Essential Oils Precautions
Do not take any oils internally without consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Do not apply undiluted essential oils, absolutes, CO2s or other concentrated essences onto the skin. If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Use extreme caution when using oils with children and give children only the gentlest oils at extremely low doses. It is safest to consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using oils with children. A skin patch test should be conducted prior to using an oil that you've never used before.
Pregnant women shouldn’t use most of the oils. These which are allowed should be applied carefully (0.5 – 1 % in botanical oil). In first months of pregnancy, however, any essential oil may be dangerous. Breastfeeding women can use jasmine and rose oils. All the others can be used 2 hours before breast feeding, except for the calamus oil which is banned.
You can’t use any oils on children (especially children before 6).
Before application I’d recommend doing an allergy test (especially people with sensitive skin). Sensitive people should be careful with the quality of the oils. The skin is often irritated by pesticides and solvents in the product.
Irritation also depends on the dosage and the skin sensitivity.
In a normal concentrate (0.7 -1%) they shouldn’t cause any problems.
People allergic to a particular substance mustn’t use the oil that contains it.
Test:
Mix 10 drops of carrier oil with 1 drop of essential oil. Cover the most delicate part of your hand with the mixture. Repeat the test twice. In case of allergy skin will become irritated within 48 hours. Some of the oils are described as photo toxic and shouldn’t be used before or during sunbathing (also solarium). These are mainly citrus oils, bergamot or angelica. If you don’t want to have irritated or overcolored skin, you shouldn’t sunbathe for a min 3-4 hours (some sources say 6).
You shouldn’t use one type of oil too long.
In some illnesses (epilepsy, high blood pressure, nervous system problems) or using homeopathic medicines you should consult a doctor before use of ethereal oils.
Use only externally. Any other uses should be consulted with a specialist.