Advice on use of essential oils, impact on Women’s health, gut flora, digestion etc...

[CosmicDancer444]

I do know Berkey makes an affordable shower filter! Also, although it might be long shot there's this website: Find A Spring - Use Find A Spring to visit the best cold and hot springs

It's a spring locator! They typically only list one's that are publicly accessible, just as an idea for clean drinking water now & then if you can't find/get a filter ?

That’s great! Thanks will take a look :)

 

[CosmicDancer444]

Somebody needs to do a bit more historical research on EOs before they take online "advice". There is a reason why aromatic botanicals were relegated to "perfume" status in recent history, a reason why method and art of distillations was lost. And conversely, a reason why historically, for thousands of years, entire nationstates (Egypt, India, SriLanka, etc) exchanged huge transfers of land, power, and resources for packtrains of mules, camels, bearing thousands of gallons of oils as the method of commerce. More to the present, even gas chromatography technology may not reveal blends of SYNTHETIC compounds (since the Industrial Age brought extraction methods of high heat and pressure to get every last drop which more often destroyed delicate plant compounds) unless the chemist is specifically skilled in distinguishing same. Thus, adulteration in the recent resurgence of EOs for health and beauty fall around 98%, as greed or ignorance bypass all laboratories which utilize AFNOR standards. Do your research.

Hi, thank you for your comment. I was a little confused just by how you wrote this comment; but I’m only 19, still have a lot to learn no doubt.

Family have invested in EOs quite a bit over the past 1-2 years but I wasn’t 100% sure they’re safe or safe long term, perhaps better for short periods at a time.

Please may you explain what you were trying to say in simpler terms? Are you saying historically EO extracts already existed & influenced conflict & grab of wealth, land, resources?....
I am definitely not 1 sided, I am younger than most here perhaps, but still, I am here to learn.
May you please you point me towards some useful information?

 

[L_C]

Internal use of essential oils which includes even breathing them in (enters your blood steam) absolutely destroys gut health, taxes the endocrine system, the liver, has neurotoxin actions on the brain, & more.

"Essential oils" is a marketing term, what they're actually are is VOCs.

Here's some information: Why I'm Essential Oil Free — Wild Wood Apothecary

Nourishing herbal infusion are always a safer choice just remember they're not suitable for fragrant herbs & you'll extract too many of the VOCs.

Hm, what do you think about using EO short term, 5-7 days? The reason I am asking is because I did find a few publications or studies (and I am not an expert on studies so it could be bogus) that show to be very beneficial against negative gram bacteria, such as thyme.

Wondering what's your opinion on that. Thank you.

 

[akgrrrl]

Hi, thank you for your comment. I was a little confused just by how you wrote this comment; but I’m only 19, still have a lot to learn no doubt.

Family have invested in EOs quite a bit over the past 1-2 years but I wasn’t 100% sure they’re safe or safe long term, perhaps better for short periods at a time.

Please may you explain what you were trying to say in simpler terms? Are you saying historically EO extracts already existed & influenced conflict & grab of wealth, land, resources?....
I am definitely not 1 sided, I am younger than most here perhaps, but still, I am here to learn.
May you please you point me towards some useful

Again. If a human being ingests, breathes in, or applies topically some distillation claiming to be a certain plant ester (EO) which is NOT a certified therapeutic grade, or which is part synthetic, or IS synthetic, or is adulterated by other oils for profit, you could get ill. This would be true of 98% of whats out there. Why? We have no Master Distillers like there were 2,000 years ago. So you buy a bottle of whatever, say thyme. Was it grown in good soil, with sun and adequate water in the right part of the planet for climate to allow it to thrive, mature and flower? Was it grown with pesticides, spectracides, synthetic fertilizer? Was it harvested properly and at the apex of its growth to deliver the compounds for which you are buying it in the first place? True EOs saved my life 15 years ago. I had a terrible accident which crushed both my arms and nearly my neck. I survived with 4 crushed and collapsed neck vertebra. Reconstructed forearm, both wrists were crushed and double knee surgery.Head trauma blah blah etc etc. 16 surgeons told me I would never be able to hold a gallon of milk. One year of correct food and EO I was on my feet. 3 years later I won a bodybuilding fitness competition in my age class.
Essential oils when grown properly, harvested, and distilled properly, will hold 100X the compounds found in the raw plant. Unless you are dealing with a company that will allow inspection/tour of their facility or a lab printout of the drug/oil you are purchasing, or are AFNOR accredited, you have no idea whats in that bottle. Theyve been making synthetic peppermint since the 1960s. Think you would know the difference?

 

[sunny]

@akgrrrl , iyo, what is an EO brand that can be trusted?

 

[LeeLemonoil]

@akgrrrl , iyo, what is an EO brand that can be trusted?

There are quite a few, at least in Europe you have vendors that control both organic cultivation of the plants and „organic“ processing = no harmful technologies or substances involved. France and Germany have some good companies, I‘m sure there are some in the US too.

Essential Oils, when used and applied with skill and knowledge, offer nice properties to improve health and well-being.

 

[I'm.No.One]

Hm, what do you think about using EO short term, 5-7 days? The reason I am asking is because I did find a few publications or studies (and I am not an expert on studies so it could be bogus) that show to be very beneficial against negative gram bacteria, such as thyme.

Wondering what's your opinion on that. Thank you.

I would look at them just like antibiotics.

Do they have a place?

Sure.

Are they overused & causing more harm than people are willing to admit?

Absolutely.

But also why not just work with the whole plant versus isolated compounds?

(If you're not familiar with the plant in real life why on earth would you choose to work with it's highly refined & isolated compounds first?)

Far less risk in comparison, it will be balanced, & use in parts per million is less likely to slaughter all gut bacteria.

 

[Ben.]

I remember this thread cautioning about essential oils but i wanted to share a short anecdote i had recently:

Now i suffer from some sort of realy bad chronic infection for years (maybe even a decade) and without boring anyone with details i was consuming some japanese mint sweets (the kind that you dissolve in your mouth for a "good breath") which is essentially just sugar and japanese mint oil i noticed my mood improved alot and my head felt alot less foggy. Even better i feel oddly confident and "in the moment". And i was able to replicate that experience a few times now at work.

So i had some essential oils at home and never used them much but i bought them because i thought it could help with what i suspect is lyme + coinfections and my horrible dental situation.
Now i simply tried this 4-5 times over the past 2-3 weeks and everytime i take it in orally with a half teaspoon coconut oil and 1 drop essential oil my head becomes insanely clear and i can breath freely and deeply (as one should) + chronic tense muscles relax insanely well. I also get warm hands/feets/ears which are usually chronicly cold. Also i wake up with seemingly no issues such as fake "hangovers" or having had a train roll over my head during sleep.

That effect lasts for 2-4 hours and is realy remarkable. The only downside is flareup from symptoms such as joint pain's, pain above the eyes behind the eyebrows, oversensitivities of all kinds etc.. The same symptoms i used to have at the beginning of my health decline.

I do not plan to use it excessively or for to long but therapeuticly they seem insanely valuable.
Thus far cinnamon bark seems to strong and causes to much sides especially burning sensations on the tissue it touches. Clove didn't realy hit me much in any direction.
But Eucalyptus and oregano seem to be awsome thus far.


Not sure how and where to go about this but im realy positively impressed. People with brain fog or lyme-brain can tell you how insanely valuable it is to get a clear head for once. Especially if your completly on your own trying to figure this "health/cure" thing out.

 

[L_C]

I remember this thread cautioning about essential oils but i wanted to share a short anecdote i had recently:

Now i suffer from some sort of realy bad chronic infection for years (maybe even a decade) and without boring anyone with details i was consuming some japanese mint sweets (the kind that you dissolve in your mouth for a "good breath") which is essentially just sugar and japanese mint oil i noticed my mood improved alot and my head felt alot less foggy. Even better i feel oddly confident and "in the moment". And i was able to replicate that experience a few times now at work.

So i had some essential oils at home and never used them much but i bought them because i thought it could help with what i suspect is lyme + coinfections and my horrible dental situation.
Now i simply tried this 4-5 times over the past 2-3 weeks and everytime i take it in orally with a half teaspoon coconut oil and 1 drop essential oil my head becomes insanely clear and i can breath freely and deeply (as one should) + chronic tense muscles relax insanely well. I also get warm hands/feets/ears which are usually chronicly cold. Also i wake up with seemingly no issues such as fake "hangovers" or having had a train roll over my head during sleep.

That effect lasts for 2-4 hours and is realy remarkable. The only downside is flareup from symptoms such as joint pain's, pain above the eyes behind the eyebrows, oversensitivities of all kinds etc.. The same symptoms i used to have at the beginning of my health decline.

I do not plan to use it excessively or for to long but therapeuticly they seem insanely valuable.
Thus far cinnamon bark seems to strong and causes to much sides especially burning sensations on the tissue it touches. Clove didn't realy hit me much in any direction.
But Eucalyptus and oregano seem to be awsome thus far.


Not sure how and where to go about this but im realy positively impressed. People with brain fog or lyme-brain can tell you how insanely valuable it is to get a clear head for once. Especially if your completly on your own trying to figure this "health/cure" thing out.

Thank you for sharing. I read the essential oils should be used internally for no longer than a week (max two). Many of them are very antibacterial. Hence, they make a perfect mouthwash. I might give them a go myself, especially thyme and cinnamon bark look very promising.

 

[akgrrrl]

I remember this thread cautioning about essential oils but i wanted to share a short anecdote i had recently:

Now i suffer from some sort of realy bad chronic infection for years (maybe even a decade) and without boring anyone with details i was consuming some japanese mint sweets (the kind that you dissolve in your mouth for a "good breath") which is essentially just sugar and japanese mint oil i noticed my mood improved alot and my head felt alot less foggy. Even better i feel oddly confident and "in the moment". And i was able to replicate that experience a few times now at work.

So i had some essential oils at home and never used them much but i bought them because i thought it could help with what i suspect is lyme + coinfections and my horrible dental situation.
Now i simply tried this 4-5 times over the past 2-3 weeks and everytime i take it in orally with a half teaspoon coconut oil and 1 drop essential oil my head becomes insanely clear and i can breath freely and deeply (as one should) + chronic tense muscles relax insanely well. I also get warm hands/feets/ears which are usually chronicly cold. Also i wake up with seemingly no issues such as fake "hangovers" or having had a train roll over my head during sleep.

That effect lasts for 2-4 hours and is realy remarkable. The only downside is flareup from symptoms such as joint pain's, pain above the eyes behind the eyebrows, oversensitivities of all kinds etc.. The same symptoms i used to have at the beginning of my health decline.

I do not plan to use it excessively or for to long but therapeuticly they seem insanely valuable.
Thus far cinnamon bark seems to strong and causes to much sides especially burning sensations on the tissue it touches. Clove didn't realy hit me much in any direction.
But Eucalyptus and oregano seem to be awsome thus far.


Not sure how and where to go about this but im realy positively impressed. People with brain fog or lyme-brain can tell you how insanely valuable it is to get a clear head for once. Especially if your completly on your own trying to figure this "health/cure" thing out.

There is no reason to feel you are on your own about this. There are many resources now for both historical uses and more importantly, lab analyses where the complete % of compounds are revealed. Just same as we learn certain compounds do certain things on rpf. It is important to know WHICH species of plant (like your japanese mint only one of 25 types) like eucalyptus there are 5 types etc etc. I personally have a Physicians Desk Reference that is indexed 1/3 by disease and their treatment, the next 1/3 by all plants and their historical use, and the first Chapters tell you why each compound works and how they work at a cellular level. Sigh. If everybody just understood the basic chemistry. Go to Amazon.

 

[Nicole W.]

Here I've got hundreds of hours of videos to get your started:

www.youtube.com/coldcreekhomestead

I have free live classes that you can watch all about making nourishing herbal infusions & many individual video for specific herbs.

Also huge amounts of info here:

www.instagram.com/she_is_of_the_woods

Listen, it's not that I don't think *essential oils don't work, it's that they're extremely potent. I think that it's important to understand that the VOCs are isolated compounds & act nothing like the intact plant.

Also, to the statement above that if it smells good it's safe because our body has a discussion with it is a statement from an herbalist who has done zero deep dive scientific level research on the exact compounds (sometimes up to 20 different ones) that make up each plants *essential oils.

Lavender, which most people think smells good, is a HUGE hormonal disrupter. Like makes babies be born with genital abnormalities...

If I was working on healing my gut health I'd be looking at Mallow root infusions, soil based probiotics, collagen, bone broth, lowering stress, making sure if I eat veggies they are well cooked.

Just to say I'm in the middle of writing the first book on the market (will be my second book published) as to the dangers of *essential oils because everything is bias due to the fact that MLMs created the industry.

Tip:

If I has a strong fragrance, for internal use, it's best used as a quick brewed tea or a tincture made from fresh plant matter.

If it doesn't have a fragrance you can typically make it into a nourishing herbal infusion as you'll need the long/slow brew to break open the cellular structure & pull out the properties in the plant.

Hello, you misquoted me. Or misunderstood me.

Either way, what I said is that if an EO does NOT smell good to you, pass on it. Similarly, if a food does not taste good to you, then don’t eat it. Our brains can discern danger through our sense of smell and taste.

I did not say that if an EO smells good to you then it is safe. I would never say that as I am well aware that EOs are botanical medicine and not eau de cologne.
For example Lemon Balm smells amazing but is extremely powerful and can certainly make you sick if you don’t dilute it with a carrier oil. It’s only appropriate for certain conditions and used very sparingly.
The take home message is to use common sense and caution when using essential oils do that you can derive the benefits and not the harms.

 

[akgrrrl]

The strength of smell has nothing to do with EO potency. That potent smell can exist while high heat has destroyed all therapeutic value. Or, be a completely synthetic copy oil. Or a blend. Or it can smell strong and the plant be grown in subpar soil, water, wind so that botanical compounds are low. Or have had pesticides or spectracides used.
Without proof of spectograph analysis, or without proof of a brand going the full mile to establish credibility with the International Standards, whats on the market is extremely suspect.

 

[I'm.No.One]

Hello, you misquoted me. Or misunderstood me.

Either way, what I said is that if an EO does NOT smell good to you, pass on it. Similarly, if a food does not taste good to you, then don’t eat it. Our brains can discern danger through our sense of smell and taste.

I did not say that if an EO smells good to you then it is safe. I would never say that as I am well aware that EOs are botanical medicine and not eau de cologne.
For example Lemon Balm smells amazing but is extremely powerful and can certainly make you sick if you don’t dilute it with a carrier oil. It’s only appropriate for certain conditions and used very sparingly.
The take home message is to use common sense and caution when using essential oils do that you can derive the benefits and not the harms.

Even the concept of diluting essential oils in a carrier oil is absurd unless you feel like putting a single drop of something into 10 gallons of oil to make it the standard parts per million of VOCs that you would encounter naturally...

 

[Ben.]

There is no reason to feel you are on your own about this. There are many resources now for both historical uses and more importantly, lab analyses where the complete % of compounds are revealed. Just same as we learn certain compounds do certain things on rpf. It is important to know WHICH species of plant (like your japanese mint only one of 25 types) like eucalyptus there are 5 types etc etc. I personally have a Physicians Desk Reference that is indexed 1/3 by disease and their treatment, the next 1/3 by all plants and their historical use, and the first Chapters tell you why each compound works and how they work at a cellular level. Sigh. If everybody just understood the basic chemistry. Go to Amazon.

Thank you. Altough it is hard to not feel like this. The gaslighting i experienced the past 2-3 years was enourmous and heartbreaking.
Well i bought oils with keeping in mind the species and right part of the plant based on the studys i've read, so im trying to make sure i've got the same. I am fully aware that this significantly matters to the contents of its chemicals. Even the same species can differ when grown on different soil/environment. Basically true even for food.

Interestingly enough there are quite some anecdotes of people that had no succes with either antiobiotics nor herbs but essential oil seem to work. Based on my experiments it does what antiparasitic herbs do for me but better. One also needs to keep in mind that the bacteria strain/species matters too in wether a antimicrobial works against it.

I checked the PDR for herbal medicine 4th edition but coudn't find significant information or usage instructions relevant to me. Lyme, Babessia or Bartonella isn't mentioned in there. And going by symptoms is far to vague to be helpful.
Which PDR did you refer to? One specific to essential oils? Can you tell me so i can look it up? That would be extremely helpful.

Why would i need to go to amazon? I don't understand that part of your text at all or why it's even brought up in response to my mere anecdote. I research everything i try before i actually go buy it and try it along with the mechanisms within the body.

 

[akgrrrl]

Thank you. Altough it is hard to not feel like this. The gaslighting i experienced the past 2-3 years was enourmous and heartbreaking.
Well i bought oils with keeping in mind the species and right part of the plant based on the studys i've read, so im trying to make sure i've got the same. I am fully aware that this significantly matters to the contents of its chemicals. Even the same species can differ when grown on different soil/environment. Basically true even for food.

Interestingly enough there are quite some anecdotes of people that had no succes with either antiobiotics nor herbs but essential oil seem to work. Based on my experiments it does what antiparasitic herbs do for me but better. One also needs to keep in mind that the bacteria strain/species matters too in wether a antimicrobial works against it.

I checked the PDR for herbal medicine 4th edition but coudn't find significant information or usage instructions relevant to me. Lyme, Babessia or Bartonella isn't mentioned in there. And going by symptoms is far to vague to be helpful.
Which PDR did you refer to? One specific to essential oils? Can you tell me so i can look it up? That would be extremely helpful.

Why would i need to go to amazon? I don't understand that part of your text at all or why it's even brought up in response to my mere anecdote. I research everything i try before i actually go buy it and try it along with the mechanisms within the body.

I have PMd you.

 

[Ben.]

Thank you for sharing. I read the essential oils should be used internally for no longer than a week (max two). Many of them are very antibacterial. Hence, they make a perfect mouthwash. I might give them a go myself, especially thyme and cinnamon bark look very promising.

I got my hands on a pdf version of a 780 + page essential oil safety/toxicity book. It is realy comprehensive altough it is focused on toxicity and case reports rather than benefits and usage for illnesses.

A problem seems to be that essential oils are not studied as intensely as one would hope/want. But many of thoose used commonly in aroma therapy for example seem to be fatal when one ingests a whole bottle (how someone manages that is beyond me). Some also seem to have powerful antioxidative capabilities. As with everything it doesn't seem to be black or white.

Essential Oil Safety - A Guide for Health Care Professionals

Cinnamon bark

Quality: Cinnamon bark oil is frequently adulterated with synthetic cinnamaldehyde and natural eugenol. Occasionally cassia oil or artificially reconstituted oils are sold as cinnamon bark oil (Kubeczka 2002). Reconstitutions may include cinnamon leaf oil and synthetic cinnamaldehyde (Burfield 2000).
Safety summary
Hazards: Drug interaction; may inhibit blood clotting; embryotoxicity; skin sensitization (high risk); mucous membrane irritation (low risk).
Contraindications (all routes): Pregnancy, breastfeeding.
Cautions (oral): Diabetes medication, anticoagulant medication, major surgery, peptic ulcer, hemophilia, other bleeding disorders (Box 7.1).
Maximum adult daily oral dose: 200 mg
Maximum dermal use level: 0.07%
Our safety advice
Our dermal maximum is based on 75.7% cinnamaldehyde content with a dermal limit of 0.05% (see Cinnamaldehyde profile, Chapter 14). We agree with the Commission E Monographs daily oral maximum of 200 mg for the oil.

Which Thyme species are you looking at? There are quite a few mentioned in the book.

 

[L_C]

I got my hands on a pdf version of a 780 + page essential oil safety/toxicity book. It is realy comprehensive altough it is focused on toxicity and case reports rather than benefits and usage for illnesses.

A problem seems to be that essential oils are not studied as intensely as one would hope/want. But many of thoose used commonly in aroma therapy for example seem to be fatal when one ingests a whole bottle (how someone manages that is beyond me). Some also seem to have powerful antioxidative capabilities. As with everything it doesn't seem to be black or white.

Essential Oil Safety - A Guide for Health Care Professionals



Which Thyme species are you looking at? There are quite a few mentioned in the book.

Thank you for the pdf. I was looking to get thymus vulgaris.