essential oil safety

[Guest guest]

thanks for the help with the lip balm. I really appreciate the suggestions.

 

The idea that the citrus oils are photosensitive got me to thinking about the

issue of safety.

 

I have Battaglia and Cooksley and have their references for the hazards of

certain oils but I'm wondering if there is another 'definitive' resource for

hazards - a list of some kind maybe - as I am finding even between these two

references differences in hazards.

 

In making products for friends/family or for sale, what kind of precautions do

use you take? For example, would you simply not make a citrus lip balm because

of its photosensitivity and the hazards associated with that? If you sell your

products, do you add a warning to those containing oils that can cause such

problems? I can imagine giving my sister a citrus lip balm (her favorite aroma)

and having her 'forget', using it in the dead of summer and suffering a burn.

 

Or am I making too much out of this? Is a 3 or even 5% dilution too little to

worry about?

 

Similarly, both my sister and SIL have had breast cancer, but would love a body

cream. I know that clary sage, geranium and fennel are to be avoided in the

presence of estrogen dependent tumors but are there others? Where can I find

such information?

 

I'm respectful of the power of these oils, and want to use them responsibly -

I'm really loving the study of oils, but I also want to be very careful in my

approach and I clearly understand that my first responsibility is to do no harm.

 

Thanks for any advice/idea/suggestions/references on this issue.

 

Nan