AROMATHERAPY – HOW NOT TO OVERDOSE?

As aromatherapy is gaining more and more popularity in Lithuania, I want to talk about how not to overdose essential oils and aromatherapy in general. All novice aromatherapy enthusiasts dive head first into all that aromatherapy has to offer in the begining: they steam and massage, bathe in and perfume themselves with essential oils all day long. This is normal and we all go through this stage of aromatherapy in the very beginning. It is necessary to understand how essential oils work, how our bodies react to it, which aromas we like and which we do not mind giving up. Nevertheless, once this stage is over, we must remember one of the most important rules of aromatherapy: less is more. Moderation is incredibly important in aromatherapy. Why, you ask? Essential oils are highly concentrated, biologically active chemicals of natural origin, and their molecules enter the body through the sense of smell (by evaporating, inhaling them or smelling the oils directly from the bottle) and through skin (using them for massage, spreading them on skin or bathing in fragrant baths). Often, people assume that aromatherapy is something very simple, intangible. “What is there – you inhale, exhale, it’s nice, smells good, but there’s nothing else to it.” It’s a big mistake to think that. Here are some facts to help you better understand the concentration and the potentials of essential oils:

1 litre of rose oil requires 4 tons of rose petals;

1 litre of lavender essential oil requires 115 kg of lavender inflorescences;

1 litre of lemon essential oil requires 650 kg of lemons;

1 drop of peppermint essential oil is equivalent to 26-28 cups of peppermint tea in terms of its therapeutic properties.

Hardly comprehensible, isn’t it? Volatile essential oil molecules enter our circulatory and lymphatic systems very quickly. I will not go on about the exact mechanism of operation, but it would be enough for the everyday consumer to know that essential oils are broken down/processed/metabolized in the liver and then eliminated from the body through sweat, saliva, urine or exhaled air. Excessive use of essential oils can harm your health.

Sometimes we get links sent to us about, for example, some little boy who somewhere, somehow had swollen/enlarged breasts as a result of lavender essential oil. That is, indeed, realistic, because lavender essential oil (like many others, by the way) contains natural estrogenic-like (female hormone) substances which can affect the natural hormonal balance if used excessively. I have no idea how long, how often, how abundantly, excessively and incorrectly an essential oil should be used to provoke such reactions. These kinds of reactions are rarely described in scientific articles and other literature on aromatherapy, as they are extremely rare even in the course of intensive therapeutic research.

One of the more common questions is whether essential oils are not addictive and do not accumulate in the body. Pure, organic, high quality essential oils do not accumulate in the body because their molecules are small and easy to process and eliminate. The opposite is true with synthetic fragrances – household air fresheners, aerosols, scented candles, home fragrances, synthetic incense, etc. The molecules of these scents are ‘large,’ difficult to process, which means that they accumulate in the body overtime. This means that in the long run, the body develops a rejection reaction to these synthetic odours: the body signals in every way possible that it already has quite a few of these odour molecules. After you burn a candle with the scent of synthetic vanilla your head starts to hurt, orchid-scented incense causes allergic rhinitis, and the sea-scented air freshener makes you feel nauseous. Sounds familiar? Most of you have indeed faced such phenomena. Sadly, we often wouldn’t think that the cause of such malaise can be so elementary. It is clear that Lithuanians love synthetic scents. During exhibitions and fairs, aroma lovers flood to our stands looking for wooden ‘home perfumes,’ strawberry, orchid and sea-wind-scented oils, most of them not even wanting to hear about how these synthetic molecules affect our health and well-being. It may be that nothing tragic will happen, but the scents should not be abused. And not just synthetic scents – natural ones, too.

Regarding addiction: scientific literature states that natural essential oils do not cause addiction and their therapeutic effect does not diminish in the long run, but I definitely recommend avoiding the stubborn ideas that tea tree and lavender will solve all your problems (this opinion is really quite common). My experience shows that using a wider variety of essential oils or blends thereof achieves a better therapeutic effect. Try a wider variety of oils – you will definitely choose the one that works the best for you over time. And do not rule out blends of essential oils, such as “Breathe Easy!,” “Gentle Fluff” or “Sweet Dreams!” – synergistic essential oils often have a stronger effect than individual oils.  

You often ask about the safety of our blends “Bugaboo,” “Tooth Fairy,” “A Cloud of Dreams” or “Happy Tummy” for young children. Will it not burn or irritate the skin? Will I not overdose? Does it not irritate the airways? Attention! All of our blends are manufactured in accordance with EU directives, so the concentration of essential oils in the blends does not exceed 1%. This means that essential oils account for 1% of the blends and vegetable (base) oil accounts for the remaining 99%. Such ‘diluted’ blends are safe for use for infants and young children, as well as for people with sensitive airways. However, it is recommended not to use blends that have a 1% concentration of essential oils more than every two hours. Why? Because essential oils enter the body in around 5-7 minutes and leave the body in around 90 minutes. To allow the body to rest, we need to take a break, but it doesn’t have to be long, as we may not achieve the desired therapeutic effect of aromatherapy otherwise. It is logical that you will not massage with the blends every two hours, because there is simply no need to do so, but in the case of helpers such as “Bugaboo,” Tooth Fairy“ or the antibacterial air freshener „Clean Air Genius!“ which are recommended to be used every two hours, this rule is extremely important. An example from practice: for colds, we recommend using “Bugaboo” every two hours not ‘just because,’ but in order to give the body a short break at the same time not losing the therapeutic effect. When mothers say that “Bugaboo” does not work, 99,9% of the time the therapeutic effect does not occur because the product was simply not used according to the instructions – it was used too infrequently.  Applying “Bugaboo” twice a day and expecting a runny nose to pass in a day is simply naive. Our remedies are not drugs and we do not promise quick results. These are natural remedies, which must be used exactly as described by the manufacturer. We do not, for some reason, assume that homeopathic pills or herbal teas will work just as quickly and effectively as chemical medicine. However, proper and systematic use of these tools overtime will certainly produce excellent results. By the way, a bit more on “Bugaboo,” which is probably available in almost every fragrant pharmacy. You often ask if “Bugaboo” can be applied prophylactically, i.e. daily, before letting the child go out. The answer is NO, NO, NO, absolutely NO! Do not do this. By doing so, you pamper your child’s immune system and gradually wean it to fight environmental factors. You are not doing yourself or your child any favours this way. “Bugaboo” is recommended to be used only when you notice the first symptoms of a cold. No prophylactic application, okay? If you want to somehow protect your child from bacilli, put ‘fragrant angels’ on their clothes, around shoulder-length (add a drop of pure essential oil on the outer layer of clothing, where there is no contact with skin). Or better yet, install an electric essential oil vaporizer for the kindergarten group or school class – this practice curbs the rates of diseases pretty well (tested and validated by kindergarten communities!). 

At this point, everything is clear about blends and sprays. How about the correct use of pure essential oils? If you use essential oils to prevent colds or to perfume your home, it is best to do so by evaporating the oil in an electric essential oil vaporizer, in a properly made aroma candlestick, or by spraying essential oil sprays. In general, the evaporation of essential oils is the first and most important procedure if you are just starting out your aromatherapy journey. It is a very gentle, no-contact method of use and a great opportunity to check if your body tolerates one or another essential oil. One of the most common questions is about how often and for how long to evaporate the oil in the vaporizer. Most ultrasonic electric vaporizers operate for 3-6 hours before shutting down automatically. However, this doesn’t mean that you are undergoing aromatherapy for the entirety of the 6 hours. Most essential oils evaporate during the first 30-40 minutes of the evaporation cycle, then the vaporizer evaporates the remaining water and a very small amount of the remaining essential oil. If the vaporizer emits a very intense aroma during the first minutes of evaporation, there is almost no aroma left after the first hour of evaporation. This is normal. So, if you are evaporating essential oils for prophylaxis or home fragrance, it is definitely enough to do it once a day. If you only want the air purification and aromatization functions, then it is enough to vaporize for 30-40 minutes. If you want to slightly humidify the air in your home, leave the vaporizer on until the water in the tank runs out and the device shuts off automatically. If you evaporate essential oils while you are ill, you should do so 3-4 times a day, adding water and essential oils to the evaporator tank with each evaporation cycle. While you are sick, let the essential oils take care of you and the air in your home: the airborne essential oil molecules not only aromatize, but also perfectly cleanse the air of pathogenic microflora: bacterial, viral and fungal spores. The chances of infecting family members decrease significantly.

If you are using a fan vaporizer (such as “Deivės sodas“) or an evaporator that operates without water (such as “Parfumerio kalba”), see the instructions for these specific devices. Since these vaporizers evaporate PURE essential oils, the instructions should state how long they can be used without interruption. That is usually 15–30-minute intervals. These devices aromatize the home much more strongly, and the molecules of pure essential oils and no water vapor are released into the air, so the effect is faster and more intense. I know that everyone who owns a water vaporizer are now thinking that their devices are inefficient and not as good, so I want to say right away: that is certainly not the case. For those with small children, we recommend water vaporizers only, because they emit a mist, its aroma is softer and more suitable for children. Water-free vaporizers are recommended for those who live or work in large spaces, those who want a quick effect, and those whose home air is already humid. If you are preparing aromatherapy baths, be sure to properly dilute the essential oils with a teaspoon of table salt, half a glass of milk or a drop of vegetable oil. This way, you will protect yourself from skin irritations, which occur every now and then if you pour PURE, undiluted essential oils. The amount of essential oil that is supposed to be poured into a bath depends on the age of the person who will take the bath.  

For babies up to 3 months – 1 drop

3–6-month-old babies – 1-2 drops

6–12-month-old babies 1-3 drops

12–36-month-old children – 2-4 drops

3–7-year-old children – 3-5 drops

7–14-year-old children – 4-6 drops

14+ year-old children and adults – 5-10 drops

Believe me, adding more drops than indicated will not result in a stronger therapeutic effect. Quite the opposite – you may get a headache, nausea and so on. If you are preparing a blend for a massage, the safe number of drops of essential oil in 50 ml of vegetable oil is 10-12. More precisely, add 10-12 drops of essential oil to 50 ml of vegetable oil. This will create the permissible 1% concentration.

Also, don’t overdo it when rubbing your feet with pure essential oils. Prophylactically, it is enough to do it once a day and it’s definitely not necessary to do it every day. If you feel that your child’s immunity has weakened, you can massage their feet with immune system-stimulating rosaline, tea tree, thyme or lemon essential oils for about a week, but then take a break for a couple of days. It will be a mildly stimulating therapy for the immune system. While sick, you can rub the feet with pure essential oils three to four times a day. That will surely act as a kick for the immune system. This instant kick significantly improves well-being and speeds up the healing process. Once you feel the well-being improved, reduce the frequency of the procedures.

If you are dropping ‘fragrant angels’ on the shoulders of your kindergarteners or students, keep in mind that the essential oils you are using should be changed up every now and then. Do not stick to one option. Using the same essential oil every day not only becomes boring, but can also irritate the body, causing a headache or an allergic reaction. Another important thing: changing up the types of essential oils achieves better therapeutic effects. Therefore, it’s definitely worth having three or four options and letting your child choose which ‘angels’ will land on their shoulders that day. Some of the favourites of moms and their children include: gentle but ruthless to diseases – rosalina, a true friend to the commonly sick children – thyme, the all-adored lemon, fresh radiant eucalyptus, classic tea tree, extraordinarily fragrant and rich blend “Gentle Fluff“ and the blends made specifically to act as ‘angels’ – “Angel of Health” and “Angel of Emotions.“

To sum up: use aromatherapy wisely. It isn’t just fragrant drops. With these drops, you can achieve extraordinary health results, but if used incorrectly, you can also harm yourself. If you or your children are ill, you can massage, steam, bathe in and inhale essential oils all day long. For example, if you are ill, you can definitely rub your nose with “Bugaboo,” massage your feet with tea tree oil or place a vaporizer with a few drops of “Gentle Fluff!” next to your bed. All of this is OK. It will be a strong, ruthless kick to the cold and you will soon feel the therapeutic effect. However, if you use aromatherapy prophylactically, choose one procedure: if you leave the vaporizer in the bedroom overnight, do not prepare an aromatherapy bath before bed and vice versa. If you have rubbed your child’s feet with oil, do not do an aromatic massage – instead, massage them with plain vegetable oil that night. I hope the point is clear. We are not saying that essential oils are dangerous and cannot be used, but they need to be used wisely, in moderation, and with awareness of their effects to health.

You probably assume that those who work with aromatherapy and essential oils use them every day year-round. That is certainly not the case. Our vaporizers are on a break during summer, and only start up when the season of colds and flus begins. Our essential oil boxes are full of a wide variety of our brand’s (and not only) essential oils, but we use them with moderation because we are well aware of the ‘less is more’ rule and clearly understand that moderation is necessary everywhere and at all times. At home, we also have synthetic drugs, our children (rarely, but still) receive antibiotics, sometimes we take painkillers because we believe that different wellness systems must be coordinated with each other, ensuring balance and maximum health protection. Essential oils are not our idols and we do not pray to them, we do not tell you tales of them curing cancer or that they need to be consumed internally (this can only be done under the supervision of a qualified professional and only in serious cases) or intravenously (I have, indeed, heard of such nonsene 😀 ), but we love, appreciate and understand that they will help alleviate everyday ailments as much as possible by simply evaporating in a vaporizer or being used for a fragrant bath. Our families have a rule: aromatherapy and natural healing come first. If they do not help, we will take synthetic drugs. We wish you to maintain such a healthy balance, too, using essential oils safely, in moderation, getting the best results possible, and making sure you share these results with us!