At what age can essential oils be given to children?
Do essential oils have side-effects, and if so, what are they?
Are there specialist aromatherapists from whom we can obtain advice?
Can essential oils be taken internally?
Which essential oils can you administer internally?
What precautions should pregnant women take?
Very little scientific study has been carried out on the risk of miscarriage due to aromatic molecules. Only terpenic ketones and oestrogen-like aromatic molecules (such as anethole which is present in essential oils of aniseed, star anise or fennel) are clearly prohibited for use during pregnancy.
In general, Pranarom's position regarding the use of essential oils during pregnancy is clear - our advice is not to use essential oils during the first three months of pregnancy. After this we consider that it is desirable to restrict their use as far as a possible to specific care, for short periods and uses which are recommended by persons who are completely familiar with the properties of the essential oils that are proposed (therapists, pharmacists, aromatologists etc.) This point of view is based simply on the principle of precaution resulting from a lack of reliable information on the subject.
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At what age can essential oils be given to children?
Yet another question for which the rather unhelpful reply "it depends" may be appropriate! It will actually depend on the type of essential oil used, the vector in which it is included and on its final concentration in the product.
Nevertheless, let's try and throw some light on this! Even with babies (from the age of 1 to 2 months) massage oils enriched with essential oils with calming, digestive, expectorant or balsamic properties may be applied. In this case, the final concentration of essential oils must be no more than 1 to 2%. It is also possible to enrich nappy cream with essential oils, or to formulate aromatic bath oils with refreshing properties for baby. However, in order to be fully in control of the essential oils used, we consider that it is more desirable to use high-quality finished (and therefore slightly more expensive!) products that have been specially developed for babies.
Form the age of 9 to 10 months, the range of essential oils that can be used with children can gradually be extended (still as a massage, for diffusion or in the form of suppositories). The final concentration of essential oils can then change as required to 5 or 6%.
From three years onwards, very sparing use of a blend of one or two drops of some rare essential oils (ravintsara, radiate eucalyptus, rosewood) can be considered in a support that is intended for ingestion.
Finally, from the age of six upwards, aromatic treatment through oral ingestion may be started at low but effective doses. The preferred approach is to ingest 1 to 3 soft aromatic capsules per day. These capsules hold pre-determined and standardised doses, are odour-free and tasteless and possess the advantage of containing combinations of essential oils that have been extensively studied for their positive effects and gastric tolerance.
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Do essential oils have side-effects, and if so, what are they?
Aromatherapy is in no way a soft form of medicine. It makes use of super-concentrated extracts which may cause a series of side-effects if they are not used advisedly by individuals capable of managing them and their toxicities.
In general, the same side effects are observed as those encountered in synthetic pharmaceutical products - nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or constipation, gastric upsets and gastric ulcers.
It is also worth noting that the ingestion of high doses (greater than 500 mg / day) of aromatic phenolic compounds over a long period (more than 20 days) may result in congestion and hepatic discharge. This being the case, experienced therapists will know that aromatic phenols should only be taken at high doses for a maximum of 7 days, or at low doses (less than 200 mg / day) for a maximum of 20 days, followed by a therapeutic 'window' of a week between courses.
We have, furthermore, already mentioned the neurotoxic and abortive properties of terpenic ketone-rich essential oils (hyssop, thuja, sage etc.) These essential oils need particular care in use and can only be used by pharmacies; in theory they may not be obtained on the open market.
The dangers of photosensitisation that can result from cutaneous application (or even after digestion in some) of certain essential oils containing furocoumarins before or during exposure to the sun should also be stated. In some individuals this can cause erythematous reactions or even encourage carcinogenesis. It is primarily Citrus zest oils (mandarin, lemon, grapefruit, sweet orange etc.) that cause this photosensitisation.
Some essential oils are dermocaustic and may only be applied to be skin when highly diluted (to 10, 5, 2% or even less!) or lesions (sometimes significant - burns etc.) may be produced. Some individuals develop allergies to essential oils (eczema, cutaneous oedemas etc.) and this hypersensitivity means that they cannot enjoy the many benefits of essential oils.
Finally, it should be understood that essential oils, even when diluted, must never be applied to the hearing canal, eyes or nostrils, irrespective of age or sex.
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Are there specialist aromatherapists from whom we can obtain advice?
Although there are no university courses available in aromatherapy, more and more physicians are investing their time in long and fascinating aromatherapy training. Once they have undertaken this training (which is reserved for individuals who are qualified pharmacists, doctors, nurses or other health professionals such as kinesitherapists etc.), they will be able to recommend active treatments based on essential oils to the great benefit of their patients. These individuals are primarily professionals who base their reasoning on precise diagnoses and who understand the powers of and limitations to the use of essential oils. They neither take up a stance that extols "nature" as being "everything" nor that "medicines are everything" These are health professionals with rare skills who must be turned to rather than be swindled by the advice of some character who has suddenly decided that they have a mission as a "healer".
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Can essential oils be taken internally?
This important question cannot be answered with a categorical "yes" or "no". The best answer to this would be: "yes, certainly, but with much care and consideration".
"Yes, certainly" since many essential oils will exert their full effect once taken internally. Let's take the example of the essential oil of 'compact' oregano (Origanum compactum). This phenol-rich oil is the archetypal wide spectrum anti-infectious aromatic extract, but its active ingredients are dermocaustic and this significantly restricts its application to the skin. This means that the essential oil of Origanum compactum will exert its antimicrobial action much better after ingestion. Nevertheless, caution must be exerted as regards the doses to be ingested and as regards the method by which this essential oil is orally administered. One direct method is to place two or three drops of essential oil of compact oregano on a quarter of a sugar lump and let it melt slowly on the tongue. A tingling (with a greater or lesser degree of sharpness) will rapidly be produced in the mouth and throat - an olfactory and physiological indicator of the phenols that are present in this essential oil. In the minutes that follow, nothing more will occur, but as is sometimes said, "you need to grin and bear it".
If this doesn't attract you than there are plenty of other less direct methods of administering these essential oils orally: they can be diluted in plant oils (virgin, preferably ORGANIC) honey or maple syrup, or they can be absorbed into wood charcoal or lactose tablets. The ingestion of aromatic capsules which contain single aromatic oils or blends may be preferred (with pre-dosed standardised amounts of oils) which guarantee their effectiveness whilst offering safety of use.
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Which essential oils can you administer internally?
Here again this cannot be answered in a single word, and a little explanation is needed.
Essential oils are made up of molecules that belong to different biochemical groups (such as phenols, monoterpenes, terpenic esters, sesquiterpenes etc.) These groups of molecules have specific toxicological profiles, and their relative amounts in essential oils determine the toxicological profile of the latter. On the basis of this information, several basic principles can be stated that should always be followed:
a) ONLY administer essential oils containing ketones as part of a prescription issued by an experienced therapist. Ketones (like thujone in sage, fenchone in French lavender and pinocamphone in hyssop) are neurotoxins AND abortives and these negative effects are exacerbated when they are taken orally.
b) Any decision to take phenol bearing essential oils (thyme, oregano, savory etc.) and aromatic aldehyde oils (cinnamons) should be made with great caution. It is preferable to use high dilutions in specific vectors (honey, plant oils, soft capsules etc.)
c) Never exceed more than 4 or 5 drops of pure essential oil by ingestion, and in preference include them in an appropriate medium (see above).
Finally, here is a non-exhaustive list of essential oils that are particularly useful when they are ingested orally and which exhibit good oral and gastric tolerances: Thyme with thujanol, Tea tree, Eucalyptus radiata, Ravintsara, Peppermint (1 to 2 drops maximum!), Lemon, Mandarin, Basil, Linalol thyme, Bay and clove (1 drop locally for mouth problems).
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