I also don't love some of the language that I hear EO reps use when describing the benefits of the products that they're touting. But I'll get off my soapbox, lol! What I tell people when they ask my opinion on EO's is that with rare exception (enteric peppermint for IBS being one), they should just know that using essential oils internally or neat on the skin is not an established modality. No one knows the long term effects of using them in this way. That makes anyone who does use them this way the guinea pig, part of a grand experiment with no one actually monitoring the experiment. So long as they know that, and are okay with it, do as ye will.
I do keep an assortment of oils in my home and two in my herbal first aid kit (lavender & peppermint), but I prefer to work with whole herbs for both clinical care and long term care (chronic care). I do talk to my clients about using certain essential oils, depending on what we're discussing, just not as much as whole herb remedies. Sorry for the long answer!Hi, @survivalist.com! I like your name. I have mixed opinions on essential oils. I fear that I'm in the same camp as your good friend. EO's as super-concentrated distillates are pretty new to the natural healing world. Homeopathy comes to mind as one of the few modalities that's newer. When used traditionally, or as a licensed aromatherapist would advise, I think that essential oils can be very healing. But I'm alarmed at how much I'm seeing folks use them internally or excessively on the skin. EO's are very potent, and I've seen more than one person develop a sensitivity to them through overuse. One client of mine had to discontinue use altogether (lavender in particular), and we had to use whole herbs and nourishment to bolster up her liver. In my consulting practice, clinical data on the effectiveness of EO's is all over the map. Sometimes it works, sometimes (most times for my clients) it doesn't.
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