Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals

1511 Pages·2013·23.994 MB·English

by  Robert Tisserand, Rodney Young

Essential Oil Safety
A Guide for Health Care Professionals
SECOND EDITION
Robert Tisserand
Expert in Aromatherapy and Essential Oil Research, Ojai, CA, USA
Rodney Young, PhD
Lecturer in Plant Chemistry and Pharmacology, University of East London, London, UK
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Table of Contents
Cover image
Title page
Biography
Copyright
Foreword
Acknowledgments
First Edition Preface
Second Edition Preface
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Essential oil composition
Essential oils
Essential oil chemistry
Essential oil constituents
Summary
Notes
Chapter 3: Toxicity
Adverse effects
Toxic substances
Human toxicity
Measuring toxicity
Estimating risk
Minimizing risk
Adverse event reporting
Summary
Notes
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Chapter 4: Kinetics and dosing
Absorption
Distribution
Metabolism
Excretion
Drug interactions
Summary
Notes
Chapter 5: The skin
Adverse skin reactions
Irritation
Sensitization
Photosensitization
Managing adverse skin reactions
Regulation
Summary
Notes
Chapter 6: The respiratory system
Volatile organic compounds
Adverse effects of airborne substances
Respiratory disease
Olfactory hypersensitivity
Pulmonary toxicity
Summary
Notes
Chapter 7: The cardiovascular system
The heart
Blood pressure
Blood
Summary
Chapter 8: The urinary system
Nephrotoxicity
Antinephrotoxicity
Diuresis
Conclusions
Summary
Chapter 9: The digestive system
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The gastrointestinal tract
The liver
Summary
Notes
Chapter 10: The nervous system
Neurotoxicity
CNS stimulant activity
CNS depressant activity
Psychotropic activity
Summary
Notes
Chapter 11: The reproductive system
Reproductive toxicology
Fertility
Toxicity during gestation
Developmental toxicity
Termination of pregnancy
Childbirth
Breastfeeding and lactation
Discussion
Safe levels of exposure
Summary
Notes
Chapter 12: Cancer and the immune system
Cancer and carcinogens
Defense mechanisms
The immune system
Carcinogenicity testing
Risk factors
Synergistic and antagonistic effects
Essential oils
Current regulations
Summary
Notes
Chapter 13: Essential oil profiles
Notes
Essential oils A–Z
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Chapter 14: Constituent profiles
Isomers
Constituent profiles A–Z
Chapter 15: General safety guidelines
First aid
Safety in healthcare
General safety measures
Appendix A: Clinical Safety A–Z
Appendix B: Examples of drug substrates for CYP enzymes
Appendix C: Conversion tables for essential oils
Glossary
Abbreviations
Resources
References
Index
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Biography
Robert Tisserand
Robert is internationally recognized for his pioneering work in many aspects of aromatherapy.
He started practicing as a therapist in 1969, founded a company to market aromatherapy products
in 1974, and wrote the first book in English on the subject in 1977: The Art of Aromatherapy. Robert
has written two further books including this one, co-founded several aromatherapy organizations,
and has taught and lectured extensively. For 12 years, Robert was the principal of the Tisserand
Institute in London, and during the same period he published and edited the International Journal
of Aromatherapy. Today Robert lives in California and his activities include writing, online
education, live events, and working as an independent industry expert. Robert is one of only two
recipients of the Alliance of International Aromatherapists Lifetime Achievement Award. Follow
his blog at www.roberttisserand.com/blog
Rodney Young
Originally trained as a chemist, Rodney obtained a BSc from the University of London in 1965
and a PhD in medicinal chemistry from the University of Essex in 1968. He worked for many years
in the pharmaceutical industry as a research chemist, focusing on modulators of histamine,
serotonin and inositol phosphates. Rodney has published widely in the field of scientific literature,
and has taught at University College, London, Oxford Brookes University, Edinburgh Napier
University, and the University of East London. He has a longstanding interest in the
pharmacological and medicinal properties of plant natural products and in promoting evidence-
based botanical medicine, and serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Herbal Medicine and
the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.
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Copyright
© 2014 Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Details on how to seek
permission, further information about the Publisher’s permissions policies and our arrangements
with organizations such as the Copyright Clearance Center and the Copyright Licensing Agency,
can be found at our website: www.elsevier.com/permissions.
This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by Robert
Tisserand & Rodney Young.
First edition 2002
Second edition 2014
ISBN 978-0-443-06241-4
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress

Notices
Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and
experience broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional
practices, or medical treatment may become necessary.
Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge
in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments
described herein. In using such information or methods they should be mindful of their
own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional
responsibility.
With respect to any essential oils or products identified, readers are advised to check the
most current information provided (i) on procedures featured or (ii) by the supplier or
manufacturer of each essential oil or product to be administered, to verify the safest and
most effective strategy for administration, including any contraindications. It is the
responsibility of practitioners, relying on their own experience and knowledge of their
patients, to make diagnoses, to determine the best treatment for each individual patient,
and to take all appropriate safety precautions.
To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or
editors, assume any liability for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a
matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any
methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein.
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Printed in China
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Foreword
Elizabeth M. Williamson
I warmly welcome the second edition of this book, expanded and updated, since the first edition
has always been the first reference I go to for reliable information on the safety and composition of
essential oils.
About 300 essential oils are commonly traded on the world market, which was estimated to be
worth over $1000 million in 2013. They are very widely used in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, food
and household goods industries. About 20% of essential oils are consumed by the flavor industry
for use in food products, about 20% by the pharmaceutical industry, and the rest by the fragrance
industry, in cleaning products, hair and skin care, as well as in aromatherapy. So their safety is of
huge importance to everyone, and although the information given in this book is highly relevant to
aromatherapists, it is also an essential reference source for anyone dealing with essential oils, in any
capacity.
There is no question that essential oils have pharmacological activity, and there is an extensive
body of literature on this topic. In this book, the authors have critically appraised evidence from a
variety of sources, both reliable and unreliable. The effects of aromatherapy massage depend to a
large extent on penetration through the skin, so general safety concerns are similar to those for
essential oils even when ingested orally or inhaled. As befits a book about safety, toxicity in its
many forms – including skin sensitization, genotoxicity, neurotoxicity and reproductive toxicity – is
dealt with early in the book, very comprehensively, and in an impartial manner. It is as important
to debunk myths about toxicity as it is to highlight it, because essential oils are used so widely and
must be used with confidence.
Parts of the book are highly technical, which is necessary to make the points that must be made,
and it is very well referenced. This ensures that the book also has the widest usage possible in the
cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, and that it is credible to the harshest of critics. It will help
all health-care practitioners, whether or not they eventually decide to recommend aromatherapy to
their patients, and of course to aromatherapists, who will have confidence in their practice.
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