There are many essential oil myths. Today I am addressing 5 of the most common and most damaging essential oil myths.
Myth #1
Therapeutic grade is the best grade.
In the United States no one regulates essential oils except for the companies themselves. As a result there are no grades of essential oils. This means that therapeutic grade is purely a marketing term, nothing else. There is also no rule that an essential oil has to contain a certain percentage to be marked as 100% pure as they are not regulated.
Myth #2
Putting essential oils in water and drinking them is a great idea.
Please never ever do this! There is a rare time and place for ingestion when you are under the guidance of someone who is trained in essential oil ingestion and they know all of your medical history. When it is that rare time and place for ingestion, mixing essential oils in water is not how it is done. Water and oil do not mix, so the essential oil is just going to sit at the top of your glass of water, which means you are going to ingest the essential oil without it being diluted at all. This is a great way to tax the liver, end up with chemical burns and possibly ulcers.
Myth #3
Essential Oils are safe for animals.
Some are safe when used properly for animals, while others are not. If you have animals in your house it would be wise to never diffuse unless they are in need of the essential oils being diffused and then triple check to make sure it is safe for them. If you have cats be very careful with essential oils around them, as essential oils can be toxic to them. Cats lack an important liver detoxification enzyme called glucuronosyltransferase, which means they cannot break down the individual components in essential oils. Every animal and the different breeds of animals have different safety needs. To learn more about essential oils and the pets in your household check out Kelly Holland Azzaro. You can find more information on her website and in her Facebook group.
Myth #4
Putting essential oils straight into the bathtub or mixed in epsom salt is safe.
This goes back to myth number two. Oil and water do not mix and essential oils and water are no different. Mixing the essential oil into epsom salt and adding that into the bathtub also does not work because the salt will dissolve and release the essential oils causing them sit on the surface of the water undiluted. This can cause chemical burns and no one wants to deal with that. Instead mix the essential oils in shampoo, bubble bath, castile soap or coconut oil to proper dilution and add them to the tub of water. If you use an oil like coconut oil it will not mix with the water, this is fine since the essential oil is already properly diluted within the oil.
Myth #5
They are great air fresheners.
In a way this is true. They do make the air smell lovely, however they should not be used simply to make the air smell nice. Essential oils are very powerful and need to be treated with respect. Would you take a drug intended for pain just because you like the way it makes your poop smell? Probably not. It is the same concept with essential oils. Constantly using them can cause harm. When diffusing for a valid purpose the diffuser should run for 30-45 minutes and then be off for at least an hour in between otherwise it can actually have a negative effect.
If you want to freshen your air naturally try simmering some potpourri or burning some naturally scented candles.
