Sensitization ** II

[Guest guest]

Hi y'all,

 

If you're not tired of hearing about sensitization yet .. then I've not

done what I set out to do. It is a very important subject and I believe

that pushing the facts is worth the effort. Even those who are tired of

hearing about it will not forget it. ;-)

 

Extracts from a post I made to another list years back. It has been

slightly modified in order to make points more clear.

 

Someone wrote:

>>Hope this helps. I am aware of sensitization issues, and would not

>>post a formula that I thought might harm someone. I've used this

>>formula for years on myself and my family and friends, and no one

>>has ever had sensitization issues from it.

 

Considering the list of oils listed in your formula .. lots of folks

have been very lucky. Some of those oils are known to be sensitizing

oils .. so odds are that luck will not continue to protect some of those

folks in the future.

 

There are no signs we can look for that will alert us to the fact that

the immune system might be deciding to kick in and go haywire in an

attempt to protect the body. What we can do is pay attention to the

scientifically tested safe percentages shown in the Plant Aromatics

Safety Manual .. http://www.av-at.com/plantaromaticsavnp.html .. and we

can avoid frequent use of oils over large areas of the skin - and we can

cross our fingers and hope for the best.

 

>>I always check to be sure new users don't have sensitization to

>>these ingredients before I apply it or have them apply it.

 

Problem with the above is that new users often don't know they have been

set up (previously) for sensitization .. and in some cases they are not

yet sensitized .. but might become so soon .. or maybe later. And

though the use of patch testing is better than nothing .. it can not

alert us to sensitization issues UNLESS a person had previously become

sensitized to a chemical or combination of chemicals in the oil .. or

in some other substance. Patch testing can tell us if the agent applied

will cause irritation .. but irritation is not a big deal in that it

goes away shortly after the irritant is removed .. this is not the case

for sensitization .. its almost (with some exceptions) something that

will stick with us for life .. and can cause us to have to take unwanted

trips to the emergency room.

 

> of course, if they already are sensitized, it would cause tremendous

> problems.

 

If they are already sensitized and know what caused it then they won't

allow a patch test using the oil they think they are sensitized to ..

but we never know when the last straw will break the camel's back .. so

lack of a sensitizing reaction to a patch test should not give us total

confidence. Sensitization is a matter of the immune system overreacting

in an attempt to protect the body from some thing it has perceived as a

being a dangerous, foreign invader. We don't know the exact point where

the immune system will make this determination.

 

Someone else wrote:

>>but using that strong a dilution on broken skin is HOW sensitization

>>happens.

 

Exactly .. there are but a few chemical components of an EO that, if

unassisted, can penetrate the skin (our body's largest protective organ)

to a depth that the chemical would enter the blood stream .. however,

it is not necessary for a chemical to enter the blood stream in order to

activate the alarms for the immune system .. but if the skin is broken

then we are increasing (many fold) the potential for sensitization.

 

> There are too many people on this (and other) lists, and in this industry

> already sensitized to the oils you are using.

 

Yep .. there are many folks who are sensitized even to the two EO that

the misinformed often claim are safe for neat use .. Lavender (Lavandula

angustifolia) and Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia).

 

> it's a game of Russian Roulette.

 

Dang betcha on that .. folks often come on line and claim that they have

used this or that oil for X number of years without negative effect.

But the same can be said for folks who routinely drive while under the

affluence of inkohol .. its just a matter of time afore it can jump up

and bite them in the butt.

 

There are no sure fire ways to ensure we do not become sensitized to a

particular chemical .. but we can reduce the odds by proper dilution,

reducing the frequency of use .. and reducing the area of application.

 

Y'all have a good one .. and keep smiling. :-)

 

Butch http://www.AV-AT.com