Holiday Scents: What’s Safe, What’s Not

Why Holiday Scents Deserve a Closer Look

Folks, we are exposed to these things ALL the time…. both inside the home and in public places. Scents have become so much a part of the background of our environment that we often don’t even realize they’re there. And although I must be the bearer of bad news about commercially scented products, I will also give you the good news about essential oils that can be used safely.

5 Facts About Scented Products

We’ll start with the bad news:

Fragranced products, even those advertised as “Green”, can emit toxic chemicals which are not listed on their labels. Manufacturers are not required to disclose any ingredients in cleaning supplies, air fresheners and candles, laundry products or personal care products, such as deodorant and shampoo.

Beware of the word “fragrance” on the label! A single fragrance can be a mixture of up to several hundred chemical ingredients.

The fragrance industry is not regulated by any outside agency, such as the FDA or EPA. They self-regulate through a trade association called the International Fragrance Association. They are supposed to test ingredients for safety, but out of over 5,000 different chemical ingredients used in fragrance production, only about 1300 have been safety tested.

Air fresheners and scented candles have been linked to cancer in animal studies. They emit Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which have been linked to lung cancer and asthma.

Many fragrance chemicals are hormone disruptors which have been linked to fertility problems, early puberty, PMS, low testosterone and extreme menopause symptoms.

5 Facts About Essential Oils

Now for the good news!

Most essential oils are safe for topical use or diffused in the air, but few are appropriate for oral use. The oil bottle will state that it’s safe for oral use if that’s the case. Pregnant and nursing moms and young children should check with their health care practitioner for specific oils that are safe & effective.

There are many great ways to use essential oils! You can rub a couple of drops in your hands, cup them over your nose and inhale. You can mix with a little carrier oil (like coconut or sesame oil) and rub on your body. Rubbing on the soles of your feet is a particularly potent way to use the oil. You can use a diffuser, which is a device that emits the oil into the air. If you don’t have a diffuser, you can put a few drops on a cotton ball and put in any area you want. You can add a few drops to your bath water, too.

Popular oils for stress relief are lavender (which has been proven in studies to be as effective as Lorazepam/Ativan for stress when taken orally), orange (which in one Japanese study allowed patients to significantly reduce their dose of anti-depressant medication), rose, ylang-ylang, frankincense, bergamont, cedarwood, and grapefruit. Let your nose tell you which are best for you! Sniff each bottle at the health food store and you’ll find that you REALLY like certain ones. In my experience, this is the best indicator of which oils will help you.

Popular oils for mental clarity are vetiver (particularly helpful for ADD symptoms), rosemary, sage or clary sage, basil, juniper berry, and peppermint.

Popular oils for cold & flu relief are peppermint, oregano, eucalyptus, frankincense, tea tree, lemon and lavender. You can make a hot or cold compress with a washcloth and a couple of drops of oil. You can also use a few drops in a pot of hot water, drape a towel over your head to make a tent, and inhale the steam.