not discredit someone making a valiant effort to learn aromatherapy as it is today.
But hang in here with me to this very important point:
“You should not make up your own rules because you are not in the know about something” OR “Not be willing to be open with how things are constantly changing.”
Facebook is not the place to go for an aromatherapy education or consult. I do not want to rock the boat here, but there are some who are uneducated/undereducated giving incorrect advice. There are also some who have varying levels of education giving the same said advice, and others still who are making up their own rules. If you really want to know about aromatherapy: use, safety, esoterics, energetics..all of it….you must apply yourself to gain that knowledge. A home user should work within their realm of experience, as should a new student, an experienced clinical aromatherapist, and so on and so forth; but the “recommendations” or “facts” do not change.
There are plenty of myths being perpetuated, widely varied levels of education, and many opinions out there. If there is one thing that we do know, it is that aromatherapy is a holistic modality, case by case basis, risk vs benefit, beautiful in all of its many facets, therefore will never be a one size fits all. It simply will never be “never take internally”, “never use oils on babies”, “always dilute” and my favorite “there’s an oil for that”. But we can say “not recommended for the essential oil enthusiast or home user”, “not recommended unless you work with a professional”, “not recommended without further education” or something of the like.
Even the big guns will tell you, and they often do, that the guidelines are just that, guidelines. Recommendations. A starting point. You MUST do your own research and obtain your own education beyond this.
I want to assure you, for those that are not familiar with my work, my niche, I am big on safety. I have also stepped up my education and will continue to do so in order to know as much as I can. My bookshelves are heavy. I am humble in knowing there will always be more to know. I try to always take the stance of “Yes you can use do X, but you really need to know how, when, and where it is appropriate”. I will not use the words always or never. I will also not give these types of details on Facebook. I will continue to do my best to keep essential oil enthusiasts safe, that is very important to me, but what you see me say and do on Facebook is not necessarily what I would be saying/covering one on one. Why is that? In regards to Facebook…I do not know your medical history, if you are taking medications, your constitution, or even your likes and dislikes. Not the place for a consult. What I don’t do is change the “recommendation” at the basic level. I answer dozens of questions in private every single day, and I can truly say I consider it a blessing to be able to help as many as I do. If I can help even one person a day, then one step at a time, I am living my why.
BEFORE YOU GO! Remember to sign up for my FREE Facebook group! Hang out with me and THOUSANDS of other Essential Oil lovers looking to learn, click on to join Real Essential Oil Education Group!
Check out my FREE offer below!
Like so many practices in life I encourage you to become educated on the proper use of essential oils. When using them, please do so cautiously, understanding that there is often misinformation on the internet. You can be assured that I support only educated and proven resources. While essential oils should not be feared they should be respected and used properly to ensure the safety of the individuals using them.
Please note that I am not a medical practitioner. The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical advice. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem, promptly contact your professional healthcare provider. By using this website, you assume full responsibility and liability for your own actions.
When you receive health advice on the Internet, on social media, or even in your social circles, do you question it? Do you check its validity as well as its safety for you? For your children? For your loved ones and even your furry friends?
There are a few things that you need to consider:
1-Is the information accurate? Has it been properly vetted to be sure?
2-Is is safe? Have you checked multiple sources?
3-The information may have worked for that person, do you have medical conditions that they don’t? How about medications, are you taking any medication that may conflict?
In the aromatherapy industry, as well as the herbal industry, advice can be given based on a testimonial. This word, “testimonial”, has become quite a trigger word. Please do not take advice based on “it worked great for me”, or my favorite, “I have been doing it for years and nothing bad has happened to me”. How do they know that exactly? What qualifies them to give that advice? Is a testimonial based on scientific factors or even education? Of course not.
Today I would like to talk about something that happens quite often in the aromatherapy industry, and that is comparing the therapeutic qualities and more importantly the safety of an herb compared to its essential oil counterpart.
An administrator of a Facebook group contacted me today to field a comment/bad advice that was given on a thread in her group as she has done dozens of times before. The comment was given on this very question verbatim:
“Any suggestions to up Mama’s milk supply? Thanks in advance”.
This type of question for starters can be tricky all in itself. What is the health of the mother? Any medical issues? Taking any medications? Was the baby full term? Does baby have any issues? …….The comment that threw off the administrator, and rightly so was:
“Fennel essential oil rubbed above the breast”.
Fennel Foeniculum vulgare Essential Oil During Breastfeeding
First and foremost, fennel essential oil is contraindicated during pregnancy as well as lactation. To be clear, according to the Merriam Webster dictionary, a contraindication is: “something (such as a symptom or condition) that makes a particular treatment or procedure inadvisable” (1). Fennel essential oil, specifically the constituent (E)-anethole, is a known hormonal modulator (2). This is essentially a substance that regulates the hormones of the body. Why is this an issue? Much of our body relies on an extremely precise conversation between the central nervous system (CNS) and hormones.
Hormones regulate essentially all body functions, for the purposes of this article I will focus on reproductive functions.
Hormonal changes associated with our moon cycle may bring about the following temporary conditions: tender nipples, irritability, unsettled feeling, or increased moodiness in mother, headaches (often associated with PMS), a slight dip in milk supply (usually not a big problem), slight change in taste of mother’s milk, (depends on the nursling whether or not this will cause an aversion to nursing), and the hormone prolactin that is responsible for mother’s letdown and overall production of milk, enabling her to feed her nursling (3).
You can compare this hormonal modulation to the birth control pill. Doctors will not place you on a birth control pill containing estrogen as a newly lactating mother, simply because of the altering of hormones. An OB/GYN doctor will typically prescribe a progesterone only pill, or recommend waiting all-together, as there are so many unknowns involved during this time. I speak from experience in these areas. Any mother that is sensitive to a shift in hormones due to specific cancers, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids can be placed under higher risk here (4).
Robert Tisserand stated in his recent book, Essential Oil Safety 2e (2014), that fennel essential oil may also be carcinogenic based on its estragole content (fennel contains up to 5% estragole) See noted pages below for your review (5).
Whether or not fennel essential oil even has the capability to increase milk production is a moot point, as safety or in this case lack of safety for mom and baby, outweigh any possible, potential benefit.
What About Fennel The Herb?
Fennel, the herbal counterpart, appears to carry with it a certain amount of risk as well. According to WebMD:
“during breast-feeding, fennel is POSSIBLY UNSAFE. It’s been reported that two breast-feeding infants experienced damage to their nervous systems after their mothers drank an herbal tea that contained fennel”.
Is this a stretch? Possibly..maybe…(6)
WebMD also states that fennel IS likely safe when consumed in amounts found in food (7). So keep in mind, when consuming fennel herb to increase milk supply, it can be in amounts found larger than what one would consume in food.
They go on to further say avoid fennel in these instances:
“Bleeding disorders: Fennel might slow blood clotting. Taking fennel might increase the risk of bleeding or bruising in people with bleeding disorders. Hormone-sensitive conditions such as breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids: Fennel might act like estrogen. If you have any condition that might be made worse by exposure to estrogen, do not use fennel” (8).
In Closing
I felt that it was important to address this topic in more detail as it is shared so easily without much understanding of the safety issues involved. It is recommended to avoid fennel essential oil during pregnancy and lactation, and utilize caution with the herb in levels more than what would typically be consumed in food. Congratulations to all mom’s out there embarking on a beautiful time with your new little bundle of joy. Stay tuned for future articles on what IS considered a safe way to increase mothers milk. Until then, stay safe!
References
(1) (5) Tisserand, R., Young, R., Essential Oil Safety2e (2014) (p277-278)
(2) Definition of a contraindication: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contraindication
BEFORE YOU GO! Remember to sign up for my FREE Facebook group! Hang out with me and THOUSANDS of other Essential Oil lovers looking to learn, click on to join Real Essential Oil Education Group!
Check out my FREE offer below!
Like so many practices in life I encourage you to become educated on the proper use of essential oils. When using them, please do so cautiously, understanding that there is often misinformation on the internet. You can be assured that I support only educated and proven resources. While essential oils should not be feared they should be respected and used properly to ensure the safety of the individuals using them.
Please note that I am not a medical practitioner. The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical advice. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem, promptly contact your professional healthcare provider. By using this website, you assume full responsibility and liability for your own actions.
Welcome to podcast #3, “Why I am so passionate about what I do”…… This podcast is intended to let you see a piece of my world….and share with you my hopes for the future of the aromatherapy industry.
If you want to learn more about safety, you can purchase my new book Essential Oils…safe use for the home, in two places. Look above ^^^ under the “Products for Sale” link. For just $12 you can get a personalized signed copy shipped directly to you. You can also purchase on Amazon here, available in paperback and Kindle.
Please note that I am not a medical practitioner. The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical advice. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem, promptly contact your professional healthcare provider. By using this website, you assume full responsibility and liability for your own actions.
Why I Refrain From Sharing Therapeutic Essential Oil Blends. I bet that title got your attention. There are a couple reasons why I do not list therapeutic essential oil blends/formulations in a blog. You could do a simple Google search such as “essential oils for allergies” and you will find many posts, memes, pins, etc, on how to “treat” your allergies. The issue here is multifaceted, the first being that many of the recommendations would not be effective. Another is the method of use (recommending oil in a capsule) is not the most effective or safe for allergies. Lastly, more often times than not basic safety is not covered when these blends are shared, possible contraindications listed or even safe diluting advice given.
Why I Refrain From Sharing Therapeutic Essential Oil Blends
So you may be thinking, if I know all of this information, why am I avoiding sharing therapeutic essential oil blends for the general public? Up to this point, I have taken the path of education, talking about proper use, scientific facts, and touching a little bit on chemistry.
The main reason that I do not share therapeutic essential oil blends/formulations online is the fact that everyone is different. Sure, essential oils have basic therapeutic properties that cross the board for most everyone. BUT if my neighbor, you, or I had bronchitis and needed some help with a few days of suppositories, it is more than likely that we will all have a different formulation based on medical conditions, medications, age, weight, and basic constitution. The same would apply if I made an allergy inhaler, blend for a nebulizer, or steam tent. This would likely require three different blends based on many of these things with the addition of likes and dislikes where aromatics are concerned.
What Is A Contraindication?
Many essential oils come with what are called contraindications. These are specific instances when an oil should not be used because it might be harmful, for example, anyone with a history of seizures, asthma, blood clotting disorders, taking certain medications or are pregnant or nursing to name a few. There are certain oils not recommended for children for various reasons. Some oils increase the risk of skin irritation when applied topically (more so for those with sensitive skin), while other oils are phototoxic.
This slowly begins to paint a picture as to why sharing essential oil therapeutic blends can be an issue.
When Things Backfire
As an aromatherapy educator and someone who is present in social media, I have seen more essential oil “accidents” then I care to think about.
-A woman contacted me with chemical burns on her mouth and chin from the application of diluted cinnamon and clove to a cold sore. The burns lasted a couple weeks and were extremely painful and slow healing with continual cracking of the skin.
-I have had a panicked mom in the ER contact me as her daughter was covered in hives and patchy red sores/blisters from a one-time application of a blend to her chest for a cough.
-I have had a mom contact me panicked that her child was listless after a nap where a recommended blend from Pinterest was recommended for peaceful sleep.
There are many others, but I listed these three as they were the ones that were really upsetting to the individuals affected. Luckily, all three cases recovered nicely and are ok today.
Do I Give Advice?
Am I willing to give advice to others on social media or over the phone? I am willing, at times, to do so privately if I feel the situation warrants it, although I tend to stick to the facts surrounding safety in all things. Before I do this I ask proper questions such as: Do you have any medical condition I need to be aware of? Are you taking any medications? What is your overall health like? Do you have sensitivities? Do you have allergies? Depending on the possible recommendation I ask: Do you have any small children in the home? Do you own pets?
I also run a very large Facebook group, where I get questions daily. I answer those to the best of my ability, but always state to do additional research, as that is really important.
There is much to be considered.
Aromatherapists Responsibility
As a trained aromatherapist, I took an oath of “do no harm”. First and foremost, my thoughts are on keeping you safe. If you follow my FB page, you may have made note of something special that I add to posts when I share something that is written by others that contain a recommendation within, whether it is for an herb or sometimes, rarely an oil or oil blend. It reads something like this:
**Make note, as I do not know your medical history please do your own research before following the recommendations within.
At the very least, this is appropriate.
It is also the responsibility of the professional aromatherapist to understand that we are not to treat medical conditions. “Diagnose, prescribe, or treat” are things we should not and do not do. What we should do is look at the whole body, the whole person. We work to restore homeostasis by addressing the whole body, in all it fabulous layers and complexities.
This quote addresses this aspect quite nicely:
“To reach the individual we need an individual remedy. Each of us is a unique message. It is only the unique remedy that will suffice”.- Madame Marguerite Maury
Madame Marguerite Maury (1895-1968) was an Austrian born biochemist who became interested in what was to become aromatherapy. Look again at the years of her life…have we veered too far from her quote and lost the true art of aromatherapy? She was a very wise woman indeed.
What Can Be Done
Let’s take a brief look at what I consider to be beginner’s blends. These are very basic blends that do not carry with them cautions or contraindications. Essential oils that when used are safe for everyone. I do share these at times. These do not address specific ailments. As a professional, if I can assist in helping to get essential oil enthusiasts feet wet using the oils in a safe manner, I have done a great service to our community as a whole. Everyone starts at the beginning. This is very different than a more complex blend that is specific to the individual. Two different uses, if you will. These very basic beginner’s blends may not affect everyone in the same way but do help to see which oils complement each other, as well as the basic use of the oil. The more therapeutic use of essential oils needs to be recommended after a one on one consultation with an experienced aromatherapist.
Take A Step Back
There are plenty of responsible aromatherapists with years and years of experience out there that have written blogs, books, and more that do list recipes/formulations for potential ailments. I own and recommend many of these books to my readers/clients. Every professional in the field works from their own level of education and experience, no two of us are alike, and I see this as a beautiful thing. I have a deep respect for everyone and their views, this is what makes us unique.
I have a large following of friends, family, and acquaintances that reach out to me to make sure what they are doing is appropriate. There are, however, much more out there who are not utilizing proper information, as there is so much of it out there it can be difficult to determine what is factual and what is misguided opinion.
What You Should Look For
The best that you can do as a home user is to do your own research. If you are reading blogs they should have plenty of resources and references for you to dig deeper. If you come across an article giving recommendations with no references to speak of, I would keep looking.
Other Things To Consider
Is the publication recent?
Is the author respected “in the field”? In the field is an important piece as many health guru’s have moved over to the essential oil industry without the proper education to back them or their recommendations up.
This is my take on sharing them more therapeutic essential oil recipes/formulations, and why up until now have decided not to do so.
To your health! <3
Like so many practices in life I encourage you to become educated on the proper use of essential oils. When using them, please do so cautiously, understanding that there is often misinformation on the internet. You can be assured that I support only educated and proven resources. While essential oils should not be feared they should be respected and used properly to ensure the safety of the individuals using them.
Please note that I am not a medical practitioner. The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical advice. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem, promptly contact your professional healthcare provider. By using this website, you assume full responsibility and liability for your own actions.
