Essential Oil Sensitivity (Allergic Response)

[Heritage Essential Oils]

Sandy asked: Does anyone have any experience with this: I can't remember where I read it, but someone who was sensitive to an oil or a blend put some of that oil on a cotton ball and put it into their shoe. Does this ring any bells?

Linda wrote: 

I found this in the Reference Guide for Essential Oils by Connie and Alan Higley, 1998, p.399 (Hay Fever)

"If you have a reaction to the oils, it is only a reaction to all the chemicals you have been dumping into your body throughout the years. The oils are merely reacting with the toxins in the sub-dermal tissues and beginning their removal. Cleanse the body!"

In the 2005 edition of the Quick Reference Guide for Using Essential Oils, page 37, there are instructions:

Psychological Allergies (In the mind) To Oils:

Put one drop of the oil, to which there is an 'allergy' reaction, on a cotton ball and place it in a shoe. Add a drop each day until the 'allergy' to that particular oil is gone."

To find this, I Googled: essential oil cotton ball shoe allergy. The references are in: books.google - look up page 339.

It is worth mentioning that I believe it is possible to have a "reaction" (such as irritated/burning skin) merely because the strength of the essential oil is too much for the skin. In other words, it's not always a detox or pH reaction. 

For example, almost everyone will "react" negatively to Oregano or Cinnamon Bark on the face. That doesn't mean they are "allergic" to the oil, but rather that they didn't use it properly for their body. We can get a lot out of the oils by extending them with a carrier oil such as coconut or jojoba. (I say "extend" because we aren't necessarily diluting the potential of the essential oil, but extending it.) We are diluting their potential to irritate/harm, but extending their ability to benefit.

I'd encourage everyone to extend/dilute the oils with first use and try on a very small area first. You can add more essential oil if desired once you are sure that your body can handle it. If a rash develops, back off usage. When you decide to try again, use at a greater dilution rate on a very small area first and wait a day before trying again. Proceed slowly, so that if your body needs to detox, it can do so slowly. You want your body to detox at a rate it can handle without causing irritation.

That said, realizing that we can't be 'allergic' to a steam distilled essential oil, we have to look at a reaction of any kind and ask why? 

Was it too hot for my skin? Dilute with a carrier oil. 

Am I toxic? Back off and consider using at a greater dilution. Try on a small area first as a test.

Get a headache? Probably toxic or acidic. Need to get rid of toxins, especially in personal care products and household cleaners. Look into a colon/liver cleanse. Drink plenty of pure water to flush toxins and so on. 

Am I acidic? Alkalize and try again.

Many health issues improve by drinking this delicious tonic every morning:

1 TB Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (use the organic, raw, unfiltered)

1 TB Local Raw Honey (if local honey is not available, then at least use raw - unprocessed)

1 Cup pure Water

We've had this tonic reverse a migraine in minutes when used at the onset.

I hope that's helpful and makes sense. :-)