Here's the thing:
Oregano is an effective treatment against a range of micro-organisms, but it is also a very aggressive essential oil and can be damaging to tissue. It should not be used on the skin or inhaled in a respiratory treatment.
This is a loaded statement on many levels. Let's unpack it slowly…
As we discussed in the previous article (click here to give it a read), there is a wide range in quality and limited accountability when it comes to essential oils.
In reality, unless an oil is controlled by a third party certification body, a consumer has no idea what is actually in their bottle.
Many essential oils are adulterated, often with toxic solvents, adulteration is never disclosed (click here to learn more about adulteration). You need to know exactly what you’re ingesting!
We'll start with the little bit of truth in this statement:
In North America, essential oils are bought and sold under the regulations of perfumery. This means that by law, very little information needs to be disclosed on the label and none of this information needs to be verified.
This fact makes it all the more imperative for companies to work with third party certification bodies; to verify and control the quality and purity of their products.
You've heard the buzz, you've smelled some testers... but what actually is this stuff?
We love asking this question, because if we can help our customers to truly understand what an essential oil is, they'll also understand the importance of quality, of organic farming methods, of third party certification etc etc.
So, what is this elusive liquid everyone is going so nuts over? Is it the plant matter all mushed up? Is it what you get when you squeeze flowers really hard? Mmmm no, not quite.
We always encourage our customers and students to have fun experimenting with their essential oils; it's the best way to learn! However, there a few major roadblocks that you will more than likely encounter along the way.