I often get asked the question, "can you ingest essential oils?" My typical response is, "yes and no." At some level I find it almost humorous to see how people respond. Most often people are a little bit surpised. It's like they've asked me the question, "Should you sniff glue?" They've already pre-determined what the answer is and they think I'm a little nuts in the head for suggesting otherwise.

Most Essential Oils Should Not Be Used Internally

Most people think that essential oils are not safe to be used internally. There is good reason for that assumption. Essential oil production is not regulated by any governing body of law and as a result it is very easy for companies to perform minimal testing for chemicals, harmful metals, or synthetics and then pass off as being 100% Pure essential oils even if they actually contain harmful compounds. Certainly everyone would agree that ingesting essential oils that contain harmful ingredients is not a safe idea.

Most aromatherapists caution that essential oils should not be taken internally. Essential oils are extremely powerful and need to be used with great caution and care. There are instances when internal consumption is considered but it is recommended that it be only under the supervision of a qualified aromatherapist.

What about Dietary Supplement Facts Label

One of the easiest ways to determine if an essential oil can be used internally is to check for a dietary "Supplement Facts" label. The office of Dietary Supplements states that manufactures "must obtain FDA approval by providing convincing evidence that it is both safe and effective." So for an essential oil company to even qualify for their product to be used internally they need to enough evidence that their essential oil is safe and effective. If the little white box labeled, "Supplement Facts" is present on the label of essential oil you know that the oil has passed the necessary government testing required for the oil to be used internally. If this label isn't on the bottle of oil I wouldn't consider ingesting the essential oil under any condition.

Most essential oil companies I have researched do not have a Dietary Supplement Facts label. I have seen very few that do. My favorite brand of essential oil does carry this Supplement Facts label and I feel very confident using their oil internally.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I think it is very important to use essential oils with great caution and care. If you are considering using essential oils internally I recommend choosing an essential oil company that supplies oils that are pure enough to pass the government requirements required to obtain a Dietary Supplement Facts label. If not I think it is wise to only use essential oils internally under the supervision on a certified aromatherapist.