I am a trained and certified aromatherapist. I was first trained in 1998 by
Jade Shutes who headed the Institute of Dynamic Aromatherapy and again in
2011 as a refresher course through
The East-West School for Herbal and Aromatic Studies. Again, headed by
Jade Shutes.
Before we get into the use of essential oils in our soaps, let's have a little chit-chat
about some of their uses and cautions.
There is a difference between
essential oils and
fragrance
oils.
Essential oils are generally made from the distillation of the actual plant
itself and are highly concentrated. Some of these essential oils can be
quite pricey due to the quantity of the plant and/or its parts needed to make the
essential oil. As an example, it takes approximately 60,000 rose petals to
produce 1 ounce of pure rose essential oil.
The molecules of essential oils are so tiny that they have the ability to
penetrate the surface of the skin and enter the bloodstream.
If you have allergies to certain plants, using the essential oil of the plant
will produce the same allergic affects.
Fragrance oils on the other hand are copied and synthetically produced.
Some fragrance oils may or may not have any of the plant material as part of the
process. Fragrance oils are a good substitute for obtaining the aromatic
results you may be looking to achieve without the high cost of the actual
essential oil. And, if you suffer from certain plant allergies, such
as ragweed or grass, fragrance
oils are a great alternative. However, there are a number of people
who suffer from alergic reactions to fragrance oils due to the ingredients
to create/re-create a particular frangrace.
The molecules of fragrance oils are not small enough to penetrate the surface of
the skin and therefore they are unable to enter the bloodstream, with the
exception of cuts or abrasions.
In regards to essential oils, there are certain precautions I do like to take. And here is one
of them.
PREGNANCY: Although some
aroma-therapists argue that a more diluted mixture of EO (essential oil) and
carrier oil is safe; I tend to error on the side of caution, and advise
against a few EOs if you are pregnant. Especially in the first and second
trimester.
The following list, includes, but is not limited to all of the herbs and
essential oils that are classified as "EMMENAGOGUES" which are herbs that
promote menstruation, usually causing it to occur either earlier or with
increased menstrual flow when it is scanty. This means it can cause the
fetus to abort in the early stages of pregnancy. You should also avoid the
following herbs if you are considering pregnancy. This caution should also
apply to large quantities of the herbs itself. When in doubt, consult your
physician.
I have listed both the common name as well as the Latin name, as all herbs are
not created equal. When working with these herbs and essential oils, look
for the Latin name.
Please don't panic when you read some of these herbs. The caution is
intended for large quantities. The amounts used in cooking is small in
comparison. But again, consult your physician with any questions or
concerns.
|
Common Name |
Latin Name |
|
Angelica |
Angelica archangelica, A. officinalis |
|
Basil* |
Ocimum basilicum |
|
Bay (Sweet) |
Laurus nobilis |
|
Calamint (Catnip) |
Calamintha clinopodium, C. grandiflora, C. officinalis, Nepeta cataria,
Satureja calamintha |
|
Caraway* |
Apium carvi, Carum carvi |
|
Cassia |
Cinnamomum aromaticum, C. cassia, Laurus cassia |
|
Cedarwood |
Juniperus virginiana |
|
Celery* |
Apium graveolens |
|
Chamomile (German & Roman) |
Matricaria chamomilla, M. recutica (German chamomile); Anthemis nobilis,
Chamaemelum nobile (Roman chamomile) |
|
Chamomile (Moroccan) |
Anthemis mixta, Ormenis mixta, O. multicaulis |
|
Cinnamon Bark & Leaf |
Cinnamomum verum, C. zeylanicum, Laurus cinnamomum |
|
Citronella |
Andropogon nardus, Cymbopogon nardus |
|
Clary Sage |
Salvia sclarea |
|
Cumin |
Cuminum cyminum, C. odorum |
|
Dill Seed & Weed |
Anethum graveolens, Fructus anethi, Peucedanum graveolens |
|
Elecampane |
Aster officinalis, Helenium grandiflorum, Inula helenium |
|
Fennel |
Anethum foeniculum, Foeniculum officinale, F. vulgare |
|
Frankincense |
Boswellia carteri, B. thurifera |
|
Galangal |
Alpinia officinarum, Languas officinarum |
|
Galbanum |
Ferula galbaniflua, F. gummosa, F. rubicaulis |
|
Ginger |
Zingiber officinale |
|
Hops |
Humulus lupulus |
|
Hyssop |
Hyssopus officinalis (Hyssop); Hyssop officinalis var. decumbens
(Hyssops decumbens) |
|
Juniper Berries |
Juniperus communis |
|
Labdanum (Cistus or Rock Rose) |
Citus ladanifer |
|
Lantana |
Lantana camara |
|
Lavandin |
Lavandula fragrans, L. hortensis, L. hybrida |
|
Lavender |
Lavandula augustifolia, L. officinalis, L. vera |
|
Lovage |
Angelica levisticum, Levisticum officinale, Ligusticum levisticum |
|
Marjoram (Spanish & Sweet) |
Thymus mastichina (Spanish); Majorana hortensis, Origanum majorana
(Sweet) |
|
Melissa (Lemon Balm) |
Melissa officinalis |
|
Mugwort* |
Artemisia vulgaris |
|
Myrrh |
Balsamodendrom myrrha, Commiphora myrrha |
|
Nutmeg |
Myristica aromata, M. fragrans, M. officinalis |
|
Oregano |
Origanum vulgare |
|
Parsley* |
Apium petroselinum, Carum petroselinum, Petroselinum hortense, P.
sativum |
|
Pennyroyal* |
Mentha pulegium |
|
Peppermint |
Mentha piperita |
|
Ravensara Anisata |
Cinnamonum camphora, Ravensara anisata |
|
Rose |
Rosa |
|
Rosemary |
Rosmarinum coronarium, R. officinalis |
|
Rue |
Ruta graveolens |
|
Sage & Sage (Spanish) |
Salvia lavanduifolia (Spanish Sage); Salvia officinalis (Sage) |
|
Santolina (Lavender Cotton) |
Lavandula taemina, Santolina chamaecyparissus |
|
Sassafras |
Sassafras albidum |
|
Savory |
Calamintha montana, Satureja montana, S. obovata (Winter savory);
Calamintha hortensis, Satureja hortensis (Summer savory) |
|
Spearmint |
Mentha spicata, M. viridis |
|
Spikenard |
Nardostachys jatamansi |
|
St. John's Wort |
Hypericum perforatum |
|
Tagetes |
Tagetes erecta, T. minuta, T. patula |
|
Tarragon |
Artemisia dracunculus |
|
Thuja (Cedar Leaf) |
Thuja occidentalis |
|
Thyme |
Thymus aestivus, T. citriodora, T. ilerdensis, T. satureiodes, T.
valentianus, T. vulgaris, T. vulgaris var. linalol, T. webbianus |
|
Vanilla |
Vanilla fragrans, V. planifolia |
|
Vetiver |
Andropogon muricatus, Vetiveria zizanoides |
|
Wintergreen |
Gaultheria procumbens |
|
Wormwood" |
Artemisia absinthium |
|
Yarrow* |
Achillea millefolium |
Vegetable Oils and Butters
|
Carrot |
Daucus carota |
|
Cotton Seed* |
The oil should be considered unsafe for consumption or skin use.
The seed, stem, and root of the plant produces a substance called
Gossypol, which suppresses sperm production in men. It has been
used as an anti-fertility agent in China. Twelve months after
discontinuing the intake of Gossypol, more than 50% of the males still
showed a sperm count of zero. Female animals are also affected by
having aborted pregnancies. (Huang, Kee Chang. The
Pharmacology of Chinese Herbs. CRC Press, 1993. p. 255) |
Infused Oils
|
Aloe Vera |
Aloe barbadensis, A. vera |
|
Calendula Marigold) |
Calendula officinalis |
*These herbs are also classified as abortifacients: They may cause a pregnancy
to end prematurely or causes a non-surgical abortion. During the first five weeks of
pregnancy they act to block the action of progesterone so that the uterus
sloughs off the embryo.
Abortifacients are strong, powerful herbs and should only be used for short
periods of time. They are hard on certain body organs such as the liver and
kidneys if used for prolonged periods of time.
Essential oils should never been taken internally. You know the drill!
Consult your physician for advise.
Please feel free to copy this information. However, I ask that you give
credit to this website! Although it took quite some
time to accumulate it, I wish to educate people, especially women, on the uses
of essential oils and herbs.