Effects of essential oils on the skin

[The Scent Guru]

One can become allergic to something one wasn’t.

Word. My mother the oil Painter became allergic to terpentine, something she worked with daily.

 

[DubOudh]

I have been able to apply more Oudh oils in the last year to my skin
Originally I couldn't do perhaps with time it will become easier.
I am delighted.

 

[Mr.P]

I should’ve looked through the thread before suggesting that book; someone already mentioned that a good while back!

 

[Al Shareef Oudh]

Word. My mother the oil Painter became allergic to terpentine, something she worked with daily.

There is a concept that researchers are working on and that is the concept of allergy due to build up in the body of a particular material, which is usually the result of long term exposure.

The body showing allergy is thought in this proposition as a survival mechanism telling us, "I have had enough of this."

The organ where the side affects of these build ups is apparently the liver.

I remember reading about this somewhere but I can't find the article right now.

 

[Pooja Chauhan]

Thank you so much for the suggestion and the detailing.

 

[Adweeya Mufriha]

I used to apply essential oils to my skin on a daily basis, but they became itchy and irritating, so I stopped. But I really want to wear essential oils, but I can't. Please give me some pointers so that I can wear it on a daily basis.

Here are the generic safe dilutions recommendations made by Tisserand & co (who made essential oils safety one of their core specialty within aromatherapy).

While I do not particularly follow them (by far ), I do think they make good sense if you are new to the field. Try things in very small doses on one local spot first (usually the inner fold opposite the elbow and wait 24 hours) to see if there is any immediate allergy..

Good luck with your explorations! Keep us posted

 

[Adweeya Mufriha]

@The Scent Guru I was glad to read that it was "just" allergy, for your Mother !

This was a recurring problems with the pigments used in traditional European paintings for centuries and centuries (many having slow-building toxic, including heavy metals, etc). Up to the XXth century full time professional oil painters would not rarely die, or have serious liver related illnesses, from consequences of such poisoning over a few decades

I am not sure what is industrially sold in which countries nowadays, to know if it could still be a risk here or there.

Besides what is commercially available, some people tried to develop all natural healthy pigments, just like true artisans. I am not aware of the who's who nor the quality / limits, but I love the idea.

But is is a bit like like with the (different) case of asbestos : people became aware of it late after using for long like it was harmless. I have no idea when it became known, but am quite sure it was not before last century.

[Sorry if this was off tangent, but I thought it was perhaps interesting to illustrate all that our skin absorbs into the bloodstream from another angle than aromatherapy. and while people reflect often on immediate consequences of say oils on skin, much less is known about what can happen "invisibly" with build-up so slow it goes unnoticed ]

 

[Adweeya Mufriha]

.. apologies : there was a bug on my pc and a refresh. All looked normal buht then I noticed a double post after I was done editing the one above .. I could not find how to erase this duplicate post.

 

[Athsmos]

lol developing an allergy to one of these oils would be friggin' tragic. i think about it from time to time when i go to swipe some in my beard... then i do it anyway 🤷

 

[-Renton-]

There is a book called Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand. See if you can track it down and it will give you a basic education on what you need to know.

You cannot generalize when it comes to “essential oils” as a category I think.

Some like citrus oils can become toxic and irritating even carcinogenic as they oxidize. Some oils like Angelica and bergamot cause problems mainly if you are exposed to sunlight after application. Some are relatively safe…

The mantra will be if you look further:

Always dilute

If you want to try something new, test a tiny bit before applying a swipe or full drop.

Beware allergic sensitization and oils
which are known sensitizers (not just irritants). Sensitization can be a strong / severe immune response that develops after repeated exposure to an allergen. One can become allergic to something one wasn’t.

I don’t know to what degree sensitizers have ever caused life-threatening or serious issues in humans, but the potential is there. I have read that some of the IFRA regulations (misguided though that whole system may be) are about keeping sensitizing agents below some threshold level. Oakmoss, jasmine, and rose oil all contain potential sensitizers I believe.

I know this is from a while ago, but can you explain sensitizers? Is it like, how one can be fine with dairy their whole life, but then eat a lot of cheese for months or years and then develop a sudden intolerance for it?

 

[Mr.P]

There are several things like this.

There are chemicals that for some people trick the immune system into thinking it’s some kind of germ, and then it goes on the attack and they have these problems with their immune system over reacting and freaking out… which can be dangerous.

Similar thing happens with each strain of the cold virus you catch except it is beneficial: The first time you encounter the strain, your immune system doesn’t notice it, and it reproduces in your body unchecked. But it learns from the experience, and the next time you encounter that same exact virus, your immune system mounts a strong response and shuts it down.

Also, how vaccinations work. You’re given that first exposure with some weakened form of the virus or some chemical from its capsule that is enough to teach your immune system to recognize it, but not enough to make you sick. And when the real virus tries to attack, you’ve already prepared.

It’s the same mechanism. For some oils it happens right away like poison ivy. First exposure is like inoculation. Second exposure, Immune system freaks out.

 

[-Renton-]

There are several things like this.

There are chemicals that for some people trick the immune system into thinking it’s some kind of germ, and then it goes on the attack and they have these problems with their immune system over reacting and freaking out… which can be dangerous.

Similar thing happens with each strain of the cold virus you catch except it is beneficial: The first time you encounter the strain, your immune system doesn’t notice it, and it reproduces in your body unchecked. But it learns from the experience, and the next time you encounter that same exact virus, your immune system mounts a strong response and shuts it down.

Also, how vaccinations work. You’re given that first exposure with some weakened form of the virus or some chemical from its capsule that is enough to teach your immune system to recognize it, but not enough to make you sick. And when the real virus tries to attack, you’ve already prepared.

It’s the same mechanism. For some oils it happens right away like poison ivy. First exposure is like inoculation. Second exposure, Immune system freaks out.

Yeah, I understand all of that. I actually have an autoimmune disease called sarcoidosis of the kidneys it affects 1 in every 10,000 people and usually 90% in the Lung, but can affect any area of the body, including skin. I have it in the kidneys as I said and now have chronic kidney disease because of it, 5% of the disease manifests in the kidneys. So the condition I have is 1 in 10,000 get it, and 5% in the kidneys lol, so super rare disease and a rare type of form of the disease. Lucky me 🙄