Is Aromatherapy Safe?
Aromatherapy can be safe, easy, and fun to work with as long as you follow some basic rules. If you use essential oils wisely and treat them with the respect they deserve, you shouldn’t have any problems.
Three basic rules you should keep in mind when working with essential oils:
1. Do not ingest any essential oils. Not only are essential oils far more effective when used externally (as part of a bath, for example, or diffused throughout a room), but even a tiny dose of an essential oil can be fatal if swallowed. To prevent accidental ingestion, please keep essential oils safely away from children and pets.
2. Do not apply undiluted essential oils directly to the skin. Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts and therefore need to be diluted in a carrier oil before they can be safely applied to the skin. There are a few exceptions: lavender and tea tree essential oils, for example, can be applied “neat” (undiluted). But in general, whether you’re using an oil in a bath or directly on your body, you’ll need to dilute it in a carrier oil first. We suggest you check out our articles on Blending & DilutionCarrier Oils if you’d like to learn more about how this is done.
3. Use essential oils sparingly. Essential oils are remarkably effective in tiny quantities. A single drop is powerful enough to have a big impact, so never just dump essential oils into a bath or into a beauty concoction. Remember that just 6-8 drops of an essential oil are adequate for even a tub full of water!
Is Aromatherapy Safe, A final note of Caution
If you have special health conditions like epilepsy or high blood pressure – or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding – it’s best to stay away from certain essential oils. Also be aware that some citrus-based essential oils can irritate the skin if exposed to sunlight. And finally, please understand that there are some oils – though you’ll be hard pressed to find them on the market – that are absolutely unsafe for use. We’ve outlined which oils can be safe and which can be harmful in our Aromatherapy DOs and DON’Ts section, so please be sure to read it carefully before you start experimenting with aromatherapy.
So, now, what do you think? Is aromatherapy safe? Well, if you follow these common-sense rules, you should have a fun, safe experience exploring the world of aromatherapy. Ready to get started? We’ve got a few good suggestions in our section on
And next time you find yourself asking, “is aromatherapy safe?”, use our aromatherapy community to get advice and tips for best safe practice.