Dermal Safety Testing

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Butch said:

" My answer is a question. WHO do you know .. or have you EVER

HEARD .. of a problem using Cocoa Absolute on skin? I have not " .

 

That argument is the standard one used by aromatherapy essential oil

suppliers and it just does not hold water. There is no mechanism

within aromatherapy (other than urban rumour) for reporting adverse

skin reactions. Due to that, no one knows what adverse effects there

may be from essential oils and other extracts that have not undergone

formal safety evaluation. Instead, AT suppliers operate on a

bandwagon effect selling anything that there seems to be a demand

for. Some even seek out novel extracts simply to create a market for

them among aromatherapists and home soap makers. That demand is often

pushed by aromatherapy teachers who just love inventing new uses for

novel extracts that have never been used in traditional medicine. In

no time at all these products become 'accepted as safe' but no one

knows, that is certain.

 

By the way, we will hear exactly the same argument used by Young

Living over their raindrop therapy. They use oils known to be

dangerous and in ways known to represent significant hazards, yet

they will tell you they do not hear of bad results- surprise-surprise!

 

Adverse skin reactions to fragranced products is a fast growing

problem. The statistics of people reporting to dermatology clinics

are becoming alarming and that is why in Europe we are being hammered

with legislation affecting the sales of both essential oils and

products they are used in. In Japan, that growth in adverse skin

reactions *coincides exactly with the growth in the aromatherapy

products market*. So my advice is do not use any oils or absolutes

for skin application purposes on which there is no formal safety

information.

Martin

===================================================

 

, " matinee13 " <sblandin@n...>

wrote:

> Thank you for your thoughts, Butch

> Sandy

>

> In , Butch Owen <butchbsi@s...> wrote:

> > Hey Sandy,

> >

> > > Butch, Kathleen and Martin

> > > Thank you for the answers. Seems to be some conflicting views

on use

> > > in products that go on the skin.

> >

> > Yes .. if its not used in commercial products then its not tested

by the

> > cosmetics or flavoring industry and published by the omnipotent

> > agencies.

> >

> > > Does that mean it shouldn't be used in those 'edible oil'

products

> > > either..*snickering*

> >

> > Not at all. ;-p

> >

> > > Martin says " There is no skin safety data and therefore to use

it for

> > > any skin contact purposes would be foolish "

> >

> > Martin says my smoking and drinking Kentucky Bourbon is foolish

too.

> > And he might be right .. but I'm a helluva lot more healthy than

most

> > folks I know .. or maybe its more accurate to say 99% of those I

know.

> > Does that mean I think folks should smoke? Nope! But they

should

> > oughta have a toddy of Kentucky Bourbon now and then. ;-p

> >

> > If in AT, we only used those oils that have skin safety data for

dermal

> > application then around 65-70% of the oils available would be

verboten.

> > And we should not hold our breaths waiting for dermal testing

simply

> > because its only done if a company wants to produce a commercial

skin

> > care product. Almost without exception, this information is

available

> > from cosmetics/perfumery companies and compiled by R.I.F.M.

(Research

> > Institute for Fragrance Materials) and their sister organization

the

> > I.F.R.A. (International Fragrance Research Association).

> >

> > But .. is it to say that because they haven't said X number of

folks

> > didn't show signs of irritation, sensitization or Mad Cow Disease

that

> > we should not use the product? Martin says yes .. I say its

somewhere

> > twixt maybe and no.

> >

> > No doubt in my mind that those cats will publish something one of

these

> > days .. or find it published elsewhere because I KNOW that the

largest

> > users of Cocoa Absolute is the French Cosmetics/Flavorings

Industry.

> > I know that the manager of the French company I visited this

summer,

> > who showed me some of the Cocoa Concrete being shipped to his

parent

> > company in France, works for a French Perfumery Company.

> >

> > > Butch says " Perfume, soap, lip balms and diffusing is the normal

> > > method of use. "

> > > Sandy

> >

> > That's not all Butch said .. you left out an important part.

> >

> > I wrote:

> >

> > > I don't USE Cocoa Absolute .. I just sell it .. but from what

buyers

> > > tell me about usage I can answer some of this.

> > > Perfume, soap, lip balms and diffusing is the normal method of

use.

> >

> > And that's a fact. ;-p

> >

> > But there is one question you asked that neither Martin or I

answered:

> >

> > > Are there any problems using it in skin, lip, massage, etc.

products?

> >

> > Martin wrote that its foolish cause its not tested .. maybe that

is an

> > answer. My answer is a question. WHO do you know .. or have you

EVER

> > HEARD .. of a problem using Cocoa Absolute on skin? I have not.

> >

> > So .. its your call if you want to wait for the R.I.F.M. or

I.F.R.A to

> > publish something saying this or that has been tested for dermal

use.

> > For that matter .. more than half the EO used in Aromatherapy for

other

> > than dermal use have had NO FORM OF TESTING .. NONE WHATSOEVER!!

> >

> > I think there is a big difference in saying something is UNSAFE

and

> > saying something has not been tested. I doubt that Jello or

Banana

> > Pudding or Chocolate Covered Cherry Candy has been tested for

dermal

> > application either .. but those of you who have raised little

rugrats

> > know they eat half of it and wear the other half. ;-)

> >

> > One of my resolutions for 2004 was to try to lean more toward

dealing

> > with proven hazards rather than unproven potential problems. I

firmly

> > believe in the safety limits outlined in Plant Aromatics because

they

> > are the results of testing http://www.AV-AT.com/manual01.html

> >

> > But I'm not ready to accept that an oil should not be used

dermally

> > because the R.I.F.M. or I.F.R.A. hasn't blessed it .. just as

didn't

> > accept that Chiropractors were useless back when the AMA refused

to

> > recognize them .. or that Psychometry is a hoax because its not

proven

> > to the scientific geeks .. or that Aromatherapy does not work

because

> > it is not recognized by the FDA, AMA, AKC and UN Security Council.

> >

> > Y'all keep smiling. :-) Butch http://www.AV-AT.com