OK, here is the list of 9 questions related to safety information and awareness that you can ask as you browse an essential oil company's website. You can write these down or visit our episode page for the same list. Ideally you want all questions to be answered with a YES.

The first question to ask to determine if a company knows their safety stuff is: Do they mention topical max usage and safe dilution levels? Although essential oils should be diluted first before using on the skin, some essential oils have a specific topical max that needs to be adhered to in order to prevent adverse reactions. Bergamot (0.4% for cold pressed), Clove (0.5%), Jasmine (0.7%), and Peppermint (5.4%) are examples of essential oils with a topical max that can cause irritation, redness, phototoxicity, or sensitization if more than the topical max is used on the skin.

The second question to ask to determine if a company knows their safety stuff is: Do they sell EOs that are potentially carcinogenic? We probably all agree essential oils that are potentially carcinogenic shouldn’t be offered for sale! But they should at minimum be flagged when you go to purchase so you know what you’re getting yourself into. Anise, Arborvitae, Fennel, and Nutmeg are examples of essential oils that are potentially carcinogenic and are best avoided.

The third question to ask to determine if an essential oil company knows their safety stuff is: Do they tell you if an essential oil can thin the blood? This is a concern for everyone, but there’s even more of a chance for adverse reactions if someone is taking aspirin or on blood thinners, about to have surgery, or prone to nose bleeds. Clove, Cinnamon Bark, Cinnamon Leaf, and Wintergreen are examples of anti-coagulant essential oils.

The 4th question to ask to determine if a company knows their safety stuff is: Do they tell you if an essential oil is phototoxic? Because most people don’t dilute essential oils before applying to their skin, phototoxicity can be a problem. Bergamot, Lemon, Lime, and Grapefruit are examples of some essential oils which should have a phototoxicity warning for their cold pressed versions. Look for “FCF” or “furanocoumarin free” or “bergapten free” or steam distilled versions that don’t have this concern.

The 5th question to ask to determine if a company knows their safety stuff is: Do they tell you if there's any drug interactions? Using essential oils (especially internally) with certain medications can make the medication more effective (thin the blood too much for example) or less effective by causing the medication to not work very well or at all. The adverse reaction depends on the medication, but it’s wise to not use the essential oils in question but seek other options.

The 6th question to ask to determine if a company knows their safety stuff is: Do they offer safe dilution guidelines? If you’re seeing “add 8-10 drops to water and consume 1-3 times per day” or even the lack of information for topical application, run! These are not safe dilution guidelines or recommendations.

The 7th question to ask to determine if a company knows their safety stuff is: Do they include a minimum age warning on certain essential oils? Essential oils like Peppermint should not be used with children under the age of 6, and Eucalyptus and Rosemary should be avoided around children under the age of 10. This is due to certain constituents in those essential oils that can cause breathing problems. Ylang Ylang is an example of an essential oil that is safe for children to inhale but needs to be avoided on the skin until they are over 2 years old. Look for a company that provides safe and accurate recommendations when it comes to using essential oils safely with children.

The 8th question to ask to determine if a company knows their safety stuff is: Do they warn against using certain EOs during pregnancy or breastfeeding? Essential oils not safe for pregnancy (like Myrrh, Cinnamon Bark, and Tansy) should be noted to avoid complications. Peppermint should be flagged for breastfeeding use, as some moms notice a dip in milk supply when using Peppermint essential oil (even when simply inhaling it).

The 9th question to ask to determine if a company knows their safety stuff is: Do they warn against ingesting essential oils? Because essential oils are so concentrated, they need to be used with caution, especially when ingesting. 99% of the time, 99% of us won’t ever see more benefit than risk for ingesting them. "For external use only" or "Not for internal use" or a warning to ingest only under the guidance of an aromatherapist trained in internal use is ideal.

If you'd like to see how some companies ranked when I checked them out, visit the BRAND REVIEWS Portal. At the time of this recording, I've added reviews for Edens Garden, Plant Therapy, Aura Cacia, Young Living, and doTERRA. Out of those, three have 3 stars or less, one has 6 out of 10 stars, and one has 7 stars. Can you guess which one that is?

Well so far in this series I've given you some questions and things to look for when you're checking out a website. And that's exactly what I did. Each company can earn a total of 18 points in the "safety issues" category, 14 points in the "clarity on safety" category, 64 points in the "EO Profile information" category, and 12 "other" points.

When it comes to providing the information we've been talking about in this series - spoiler! - both Young Living and doTERRA are at the bottom of the companies I've scored thus far. They don't flag for some of the safety issues that need flagging: blood-thinning essential oils, EOs unsafe for kids or for use during pregnancy, and no mention of drug interactions anywhere. They do have general disclaimers such as "consult your doctor if pregnant or nursing" - but that's on every page. Not all essential oils are unsafe to use during pregnancy. In fact, out of the 273 essential oils I've included in my new book, Essential Oil Safety Made Simple™, 206 of them are safe to use during pregnancy!

In my next episode, I'll talk about some of the information that companies should include on their essential oil profile page to be sure you are fully informed when you go to purchase.

If you found this helpful, share with a friend so we can use essential oils safely together.