Essential oils. Today they have become an indispensable part of our bathroom. Their advance can hardly be stopped. A drop of bergamot here, a touch of lavender there and the stress of a long working day will flow away with the bath water. At least that is what people think and hope, but are these so-called natural products as healthy as they want consumers to believe? Dermatologists are already raising a warning finger. “The benefits of essential oils are indeed less than people would have us believe,” they say. They see more and more patients showing up who develop eczema after taking an invigorating bath with a few drops of oil. “But home-made perfumes that contain such oils are not harmless and can cause similar irritations to our skin,” the dermatologists warn. They are now urging the government to introduce clear labeling of all these products.
Natural products are not always healthy
The bottles of essential oils are selling like hot cakes in specialized stores and organic stores. Many today are attracted by the beneficial effect of these “miracle products”. Often wrongly, as the figures from a recent study now show. More and more fellow countrymen are suffering from skin problems as a result of the use of these essential oils.
“These can indeed cause serious allergic reactions,” say the dermatologists. “These often involve natural products, but what is natural is by definition not always good for the consumer. This certainly applies to plant extracts. After all, these contain many different substances that can one by one cause all kinds of allergies.” People are now going to investigate more carefully which products are the biggest culprits.
Too large quantities
The skin specialists also state that these oils are often used in far too large quantities. People put far too many drops in the bath water or in perfumes they put together themselves. Someone who is very sensitive to these substances can develop eczema. In most cases, these substances penetrate very deep into our skin. Some of these essential oils are also used by many people against ailments such as rheumatism, with all the negative consequences that entails. Once the accident area has been carefully taped up, it can even cause serious burns. But there’s more. Anyone who goes out into the sun after applying bergamot or lemon oil can even get an enhanced form of sunburn.
Strong increase in perfume allergy
The fact that something is indeed going on in the highly commercialized perfume world is further emphasized by the dermatologists. “The current problems are largely the result of the strong rise of the more general perfume allergy,” they know. “According to recent figures, no less than two percent of the population are victims of it to a greater or lesser extent. In the past, we were confronted with much fewer odors and other chemicals. Today everything is perfumed, ranging from day, night and anti- wrinkle creams to washing and cleaning products, fabric softener and candles. The chance that our body will react worse to this is also increasing.”
Better information
Our skin specialists see only one way out. They argue for clearer information on the bottles. “Currently, it is hardly stated which substances are contained in the miracle bottles. But the consumer himself must also show greater vigilance. Especially those who know that they are very sensitive to certain substances, must consult the labels more carefully,” said they decide.
