12 Safety Rules for Essential Oils
(The Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple, by David Stewart. Page 486) 1. Keep them out of reach of children. Consider them as you would any therapeutic product in your home. 2. Keep a bottle of carrier oil handy (olive, coconut, jojoba, etc). It will dilute an essential oil and slow down its rate of absorption if there should be any discomfort or skin irritation. 3. People with sensitive skin can use a patch test to determine if they would react to a particular oil. It is generally safe to apply essential oils to the soles of the feet even for people with sensitive skin. 4. Pregnant women should consult their health care professional before using essential oils. Oils with hormonal qualities should probably be avoided. EO with hormonal benefits – fennel, anise, sage, clary sage, blue tansy, tarragon, niaouli, cypress, myrtle, wild tansy, chamazulene (found in blue tansy), helichrysum & German chamomile. Taken from page 413 of The Chemistry of Essential Oils Made E