Prenatal exposure to phthalates linked to behavioural problems

At least once a week we receive inquiries about Reed Diffusers, which we do not offer.  We've never found a natural diluent for the essential oils that is effective in the Reed Diffusers.  Now, I've seen formulas calling for Jojoba or other carrier oils.. Dust magnets! I've seen formulas calling for alcohol. Almost overnight evaporation. 

Most commercial diffusers that I've seen use DEP as the diluent for the fragrance (sometimes essential oils, most often synthetic fragrances.  What is DEP? It is diethyl phthalate, approved for use in cosmetic products without any safety warnings.  Needless to say, no Nature's Gift product has ever contained phthalates, and never will. Just not something we chose to use.  But I was shocked to see the following article in a cosmetics journal I subscribe to.

"Higher levels of exposure to phthalates while pregnant could be linked to disruptive behaviour patterns in children, according to a recent US study."  Read more here.

With all the wonderful natural options to scent your surroundings, why would anyone chose to use a phthalate laden chemical?

AIA Conference Review

Friday, close to midnight we arrived at the hotel in Crystal Lake to enjoy the second half of the Alliance of International Aromatherapists 2009 conference.


You can see the list of speakers and presentations at the link above. I was a bit nervous about attending - I am probably their newest member, and the membership is mostly composed of true professionals in this field I love. Teachers, health care professionals, researchers. (What am I doing here?) I'm here to learn, of course, and perhaps introduce Nature's Gift to some new friends.

Laraine Kyle greeted us in the lobby, bless her heart. Helped get our luggage up to the room, and visited and played scratch and sniff with some new oils for awhile. Then off to bed. (After 10 hours in the car on a rainy night, we were exhausted.)


Saturday started with a big hug from Jim Llewellyn of Aroma-Tours. It's been over a decade since we met in Seattle, and it was good to see him and Robbi again.The day's presentations started with a stirring talk by Robbi Zeck, author of The Blossoming Heart. "Passion and Purpose-Live a Visionary Life"... What remains in my mind is her acronym for "Passion"... Pass *I* On. She shared a collection of tools to help us live an authentic, passionate life... to live our passion. It was an empowering speech.




After Robbi, Laraine Kyle, of the Institute of Integrative Aromatherapy shared her success in using the oils in an inpatient psychiatric setting. Laraine established an ongoing program that allowed the most ill and chronic patients to participate in some aromatic self caring activities. One comment in her report leaped out at me: "It was gratifying to witness the ability of severely depressed and overtly psychotic patients to be relieved of psychological distress, overcome inertia, and respond to the positive influence of essential oils." She described several methods of "aromatic intervention" that really made a difference in the comfort level, both physical and psychic, of the patient population.



After Laraine, Anita James from the UK shared her experiences using the oils in two classroom situations, one for an "Infants School" (ages 3 and 4) and a "Nursery School" (ages 5 to 7.) The children were allowed to select their favorite oils...a blend of which were used in a diffuser in the classroom (the favorites were Orange, Lemon, and Roman Chamomile.) "At risk" children were allowed to select their own oils to create their own "Happy Blend". When possible, parents were involved to carry the activities over to the home. Parents were often taught the benefits of a stable routine, a bedtime bath (perhaps with the chosen oils) or back rub, again with the use of the oils. The results were marvelous, hyperactivity calmed, improved focus, and a general improvement in many of the problems the children brought with them from home.



After the lunch break, Mindy Green shared resources for both the organization and individual aromatherapists. She strongly urged that we at the very least get on the mailing list for the American Herbal Products Association, since they have been dealing with government regulation for years. This talk was a direct lead in to a presentation by Ashish Talati on regulatory compliance, "What you can and can't say on your labels".



In total honesty, I found that presentation totally depressing. Our labels must say "for external use only, not for internal use" or something similar. If one is offering a herbal supplement, one may legally say "supports the respiratory system" for example. But if a product is not for internal use, it is obviously not a supplement, and one can't even hint that it might have an effect on health or wellbeing. A frustrating dilemma, being unable to state what we know is truth about aromatic products.



To end the afternoon, Farida Irani gave a presentation on the use of Ayurvedic Aromatherapy. In honesty, I had trouble wrapping my brain around what she was saying. (Reminds me of the first time I read Gabriel Mojay's "Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit"... the emphasis on Traditional Chinese Medicine concepts was a challenge.)



After that, a book signing that didn't happen, but I *did* get to spend some time visiting with Ann Harman, of MorningMyst Botanicals... Hydrosol producer par excellence! (Why she wasn't a presenter is a puzzlement to me!)



Then..the banquet..which we hadn't planned on attending, but are delighted we did. We got to watch, stand and applaud as friends were honored by the association. FUN!



More on the Sunday program later.



Overall impression...I came away from so many presentations just in awe of the differences that can be made in individual lives by appropriate uses of the powerful oils we all love! The members of the AIA are doing such important work!!!

Head Lice - Essential Oil solutions!

My instinctive thought when the words "head lice" come up are "yuck!" I suspect I'm not terminally unique in that. For reasons unknown I was lucky enough, when my young'uns were growing up, to avoid them. But we get asked frequently if there is a natural solution. In the past I've read research using some very irritating and sensitizing essential oils, that proved effective in killing lice; but I rather thought "the cure is worse than the disease" and hesitated to pass the information along.

Came across some research done in Argentina that indicates that two different combinations of essential oils might prove effective.

The first combination uses a blend of alcohol and water (one part ethanol, one part isopropyl alcohol, and two parts water) with a blend of Eucalyptus, Peppermint, and Lavender, diluted to 5% (no, they don't say which lavender or which eucalyptus was used, unfortunately.) Another combination, shown as effective as any commercial preparation that was tested, was equal parts of Peppermint and Eucalyptus oil in a 10% dilution, dissolved in 192 proof ethanol.

(Maybe they are just getting the wee beasties drunk?)

At any rate, thought the above might be worth trying if your children brought home "unwanted visitors" from school or a friend's house.

Research Study - Essential Oils for Depression.

A recently published study indicates that a blend of citrus oils can, indeed, have anti-depressant effects. The goal of the study was an attempt to restore the mental health of humans by stimulation of the olfactory system. A citrus blend was created using a blend of Lemon, Orange and Bergamot Essential Oils with cis-4-Hexenol (a synthetic fragrance and flavoring chemical with a powerful green top note.) [Why the researchers had to use a synthetic in that mix I have no idea, it makes the results a lot more questionable, although if all they wanted to do was 'stimulate the olfactory nerve' I guess it doesn't matter!]

A group subjects, all inpatients receiving medications for depression, were selected and the group divided in half. The first group received their anti-depressant meds alone, the second were exposed to the fragrance continuously while having their meds reduced weekly until their depression remitted (within four to eleven weeks.) At the end of eleven weeks, all of the first group's depression had improved, but they all needed to continue on their full dose of medication. Among the fragrance group, nine out of the twelve had reduced their medication usage to zero, while the remaining three were able to reduce their dosage by 50-75%. Citrus fragrance caused the "cell surface markers" (one of the tests used to measure depression) to return to the normal range much more quickly than treatment with anti-depressants alone. Other physiological markers indicating depression, while starting out significantly high in both groups prior to treatment, were much lower in the fragrance group after the study period, compared to the group treated with medication only. It also appeared that the use of the citrus oils helped with immune system disfunction.

I've always called the citrus oils "the smilebringers"... it would appear that I was right. I have a friend who suffers from severe depression, which he treats with St. Johns Wort capsules, no Rx medication. This afternoon I fixed him an inhaler containing a mix of Orange, Lemon and Bergamot. (And I think I'll give him a small bottle of the blend for his car, as well.) Can't wait to see if it helps!

(citation from the Essential Oil Research Database.)

Safer Driving with Aromatherapy

Recent Research Article I found:

Description
The scent of peppermint or cinnamon in your car might make your morning commute less frustrating and you more alert when behind the wheel. That's according to the results of a recent study led by Dr. Bryan Raudenbush.

Newswise ­ The scent of peppermint or cinnamon in your car might make your morning commute less frustrating and you more alert when behind the wheel. That's according to the results of a recent study led by Dr. Bryan Raudenbush, an associate professor of psychology at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, WV. According to the study drivers demonstrated decreased levels of frustration, anxiety and fatigue when exposed to peppermint and cinnamon scents. The study also revealed that drivers were more alert.

The results of the study, Effects Of Odor Administration On Driving Performance, Safety, Alertness, And Fatigue, were presented at the recent Association for Chemical Reception Sciences Conference in Sarasota, FL.

The study builds on Raudenbush's past research, which indicated the odors of peppermint and cinnamon enhance motivation, performance, and alertness, decrease fatigue, and serve as central nervous system stimulants.

"Given these results, it is reasonable to expect that the presentation of peppermint or cinnamon odor while driving may produce a more alert and conscientious driver, and minimize the fatigue associated with prolonged driving," says Raudenbush.

In the present study, participants were monitored during stimulated driving under three odor conditions (peppermint, cinnamon, non-odor control). Odors were added to low flow oxygen (1.3L/min) via an oxygen concentrator and presented at the rate of 30 seconds every 15 minutes. Subjective measures of cognitive performance, wakefulness, mood, and workload were also assessed.

"In general, prolonged driving led to increased anger, fatigue, and physical demand, and decreased vigor. However, fatigue ratings were decreased in the cinnamon condition. Both cinnamon and peppermint administration led to increased ratings of alertness in comparison to the no-odor control condition over the course of the driving scenario. Periodic administration of these odors over long term driving may prove beneficial in maintaining alertness and decreasing highway accidents and fatalities," says Raudenbush.

Results Summary:
· Peppermint is associated with decreased anxiety while driving.
· Peppermint is associated with decreased fatigue while driving.
· Peppermint and cinnamon are associated with decreased driving frustration.
· Peppermint and cinnamon are associated with decreased temporal demand while driving.
· Peppermint and cinnamon are associated with greater levels of driving alertness.
This research was supported by grants from NSF and NASA.

Article found at www.newswise.com

Seems to me this is yet another indicator of the value of our Car Scenter Diffuser

Lavender Research

I've always known that Lavender angustifolia was relaxing...it's one of the most useful "sleep inducing" essential oils. But recent literature shows it's use for dealing with stress and anxiety.

A recent issue of the Intl Journal of Clinical Aromatherapy cites a study in which Lavender essential oil baths were studied to see their effects on stress and anxiety.

Two groups were studied, each committing to taking a warm water bath daily at approximately the same time for 14 days. One group used grapeseed oil in their bath, the other used a blend of lavender and grapeseed oil.

Prior to testing, all individuals were scored on tests for "Life Satisfaction", Perceived Stress, and both State Anxiety and Trait Anxiety. (State Anxiety results from current situations that are stressful, Trait Anxiety tends to indicate a longer term Anxiety, perhaps being prone to anxiety, rather than an immediate reaction to an anxiety producing situation.)

After the two week test period, results showed that both types of baths gave lower Perceived Stress scores. However, it appears that the lavender group started out with higher Perceived Stress Levels, and finished the study with lower levels...in other words, the level of percieved stress dropped more dramatically with the use of Lavender.

State anxiety, also was lower for both groups, but the State Anxiety level was significantly lower for those who had participated in the Lavender baths.

Study results indicate that the use of Lavender baths is a viable treatment for mild stress and anxiety, and may be a useful adjunct to other therapies in dealing with severe cases.

At the very least it offers us a relatively inexpensive and reliable method of self care!

Another Study - the one we funded for the American Holistic Nurses Association, last year involved testing the use of Lavender and/or Rosemary essential oils to reduce test taking anxiety and stress in graduate nursing students.

From the data gathered during this study, the researcher concluded that both lavender and rosemary have some effect on test anxiety in graduate nursing students. What I found most fascinating (but not surprising!) was the focus group interviews after the study.

The general consensus among focus group participants was that the lavender was pleasant however; some felt it relaxed them too much and they were less able to concentrate on the test material and were less able to “dredge up” the correct answers. Another group actually felt that the lavender caused them agitation because they were fighting to be alert and the lavender was fighting to relax them. All of the focus group participants liked the rosemary and said that it was a very warm earthy aroma that increased their ability to “dredge up” the answer to the
questions on the test from their memory. They stated that the rosemary seemed to clear their heads and make things clearer where the lavender made things more relaxed and even fuzzy.

To my this result seems totally predictable. Of course the lavender would relax the students, and allay anxiety. But it's almost sedating action is bound to interfere with the mental concentration needed to perform well on an exam. Rosemary, on the other hand, is known for intensifying mental clarity and focus. Shakespeare even said "Rosemary for Remembrance."

For whatever it is worth, the researcher did not mention the species of oils used in the second research paper. The Lavender used was Lavendula angustifolia, var Mailette and Rosmarinus officianalis ch Cineole. (IE our Lavender Mailette and Rosemary Cineole, both organic from France.)

Eucalyptus Citriodora - Antifungal

The latest issue of the Intl. Journal of Essential Oil Therapeutics arrived earlier this week. I sometimes get discouraged, because all too often the research articles printed have to do with rare and exotic oils that are not commercially available. This issue, though, has an interesting article about Euc. Citriodora (Lemon Eucalyptus.)

I've always known that Euc. Citriodora was a strong anti-fungal agent, and recommended it for this purpose. A research article shows that Euc. Citriodora is not only powerful against most "conventional" fungi, but it is even more powerful when used (in the laboratory!) against the newer drug resistant mutants of Candida.

Now, if the authors had not suggested that isolating "the active phytoceuticals from the whole oil may provide a valuable antimicrobial agent for counteracting fungal and drug resistant infections" I'd have been happier. I am not a chemist, but it seems to me that if big pharma isolates the one (or more) phytochemicals that give Euc. Citriodora its powerful anti-fungal effect, the possibility of the drug resistant strains becoming resistant to this valuable natural anti-fungal increases.

Osmanthus and mood

Quoting from "Aromatherapy Science a guide for healthcare professionals" by Maria Lis-Balchin who refers to a study between the Sense of Smell Institute regarding the effects of fragrance on mood. 'Osmanthus is stimulating and helps to reduce apathy and depression; it is highly coveted in China and Japan, with its floral/fruity smell somewhat like apricot, and showed an increase in happiness, with a decrease in all the negative mood factors."

Liquid sunshine indeed! Read more about our Osmanthus absolute here.

More Research Citations

Boy, if someone is writing a term paper, this blog is for them!

Came across another list of aromatherapy research citations at the University of Miami Touch Research Institute. The majority of the cite is dedicated to research into the effectiveness of Massage Therapy, but this one page is specifically aimed at AT, sometimes comparing aromatherapy massage with "plain massage" sometimes using the oils by inhalation only.

Where is that young man who said that using the word "Clinical" was an exaggeration?

I love it when the scientists prove what we already know!

Aromatherapy Research

The previous discussion, about whether or not essential oils should be called "clinical" brought to mind a website that I discovered earlier this evening. The University of Minnesota has a site devoted to "Taking Charge of Your Health." A good read. I zeroed in on the section pertaining to Complimentary Therapies... especially, of course, Aromatherapy. (No, I didn't ace the "activity" on matching essential oils and therapeutic results...I'm MORTIFIED!)

What especially drew my attention was the "What does the research say about Essential Oils."

Pages of published research covering the anti-microbial effects of essential oils, the effectiveness of EO's for pain relief, psychological effects, toxicity and sensitization, and a rather miscellaneous grouping of other studies.

I love it when serendipity happens! Just when I needed some research cites to reply to Colin's comments - there they are!

Research Results

Have you ever used Google Scholar to search for information? Me neither, until this week.

We decided to find some positive studies... and coincidently my friend Liz Tams put up a Google Scholar url (which I had never heard of.) Among the positive results:

Aromatherapy as a safe and effective treatment for the management of agitation in severe dementia: the results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with Melissa. (This report has had some press coverage.)

(The famous Alopecia study)
Conclusions The results show aromatherapy to be a safe and effective treatment for alopecia areata. Treatment with these essential oils was significantly more effective than treatment with the carrier oil alone (P=.008 for the primary outcome measure). We also successfully applied an evidence-based method to an alternative therapy.

Lavender increased the percentage of deep or slow-wave sleep (SWS) in men and women. All subjects reported higher vigor the morning after Thus, lavender serves as a mild sedative and has practical applications as a novel, nonphotic method for promoting deep sleep in young men and women and for producing gender-dependent sleep effects.


Nursing Times study on the emotional effects of Lavender on post cardiotomy patients. (I need to write and ask Jane which species was used, and the different results!)

Jane Buckle presents the results of a randomised, double-blind trial of two essential oils of two different species of lavender, topically applied on post-cardiotomy patients. The emotional and behavioural stress levels of 28 patients were evaluated pre- and post-treatment on two consecutive days. The therapeutic effects of the two lavenders appeared to be different: one was almost twice as effective as the other, thereby disproving the hypothesis that aromatherapy, using topical application of essential oils, is effective purely because of touch, massage or placebo.


Acupuncture, aromatherapy, and meditation may be useful for nausea/vomiting, for mild relaxation, and for pain/anxiety, respectively


Use of peppermint essential oil in treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome;

Results: Eight randomized, controlled trials were located. Collectively they indicate that peppermint oil could be efficacious for symptom relief in IBS. A metaanalysis of five placebo-controlled, double blind trials seems to support this notion. In view of the methodological flaws associated with most studies, no definitive judgment about efficacy can be given.the role of Aromatherapy in helping control chronic pain.


The use of Aromatherapy in dealing with AIDS

The use of Lavender oil (diffused) to calm agitation in patients with dementia.

Lavender oil administered in an aroma stream shows modest efficacy in the treatment of agitated behaviour in patients with severe dementia.

The response of hospice cancer patients to lavender

Antifungal activity of Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil was found to be able to inhibit growth of all clinical fungal isolates.

The effect of Basil oil on MRSA

The effects of various essential oils against candida. (surprisingly enough, in vitro, Sandalwood oil appears more effective than Tea Tree!)

Review of the Biological activities of Lavender Oil (methodology and lack of proper identification of the oils used hampers the clarity of results.)


The use of Holy Basil in treating acne:

The use of Spanish Sage in treating dementia

The use of essential oil containing mouthwash in controlling plaque and gingivitis (along with brushing and flossing, of course)(the abstract doesn't state which essential oils, unfortunately)

This is just a start..what was found by entering "essential oil research" in Google Scholar.

Bad Science - Faulty Research

A friend just sent me a link to a research study that has been publicized in a lot of the media lately...even on the Today Show.

I read it, and the story made me angry. Some quotes below, then my immediate reaction:

Researchers taped cotton balls laced with either lemon oil, lavender oil or distilled water below the volunteers noses for the duration of the tests.

The researchers tested volunteers ability to heal by using a standard test where tape is applied and removed repeatedly on a specific skin site. The scientists also tested volunteers reaction to pain by immersing their feet in 32-degree F water.
.....
While lemon oil showed a clear mood enhancement, lavender oil did not, the researchers said. Neither smell had any positive impact on any of the biochemical markers for stress, pain control or wound healing.

This is probably the most comprehensive study ever done in this area, but the human body is infinitely complex, explained Malarkey. If an individual patient uses these oils and feels better, theres no way we can prove it doesn't improve that person's health.

But we still failed to find any quantitative indication that these oils provide any physiological effect for people in general.

The wound healing experiments measured how fast the skin could repair itself, Glaser said. Keep in mind that a lot of things have to take place for that healing process to succeed. We measured a lot of complex physiological interactions instead of just a single marker, and still we saw no positive effect, he said.

...

I love it when they use an oil inappropriately, and then use the fact that this test didn't work to generalize that aromatherapy as a whole has no effect.They did find that lemon oil, by inhalation, "clearly enhanced the mood of the subjects." Of course. All citrus oils do.

Had the lavender been applied topically, in proper dilution, they would have seen wound healing results.

I question whether there is any substance that will help deliberately irritated skin heal more quickly simply by inhalation. In our essential oil arsenal, we have a wide range of products that would, if applied properly, have hastened healing.

More to the point would have been a test of a specific essential oil, anecdotally recommended for a specific condition. This would be a valid research project.

But the pharmaceutical companies might not like the results.

In my parents' generation, a "bunch of Malarkey" was (according to Webster) "insincere or foolish talk." I think the media is pushing a whole bunch of malarkey!"

Research Study - Radiation Treatment

We keep being reminded of why we are here...to use the products we source and make available to improve the quality of life of our clients.

We are given the gift of participating in a huge research study that, if successful, may make a difference in the lives of thousands of Cancer patients.

A client in Minnesota has received funding for a major research project testing complimentary medicine in the treatment/prevention of skin damage from radiation treatments. The carrier oils and essential oils that are being rigorously tested (against a conventional allopathic remedy, healing carrier oils alone, and the carriers blended with a select group of essential oils) have been used for years to treat patients, with wonderful results. Because we know the procedure being tested works well, we anticipate great results in the tests.

And once the results are published, we can say what we know, without being accused of making medical claims. We can just reference the research.

But, most important of all, successful results might encourage other practioners to use the oils to help their patients. What a difference this can make in a patient's quality of life! What a GIFT to be able to participate!