AD: Plant Aromatics Safety Manual ** And Aromatherapy Practitioner Reference Manual

[Guest guest]

At 06:09 PM 12/2/2003 -0800, you wrote:

>> Why are some oils safe for the skin and some not? Does this mean

>> that it is not safe directly on the skin? And if some are not safe

>> on the skin, if it was diluted by lotions, wouldn't then be safe?

>Most essential oils have been tested and safe a level of dilution is

>known for them. There is ONE reference publication available that

>presents the data on this testing .. " Plant Aromatics. " This is a

>compilation of data researched over many years by Watt, Cert.

>Phyt. Medical Herbalist & Essential Oil Educator. The primary source

>of this research was the R.I.F.M. (Research Institute for Fragrance

>Materials) and their sister organization the I.F.R.A. (International

>Fragrance Research Association).

snipped a lot of information to save bandwidth:

I'll vouch for Plant Aromatics. I believe it is the only publication that

has, in one place, a quick reference for those of us who are blending oils.

Since it is geared towards aromatherapy (mostly) not all of the rare and

exotic oils we use in our perfumery blends are included. That

notwithstanding, it is an invaluable reference, and I wouldn't be without

it. It covers 95% of the oils I use, and at least the manual points me in

the right direction (moderation, caution) for the oils and absolutes I

dabble with.

The Practitioner Reference manual -- well, you can read my opinion on that

on my 'aromatherapy debunked and defended' webpages. I don't care if Butch

and others I respect say it is a good source for hooba-hooba, there is too

much voodoo-NewAge bovine excrement in there to justify using it as a

reference, or paying out the big bucks. No flames, please, as the author of

that manual isn't on this group, and I'm not 'attacking' her, just her work

product.

Anya

http://member.newsguy.com/~herblady

[Guest guest]

Hi y'all,

Somebody asked on another list:

> Why are some oils safe for the skin and some not? Does this mean

> that it is not safe directly on the skin? And if some are not safe

> on the skin, if it was diluted by lotions, wouldn't then be safe?

The reason is that some chemicals are known irritants and/or known

sensitizers .. others can cause photosensitization .. others can absorb

with frequent use and eventually build up a level of toxicity that can

stress or damage the liver. Not a lot different than asking why we can

rub Rose Petals on our skin with no problem but Poison Ivy is a no-no.

Much like " a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, " dilution

cuts back on the harshness of chemicals .. not a lot different than

drinking straight bourbon .. few folks can do that .. most prefer it

mixed, or diluted. A matter of reducing concentration and harshness.

The final result of dilution of essential oils is less likelihood of

irritation and/or sensitization. Though it's important to avoid

irritation, it's more important to avoid avoid sensitization as

irritation is a temporary condition - remove the irritant and things go

back to normal .. not so for sensitization, it's for life!

Most essential oils have been tested and safe a level of dilution is

known for them. There is ONE reference publication available that

presents the data on this testing .. " Plant Aromatics. " This is a

compilation of data researched over many years by Watt, Cert.

Phyt. Medical Herbalist & Essential Oil Educator. The primary source

of this research was the R.I.F.M. (Research Institute for Fragrance

Materials) and their sister organization the I.F.R.A. (International

Fragrance Research Association).

These organizations collect safety data on essential oils in a number of

ways: they gather scientific information and assess it, member companies

report adverse reactions to materials to them, and if necessary, they in

turn circulate warning notices to member companies.

Finally, they have commissioned significant research evaluations for

well over 30 years, and have published their findings on essential oil

safety in the journal- Food and Chemicals Toxicity.

So - you have a choice of going to the library and researching the back

issues of Food and Chemicals Toxicity for the past 30 plus years, or if

you are short on time, acquiring the following reference set ... ;-p

Plant Aromatics is the Safety Manual on scientifically proven safe

dilutions for dermal application of essential oils. The old edition

sold for $75 .. I've published the new, revised edition and offer it for

$43.90. The revised edition came out in November 2001 and is now in the

Third Printing. I am exclusive dealer for North and South America.

You can review and/or order the Plant Aromatics Safety Manual at URL

http://www.AV-AT.com/plantaromaticsavnp.html

" Plant Aromatics " , New Edition 2001, includes (in one bound copy):

Skin Irritation

Sensitization

Photosensitization

Oral & Dermal Toxicity

It goes into:

Reactions to Individual Chemicals

Testing for Adverse Effects

Skin Absorption

Oils Not Recommended

Absolute and Concrete Extracts

Maximum Levels of Oils in Perfumes/Cosmetics

Toxicity Levels

Referenced Adverse Effects on the Skin

And many more subjects

Why does one need Plant Aromatics? I can think of three reasons.

1. Ethics and Personal Safety: Why should we use an EO in a dilution

that is larger than that which has been tested as being safe? We have

responsibility to ensure those who use our products - as well as our

selves, are not injured.

2. Legal Liability: When we sell a product, we are considered as being

professionals .. like it or not, we then become liable for any harm we

might cause. Ignorance is no excuse for amateurs, much less an excuse

for professionals. Will use of this safety data get you off the hook if

you are hauled into court for a lawsuit? I don't know - but if one can

quote solid safety data rather than standing there with their ignorance

hanging out I would think they would be in a better position to show

they took reasonable and prudent care to do the right thing, they made

informed decisions using solid information, and they were concerned

about ensuring no harm was done. Intent can mean much and a good

defense can not hurt - methinks.

3. Professional Development and Knowledge: This cottage-industry of AT

thrives on a good deal of rumor ... data contained in many of the novels

out and about are unreferenced tales passed from previously unreferenced

novels - " Plant Aromatics " is more than rumor and is quotable as being

scientifically sound. The date/time/who did the tests are referenced.

You can review and/or order Plant Aromatics at the following URL

I'll stray from the subject for a minute. There is another reference

set I sell .. that is, keeping them in stock myself .. these two

references are considered to be the Foundation Documents we need if we

don't have anything else. One is " Plant Aromatics " and the other is:

Sylla Shepherd-Hanger's " Aromatherapy Practitioner Reference Manual " in

two volumes. This is for the novice and the expert as it provides much

info on each essential oil property ... each one is broken out into

headings like these twelve - in columns:

Botanical/Common Name - Plant Part - Family - Origin - Distill Method

Specific Biochemicals

Traditional & Esoteric Uses

Integumentary, Skin/Hair and Nails

Respiratory

Muscular & Skeletal

Cardiovascular and Lymphatic

Immune

Digestive

Endocrine

Genito-Urinary and Reproductive

Nervous/Brain/Mind

Safety Data

It's a VERY handy reference set and I use mine daily - keep them beside

my desk. It's not cheap but if one considers the information in it and

compares that information to a stack of the unreferenced novels out and

about - we will find it far less costly and far more valuable. You can

review and/or order it at http://www.AV-AT.com/manual01.html

Now back to the subject of this post - Plant Aromatics:

Whereas Sylla's reference set deals with traditional therapeutic and

esoteric uses of EO, " Plant Aromatics " deals with Toxicity, Irritation,

Sensitization, Photo-Sensitization and other Safety Data .. and includes

scientific references for the charts where percentages of dilution for

various oils have been safety tested. This is a must for folks dealing

with EOs that will be placed on skin, including massage, perfume, soap,

cosmetics or whatever.

So .. there it is. If you want a copy just lemme know. If you are an

established AVNP customer, I have your address and CC information .. if

not, you should be ;-p We can make the transaction work even faster

and smoother if you use my Secure Server for Credit Card information

https://ladon.safe-order.net/av-at/securepay.shtml

We also take checks, money orders, first born younguns if they are house

broken and bird dawg pups if they are AKC registered. If you don't

wanna use a credit card, write me and I'll tell you where to send a

check or money order or Pay Pal or whatever.

Y'all keep smiling, Butch http://www.AV-AT.com