Safe Dilution of EO ** Sweet Birch & Peppermint

[Guest guest]

Howdy,

 

Like Martin said .. check the archive for Wintergreen (Gaultheria

procumbens) and Sweet Birch (Betula lenta) .. they are the same thing ..

they are Methyl salicylate.

 

> what is the opinion on sweet birch and peppermint? is it safe?

> niaweh,

> d

 

I'd rather give you facts than give you an opinion. ;-)

 

Sweet Birch is not UNSAFE if used well diluted and infrequently .. but

even if used well diluted it is UNSAFE if used frequently.

 

Peppermint .. long as you don't take a bath in it or lather it on your

skin .. its safe. Its more for sniffing than anything else .. though

folks do put a drop or two on their temples and such for headaches.

 

> does it stink?

 

Not as much as does politics. ;-)

 

Odor .. or maybe olfactory appreciation or interpretation are very

individual .. like taste in foods .. or even taste (or lack thereof)

when selecting a spouse .. Bill Clinton did marry Hillary. ;-)

 

Some folks hate the odor of Catnip EO but I have a couple who love it.

Some folks love the odor of milk but I think it will gag a maggot off'n

a gut wagon. ;-)

 

Most folks will tell you that Peppermint and Sweet Birch smell nice.

 

Back to SAFETY:

 

The basic reference publication we need to determine the safe dilution

percentage of most EO is THE Safety Manual .. " Plant Aromatics. "

 

Every essential oil used in the cosmetics industry has been tested on

human subjects and safe level of dilution is known. " Plant Aromatics "

is a compilation of this data researched over many years by Martin Watt,

Cert. Phyt. Medical Herbalist & Essential Oil Educator. The primary

source of his research was the R.I.F.M. (Research Institute for

Fragrance Materials) and their sister organization the I.F.R.A.

(International Fragrance Research Association).

 

These organizations collect and assess scientific safety data on

essential oils and provide reports on safe and adverse reactions to

their member companies in the commercial sector.

 

They have also commissioned research evaluations for over 40 years and

they publish the findings on essential oil safety in the journal - Food

and Chemicals Toxicity.

 

Basically .. we have a choice of disregarding safety, shooting in the

dark and keeping our fingers crossed .. or going to a library and

researching the back issues of Food and Chemicals Toxicity for the past

40 plus years, or if we are short on time, acquiring this Safety Manual.

 

" Plant Aromatics " includes (in one bound copy):

 

Skin Irritation

Sensitization

Photo sensitization

Oral & Dermal Toxicity

 

It goes into:

 

Reactions to Individual Chemicals

Testing for Adverse Effects

Skin Absorption

Oils Not Recommended

Absolute and Concrete Extracts

Maximum Levels of Oils in Perfumes/Cosmetics

Toxicity Levels

Referenced Adverse Effects on the Skin

And many more subjects

 

Why does one need this Safety Manual? I can think of three reasons.

 

1. Ethics and Personal Safety: Why should we use an EO in a dilution

that is larger than that which has been tested as being safe? We have

responsibility to ensure that those who use our products - as well as

ourselves, are not injured due to our not knowing the safe dilution.

 

2. Legal Liability: When we sell a product .. like it or not, we then

become liable for any harm we might cause. Ignorance is no defense.

Will use of this safety data get us off the hook if we are faced with a

lawsuit? I don't know, but if we can quote scientific safety data I

would think we would be in a better position to show we took reasonable

and prudent action to do the right thing, and we made informed decisions

using available information rather than guesswork. Intent can mean much

and a good defense can not hurt - methinks.

 

3. Professional Development and Knowledge: " Plant Aromatics " is more

than rumor and is quotable as scientifically sound. The date/time/who

conducted the tests are referenced.

 

The old edition of Martin's " Plant Aromatics " was $75. The new, revised

edition is $44.90 .. it can be obtained from two sources on Earth .. the

two sources are listed below.

 

Y'all keep smiling. :-) Butch http://www.AV-AT.com

 

Europe & Asia .......... http://www.aromamedical.com/paper.html

 

North & South America .. http://www.av-at.com/plantaromaticsavnp.html