Essential oils are becoming more and more popular. There is so much information out there that it can become very confusing, so I thought it best to speak to someone who knows what they are talking about!
Gillian Parkinson is a certified Clinical Aromascience Practitioner (NZQA, IFPA). She uses essential oils for health & wellbeing, she has been in practice for almost 7 years, 2 websites where she makes and ships her products worldwide. She is known for her TINKture Tattoo Aftercare & Le’Esscience products. Gillian is passionate about educating people about the safe and effective use of essential oils.
First question, what is an essential oil?
The essential oil is the volatile liquid that is extracted from a plant. That volatile liquid is full of chemical constituents such as esters, acids, ketones & sesquiterpenes, to name a few, then they are broken down even more chemicals, cineole’s, limonene, linalool & bergaptene – to name a very few!
From these chemical constituents, Dr’s and professionals in the Aromatherapy industry, such as Robert Tisserand, can analyse the essential oil and find the fantastic healing properties each essential oil have. These are and not limited to, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antibacterial, cell regenerator and so many more. It has been scientifically proven that once applied topically (safely diluted), the chemicals are in the blood stream within 2 minutes and central nervous system within 15 minutes. They have a cumulative effect, the longer you use essential oil blends (if long term is necessary), the better they get!
How would you recommend using essential oils?
The safest ways to use essential oils are by topical application (never neat, must always be diluted in a plant based carrier oil and never, ever ingest, ever!) or various via inhalation methods (vaporisers, drops on a tissue, steam inhalations, inhaling from the bottle).
Unfortunately, there is a growing trend to ingest essential oils via adding drops to water (please do NOT do this, it is NOT safe) and using neat on the skin. These trends have grown just in the last 3 to 4 years, from USA based multi-level marketing companies and their unqualified resellers. Their marketing patter is “our oils are the highest quality in the world, so it’s safe to ingest & use neat”.
This is simply not true, it is in fact, potentially very dangerous. Any qualified practitioner would never recommend these methods as they are so unsafe. Ingesting can cause damage to the mouth, stomach, gut flora, burn mucous membranes, damage the liver and kidneys. Using neat on the skin can cause nasty reactions, rashes, even burn the skin. The safest and most effective way to use essential oils is under the guidance of a qualified (certified through a professional organisation) essential oil practitioner (QEOP).
Why do I need to speak to a qualified practitioner, there is so much information on Google!
That is the problem! There is TOO much information and a lot of it is misinformation or information that has been misunderstood and reported in an incorrect way. For example, there was an article going around that using lavender on boys will cause the growth of breasts – this is NOT true, unless you used a bucket of lavender on the boy every day over a long period of time and obviously that is not going to happen.
Recently there has been posts about not using Eucalyptus on babies & children, certain botanical species yes! Like Eucalyptus Radiata, citriodora, dives & polybractea – some of these Eucalyptus’s are SO strong you can get tar off concrete! They are skin irritants, difficult for the kidneys to eliminate, overdose can cause muscular weakness, nausea & vomiting – this is due to the different levels of chemicals in these species, higher in ketones & other chemicals, so NO, don’t use on children, or even adults! But Eucalyptus Globulus, known as Blue Gum and Eucalyptus Smithii, known as Gully Gum are beautiful, very gentle but very effective. Still only ever use as directed, 1 or 2 drops only for babies (again never neat on the skin, always diluted), 3 or 4 drops only in a vaporiser.
QEOP’s have learned about the different species of plants, the chemical components, the hazardous essential oils, the correct dilution rates for specific conditions, which essential oil is best to blend with other essential oils (using one on its own is effective, blending correctly with others, they become a powerhouse). A QEOP also knows the contraindications of essential oils, what to avoid during pregnancy, if you suffer health conditions, what you can use and what you must avoid using on babies, toddlers & children. They will also make these products up for you so you are not taking any risks, you are not going through a ‘trial & error’ period, you are likely to get better results, faster, when consulting a QEOP. Most QEOP’s products too are cheaper than those sold my MLM resellers, QEOP’s are motivated by helping people (I am deeply passionate & motivated by this) and not the $$. I have so many returning and long term clients due to the effectiveness of my products & the help and advice that I give.
Is using a vaporiser effective enough?
Vaporisers can be very effective for certain ailments, killing airborne bacteria, creating a calm, relaxing atmosphere, helping with sleep, assisting in keeping airways clear with coughs and colds.
Vaporisers should never be used longer than 2-3 hours in babies / toddlers / children’s bedrooms (small rooms) – a build-up of the chemicals from the essential oils can be too much for their little systems (this is the easiest way to explain it).
However, there are other methods that can be just as, if not more effective. Correctly diluted blends applied to the skin can help a multitude of conditions. Anxiety, stress, depression, wound healing, skin conditions, sleep, aches & pains, PMT, PND, generally balancing hormones – used daily (or as directed) can have create a significant improvement in these conditions. You can use combinations of inhalation and applying topically for times of acute conditions.
Wow, there seems so much to essential oils!
Yes, there is – I studied for 2 years, did more than 700 hours doing case studies, sat exams, was mentored to gain my qualification which I’m immensely proud of. The use of essential oils can be so effective (if used as directed) for so many non-life threatening conditions! I have 4 granddaughters and they have all grown up with essential oils, they sleep beautifully and are pretty calm, relaxed kids.
Essential oils that can be safely used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner for babies & children – essential oils that can be used with babies under 3 months old are limited to Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Mandarin and Gully Gum.
The below list are essential oils which are safe for babies 3 months + and children to age 2 (more varieties of essential oils can be added to this list for children over the age of 2).
Cedarwood
Roman Chamomile
German Chamomile
Cypress
Frankincense
Geranium
Ginger
Gully Gum (Eucalyptus Smithii)
Blue Gum (Eucalyptus Globulus 3mnths+)
Lavender (Lavendula Angustifolia)
Marjoram (Sweet)
Rosemary
Rose Otto
Rosewood
Sandalwood
Tea Tree
Fragonia
Thyme (sweet)
Ylang Ylang
Bergamot
Lemon
Mandarin
Orange
Spearmint
If anyone has any concerns or questions, can they contact you? Absolutely, I can be reached by calling 027 6000 289 or emailing [email protected]
