Guest guest Posted June 7, 2002 Report Share Posted June 7, 2002 Hi y'all, Some of the new folks might not be familiar with these reference pubs. The Revised Edition of Martin Watt's Plant Aromatics is out now - the publisher and exclusive source in North and South America for this publication is yours truly. Somebody asked long time ago: > Why are some oils safe for the skin and some not? Does this mean > that its not safe directly on the skin? And if some of these are not > safe on the skin, if it was diluted by lotions, wouldn't then be safe? The reason is that some chemicals are known irritants and/or known sensitizers .. others can cause photosensitization .. others can absorb with frequent use and eventually build up a level of toxicity that can stress or damage the liver. Not a lot different than asking why we can rub Rose Petals on our skin with no problem but Poison Ivy is a no-no. Much like " a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, " dilution cuts back on the harshness of chemicals .. not a lot different than drinking straight bourbon .. few folks can do that .. most prefer it mixed, or diluted. A matter of reducing concentration and harshness. The final result is less liklihood of irritation and/or sensitization. Though it's important to avoid irritation, it's more important to avoid avoid sensitization as irritation is a temporary condition - remove the irritant and things go back to normal .. not so for sensitization, it's for life! Almost all essential oils have been tested and safe level of dilution is known for most of them. There is ONE reference publication available that presents the data on this testing .. " Plant Aromatics. " This is a compilation of data researched over many years by Martin Watt, Cert. Phyt. Medical Herbalist & Essential Oil Educator. The primary source of this research was the R.I.F.M. (Research Institute for Fragrance Materials) and their sister organisation the I.F.R.A. (International Fragrance Research Association). These organizations collect safety data on essential oils in a number of ways: they gather scientific information and assess it, member companies report adverse reactions to materials to them, and if necessary, they in turn circulate warning notices to member companies. Finally, they have commissioned significant research evaluations for well over 30 years, and have published their findings on essential oil safety in the journal- Food and Chemicals Toxicity. So - you have a choice of going to the library and researching the back issues of Food and Chemicals Toxicity for the past 30 plus years, or if you are short on time, acquiring this reference set ... ;-p " Plant Aromatics " , New Edition 2001, includes (in one bound copy): Skin Irritation Sensitization Photosensitization Oral & Dermal Toxicity It goes into: Reactions to Individual Chemicals Testing for Adverse Effects Skin Absorption Oils Not Recommended Absolute and Concrete Extracts Maximum Levels of Oils in Perfumes/Cosmetics Toxicity Levels Referenced Adverse Effects on the Skin And many more subjects Why does one need Plant Aromatics? I can think of three reasons. 1. Ethics and Personal Safety: Why should we use an EO in a dilution that is larger than that which has been tested as being safe? We have responsibility to ensure those who use our products - as well as our selves, are not injured. 2. Legal Liability: When we sell a product, we are considered as being professionals .. like it or not, we then become liable for any harm we might cause. Ignorance is no excuse for amateurs, much less an excuse for professionals. Will use of this safety data get you off the hook if you are hauled into court for a lawsuit? I don't know - but if one can quote solid safety data rather than standing there with their ignorance hanging out I would think they would be in a better position to show they took reasonable and prudent care to do the right thing, they made informed decisions using solid information, and they were concerned about ensuring no harm was done. Intent can mean much and a good defense can not hurt - methinks. 3. Professional Development and Knowledge: This cottage-industry of AT thrives on ignorance and rumor ... data contained in most of the novels out and about are unreferenced tales passed from previously unreferenced novels - " Plant Aromatics " is more than rumor and is quotable as being scientifically sound. The date/time/who did the tests are referenced. You can review and order Plant Aromatics at this URL .. and you should http://www.av-at.com/plantaromaticsavnp.html There are only two reference sets I have ever sold .. that is, keeping them in stock myself .. and these two are considered by ALL to be the two we need if we don't have anything else. One is " Plant Aromatics " and the other is: Sylla Shepherd-Hanger's " Aromatherapy Practitioner Reference Manual " in two volumes. This is for the novice and the expert as it tells you all you need to know about each essential oil property ... each one is broken out into headings like these twelve - in columns: Botanical/Common Name Family Plant Part Used Common Origin Distillaton or Extraction Method Specific Biochemicals Traditional & Estoteric Uses Integumentary, Skin/Hair and Nails Respiratory Muscular & Skeletal Cardiovascular and Lympahatic Immune Digestive Endocrine Genito-Urinary and Reproductive Nervous/Brain/Mind Safety Data It's a VERY handy reference set and I use mine daily - keep them beside my desk. It's not cheap but if one considers the information in it and compares that information to a stack of the unreferenced novels out and about - we will find it far less costly and far more valuable. You can review and/or order it at http://www.AV-AT.com/manual01.html Now back to Plant Aromatics: Whereas Sylla's reference set deals with therapeutic and esoteric use of EOs, " Plant Aromatics " deals with Toxicity, Irritation, Sensitization, Photo-Sensitization and other Safety Data .. and includes scientific references for the charts where percentages of dilution for various oils have been safety tested. This is a must for folks dealing with EOs that will be placed on skin, and this includes massage, perfume, cosmetics, soap or whatever. The old version of " Plant Aromatics was $75 .. the one I've published is $43.90. It has a bit more info and it is far less costly because my philosophy on selling is low profit margin and large volume - intent is to get the word out and do a large volume of sales .. my goal is to sell a thousand copies the first year and I am confident of meeting that goal because it's so well-known. If you want a copy of either of these reference publications lemme know. If you are an established AVNP customer, I have your address and CC info ... if not, you should be ;-p and you can just send me an email .. and make it work faster if you use my Secure Server for Credit Card info https://ladon.safe-order.net/av-at/securepay.shtml We also take checks, money orders and first born male younguns if they are weined and house broken .. ;-p If you don't wanna use a credit card, write me and I'll tell you where to send a check or money order. Tell me where to ship it and how you want it shipped - shipping options within the USA are US Postal Slow Boat to China .. $2.27 - or US Postal Priority Mail .. $3.95. For outside the US, shipping charges are the same as with all my products, ACTUAL COST .. there are no handling or other charges. Also, I think there are no taxes in most countries on printed materials. There it is y'all ... keep smiling, Butch http://www.AV-AT.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.