Essential Oils: what works? what doesn’t?

“It’s like these [essential oil] companies are just interested in selling essential oils [instead of safety]”

— a mammy in my inbox a few months ago.

Um, yes. Excellent point. Alternative medicine is a very profitable industry, estimated globally to be worth trillions.

So, let’s talk safety and essential oils. Especially around children. Poisoning of children from essential oils are being seen in emergency departments in UK, Ireland, US, and Australia.

Common misconceptions is that essential oils are harmless because they are “natural” and have been used for a long time.

In some cases, that is simply not true.

Remember, unlike medication, they are not subject to same strict purity and safety regulations that apply to other products. Even though few have been tested like medicines, people swallow them, rub them on their skin, and put into children’s vaporizers. Side effects include: Rashes/irritation or allergic reactions if used on the skin. Many can be poisonous if absorbed through the skin or swallowed, especially by children.

Here’s a few safety facts about some of the common essential oils.

1. It should go without saying that you should avoid essential oils on a infant less than 3 months of age.
2. Always keep them out of reach of children, like chemicals or medications.
3. Do not ingest an oil unless the package indicates that it is sold and prepared for that purpose, no matter what you Google’d.
4. Do not use an oil as a skin preparation unless the package indicates that it is sold and prepared for that purpose, no matter what you Google’d.
5. If you child ingests an oil, call National Poisons Information Centre, Ireland. If your child is unwell, ring 999/take child to ED. Bring any and all packaging with you.
6. If your child spills an oil on themselves, rinse with plenty of water. If concerned, try ringing GP on call. If child acutely unwell or has chemical burns, ring 999/bring to ED. Bring all packaging with you.

What facts should you know about some commonly used oils?

EVENING PRIMROSE oil: Sometimes used by doctors for chronic breast pain or diabetic nerve pain. Not safe in pregnancy. Can cause stomach upset, headache, and interfere with clotting in people who are taking warfarin.
PEPPERMINT oil is used for gastrointestinal discomfort/indigestion; it’s widely recommended by doctors, including myself! Colpermin is a trusted preparation available in chemists. But some alternatives, like, pennyroyal oil can be poisonous to the liver.
WINTERGREEN oil is used in some over-the-counter skin preparations to relieve pain — but swallowing oil of wintergreen is poisonous and can be fatal.
TEA TREE OIL is used for some skin conditions – but is poisonous if swallowed. Has potential for severe skin irritation at high concentrations. While it has real benefits, these actual benefits are very much exaggerated by the industry. It does not kill lice, despite the urban myth. If choosing to use it as a lice repellent (unproven), it should not replace weekly detection combing as a method of prevention.
NUTMEG: hallucinations and coma at excessive doses.
EUCALYPTUS is used for its soothing effects when inhaled but swallowed, eucalyptus oil can cause seizures. Avoid use in under 3 months of age.
SAGE oil has been used as a scent, seasoning, and remedy but swallowing more than a very small amount has caused seizures in children.
CAMPHOR oil is used in skin preparations for muscle pain/ache or inhalations for ingestion. Even a small amount of camphor is dangerous if swallowed. Seizures can begin within only a few minutes. Camphor poisoning also occurred when skin preparations containing camphor were applied repeatedly on children – more frequently than the label recommended and/or covered up with extra clothing. Pregnant women should not use camphor oil, even on skin.
CLOVE oil: large ingestions can have liver poisoning just like a paracetamol overdose
FENNEL oil: Nausea, vomiting, seizure, breathing problems.
GERANIUM oil: lip swelling.
LAVENDER oil: Very useful for insomnia and anxiety in aromatherapy. Recommended by docs for that purpose. However, rashes (skin) if you are sensitive and will cause drowsiness/gait disturbance if swallowed.
LEMON MYRTLE: Skin irritation and ulcers.
THUJA or WORMWOOD oil: Acidosis, acute renal failure, respiratory acidosis, rhabdomyolysis, visual alterations, delirium, restlessness, paranoia, tremor, and seizures.
GARLIC oil: chemical burn on skin. That’s not in the literature. Professional experience. Either raw garlic/garlic oil – don’t put it on your face (or vulva). Won’t treat the toothache or thrush, but will get you seen quickly by a doc in ED. 

What about essential oil “flu bombs”?
These are internet recipes, usually composed mostly of essential oils, that go viral on YouTube. There is almost a culture of making disgusting cocktails and sharing on social media, the worst the better. Some sort of “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” type of thinking, maybe. Iron stomachs, aside, it’s not always safe. Deaths of children in the US from essential oil poisoning has STILL not been enough to convince people that the practice of giving your child unregulated plant extracts is dangerous.

Best protection against the flu? Your #flushot. There is still time to #flubeforeboo. Full stop. Everyone over 6 months, with rare exception, can have it. It’s still #yourbestshot.

No complementary health approach has been shown to be helpful for the flu. What has been formally studied and found to not work for flu?
●Let’s start at top: antibiotics. Colds and flus are viral. Antibiotics won’t help.
●Ginger. Works for nausea/vomiting, not much else.
●American ginseng (doesn’t work for cold or flu and can interact with warfarin)
●Chinese herbal medicines
●Echinacea (doesn’t work for cold or flu but can cause rashes in children or allergic reactions in people with certain pollen allergies/hayfever)
●Elderberry
●Green tea
●Garlic (doesn’t work and can interact with warfarin and HIV drugs)
●Oscillococcinum
●Vitamin C – 29 studies involving more than 11,000 people found taking vitamin C found that it doesn’t prevent colds and shortens colds only slightly in average people. Taking vitamin C only after you start to feel cold symptoms doesn’t affect the cold at all. Vitamin C does seem to reduce the number of colds in people exposed to short periods of extreme physical stress such as marathon runners. Taking too much vitamin C can cause diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps. Don’t take Vitamin C supplements without talking to your doctor first if you have haemochromatosis, or are on chemotherapy or cholesterol medications.
●Frankincense, oregano, thyme oils – Ingested frankincense oil can cause side effects of nausea, stomach pain, and diarrhoea.
●Excessive amount of Vitamin D. Good Vitamin D intake is essential for overall health, and often overlooked. Has a small but important role in supporting overall immune system but especially bone health. Ask your registered pharmacist to recommend a vitamin D supplement for your child (not all preparations sold have recommended amount of vitamin D)