All Davina essential oils are of the highest quality pure essential oils. We do not add any adulterants–artificial or natural–into our oils. We demonstrate this by providing the GC/MS tests for each single oil. Our oils are distilled (or expressed) from reputable botanical sources, are extracted correctly, and have therapeutic benefits. Essential oils are in a concentrated form and as such often need to be dispersed in a carrier oil (vegetable, nut or seed oil) for safe use. Coconut oil has been added to some of our products intended for immediate use like our rollerball applications. We have noted where this is the case on the individual product pages.

General Safety:

These are general safety guidelines. Some oils have special precautions, please see specific oils for reference.

• Do not put essential oils in or around the eyes, the ears, or other orifices. If essential oil does contact your eye, immediately wash your hands with soap and water and then put some carrier oil on a paper towel or a finger not exposed to EOs and gently wipe your eye. You may need to do this a few times. You can also flush with saline solution. If irritation persists, seek medical advice.
• Seek a qualified health-care professional for internal use.
• Perform 2 patch skin tests on small areas on the arm on successive days before using on larger area.
• People with asthma and seasonal or skin allergies should proceed cautiously with essential oils.
• People with multiple chemical sensitivities or who have had allergic reaction to perfumes should proceed cautiously with essential oils. (Tisserand and Young p.658)
• Cancer treatment: Because of possible and unpredictable effects on immune mechanisms, Robert Tisserand recommends that essential oils are avoided from one week before to one month following a course of chemotherapy or radiotherapy. (Tisserand and Young p.656). Rhiannon Lewis suggests using oils through inhalers to manage nausea and anxiety during chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
• Keep all essential oils out of the reach of children. They can be poisonous if large amounts are swallowed.
• Epileptics: The following essential oils are potentially convulsant for anyone who might be vulnerable to epileptic seizures: Western Red Cedar, Wormwood, Genipi, Hyssop (ct pinocamphone), Sage, Thuja, Pennyroyal, Buchu, Calamint, Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare), Mugwort, Lanyana, Ho Leaf (ct camphor), Boldo, Wintergreen, Birch, Rosemary, Yarrow, Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas), Feverfew, and Spike Lavender (Lavandula latifolia). (Tisserand and Young p.134, table 10.2)

For a full discussion of essential oil safety see: Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young’s book, Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals (second edition).London. Churchill Livingston, 2014.

Using EOs with children:

There is no standardized or formalized age of children when use of essential oils is deemed safe. However, some prudent guidelines have been suggested.

• Keep all essential oils out of the reach of children. They can be poisonous if large amounts are swallowed.
• Intermittent diffusion of essential oils in a average size room with good ventilation is safe for children of any age. For example, 30-60 minutes on, then 30-60 minutes off. Programmable diffusers are perfect for this. Intermittent diffusion is much more effective, as well as being safer, than continuous diffusion.
• Essential oil safety expert, Robert Tisserand’s recommended dilutions for children are:

Age                              Whole body       Local use
Up to 3 months            0.1%                     0.2%
3-24 months                 0.25%                   0.5%
2-6 years                        1.0%                     2.0%

• How often you apply depends a bit on the problem and the age of the child, but a general guideline would be 3-4 times daily.
• For children of 3 and under, peppermint is best avoided altogether, and eucalyptus can be diffused, or used topically at up to 0.5%.
• For children aged 3-6 both oils can be diffused, and used topically at up to 0.5% (peppermint) and up to 1.0% (eucalyptus).
• Other oils that are useful but safer for children include pine, spruce and rosalina.
• Children have very strong immune systems, in fact a child’s immune system needs to be challenged to become strong and to remain strong. Daily protection using essential oils, over many weeks or months, may always not be a good thing. “Use when needed” is a good general guideline.

Using EOs During Pregnancy:

• The aromatic use (see above) of EOs is generally safe during pregnancy.
• Unfortunately, there is little to no human research about essential oil constituents crossing the placenta. The safest path is to just assume that essential oil constituents will cross the placenta.
• Since we’re assuming that essential oil constituents cross the placenta, it is generally suggested that the mother use very little essential oil during the first trimester, and only as needed at a 1% dilution. For anyone concerned about the use of oils they should be avoided completely during the first trimester.
• As a general rule, undiluted essential oils should not be used in massage or in the bath during pregnancy because of the risk of accidentally using too much oil.
• We do not recommend internal use of essential oils during pregnancy because it offers the highest dose, and because of the rapid absorption into the bloodstream.
• There are approximately 50 essential oils that are contraindicated during pregnancy, and another 15 that should be restricted during pregnancy and lactation. (Tisserand and Young charts p.152–153 and p.156)
• These are some of the most commonly used oils that are contraindicated during pregnancy:
  • Anise, Birch, Black Seed, Carrot Seed, Cinnamon bark, Blue Cypress (Callitris intratropica), Fennel, Ho leaf (Cinnamomum camphora ct. camphor), Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis ct. pinocamphone), Myrrh, Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas), Oregano, Sage (Salvia officinalis, Salvia lavandulifolia) and Wintergreen.
  • See complete list of essential oils contraindicated during pregnancy.

Using EOs on Animals:

We do not recommend the use of essential oils directly on the fur or skin of small animals. Small animals can have toxic reactions to essential oils being applied to their fur or skin.