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It was....and I won't be making that mistake again!
Yes, research is always a good thing to do! lol
I thought I had done enough reading up on the product, as all I'd seen had been all the benefits of the product and none of the possible side effects. My fault, I hadn't been asking the right questions when looking for info about it and knowing my history, I should have known better. The research in the article includes info from the Mayo clinic as well as other source info. It's as you said, always wise to do the research before leaping, especially those of us not professionally trained in the uses of these oils. I'd hate to see some of you men folk developing breast from rubbing some of the oils on your skin. Sorry, I had to chuckle when I read something to that effect in articles pertaining to this oil and Lavender oil as well.
Tea Tree oil, is a great product, so very beneficial for many, but, I'm glad you mentioned this since I was about to buy some. You prompted me to do some more looking into it, so, after reading a few articles including the one I've included a link to, it's best that I don't even mess with it. I tend to have a reaction to some of the other mentioned plant related substances and spices. I'm just one of those unfortunates that have a skin reaction to many substances that don't seem to effect most others. Sigh.
The Livestrong article takes already-summarized articles that are missing data references, and further summarizes it. As such, it's not a very reliable or accurate article.
It references the American Cancer Society's article on Tea Tree Oil as a resource. Half of the Livestrong Article is practically the same article, just with a few words switched around, added, and subtracted. Unfortunately, those few switched words change the meaning. Livestrong puts a very negative spin on someone else's spin, to come out with some pretty damning "evidence." They're both worded for the layman, but with the assumption that the layman is too stupid to be capable of looking up words for themselves and figuring out facts.
Yes, Tea Tree -can be- toxic when taken internally (not IS toxic, but CAN be). It -can- be toxic, if you ingest a lot of it. Swallowing a few drops isn't gonna cause any harm. Neither article even mentions that people with damaged kidneys shouldn't use it even for treating wounds. This is irresponsible "reporting." So here's the statement, since both Livestrong and ACS failed to make it:
Don't use Tea Tree Oil if you have damaged kidneys, even externally.
ACS's article claims that tea tree is used at full strength or dissolved in water. ACS is incorrect. Tea Tree Oil doesn't dissolve in water; it is water insoluable. In order to mix Tea Tree with water, you'd need a catalyst such as lecithin. Tea Tree, when diluted, is most commonly done either with a carrier oil (such as jojoba or olive), or with vodka or grain alcohol (especially in perfuming, though Tea Tree is rarely used in perfuming). Or, it's incorporated into a cream/salve/shampoo with some kind of fat, or the aforementioned lecithin.
ACS says:
Quote:
. As tea tree oil ages, it breaks down into substances that are more likely to cause reactions
Livestrong says:
Quote:
Older tea tree oil may cause more skin reaction than fresh products, because tea tree oil begins to breakdown into more dangerous substances when exposed to air, light and heat.
The truth of the matter is, tea tree's existing chemical constituents (primarily terpinen 4-ol) become more intense with aging. Terpinen 4-ol exists in high concentration in both Tea Tree, and Nutmeg oil. Nutmeg is -highly- toxic when ingested in large quantities. In the world of Aromatherapy, "large quantity" would be anything from a teaspoon and up. A tablespoon of undiluted nutmeg oil would completely shut down the kidney within a couple of hours, but not before the hallucinations, terrors, loss of bowel control, palpitations, and other assorted nasties do their job at inducing a heart attack. Should the patient live past that, they'd die of kidney failure within a few hours.
But this is because of the -combination- of chemical constituents in Nutmeg. Tea Tree's combination is different (which is why it's not nutmeg. It's chemically a different thing). It'd probably take a few tablespoons of Tea Tree to cause convulsions.
So the moral of the story for tea tree caution is: don't drink it. That's a stupid thing to do. Not to mention that it tastes SO nasty..that you'd be reaching for a bottle of millk after the first couple of drops anyway. And a couple of drops isn't toxic, unless you're allergic. You'd know if you were allergic though because you'd start reacting as soon as you got the open bottle within 10 inches of your skin. The fumes would put you into a reactive state.
Ignorance is dangerous - vague references to potentiality, passed off as fact, is downright insulting.
ALL essential oils should be handled with care and respect, and a certain amount of caution. Some moreso than others. When used properly, externally, in amounts measured by the drop rather than the CC, Tea Tree is non-toxic, and beneficial. Even the old stuff.
Edited to add: Tea Tree oil IS toxic to cats. Even in minute quantities. It is a kidney toxin, because cats' kidneys are already compromised; that's just how they're built.
No one should take anything from anyone here as fact, but should read and ask questions for themselves. As I mentioned, we lay persons, have to be more cautions when messing with these oils than those with studied knowledge. The link was a resource for further reading, not the only source and as I stated, I happen to be one of the rare people that has reactions to many things, there is no all one answer for everyone. Hear's the link to the article from the Cancer.org
The link, as I said, is misleading. Tea tree oil is toxic when swallowed in large quantities. It is also toxic when swallowed by someone with existing kidney damage. I'm also not a layman. I'm a certified Aromatherapist. Certification requires courses in organic chemistry, basic anatomy-physiology, and of course information on the specific oils, and oil blending, practical clinical/medical application, medical ethics, dilution, extraction, distillation, and a bunch of other related topics. I also took an interest and added extra education on perfuming, because I found it interesting and fun, and because I'm allergic to most synthetic perfumes and wanted to blend my own.
Laypersons aren't served well by reading random articles on the internet written by people with no expertise in the subject. The ACS has no expertise in aromatherapy. They are summarizing incomplete data and presenting it as fact, and because they are the ACS, laymen will consider those "facts" as gospel truth. This, I believe, is irresponsible.
Also, I don't know WHO is claiming that tea tree oil is used to boost the immune system, or HOW they are expecting people to use it, to do this. The ACS claims it's herbalists. Aromatherapy and Herbalism are two very different schools of alternative medicine. One deals primarily with ingesting herbs in their whole form, or dried and pulverized. The other deals primarily with applying diluted oils extracted from the plans to the skin, or inhaling the fumes of those oils. Essential oils, used medicinally, are not intended to be swallowed at all, in any amount.
However, many essential oils are used as food flavorings. Such as peppermint, nutmeg, cinnamon, and basil (among others). Your Peppermint Patty is made with peppermint oil. You can make an amazing candied yam sauce with a couple of -drops- of nutmeg. Cinnamon oil is added to candy cane mixtures and other candies, and is a great way to flavor frostings for cupcakes, or even the cupcakes themselves. A drop of basil can add punch to a pesto sauce. But you would -never- ingest this stuff "as is" right out of the bottle. That's just silliness. And in some cases, risky. And if you ingest enough of it, as in the case of sassafras, wormwood, or nutmeg, it can be lethal. And "natural" flavorings - those bottles of Vanilla extract, peppermint extract, etc. etc. etc. - the ones that are marked as "natural" (as opposed to synthetic) are actually essential oils that have been diluted in alcohol.
Last edited by AnonChick; 02-12-2013 at 05:05 PM..
I know this is an old thread, but the topic of Aromatherapy has been revived over on the beauty forum. I'll post a link to this thread in beauty, so anyone wanting to discuss other aspects of it will know this thread is here
My friend said her ex mother-in-law (who I believe is suuuuper Christian) always carries around these annointing oils...lol
Said the lady was over visiting the kids and rubbed oil on one of her wooden Buddha statues and ruined the finish! lol
I'm just curious what kind of oils these are, my friend has no idea...
Some Christians attribute special powers to "anointing oils" that are sold by different ministries, or even by christian book stores for a steep price, but most Christians use vegetable oil. There is no special power in the oil. It's a symbol of the Holy Spirit, and the power comes through the name of Jesus Christ and faith in God.
Some Christians attribute special powers to "anointing oils" that are sold by different ministries, or even by christian book stores for a steep price, but most Christians use vegetable oil. There is no special power in the oil. It's a symbol of the Holy Spirit, and the power comes through the name of Jesus Christ and faith in God.
Erm - I've never heard of any Christian of any denomination using vegetable oil as the one and only ingredient in their annointing oil. Annointing oil isn't even all that common in Christian rituals anymore. But when it is used, it's aromatic. It doesn't have to be the brand-name sold in the church shop - anyone can make it from scratch. But since you're only using a drop or two every week, it's probably cheaper to just buy it already made since you can't buy just a few drops of each oil; you have to buy usually at least 1/4 ounce of each - if you're making it according to an actual recipe, you'll be buying at least 2 ounces of essential oils, and some of them are pricey. Also, making a batch that big, using veggie oil as the dilution, means you're making around a pint of annointing oil. Using just a couple drops weekly, from a full pint of oil, means your oil is going to go rancid long before you get halfway through the batch. Crisco has a pretty short shelf life once it's been opened and mixed with other things.
Puritan's pride is who I go threw.they are fantastic.
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Sorry, I had to chuckle when I read something to that effect in articles pertaining to this oil and Lavender oil as well.
