Q: Hi Tracey,
Is it safe to put fragrance oils, such as those essential oils you
sell, or the ones from the body shop that people burn in thier homes,
into my own products such as deoderant? I remember you said not to
put your essential oils directly on the skin...but is it ok with mix
them in skin products? I can't find the ingredients on the body shop
fragrances so I do not know if they are safe to mix and use on the
skin.
Any advice would be great!
Thanks!

~ NS, student, Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario

A: Hi N.,

Fragrance oils are petroleum by-products that are toxic when evaporated, and definitely toxic if applied to the skin. NEVER use a fragrance oil, especially on the body.

Essential oils are 100% pure botanicals - think of them as concentrated herbs. To make a deodorant, research the essential oil carefully (see http://www.anarreshealth.ca/catalog/3/essential_oils ) and do not use anything that is sensitizing or a skin irritant. Some oils can be used only in minute amounts, for example clove essential oil 1 drop in 30ml of cream deodorant! Make sure your recipe is talking about essential oils, NOT fragrance, perfume or carrier oils. Check for a number of recipes and compare. Forget about the ones that seem too different. Your deodorant should be 2% essential oil MAXIMUM, so 2 ml (40 drops) essential oil in 100ml of base!

Best, Tracey

Tracey TieF
Certified Natural Health Practitioner