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What May Happen If You Use Essential Oils Too Often


Essential oils are touted as a remedy for all kinds of things: from skin issues to mental health problems. Yet these oils aren’t as harmless as they seem. They might smell nice, but their marketing highly oversells their benefits while downplaying the bad parts. Which are, in fact, pretty negative.

 Don’t forget to check the bonus section, we discuss the steps that can help you deal with essential oils in a more safe way there.

1. Poisoning 

Studies show thousands of incidents of essential oil poisoning in past years and more than half of them included children. Toxicity spreads rapidly, and it only requires a tiny amount of oil to create a life-threatening situation. It can lead to vomiting, lung injuries, and central nervous system depression. The worst offender is eucalyptus oil, a few drops of which can result in nausea, stomach pains, and convulsions.

While 80% of cases were accidental, because the oils were mistaken for liquid medicine, like cough syrup, there were still a number of people who took essential oils orally due to misinformation.

2. Male breast development

There is a phenomenon called gynecomastia — the development of ’man boobs.’ It’s rare and often has no obvious cause. Except sometimes it’s triggered by lavender and tea tree oils.

A study has proven that essential oils are often to blame for enlarged breast tissue among young boys. It involved 3 boys who had nothing in common but suddenly appeared breasts and usage of skincare products with lavender and tea tree oils. As it turns out, oils can mimic female hormones and suppress the behavior of male ones. This disrupts the overall hormonal and endocrine balance of the body 

3. Sun-sensitivity


Some essential oils are photosensitizers, which means they increase the skin’s vulnerability to sunlight. It includes the citric oils and the biggest culprit — bergamot oil. Many citrus fruits contain a compound called furocoumarin, which can cause chemical burns when exposed to sunlight. In the most severe cases, even a few minutes under the sun’s rays can result in blisters and welts.

And hey, plants produce the furanocoumarin as a defense against animals, insects, and fungi. Perhaps, we’re not welcome either.

4. Skin problems

 The range of essential oil-induced skin issues varies from minor irritations to full-on allergies, like for example, dermatitis. Allergic reactions lead to hives, rashes, itching, and burning. The skin itself can also turn dry, scaly, and start to crack.

It’s an especially bad idea to use oils on damaged skin since it absorbs more oil and its reaction may be unexpected and unpleasant. And you should never use undiluted oil: it can be downright dangerous to your skin!

5. Pregnancy risks

Some essential oils contain additives and impurities that may be harmful to pregnant women. Their infamous sensitivity to smells and tastes can result in nasty side effects of essential oil use, like nausea, headache, vomiting, and vertigo.

Even the oils applied on the skin can seep into the placenta and affect the baby. In the worst-case scenario, the pregnancy could end in miscarriage.

6. Allergies

 Skin issues aside, allergic reactions to essential oils might affect the eyes and respiratory system. So, your experience with aromatic oils can cause sneezing, runny nose, and congestion.

Sometimes the allergy gets worse: which means you need to see a doctor as soon as possible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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