Aromatherapy and Phototoxic Essential Oils

Stedman's Medical Dictionary defines photosensitization as, "sensitization of the skin to light, usually due to the action of certain drugs, plants, or other substances". If you've ever experienced this phenomenon, you may simply have thought you had a very deep sunburn. But what you may have experienced is a phototoxic reaction to an essential oil in your lotion, soap or perfume.

Essential Oils That Can Cause Phototoxic Reactions

It's important to remember that it isn't the essential oils themselves that cause phototoxic reactions. Rather, it's any number of chemical components in the essential oils that are troublesome. The most common of these belong to a group of chemicals known as psoralens. Unfortunately, the list of essential oils that can cause a phototoxic reaction includes some of the most commonly used oils in aromatherapy.

The list of essential oils currently recognized as phototoxins includes oils like angelica, cumin, fig leaf, tagetes and verbena. Additionally most of the citrus oils like bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, lime and tangerine are also known phototoxins.

Avoiding Phototoxic Reactions to "Natural" Cosmetics

The good news about essential oils in natural cosmetics is that manufacturers are generally pretty good about listing essential oil components on their labels. However, this is not a practice mandated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and many essential oils are listed simply as "fragrance".

It's also important to remember that essential oils will often be listed not by common names like "orange" or "bergamot" but by their official botanical nomenclature. If you have any questions about the ingredients in your cosmetics, try contacting the customer service department of the company marketing them for answers.

Avoiding Phototoxic Reactions in Aromatherapy

If you use essential oils regularly it's important to learn how to protect yourself. And if you're an aromatherapist in private practice, knowing how to protect your clients is absolutely vital.

While it's impossible to give a one-size-fits-all recommendation when it comes to essential oils, the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy currently recommends that essential oils be used in dilutions no greater than 15 drops of essential oil per fluid ounce of carrier oil.

Aromatherapy expert and author Salvatore Battaglia is a little more exact with his recommendation and suggests keeping the total amount of essential oils in a product to 1% or less. Like other aromatherapy experts, Battaglia urges essential oil users to wear protective clothing and employ the use of sunscreen for at least 12 hours following exposure to potentially phototoxic essential oils.

Aromatherapy may not be the wildly-popular fad it was just a few years ago but the demand for low-chemical "natural" products continues to grow. Learning to recognize essential oils in the products you use every day will go a long way in helping you make an informed decision about the cosmetics and toiletries you choose.

References:

Battaglia, S. (2003). The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy.

Dijous, N., Guingand, Y., Bourgeois, C., Durand, S., Fromageot, C., Combe, C., et al. (2006). Assessment of the phototoxic hazard of some essential oils using modified 3T3 neutral red uptake assay.

Osborn, K. (2006). Essential Oils Simply Complex. Massage & Bodywork.