Using Essential Oils safely – a guide to share - Think Tree Hub : Think Tree Hub

Jane Lawson

There have been so many alarming reports of the public self-prescribing essential oils – so do feel free to share Jane Lawson’s guide for using essential oils safely, please do credit her. Jane is a veteran English aromatherapist, practising for over 25 years, who runs a school in Cheltenham.

1. Never use essential oils undiluted on the skin or in your bath, unless under the strict supervision of a qualified therapist. Dilute!
2. Never use any essential oil on a baby or child of any age without consulting a qualified Aromatherapist. You could seriously harm your child. There are very strict guidelines, dosage and application for children and babies.
3. Never follow social media, online blends or recipes, or those in books, unless they also give you the contraindications to use.
4. Never ingest essential oils unless under the strictest guidelines from a Clinical Aromatherapist (UK), or an Aromatherapist who has studied Aromatic Medicine (other countries) who has studied the ingestion of EO’s.
5. Never diffuse or vaporise essential oils in public places or in your home unless the oil has absolutely no contraindications and is safe for not only the adults who will come into contact, but children and pets too.
6. Unless under the instruction of an Aromatherapist, never keep using the same EO or blend of essential oils because “I like the smell”. You are in danger of sensitisation from which there is no known cure or recovery, and the ramifications to your overall well-being could be very serious.
7. When buying pre-blended ‘aromatherapy’ products, read the small print. It might contain oils that are not suitable for you, contain preservatives, and long term use can cause sensitisation. Always rotate your essential oils and products containing essential oils.
8. Always treat your essential oils as ‘medicines’. Keep them away from children.
9. Essential Oils have a ‘shelf life’ like anything else. Oxidisation is the main culprit. Once oxidised, essential oils are classified as hazardous in the industry, which includes just smelling them.
10. Finally, always get your essential oils from a reputable supplier, that supplies oils to aromatherapists, or ask your therapist if you can buy from them personally. These almost always offer better value.

In the UK, look for members of the Aromatherapy Trade Council, (https://www.a-t-c.org.uk/). The Aromatherapy Trade Council, the UK trade body for essential oils and is the authority on aromatherapy legislation

The ATC publishes guidelines that are an invaluable source of information for those setting up a retail aromatherapy business. They are also an excellent reference source for training schools and colleges need to include such information in their training programmes.