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Dumb Mistakes I’ve Made with Essential Oils
You can’t work with essential oils for 33+ years as I have, and not experience some mini-disasters along the way. Spilling expensive oils, forgetting to record a great blend, breaking beautiful bottles, and getting oils anywhere they don’t belong on the body are a few of the common mistakes veteran aromatherapists have experienced.
I’ve had my share of colorful mishaps with aromatics, and today I air my dirty laundry and share some of the dumb things I’ve done with essential oils.
You have my permission to gasp and giggle.
Dumb and Dangerous Things I’ve Done with Essential Oils
1. I once asked a massage client to smell my lovely lavender oil while she was lying face-up on the massage table. As I leaned over her…plop!…a drop of essential oil dropped right into her eye. Essential oils don’t belong in the eyes! In the event this DOES happen, see number 2 below.
2. A few years ago, I was in a hurry to “freshen up” so I dabbed a few drops of undiluted Lemongrass essential oil in my underarms. Ten minutes later, I had red-hot armpits. Know your chemistry! Lemongrass is an aldehyde-rich oil and can be a serious skin irritant. The Aromatic Wisdom Podcast has two Deep Dive episodes on essential oil chemistry Episode 34 and Episode 35.
3. After hearing that Tea Tree essential oil on a tampon was good for yeast infections, I thought I’d give it a try one itchy summer. This is a great remedy, but for Heaven’s sake, don’t SOAK the tampon! My husband nearly had to peel me off the ceiling. Delicate membranes need to be treated delicately. I should have rolled the tampon in Tea Tree blended with a carrier like Jojoba Oil (wax).
4. I once put my young son in a bath with Eucalyptus essential oil when he had a cold but neglected to mix it in a carrier. The Eucalyptus oil sat on top of the water (oil and water don’t mix) and irritated his little bottom. Always add essential oils to a carrier when putting in the bathtub with young children.
5. Suffering from a sore throat and impatient for healing, I added oregano essential oil to salt water and gargled. I ended up with a bright red, burned tongue and the inside of my mouth felt like it was on fire. Again, know what you’re handling. Oregano is high in phenols making it highly irritating and caustic to the skin.
6. This one was a friend: she got in the dry sauna at the gym and threw Eucalyptus essential oil on the rocks and nearly burned the place down. Essential oils are flammable.
Essential Oil Safety Guidelines
Essential oils are highly concentrated substances. Please use them with care and respect. Just because they’re natural doesn’t mean they are harmless. Before you experiment with these oils, get some education: take a class, go to a trusted website such as www.naha.org, or buy a book like Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand.
1. Keep out of the reach of children.
2. Keep away from the eyes. If oils accidentally touch the eyes add a couple of drops of vegetable oil to a tissue and quickly swipe over the eye area. The essential oil will grab onto the vegetable oil.
3. Do not use essential oils undiluted on the skin (exceptions may be lavender and tea tree and even those should be diluted to avoid becoming sensitized to the oil).
4. When an allergic reaction is a possibility, do a patch test 24 hours before use.
5. Extra precautions should be taken during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester. If you wish to use aromatherapy during your pregnancy, contact a qualified Professional Aromatherapist.
6. Do not take essential oils internally without the guidance of a physician or trained aromatherapist.
7. Certain essential oils such as Camphor, Eucalyptus and Peppermint should be avoided while taking homeopathic remedies as these essential oils will counteract the effects.
8. When using essential oils in the bath, swirl the water well to help disperse the oils. For children, or if you have sensitive skin, it is best to disperse your essential oils in a tablespoon full of vegetable oil or 1/2 cup of full-fat milk. This is to avoid essential oil irritation to the skin.
9. Do not use essential oils before sunbathing as many are phototoxic. In particular, are the citrus oils, especially Bergamot, and Angelica oil.
10. You can become sensitized to an oil that you use over and over. Change the oils you use, try new ones.
Aromatic Wisdom Podcast Episodes about Safety
AWP 036: Phototoxic Essential Oils – Keeping Yourself Safe
AWP 037: Essential Oil Sensitization: Are You at Risk?
Aromatic Wisdom Blog Articles about Safety
Would you know if you had Essential Oil Sensitization?
Essential Oil Guidelines and Dilutions
Updated August 14, 2024
You had me giggling at some of those – because I’ve done them! 🙂 Great reminders… thank you!
Victoria, HA! I’d love to hear stories from other aromatherapists of their aromatic boo boos!
this photo is excellent Liz! I will share 1 of my faves, I was nursing my baby & we developed thrush, I started applying tea tree to my right nipple, neat, 2-3 times a day. Not a great idea, not a great flavor for the baby either. When I went to my doctor & told him how I was treating it he said, ‘Don’t DO that!” OK Doc! Lesson learned!
awwww Thank goodness it was essential oil of garlic! Thanks for sharing Gretchen.
I was an idiot with Peppermint Oil. NEVER PUT IT NEAR YOUR EYELIDS OR EYES!
DEFINITELY DO NOT PUT IT NEAT ON YOUR EYELIDS
I am allergic to it, as I just found out.
Oh NO Abby! Peppermint is high in menthol and definite an essential oil you want to keep away from the eyes! I touched my eye with a finger that had peppermint essential oil on the tip and got the oil in my eye. It was awful. I immediately rinse my eye with olive oil and that removed the peppermint from my eye immediately. I am so sorry you had that experience, but appreciate your sharing so that others can avoid the same thing. Liz
Wow, what an interesting post. I hear lots about the wonderful qualities of essential oils but never heard these kinds of stories. Thanks for the alert!
What great information and reminders! I was trying to pop the top (reducer) off of a ginger eo and it went all over my chest, face and eyes. I luckily had my contacts in so my eyes only stung a little – chest was bright red for hours. But I hadn’t heard about putting a vegetable oil into your eye if an eo was stinging. This is great information for the future! Thanks!
Oh no! What a disaster with the Ginger! Thank you for sharing that story – it’s important for others to know that these things happen. I’m so glad you stopped by!
Oh, yeah! Not all oils are safe and healthy. I’m sharing this post for the other people in my circle, to know.
I just did the lemongrass on armpit thing which is how I found your site… I’m curious what you ended up doing? it burns!!!! hahah I feel so dumb!
Oh No Penny! Ouch! Get some unscented carrier oil, it can be anything like olive oil, safflower, coconut, etc. and wipe the area with the oil. It will help quickly remove the lemongrass. Thank you for sharing and please use your experience to let others know the importance of essential oil safety!
Thank god I just found this post. My legs are burning after I took a bath with epsom salt and lavender essential oil. At the last minute I thought it would be nice to add Orange. BAD IDEA! I rinsed in the shower- no help. But the almond oil helped to smooth the biting pin feeling! Thanks!
I read that lemongrass was good for the face so I dabbed a little into my facial moisturizer. Yikes! I did not know it was a hot oil…..now I do!!
Thanks for this information! They all sounds like mistakes I would have made but won’t now due to your warnings. The tea tree tampon makes me cringe – yeeouch!!
I know, right Tracy? LOL I’m so glad this post saved you from having to make the same mistakes I did!
i just did the oil in bath thing !! my skin is cold yet burning and red any suggestions on what to do
Oh dear Alison! If it is possible to get some organic aloe vera gel, I would suggest you bath the irritated area with that asap.
Thanks you are a saint I swear I will never put peppermint oil in my bath agian my back burns!!!
You’re lucky it’s only your back that burns and not your undercarriage!!
I just spilled an entire bottle of lavender in my kitchen how can I clean it and dilute the smell????
Oh No Shanna! You didn’t say where it was spilled or on what kind of surface, but if you use liquid castile soap it should wash out quite easily and not damage any of your kitchen surfaces. Vinegar will work too, but don’t use it on granite countertop. Good luck!
I just bathed in eucalyptus oil and my back and calves burn ! What will help ?! Plz
Oh dear Ray! I suggest using unscented carrier oil or lotion to remove as much of the oil as possible. This is why I recommend NOT using essential oils undiluted or in the bath without a carrier. I hope you feel better! Liz
Hi Liz i used an oregano oil supplement on my undercarriage area, i so wish i had’nt now!!! it was very strong and i burned straight away and although i rinsed it off and applied a carrier, 10 days later i still have burning/soreness. The oregano was diluted with olive and some other oils in a capsule. I have used aloe vera gel, vitamin e and coconut oils to soothe the area so far, but can you suggest anything else i could try to relieve the discomfort ?
Love your article btw! plz any help would be appreciated! thanks Tori.
Oh Tori! Oregano oil is one of the hottest, most irritating of essential oils. I’m so sorry you had this experience. The area has actually been burned. You may find relief and healing from using cooled lavender hydrosol. Keep it in the fridge. Be careful where you buy it as you don’t want anything with preservatives. Try http://www.pompeiiorganics.com or wwww.naturesgift.com. Let me know if that helps! Liz
Ahhh thanks hun! never thought of using lavender so thanks for the tip. I’ve put in an order today for a few bottles. It’s not as bad as it sounds really, i have no scarring or redness just the skin is tender to the touch and slightly irritated that’s all. I did’nt insert the capsule (thank god) i opened it first then rubbed a very small amount on the outer area but it was still enough to burn like a volcano LOL!!
I have found that using natural unsweetened yogurt with 2 drops of tea tree oil mixed in is very soothing and taking luke warm sea salt baths helps too.
I will keep you updated anyway & thank you again for your help Liz! 🙂
I put Oregano oil in my armpits to help with a rash in seconds it was on fire and the skin turned to dried out leather and pealed 2 days later good news I have brand new skin in my pits now and no rash but I’ll never do that again.
Oh Sean! I’m so sorry you had this experience. And yes, it is a very common essential oil that people have issues with as it is very high in phenols and, therefore, a highly irritating and “hot” essential oil. Did you add anything to the burn to soothe it? I always recommend cool aloe vera gel. NO essential oils because that would further irritate the area. Give yourself a good 30-60 days before considering using any essential oil on that area again to avoid essential oil sensitization.
Hi Liz, My mother used to get some kind of blend of oils that claimed to be mainly Eucalyptus to help with back pain, body aches, rheumatoid arthritis from a local kiosk at the mall quite a few years back and it worked like a dream for all her pain….mom passed away in 2002 and I have no way of knowing where I can get that product so I was wondering if you can recommend a blend of eucalyptus oil with some kind of carrier that won’t irritate the skin? Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much for all the knowledge and stories you have given all of us here on this site! It has been very informative! Best regards, Karen ~
Hi Karen,
What a pity you don’t have any of the blend left. Do you at least remember the name of the company that produced the blend? In the meantime, I can certainly recommend a blend for pain that contains eucalyptus. Try this:
– 10 drops Roman Chamomile oil
– 8 drops Eucalyptus oil
– 8 drops Orange oil
– 4 drops Peppermint oil
– 4 oz. of jojoba oil
Hi! I had a bath with Epsom salts and a blend of lavender 4 drops , tea tree 2 drops, lemon 1 drop and peppermint 1 drop to help a chesty cough/cold. Even though I dispersed it in milk it still burnt the backs of my legs. I took a homeopathic remedy called cantharis 30c one remedy and 5 mins later the burning had gone! Just a tip!
Hi Jackie, I’m so sorry you had this experience, but I appreciate the advise about the milk as I often recommend that as a carrier. It wasn’t “skim” milk was it? Full fat milk or cream are what I recommend because of the lipid content. Great advise on the homeopathy, thank you! Liz
I recently began using tea tree oil neat as an underarm deodorant. Sometimes it burns slightly when applied after a shower but not bad really, just warm pits. This past week I read something about tea tree being a sweat inducer, which I believe as I’ve been very aware of my sweaty pits. So since I prefer the scent of lemon grass, I thought I would try that instead. Especially since years ago I read that it helps with excessive sweating. So yesterday I applied it after a shower. And of course I experienced what you did. So today I thought maybe if I wait a bit after showering….so i did. It still stung but definitely not as long as yesterday. The thing is that it’s very effective as a deodorant (plus it has so many possible benefits where tea tree is more of a treatment). I wonder if my skin will get used to it. I’m nervous that if I dilute it (like maybe witch hazel?) or add a carrier oil, its effectiveness will diminish. Do you have any words of wisdom?
Hi Nicole, Lemongrass is, indeed a good deodorizer, but it will really burn the delicate skin in the armpits. Also, using any essential oil without diluting it first will eventually create problems with your skin. I like to use organic aloe vera gel as a carrier for deodorant. You can read about it in this blog post http://aromaticwisdominstitute.com/underarm-deodorant-spray/ I think you’ll like this idea Nicole.
Please use another carrier with it! I burned myself (not badly, but enough that I want it to heal…..) with straight Lemongrass oil. The area is very red and itchy. I’m using olive oil and aloe vera to heal it.
Please be careful!
I just started using essential oils and put lime oil on a diffuser bracelet and proceeded out into the sun. My wrist and hand now have dark marks from the oil. Is there a way to get these to lighten, I have been using lavender but it isnt working
Hi Andrea, what you’ve experienced is called phototoxicity. You can read more about it in this blog post https://aromaticwisdominstitute.com/essential-oil-safety-guidelines/ Sometimes those dark marks will disappear, but it may take time. Liz
My daughters and nieces put Bergmot on their arms before doing yoga. The problem however was they did their yoga on the beach and then changed into bathing suits and were in the sun all day. They all have burns on their arms, some are blistering. Will the weird discoloration to their arms go away. They look like they have been bruised really bad.
Yes, Jena, what you’re nieces experienced is called phototoxicity and it was caused by a component of the Bergamot essential oil. All you can do is treat it like any other serious burn and use aloe and keep it cool. Sometimes the discoloration disappears with time, sometimes it is permanent. Thank you for sharing this experience so others many learn about the dangers of Bergamot essentia oil and the sun. Take care, Liz
I seriously grabbed the wrong essential oil (lemongrass) instead of Tea tree. I mixed in my bath, like I usually do every so often (with tea tree) and honestly I don’t know why I didn’t realize the lemon smell. Long story short, I have extremely hot, like I’m on fire, red patches ALL over. Is there anything I can do to help alleviate it?
Try Olive oil or Aloe Vera. That is what I’m using based on research. Hope you feel better soon.
I burned myself (not badly, thankfully) using Lemongrass oil in between my breasts, trying to get rid of what I believe is a skin tag. I’ve got about a one-inch area of red skin. 🙁
I’m using aloe vera and olive oil to heal it. Ugh..so itchy!
I will be so careful if I ever use it again. I’ve used Teatree oil before and have not had any bad experiences, so I was not paying attention with the Lemongrass. I will now.
Instead of mixing with base carrier oil, Can i mix lemongrass essential oil with water to use as toner to treat acne? What would be the oil:water ratio?
Thanks,
Eve
Eve, you can use Aloe vera gel instead of carrier. The dilution would be 5 drops to 1 ounce of gel.
Hello, I’ve been bathing using camomile lavender body wash for 3 weeks now. I’ve noticed a burning in my mouth nose and throat even eyes and now my skin feels like it’s on fire. I have red patches on chest where I would usually soap more in that area and let a rag sit on my chest. I feel raw and cold at times. It took me sometime to figure what it was but the symptoms started around same time I started these lavender baths and sometimes Epsom salt w lavender. Any suggestions? Thanks
Hi Stacie, It does sound like you have some kind of allergy to this product. I would suggest avoiding all use of it for at least one month. If you want to try a small amount in a tiny area after 30-60 days you will either get a reaction (means you are allergic) or not. I would avoid anything scented in the meantime to give your skin a rest. Liz
Liz, I recently started using oregano oil – very concentrated, wild oregano, 86% Carvacrol. At first, I just put a couple of drops in a small glass with Emergen-C… boy did that burn going down! BUT after only 1 day of taking it 2x/day, the cold that was coming on went away. Now, I am diluting with honey instead 1 tsp:3 drops for sinus discomfort/developing infection, but I wonder if I might be better off diluting with coconut oil? It still burns with honey, though not as bad.
I never take Oregano essential oil internally, not even with honey or coconut oil. I find it is just too harsh for our internal organs. Your best use it to add it to a carried oil and use it externally to boost your immunity. Liz
I finally found this page again and read your comment. Thank you so much for the advice to use it only externally with a carrier oil. <3
I was reading about how you could put 1-2 drops of eucalyptus oil in your ear to help with congestion. Now I’m writhing in pain. Any suggestions?!? I’m very concerned I could have damaged my ear.
Ouch! Putting any essential oil directly in the ear can be painful and may even cause damage. In the event that one ever wishes to put essential oils in the ear, it must be highly diluted. One-half percent! So 3 drops of EO to 1 oz of carrier. I hope that you are okay by now. Liz
I put eucalyptus oil neat into my ear every day … maybe I have brain damage already… many people would like to say this is true especially since I support the view of Ken Wilber. I don’t put it in too deep … and I also rub my scalp with it undiluted. I am attempting to find out if I should not be doing it but no valid reason has been given why I should dilute it … apart from the fact that it can give me allergies … which it doesn’t and that it will burn if you apply it in the wrong place … which I don’t. But it is the only thing that deals effectively with my itchy scalp.
I accidentally spilled several drops of tangerine oil on my hand and I’m pregnant! I went to wash it off immediately but cannot find anything on the internet about tangerine EO and pregnancy. Help!
Hi Ash, No worries! You took the correct course of action by washing it off. You could also have just added some carrier to help dilute it on your skin. Neither your skin or pregnancy should be affected in any way by a little Tangerine EO. When the baby is older, it will be a nice oil to add to the diffuser with lavender 🙂 Liz
I was told to put a couple drops of Theives on my thumb and put it on the roof of my mouth if I felt like I might be coming down with what my son had. Not wanting to be sick for Christmas I KEPT doing this and doing this. I got sick anyways. But haven’t been able to sleep because my throat hurts so incredibly bad. I keep refusing to believe I don’t have strep. Well I don’t. And I’m on an antibiotic, the more I think about it the more I’m positive I’ve chemically burned my throat. What do I do?!??!
Oh my, yes, it does sound like you’ve highly irritated your throat. Thieves contains cinnamon and clove; each have highly irritating “hot” chemical components which you have, unfortunately, discovered. You’re in no danger but will be uncomfortable for a couple of days. If you have any lavender hydrosol, gargle with it, full strength. If not, just consume cool drinks and stay away from anything hot for a few days. Thank you for sharing this experience. I hope you feel better soon! Liz
Oh my, yes, it does sound like you’ve highly irritated your throat. Thieves contains cinnamon and clove; each has highly irritating “hot” chemical components which you have, unfortunately, discovered. You’re in no danger but will be uncomfortable for a couple of days. If you have any lavender hydrosol, gargle with it, full strength. If not, just consume cool drinks and stay away from anything hot for a few days. Thank you for sharing this experience. I hope you feel better soon! Liz
Read in my essential oil book that cinnamon bark was an antiviral oil. It also said cinnamon bark can be ingested in 2 T of honey. I immediately had trouble breathing and fellt burning in throat and after 12 hours the back of my throat and down to bronchials still burns and hurts when taking a breath. What is good to neutralize this oil?
Oh Dixie, I’m so sorry you had this happen! Cinnamon Bark is very high in irritating aldehydes so I hope you’re feeling better. I would have had a cool drink of full fat milk to help dilute the essential oil that is on the throat. Beyond that, cool drinks. It will heal but may be uncomfortable in the meantime. If it continues please see a doctor. Thank you for sharing your experience! Liz
Hi my name is SAM.I put one drop of breath easy essential oil(Undiluted) directly inside my each nose.After that my nose become completely dry.No mucus.Nose now wide open.Too much air getting inside my nose.Severe breathing problem.Need help?Do you think I permanently damage my nose.I found that the ingredients of that oil are Peppermint, Rosemary, Lemon, Eucalyptus.
Hello Sam, Thank you for writing. I don’t feel that you have done any permanent damage to the inside of your nose, but I’m sure the mucous membranes have been irritated. That must have been very uncomfortable! Next time, try using a nasal inhaler to directly inhale the essential oils. Here’s a blog post that tell you how to make one https://aromaticwisdominstitute.com/make-a-nasal-inhaler/. Good luck! Liz
Thanks Liz for your quick reply.So,to heal my mucus membrane what can I do?Any suggestion.-Sincerely Sam
Dear Liz,I want to add one thing that I put those oil inside my nose almost 2 weeks ago.Still no improvement.-Sincerely Sam
Dear Liz, yesterday I diffused about 4 drops of thieves in a full diffuser of water 3 times, so 12 drops total over a 12 hour work day. The diffuser was going off and on much of the day as someone near me was coughing. Today my lungs feel a bit irritated, slightly hot like when I used to clean with bleach (never do that anymore) Wondering if the Thieves could be the culprit? Or if I’m just coming down with what the other person has. What do you think ?
Today i made the mistake of not cleaning out my last oil session and i out in some rosemary today while there still was frankensense left over. About 15 mins later my skin started burning along with my eyes , luckly i figured out rather quickly what was wrong. Man this was like pepper spray my poor cats eyes were crying. Don’t make thia mistake!!!
Hi Liz,
I am looking for an alternative mosquito repent and found this.
Witch Hazel 100ml
Citronella 5 drops
Lemongrass 5 drops
Tea Tree 3 drops
Peppermint 3 drops
Shake well before application with spritzer.
Do you think this will be safe for my young girls. Who are 4 and 6
Hi Tony, The essential oils are good for insect repelling. I’d only change the carrier. If you are using it for a spray, I’d use Catnip Hydrosol (you can get it at PompeiiOrganics.com) instead of the Witch Hazel. If it’s for the skin, especially for your girls, I would use Aloe Vera Gel as a carrier because it will be safer and more skin-friendly than hydrosol. You can get both at PompeiiOrganics.com. Thank you for writing and let me know how it works! Liz
Hi Liz,
Thanks for taking the time to reply to my qeustion. I live in Australia, so I will go with the Aloe Vera Gel. Will the oils mix through the gel ok? Will it still be able to be applied with a spritzer? I also noticed the you recommend it to be refrigerated. I would like to be able to leave this in there school bags to apply as needed. The mosquito’s are ferocious.
The bites my girls get are welts about the size of your thumb nail, with a small pimple head in the middle. I use rubbing alcohol on them by the next morning the pimple head in the middle has gone and the swelling has reduced by two thirds.
I do not like the idea of using the commercial brands of insect repellent, as like sunscreen, toothpaste etc etc there are alot of nasty stuff in them which we are appling to our biggest organ without thinking about what our body is absorbing.
I appreciate your help with this, as I am relatively new to waking up to some of the frightening ingredients in some of the products we use on a daily basis.
Kind Regards
Tony
Liz,
I’m SO impressed with how you’ve responded to each and every one of these questions, even 5 years after the original post!
I don’t have such an exciting question. It was recommended to me to use some peppermint oil on cotton balls and drop them into the vents around the house to help keep pests away. I live in the southeastern area of the States, and in winter, every living thing is looking for more comfortable living quarters.
However, while doing this, I noticed my fingers were turning a greenish blue. They didn’t hurt or burn, just turned a strange color. I washed my hands, and it went away just as simple as you please.
I’m wondering if the discoloration is normal. I’m wondering if it could be an indicator of some nutrient deficiency, or if it could be simply that I’m weird. Or, maybe some kind of medicine I’m taking reacted with the peppermint. So, of course, I googled it and found your article.
GREAT read!
Keep it up.
– Princess
I made the mistake of taking a bath and putting a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil in the water. My allergies are going crazy right now and thought soaking in eucalyptus oil would help me breath better. Immediately after sitting down in the water my “ladyparts” started burning. I have rinsed with plain water till my water turned cold. I’ve tried soaking a washcloth in milk, but that didn’t help. I’ve used vegetable oil, that took away a little bit of the burn. It just feels like a cold burning now. What can I do?
Oh my dear Jenna! This is a common “accident” with many people who use essential oils. First of all, you did the correct thing to clear the burning area with vegetable oil. Since essential oil and water do not mix, trying to clean oil off with water won’t help much. Using any vegetable oil or fatty substance to remove the oil from your skin is a much faster solution. It won’t be uncomfortable for more than a day or so. If the burning continues longer than 24 hours, please see your doctor. Thank you for sharing Jenna! I often share my essential oil mishaps so others can learn. Never put essential oils in the bath unless they are gentle, skin-nourishing oils, and even then add the essential oil to a carrier. Even whole milk or cream will help. Hope you’re feeling better now! Liz
I am very concerned that I have become toxic from overuse of my oils. I foolishly was treating what i thought was a sinus infection, or flu symptoms, sore throat, cough, headaches, mucus, lightheaded. Up to this point I was using peppermint for indigestion, thieves in my Ningxia Wolfberry supplement(Young Living),several different oils for different symptoms. Also giving my husband foot massages with francinsense for his prostate cancer.
My spleen became very enlarged, pain and discomfort in my abdomen area. My dear friend, nurse, healing massage therapist that uses oils in her treatments, mentioned that I might be toxic. All of these oils that I was using thinking I was sick were all the symptoms of toxicity. I have stopped using now for 2 weeks, still having lightheadedness, feeling weak. Is there anything I can do to rid my body of all this overtreatment? I am totally to blame for this for not educating myself about the dangers of these oils, neat, taking internally etc. Please guide me as what I should do. Thank you
Hello, I’d like to use geranium oil combined with argan oil for its benefit for the skin (I heard it could also be beneficial to dark circles) but I can’t find the right proportions and the geranium EO gives me too much of a burning sensation. What woukd you advise me? Also I’ve been using for years tea tree oil diluted with little water to replace intimal wash, because I usually find soap too dry for down there. But I’ve never thought about sensibilization. Is there another oil I can use for that purpose you would recommend? Thanks, Lisa
I made a huge mistake and used undiluted oregano oil to heal and scratch on my forehead… the oil dripped down the side of my face and now my skin is damaged. There is no pain but there is a dark burn down the side of my face. Any tips on how to quickly heal it and get my skin back to normal?
I had a mouse visiting the back of my sofas and was told that
Peppermint oil would get rid of it.
Stupidly without thinking I put almost a whole bottle of undiluted
Peppermint oil on the back of my 2 sofas. They are now residing in he garden shed as the smell was overpowering and none of us including the dogs could bear to stay in the same room. How can I get rid of the smell of the peppermint oil.
I fear I have just ruined my 2 sofas. I have covered them in bicarbonate of soda which seems to have taken some of the smell.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also I’ve been told that inhaling the smell too much can be dangerous.
Help! We are sitting in the lounge on garden chairs at the moment.
I am not an essential oil expert, but I do know that distilled white vinegar will take the stink out of just about anything. I use it in the rinse cycle for getting out the musty smell of laundry that sat in the washer too long. Also, used in the rinse cycle, it will restore absorption to old towels.
How interesting that you add distilled white vinegar to the laundry! I will have to remember that for those times I leave the laundry in too long LOL. Thank you for sharing! Liz
I smelled neat frankincense oil and now the inside of my one of nostrils feels throbbing. What should I do?
Perhaps some of the molecules have remained in the lining of your nose. It will pass. Perhaps you can clear out the nasal passages with a bit of oil or nasal spray.
I made a huge mistake of putting undiluted tea tree oil in my daughters ear for an ear infection 🙁 She complained for a minute, but it’s been about 12 hours and says it doesn’t hurt. Should I still add a carrier oil to her ear? Could there still be reprocussions even though it doesn’t bother her right now? I will forever be so much more cautious about my oils!
Hi Hillary, Awwww you haven’t done any damage and I’m sure your daughter will be fine. It sounds like it didn’t bother her too much so you probably didn’t use a lot. At this point I wouldn’t add the carrier, but I would definitely add carrier for any topical applications in the future. If you follow the guidelines in this blog post, you’ll be fine. Thank you for writing and for being a responsible EO parent 🙂 Liz https://aromaticwisdominstitute.com/blending-guidelines-dilutions/
Hi Liz,
Best oil “help” site ever! Thank you! Love your personal answers…God Bless you!
I tried putting DoTerra oils in capsule (lemon, melaleuca ang oregano) to take orally. Must have gotten a drop (or 2 ) partly on outside of capsule. Hard to drip drops from bottle perfectly into tiny capsule opening. My throat burned (I’m guessing oregano) so I put FCO on throat
and ate some watermelon, which helped. Any advice on how to get oils neatly into capsule? A regular dropper doesn’t fit into oils bottle.
Thank you, I hope you have an idea for me!
just took 1st capsule this morning…and my throoat burns. Must have dropped a drop or two on side of capsule. Took plenty of water with capsule. How to carefully drop oils into capsule without getting on outside. Regular dropper won’t fit in oil bottle. Can you please advise? Thank you!
My son hurt his knee in sports today so I made him an epson salt bath and thought put some EO and give him a book to read. As I went to put a few drops of orange oil it poured in to bath . I didn’t think anything of it , 3 min in to his bath he was screaming something was on his back and crying. I had him stand and shower , I used every soap in the house, oatmeal, and hydrocortisone cream and had him stay in shower. Turns out not a great idea and found a blog where someone used olive oil. We did that and he eventually stopped crying. My arms are tingling just from pulling bath plug and cleaning his back. Total mom fail!! I use oils in my bath all the time but never orange. Never again.
I have a sinus infection, so thought it would be a good idea to put a few drops of peppermint oil on the shower floor. I wasn’t planning on sitting down, but started to get dizzy and sat down not thinking. I got out not thinking about it, but I suddenly felt slight burning “down there” got back in and washed multiple times with body wash. It doesn’t burn as much as it did at least, but I was thinking of using some coconut oil “down there” to help it dilute some.
My stupid! I put a drop of lemon and eucalyptus on a cotton ball to sniff because fighting an allergy and sinus flare. In the midst of packing the car for a day trip, i popped the cotton ball into my bra. 10 minutes down the road, i was in pain. Had forgotten about the cotton ball. I’m digging it out of my bra, while searching for a bottle of lotion . I can only imagine what drivers thought I was doing, swerving around. Lol. It has been 4 days, still have a very red boob.
Ouch Alison! That was a classic case of essential oil irritation which I talk about in the Aromatic Wisdom Podcast Episode 037 I’m glad your’e okay. You could have wiped the area with cool aloe vera gel or lotion. Thank you for sharing! Liz
Hi. I’m on holiday at the moment as spilled a bottle of lemon oil on the tiled bedroom floor. It was overpowering. I then poured 1 litre of water over the area as I had no carrier oil to dilute it on hand and the smell was reduced overall but you could still smell the lemon alot. I went to sleep then went into the sun about 8 hours later and got very burnt chest after being out 3 hours even though I used sun ptotection. I’m worried that the inhalation could have caused skin cancer/tumours as some internet searches have said. I dont know if I’m photo sensitive now or it was just because the sun was 24 degrees! Please help as I’m really worried
What a scare Francesca! I’m sorry you had this frightening experience. In reality, you are okay. Inhaling essential oil will no make you phototoxic. Lemon has a very fast rate of evaporation so the fumes should disappear quickly. Please relax and enjoy your holiday. If anything, you have boosted your immune system with breathing in the limonene from the Lemon! Liz
I put Eucalyptus on my face for swelling and didn’t dilute it. My eyes don’t burn anymore but my eyelids are burned and my under eyes are swollen , is there something I can put on it to make it heal faster.. I’m on day 3. I have used coconut oil, aquaphor, and cold compresses!
Nicole, YIKES! Eucalyptus can be very painful to get it near your eyes or too strong directly on the skin; however, you’ve done the correct thing by adding coconut oil and cool compresses. I hope you’re feeling better now! Liz
Hi I used just a very small amount of peppermint and rosemary in my garage to rid of pests. I diluted 2 drops each in 16 oz of water. I’m very sensitive to smells…. it’s has been several days now and the smell is still to strong for me when I go outside my door. Thankfully the baking soda I used toned it down a bit…. so it’s not bothering me as long as I don’t go outside. I have read that vegetable oil or coffee grounds can help… but that’s the only other things I have found so far… oh and rubbing alcohol. Im hoping you may have another idea… as well can you tell me if this will go away? I have read in places that said it will destroy furniture. This is a stone ground…. that’s the only place I put it… and in the grout as well. Do you have any other suggestions. How long will it take to go away? I guess I’m concerned it won’t
Thank you for any assistance you can offer
I’m glad I found your site
Hi Gina, I’ve done the same thing! What helped me was to wash the area with vinegar and water, about 1/4 C vinegar to 1 Litre of water. Your garage will smell like vinegar for a bit, but it will dissipate pretty quickly. Is there some way to open the door and just allow fresh air to circulate with fans? Fortunately, essential oils do evaporate and with time the aroma will disappear. Let me know if the vinegar solution helps. Liz
Hi, I have put drops of neat peppermint oil around my living room to keep ants out. The smell was very strong and so I put the portable air con on which seemed to get rid of the smell. Is it safe to leave the drops of peppermint essential oil around the living room? Will the oil evaporate? If so how long? Also eyes are stinking because of the vapour is this normal?
Hi, Before bed, I soaked my feet in a hot water with lavender, tea tree, peppermint, lemon, rosemary and epsom salt. (I did not measure how much oil of each I put in the foot tub) 5-6 hours later I woke up to itchy red feet. I washed my feet with soap and cool water and put some Benadryl cream on my feet. The next morning my feet were still itchy and swollen and so were my hands. The tip of my tongue also was swollen and I developed a blister on my tongue. The right side of had the worse reaction and only the right side of my tongue was affected. What else can I do?? I don’t feel bad.
Thank You!
Katrina, if you feel okay just wait and let your system begin to detox it out. Drink lots of water and if you feel worse, please see a doctor!
I put eucalyptus oil on a cotton swab and put it up my nose. I should not have done that! Now my sinuses are swollen and feel stuffed up. I imagine that the effect will wear off, but considering that it’s been over twelve hours and it hasn’t, I’m just wondering if there is something that I might do to help. I was thinking of using my neti pot to help flush it out, but considering that my last idea wasn’t too bright, I’m hesitant to do so.
Hi Jonny, Oh my! I’m so sorry you had to experience Eucalpytus in your nose…OUCH! It is high components that can be very irritating to mucous membranes..as you discovered. The effect WILL wear off, and I don’t imagine there’s any damage. I would flush it out with tepid distilled water several times. I might even add a Tablespoon or 2 of whole milk to get a bit of fat in there to help dissolve the oil so you can expell it. Good luck and thank you for sharing! Liz