ESSENTIAL oils have been used for the past 5,000 years for beauty, physical health, cooking as well as spiritual purposes.
These days, essential oils are making a comeback and are increasingly well-received in Malaysia and other countries. The popularity of essential oils may be due to the fact that people are now more concerned with the use of natural and chemical-free ingredients in beauty products, detergents and others.
In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic that has lasted more than two years makes consumers more cautious and want to try various ways to protect themselves from diseases.
WHAT ARE ESSENTIAL OILS?
Essential oils are oils extracted from the roots, flowers, leaves, or seeds of plants using several methods, such as steam distillation or solvent extraction. They are usually applied to the skin, inhaled, dropped onto a pillow, heated or used with an ultrasonic diffuser to spread the aroma into the air.
They are also widely used in beauty items such as lotions, soaps, body scrubs and other aromatherapy products that are flooding both local and international markets.
Inhaling the aroma of essential oils stimulates the olfactory receptors in the nose, and those receptors will in turn send messages through the nervous system to the limbic system.
This limbic system is the part of the brain that controls emotions and facilitates memory storage and retrieval.
USE OF ESSENTIAL OILS
Essential oils are used for various purposes:
• Managing pain
• Improving sleep quality
• Reducing stress, for a calming effect
• Relieving dizziness and headaches
• Treatment of acne
However, it should be emphasised that there is no strong evidence from clinical trials, so the positive effects of these essential oils may differ from one individual to another.
Consumers should be vigilant when using essential oils or aromatherapy products to ensure maximum benefits and most importantly, to avoid side effects.
Here are some steps to take before and while using essential oils:
• Perform a patch test by placing two drops on the skin and leaving it on for half an hour. If there are no signs of allergies such as the skin becoming red, itchy, scaly or raised then you can use essential oils as recommended.
• When using citrus-based oils such as lemon, tangerine or orange, avoid exposing the skin to sunlight as these essential oils are photosensitive and can cause sunburn.
• Essential oils should be diluted the right way before use, usually with carrier oils. Avoid applying them directly to the skin without diluting and never ingest them.
• Identify plants that have caused allergies before. Examples of allergic reactions include redness or itching of the skin and difficulty breathing.
• Store essential oils in a safe place and out of reach of children.
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS
Some people claim that essential oils are safe and will not cause any harm or side effects because they are from natural sources such as plants. This is not true. Any product, when used excessively or not used in the right way, can potentially cause harm.
Side effects or allergies depend on how the oil is used and symptoms include skin irritation (red, itchy, burning sensation, urticaria, dryness), watery or red eyes and nose.
Difficulty in breathing and shortness of breath are severe symptoms of allergies. Oral intake of essential oils can also cause anaphylactic shock, seizures and even a coma, so consumers should not mix essential oils into food or beverages, especially for children.
In addition, there are a handful of consumers who are putting prescription drugs on the back seat because they rely only on essential oils to cure a disease.
Essential oils may be able to relieve some symptoms of a disease, but are very unlikely to treat or keep a disease under control.
To date, there is no data from any study that can prove the therapeutic effects of essential oils.
So if a person diagnosed with anxiety relies only on lavender essential oil to alleviate her symptoms, refuses prescription drugs and follow-up appointments, this will definitely be detrimental to her condition.
There are also some people who claim that essential oils have no expiry date and can be used for as long as possible because they are based on natural sources and not mixed with chemicals. This is not true because like other plant-based products, essential oils also go through a process of oxidation and degradation when exposed to oxygen.
We should be more careful and not use essential oils that have been stored for too long or have changed in terms of odour, consistency and colour or has become cloudy.
It should be highlighted that essential oils must be used the right way and not carelessly.
Consumers are encouraged to use the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) Product Search to ensure that the brand of essential oil used is notified to the NPRA.
Any further inquiries about medicines can be made to the National Pharmacy Call Centre at 1800-88-6722, every Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm (except public holidays).
*The writer is principal assistant director at the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA).
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