Aromatherapy Safety
Here are some of the best practices with essential oils & aromatherapy:
Do not ingest: we should never swallow essential oils. Please contact Poison Control Centre immediately if swallowed.
Never apply directly to the skin: directly applying essential oils to your skin could cause irritation or damage to your skin, such as dermatitis, redness, itchiness, or dryness.
Eyes, nose, and ears: keep essential oils away from your eyes, nose, and ears. If contact occurs, avoid diluting with water as this can cause further irritation. It is recommended to use a carrier oil like coconut or jojoba to dilute.
Safe storage: store your essential oils tightly closed and away from children.
Children: for children or infants please talk to your doctor or paediatrician before introducing aromatherapy. Aromatherapy oils have many benefits but used incorrectly can be harmful and even dangerous. If you would like to use essential oils with your children, use the minimum amount as less is more. Most common essential oils used and recommended for children include lavender, citrus, and ginger. Avoid eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary, and sage as these oils are considered potent.
Pregnancy: it is important to choose your essential oils with caution. Common essential oils to avoid during pregnancy include:
aniseed, basil, birch, camphor, carrot seed, cassia, cinnamon, clary sage, fennel, parsley, pennyroyal, peppermint, rosemary, rue, sage, tansy, thyme, wintergreen
Pets: we do not recommend using essential oils around yours pets. If you think your pet has ingested or been exposed to a poisonous substance, contact your veterinarian or pet poison control right away.
If you choose to practice aromatherapy around your pets, here is a guideline of what to avoid:
tea tree, basil, bergamot, cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, geranium, juniper, lavender, lemongrass, lemon, lime, mint, myrrh, orange, pine, rose, rosemary, sandalwood, sassafras, tarragon, thyme, wormwood, ylang ylang