Certain essential oils can cause liver toxicity (hepatoxicity)

This is however a problem if the essential oil is taken orally (swallowed) - therefore the taking of essential oils internally must be done with great care - and only done when so instructed by a medical practitioner that has specialized in this branch of medicine.

No essential oil should be taken internally unless so prescribed by a licensed medical practitioner - for more on this see our page on the medicinal use of essential oils.

The oils listed underneath are banned and can cause toxicity if taken internally as well as dermally (in a massage blend)

• Almond (Bitter)
• Boldo leaf
• Calamus
• Camphor
• Horseradish
• Jaborandi leaf
• Mugwort
• Mustard
• Nightshade
• Pennyroyal (both European and North American)
• Rue
• Sassafras
• Savin
• Southernwood
• Stinging nettles
• Tansy
• Thuja
• Wintergreen
• Wormseed
• Wormwood

Use of essential oils

• Air freshening
• Bathing | Amount of essential oils to use in bath
• Compresses
• Foot and hand baths
• Hair care | Amount of essential oils to use in shampoo
• Jacuzzis
• Massage | Amount of essential oils to use in massage blend
• Saunas
• Showers
• Sitz bath
• Skin care | Amount of essential oils to use in creams
• Steam inhalations
• Vaporization

Recipes

• Dry shampoo
• Exfoliating facial scrub with oats
• Face packs (face masks)
• Facial creams and lotions
• Facial toners (tonics and astringents)
• Final rinse water
• Hair loss remedies 
• Oil treatment for hair
• Perfume and Eau-de-Cologne
• Scalp stimulation lotion
• Shampoo

Safety with essential oils

• Abortifacient essential oils
• Banned essential oils
• Cancer and essential oils
• Cardiac (heart) problems and essential oils
• Children and the use of essential oils
• Diluting essential oils
• Elderly people and the use of essential oils
• Emmenagogue essential oils
• Epilepsy and essential oils
• Essential oils to avoid when concentration is required
• High blood pressure and essential oils
• Liver toxicity and essential oils
• Pregnancy and essential oils
• Sensitive skin and essential oils
• Skin irritation caused by essential oils
• Sun sensitivity (phototoxicity)
• Toxic essential oils

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• Storage and buying essential oils
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Manufacture of essential oils

• Distillation
• Water distillation
• Steam distillation
• Hydro diffusion
• Other specialized distillation
  • Cohobation
  • Rectification
  • Water and steam distillation
  • Fractional distillation
• Expression
  • Sponge expression
  • Écuelle à piquer
  • Machine abrasion
• Solvent extraction
  • Maceration
  • Enfleurage
  • Solvent
  • Hypercritical carbon dioxide CO2

Holistic and alternative medicine

• Acupuncture
• Alexander technique
• Ayurveda
• Chiropractic
• Dr Bach flower remedies
• Herbal medicine
• Homeopathy
• Hydrotherapy
• Hypnosis
• Iridology
• Macrobiotics
• Massage therapy
• Meditation
• Naturopathy
• Reflexology
• Spiritual healing
• Tai Chi
• Yoga

Treatment of ailments with essential oils

• If you are suffering from any medical condition please contact your licensed medical practitioner.
• The treatments listed below relies on alternative healing with essential oils, and please note that no clinical trials or results are available and rests heavily on anecdotal proof.