Do not take internally?

[Mithrea]

Okay, this is probably a stupid question BUT~ If the essential oil you buy are labled %100 pure, then what's wrong with taking them internally as long as you know it's properties and effects?

The reason I ask is that I have had the hiccups for a while and my grandfather told me to put peppermint oil on a sugar cube but my peppermint oil says "do not take internally."

Is that just to cover themselves legally or is there something more?

[Lavender]

That's always a tough question. While I tell people who come into the store not to take them internally, I do myself with some of them. Again, it comes down to knowing your herbs and oils really well. Like you said, the warning covers them legally. And as well, some oils are NOT for internal use whatsoever.

That to sell an item for internal consumption, you will require special food licences, etc. I know at the store where I work, all our stuff are able to be used internally and are food grade but we can't say that...because we're not set up as a food store. The rules of hygene are very different.

[Mithrea]

Ah, thanks! That's very interesting. I had never really thought about that before. I know what to do now. :D

[Lavender]

Speaking of using oils internally, I just finished making a batch of toothpaste in which I put peppermint & spearmint essential oils in. :)

[Mithrea]

Sounds yummy! What else did you put in it? I have used homemade toothpaste since I was a teenager because I read somewhere that there is actually sugar in commercial toothpastes (don't know if that's true). I mix baking soda and peroxide (that was before it was "cool" to do that commercially ;)) I never thought about adding mint oil to it though. That would have made it easier to take :D

Would you think that a good rule to use is that if you can eat the thing it came from, you can use the oil? For example, you can eat lemons so it's okay to ingest lemon oil. You can eat peppermint so it's okay to ingest peppermint oil. And when I say okay I mean, it might be, as long as you aren't allergic and are careful, etc. The rule then also goes, you can't eat sandalwood, so don't ingest the oil (don't know why you would ;)).

[manstranger]

i'm pretty sure that you can't eat cinnimen oil at all, but you can eat cinnimen.

[WandererInGray]

*smiles* Sure you can...it's just not recommended, because cinnamon oil is so strong it can cause burns.

But when I was in elementary school we used to soak paper in cinnamon oil or toothpicks. :lol: Some enterprizing kid even started selling them.

[Lavender]

The thing with ingesting essential oils is that you have to remember that it is contains very concentrated chemicals of the original. A lot of the values of herbs that we use for medicinal purposes have been naturally evolved as a natural defense mechanism for the plant. Sometimes more is not better...especially when it comes to herbals. I look at it this way...you would not eat 20 lemons. As in all things, moderation. :)

[Tammy Sullivan]

I would seriously advise you not to ingest essential oils, smoking a cigarette won't kill you right away but one drop of concentrated nicotine can! So please use peppermint extract or something instead. Better to err on the safe side.

[Mithrea]

Don't worry Greta, I'm just discussing options and learning about limitations here :). I am extremely cautious--especially since the Tonka Bean incident (http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16378) :D

And manstranger, Cinnamon oil has never bothered me at all. In grade school, there was a girl who did the toothpick thing Wanderer mentioned and she also put it on sugar cubes for us too. For herself, she didn't use toothpicks or sugar cubes. She just put it on her finger and licked :p I think the most important thing is to keep it out of your eyes :eek: because like Wildchild said, that's very concentrated stuff. I never use anything straight. I always dilute all oils, herbs, tinctures, etc. with something.