If you’ve done any research into aromatherapy and essential oils, you’ve likely been bombarded by terms like food grade essential oils, therapeutic grade oils, clinical aromatherapy oils, and more.
But I want to let you in on a little secret that the essential oils industry doesn’t want you to know.
These terms are lies.
They don’t exist.
Right about now you probably think I’ve fallen off my rocker.
That’s ok. Bear with me.
Because I’m about to show you undeniable proof that these companies selling so called food grade essential oils are nothing but marketing wizards.
I want to arm you with the knowledge you need to look past marketing jargon and know which oils you can use safely in your food.
What are food grade essential oils?
First, let’s look at the term itself.
You would think that a term like this would be backed by an organization that regulates what is allowed to be called ‘food grade essential oils.’
But there aren’t any regulatory bodies.
There are governing bodies for essential oils, but they do not regulate what is considered ‘food grade’ per se.
Here are a couple organizations that do exist.
There is the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard for a number of oils.
There is also a governing body for the organic labeling of them, which is the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). This was formed in 1972 and has been certifying essential oils since the 1980s.
The only organization that comes remotely close to this sort of thing is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
They do not determine what a food grade essential oil is, nor do they label them as such. What they do is put out an extensive list that is called ‘Generally Recognized as Safe,’ or GRAS.
This simply means that the items on the list have been deemed safe and fit for human consumption for their intended use.
And this is where things get tricky…
Yes, there are many food safe essential oils and absolutes listed in Part 182, Subpart A, Section 182.20 of the GRAS list:
| Common name | Botanical name of plant source |
| Alfalfa | Medicago sativa L. |
| Allspice | Pimenta officinalis Lindl. |
| Almond, bitter (free from prussic acid) | Prunus amygdalus Batsch, Prunus armeniaca L., or Prunus persica (L.) Batsch. |
| Ambrette (seed) | Hibiscus moschatus Moench. |
| Angelica root | Angelica archangelica L. |
| Angelica seed | Do. |
| Angelica stem | Do. |
| Angostura (cusparia bark) | Galipea officinalis Hancock. |
| Anise | Pimpinella anisum L. |
| Asafetida | Ferula assa-foetida L. and related spp. of Ferula. |
| Balm (lemon balm) | Melissa officinalis L. |
| Balsam of Peru | Myroxylon pereirae Klotzsch. |
| Basil | Ocimum basilicum L. |
| Bay leaves | Laurus nobilis L. |
| Bay (myrcia oil) | Pimenta racemosa (Mill.) J. W. Moore. |
| Bergamot (bergamot orange) | Citrus aurantium L. subsp. bergamia Wright et Arn. |
| Bitter almond (free from prussic acid) | Prunus amygdalus Batsch, Prunus armeniaca L., or Prunus persica (L.) Batsch. |
| Bois de rose | Aniba rosaeodora Ducke. |
| Cacao | Theobroma cacao L. |
| Camomile (chamomile) flowers, Hungarian | Matricaria chamomilla L. |
| Camomile (chamomile) flowers, Roman or English | Anthemis nobilis L. |
| Cananga | Cananga odorata Hook. f. and Thoms. |
| Capsicum | Capsicum frutescens L. and Capsicum annuum L. |
| Caraway | Carum carvi L. |
| Cardamom seed (cardamon) | Elettaria cardamomum Maton. |
| Carob bean | Ceratonia siliqua L. |
| Carrot | Daucus carota L. |
| Cascarilla bark | Croton eluteria Benn. |
| Cassia bark, Chinese | Cinnamomum cassia Blume. |
| Cassia bark, Padang or Batavia | Cinnamomum burmanni Blume. |
| Cassia bark, Saigon | Cinnamomum loureirii Nees. |
| Celery seed | Apium graveolens L. |
| Cherry, wild, bark | Prunus serotina Ehrh. |
| Chervil | Anthriscus cerefolium (L.) Hoffm. |
| Chicory | Cichorium intybus L. |
| Cinnamon bark, Ceylon | Cinnamomum zeylanicum Nees. |
| Cinnamon bark, Chinese | Cinnamomum cassia Blume. |
| Cinnamon bark, Saigon | Cinnamomum loureirii Nees. |
| Cinnamon leaf, Ceylon | Cinnamomum zeylanicum Nees. |
| Cinnamon leaf, Chinese | Cinnamomum cassia Blume. |
| Cinnamon leaf, Saigon | Cinnamomum loureirii Nees. |
| Citronella | Cymbopogon nardus Rendle. |
| Citrus peels | Citrus spp. |
| Clary (clary sage) | Salvia sclarea L. |
| Clover | Trifolium spp. |
| Coca (decocainized) | Erythroxylum coca Lam. and other spp. of Erythroxylum. |
| Coffee | Coffea spp. |
| Cola nut | Cola acuminata Schott and Endl., and other spp. of Cola. |
| Coriander | Coriandrum sativum L. |
| Cumin (cummin) | Cuminum cyminum L. |
| Curacao orange peel (orange, bitter peel) | Citrus aurantium L. |
| Cusparia bark | Galipea officinalis Hancock. |
| Dandelion | Taraxacum officinale Weber and T. laevigatum DC. |
| Dandelion root | Do. |
| Dog grass (quackgrass, triticum) | Agropyron repens (L.) Beauv. |
| Elder flowers | Sambucus canadensis L. and S. nigra I. |
| Estragole (esdragol, esdragon, tarragon) | Artemisia dracunculus L. |
| Estragon (tarragon) | Do. |
| Fennel, sweet | Foeniculum vulgare Mill. |
| Fenugreek | Trigonella foenum-graecum L. |
| Galanga (galangal) | Alpinia officinarum Hance. |
| Geranium | Pelargonium spp. |
| Geranium, East Indian | Cymbopogon martini Stapf. |
| Geranium, rose | Pelargonium graveolens L’Her. |
| Ginger | Zingiber officinale Rosc. |
| Grapefruit | Citrus paradisi Macf. |
| Guava | Psidium spp. |
| Hickory bark | Carya spp. |
| Horehound (hoarhound) | Marrubium vulgare L. |
| Hops | Humulus lupulus L. |
| Horsemint | Monarda punctata L. |
| Hyssop | Hyssopus officinalis L. |
| Immortelle | Helichrysum augustifolium DC. |
| Jasmine | Jasminum officinale L. and other spp. of Jasminum. |
| Juniper (berries) | Juniperus communis L. |
| Kola nut | Cola acuminata Schott and Endl., and other spp. of Cola. |
| Laurel berries | Laurus nobilis L. |
| Laurel leaves | Laurus spp. |
| Lavender | Lavandula officinalis Chaix. |
| Lavender, spike | Lavandula latifolia Vill. |
| Lavandin | Hybrids between Lavandula officinalis Chaix and Lavandula latifolin Vill. |
| Lemon | Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. |
| Lemon balm (see balm) | |
| Lemon grass | Cymbopogon citratus DC. and Cymbopogon lexuosus Stapf. |
| Lemon peel | Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. |
| Lime | Citrus aurantifolia Swingle. |
| Linden flowers | Tilia spp. |
| Locust bean | Ceratonia siliqua L, |
| Lupulin | Humulus lupulus L. |
| Mace | Myristica fragrans Houtt. |
| Mandarin | Citrus reticulata Blanco. |
| Marjoram, sweet | Majorana hortensis Moench. |
| Mate | Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil. |
| Melissa (see balm) | |
| Menthol | Mentha spp. |
| Menthyl acetate | Do. |
| Molasses (extract) | Saccarum officinarum L. |
| Mustard | Brassica spp. |
| Naringin | Citrus paradisi Macf. |
| Neroli, bigarade | Citrus aurantium L. |
| Nutmeg | Myristica fragrans Houtt. |
| Onion | Allium cepa L. |
| Orange, bitter, flowers | Citrus aurantium L. |
| Orange, bitter, peel | Do. |
| Orange leaf | Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck. |
| Orange, sweet | Do. |
| Orange, sweet, flowers | Do. |
| Orange, sweet, peel | Do. |
| Origanum | Origanum spp. |
| Palmarosa | Cymbopogon martini Stapf. |
| Paprika | Capsicum annuum L. |
| Parsley | Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Mansf. |
| Pepper, black | Piper nigrum L. |
| Pepper, white | Do. |
| Peppermint | Mentha piperita L. |
| Peruvian balsam | Myroxylon pereirae Klotzsch. |
| Petitgrain | Citrus aurantium L. |
| Petitgrain lemon | Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. |
| Petitgrain mandarin or tangerine | Citrus reticulata Blanco. |
| Pimenta | Pimenta officinalis Lindl. |
| Pimenta leaf | Pimenta officinalis Lindl. |
| Pipsissewa leaves | Chimaphila umbellata Nutt. |
| Pomegranate | Punica granatum L. |
| Prickly ash bark | Xanthoxylum (or Zanthoxylum) Americanum Mill. or Xanthoxylum clava-herculis L. |
| Rose absolute | Rosa alba L., Rosa centifolia L., Rosa damascena Mill., Rosa gallica L., and vars. of these spp. |
| Rose (otto of roses, attar of roses) | Do. |
| Rose buds | Do. |
| Rose flowers | Do. |
| Rose fruit (hips) | Do. |
| Rose geranium | Pelargonium graveolens L’Her. |
| Rose leaves | Rosa spp. |
| Rosemary | Rosmarinus officinalis L. |
| Saffron | Crocus sativus L. |
| Sage | Salvia officinalis L. |
| Sage, Greek | Salvia triloba L. |
| Sage, Spanish | Salvia lavandulaefolia Vahl. |
| St. John’s bread | Ceratonia siliqua L. |
| Savory, summer | Satureia hortensis L. |
| Savory, winter | Satureia montana L. |
| Schinus molle | Schinus molle L. |
| Sloe berries (blackthorn berries) | Prunus spinosa L. |
| Spearmint | Mentha spicata L. |
| Spike lavender | Lavandula latifolia Vill. |
| Tamarind | Tamarindus indica L. |
| Tangerine | Citrus reticulata Blanco. |
| Tarragon | Artemisia dracunculus L. |
| Tea | Thea sinensis L. |
| Thyme | Thymus vulgaris L. and Thymus zygis var. gracilis Boiss. |
| Thyme, white | Do. |
| Thyme, wild or creeping | Thymus serpyllum L. |
| Triticum (see dog grass) | |
| Tuberose | Polianthes tuberosa L. |
| Turmeric | Curcuma longa L. |
| Vanilla | Vanilla planifolia Andr. or Vanilla tahitensis J. W. Moore. |
| Violet flowers | Viola odorata L. |
| Violet leaves | Do. |
| Violet leaves absolute | Do. |
| Wild cherry bark | Prunus serotina Ehrh. |
| Ylang-ylang | Cananga odorata Hook. f. and Thoms. |
| Zedoary bark | Curcuma zedoaria Rosc. |
That’s a lot, right?
And you would think that if it’s listed here, then you can ingest it all you want.
Wrong.
Remember when I said something about intended use?
This is the paragraph on the page that this statement comes from:
“Essential oils, oleoresins (solvent-free), and natural extractives (including distillates) that are generally recognized as safe for their intended use, within the meaning of section 409 of the Act.”
The question is, what is the intended use?
I have done a ton of research into what exactly “intended use” means.
The FDA is not what you would call forthcoming about a lot of things.
Even searching the term brings up a lot of rhetoric, but no concrete answers.
Then again, this makes sense when you think about it, since there are hundreds of thousands of things that go through the FDA and under many different categories. And there are many different ways that a substance can be used.
You must remember though; there are a ton of things that are on the GRAS list as food additives that are considered food safe that you would not want to ingest on your own. This includes certain essential oils.
Case in point, mustard (Brassica spp.) is on the list above.
But mustard essential oil is considered one of the most toxic of all. It is a dermal toxin, oral toxin, and an irritant to mucous membranes.
The food industry uses it extensively though, for seasonings, sauces, pickling, and more. But they can do this since they are employing minuscule amounts on a rather massive scale.
So, the “intended use” level for this particular additive would be much less than is feasible for use in the home kitchen.
So are essential oils edible?
There are some ‘food safe’ essential oils. But there are many that are not.
Also note that just because you can use some essential oils in food, that does not mean you should ingest them therapeutically, which is a whole other topic.
We actually eat and use essential oils every day. Look for them on the ingredient lists of commercial products, and you’ll be surprised all of the oils you find.
The food and beverage, as well as personal care and cosmetic industries use essential oils in everything from liquor to food to toothpaste to chewing gum.
Here are a few examples that Young Living has created and are being sold on Amazon.
Remember that this is mass scale production, not just making a regular Tuesday night meal at home.
That being said, you can use some oils for baking and flavoring purposes. But just in very tiny quantities.
How do I buy essential oils I can use in food?
The first step to cooking with essential oils is buying a quality oil that is suitable for such a thing.
There are a few companies that sell wholesale and retail oils that are edible. Some of them are strictly flavorings and should be labeled as such, and others are your everyday essential oils.
For example, if you search for “where to buy lemon oil for baking,” you will likely come up with places like LorAnn Essential Oils, King Arthur Flour, and Now Foods.
Let’s touch on the first one.
What are LorAnn oils used for?
They have flavorings as well as essential oils that are both listed as used for food. And, they call some of their essential oils ‘food grade’ and have instructions for using them as such.
Some of their essential oils pages have instructions to use them in cooking too. For instance, there are directions on their bergamot oil page to use it as flavoring.
However, on Now Foods (Amazon), they have essential oils as well and sell plenty of things for ingestion. Yet they have an entire FAQ section about food grade essential oils that explicitly says not to ingest them and outlines the reason why.
Both of their essential oils are listed as 100% pure.
One company chooses to use them as a flavoring, and another says they are not meant for that.
So which is it?
In this industry, it is entirely possible that the oils came from the same supplier.
This is why non-regulation of terms can get so darn confusing!
To buy essential oils for cooking, there are specific characteristics to look for.
Yes, you may see food grade, but we now know this isn’t reliable and is not regulated.
However, for certain oils that can be used in the kitchen, you want to look for those in the same way as you would look for ones to use therapeutically.
Keep in mind that edible essential oils are not the same as food flavoring oils or food grade extracts, which are often made up of synthetic chemicals.
So, to buy food grade essential oils, you want to look for those that are 100% pure, natural, and unadulterated with the correct botanical name on the bottle. And if you want to make sure the plant was grown without the use of chemicals, look for organic.
What essential oils are edible?
This is debatable.
Unless you have studied the chemistry of oils and know what you’re doing, I recommend you stick to a select few.
There are some floral ones on the following list, but the majority are made up of fruit and spice oils.
Here is a starter list of edible essential oils:
- Lavender oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
- Neroli oil (Citrus aurantium)
- Lemongrass oil (Cymbopogon flexuosus)
- Sweet Orange oil (Citrus sinensis)
- Lemon oil (Citrus limon)
- Lime oil (Citrus aurantifolia)
- Clove Bud oil (Syzygium aromaticum)
- Nutmeg oil (Myristica fragrans)
- Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi)
- Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)
- Melissa oil (Melissa officinalis)
- Spearmint oil (Mentha Spicata)
- Peppermint oil (Mentha piperita)
- Cinnamon oil (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
This list is not exhaustive, but it gives you an idea.
How do I use essential oils in cooking?
Here are some practical tips to help you in your quest to figure out what essential oils are edible and how to use oils in the kitchen:
Tip #1:
If an oil is listed as toxic, do not try to use it in food, even if it has the same name as something you already use, i.e., ‘mustard.’
Tip #2:
A single drop is often all you need. Sometimes that is too much. In this case, dip the tip of a toothpick in the essential oil and swirl it into your food. A little goes a long way!
Tip #3:
You should not use oils to substitute for certain things. For example, you don’t want to try and find chocolate essential oil to use in place of cocoa powder for brownies. Use common sense.
Tip #4:
Another thing is that just like anything else, some items may be called different things, yet can be used in the same way.
For instance, when looking for lemon oil for food, you may find organic lemon oil, lemon extract, or even essence of lemon.
But they are all under the category of edible lemon oil whichever way you look at it.
Tip #5:
Be sure to read the ingredients list to check for chemicals in all cases, and choose the purest form for the best results.
If you already know how to cook, it is likely that you will intuitively know what oils to use with what, just like with spices.
Some cool things to try would be adding edible lavender oil in ice cream, peppermint oil for baking, or lemon oil for fish.
Another cool trick to using essential oils in the kitchen is making flavored oils and vinegars. To make them, start by adding one drop of the oil per two fluid ounces of the oil or vinegar.
You could also mix up oils to use for salads, marinades, dips, and much more. Whenever a recipe calls for a food grade extract, try using an edible essential oil instead.
One thing to remember though is that you will not need near as much.
As concentrated as extracts are, essential oils are much more potent. Do not try to use a teaspoon of essential oil as a substitute for a teaspoon of extract. It will ruin the recipe by being way too overpowering.
Conclusion
There are a lot of terms in the essential oil industry that are nothing more than marketing ploys. Therapeutic and food grade are among them.
But this doesn’t mean that you can’t use essential oils for cooking or for baking or even for flavoring your tea and ice cream.
What it does mean is that just because something has a term on the label or is natural, it does not make it accurate or safe.
Just like you seek out quality oils for aromatherapy use, you want to look for pure, unadulterated, 100% natural oils to use in your food recipes.
Do you use essential oils for food recipes?
I love to cook, and would like to hear about them in the comments!
God bless you, Woman! Most excellent article! This is bookmarked…saved…shared…pinned…etc! I have been telling people this from the get go…
Thank you! Thank you!!!
Hi I’ve been struggling for many years to cut down on alcohol consumption I thought it would be good to use pure Essential food oils as a substitute for alcohol there is nothing on the bottles to say quantities however I’ve been mixing this oils with tonic water and have seen that it has 90% ethanol, i’m concerned now that I’m over using these oils and consumption to the point of its toxic levels.
Dear What about the Frankincense essential oil and Myrrh
are they save for oral intake.
Thank you
Check out Zongle, which lables their Frankincense Oil as safe to ingest. Just make sure, however, to read up more on when, how much, and how often to ingest Frankincense essential oil. My understanding of Frankincense essential oil is that it is not recommended to ingest it too much, and too frequently. I am not sure at the moment about Myrh, sorry. I am just learning about all the edible essential oils available myself, but I am positive about safely ingesting Frankincense as that tops my must have essential oil list right now for home remedies I plan to use. Remember as well that what might be safe to ingest isn’t exactly safe to breathe into your lungs or rub directly onto the skin or at least in certain areas of the skin, and vice a versa. Research about each essential oil you plan to use and buy very carefully! Once you feel confident about what you learn then have fun experimenting, and enjoy reaping the benefits too!
Hi I bought louann food grade lavender essential oil to make ice cream. What I can’t find out is can I also use it in my homemade face lotion or do I need to buy another regular bottle
Hi Tina, I’d recommend looking for unadulterated and organic oils, especially if you’re going to be using it on skin.
Hi I’ve been struggling for many years to cut down on alcohol consumption I thought it would be good to use pure Essential food oils as a substitute for alcohol there is nothing on the bottles to say quantities however I’ve been mixing this oils with tonic water and have seen that it has 90% ethanol, i’m concerned now that I’m over using these oils and consumption to the point of its toxic levels.
You can use it in cosmetics
I’ve got IBS and just ordered some “therapeutic grade” onion oil from eBay for diluting in olive oil, because I miss the taste, I wish that I had have read this first. I’m throwing that stuff in the bin when it arrives, awesome article
Sorry to hear, Chris. Glad this article was able to better inform you on the marketing jargon in the world of essential oils :)
Hi Mom I’m new to the game,got a lot of time on hand now that I’m not able to work for the last two years looking to get into something that I would have a passion for I think this is it oils what they are for and how to use them differfuser,cooking etc glad I ran across your post looking forward to learning a lot more from your info thank you!
I believe doTerra to be the worlds best quality essential oils and fine to ingest. They do the proper CTPG certification and are organic,. They may cost more but are pure with no additives or nasties. They are of medicinal quality. I understand it is very confusing for people to know what is 100% and not 100% pure when a dilution of up 95% can still say 100% pure. I feel doTerra are the the most reliable, honest pure essential oils available with no nasty pesticides. After all you get what you pay for. What are your thoughts?
If only they didn’t have the MLM process, they would be more accessible for the every day person.
You can purchase doTerra oils on Amazon.
Planttherapy.com has no middleman, so it’s affordable and sourced where the plants live indigenously. They have organic versions, as well. They provide all the info you’d want to know about their oils on the website. I love their oils!
The “proper” certification is done by doTerra themselves. It is a trademark of sorts, CTPG. The only company I know of that has FDA approved essential oils for ingestion is Young Living. It is there Vitality line. The change in how the oils can be labeled as either safe for ingestion OR topical (Not both) took place about 3 years ago (as of 2019). I don’t know of another company that took the time to have their oils tested and approved for ingestion. I am not saying that there aren’t any, I just have not seen them. I cook and use oils in a variety of ways in the holistic spa I own, and got very ill from many of the oils mentioned above. I was new to oils and learned the hard way. And, I was not eating them. Unfortunately, many of the oils manufactured are not worthy of anything but the garbage can. Please do your research folks.
It sounds like you have certainly done your research. I believe I would trust your opinion over the FDA. While you may not have seen another company listed, I still can’t help but be skeptical, as the cost of testing may be prohibitive to smaller companies/oil-providers. I still suspect that larger companies that can afford to pay the price may obtain FDA approval, that will fall within the FDA’s cleverly worded guidelines. After all, they have approved many things that are terrible for human consumption, many of pharmaceutical grade products. While I am just beginning to learn about oils, like you, I prefer to learn by trial and error. I would also like to learn from others that have thoroughly researched, and are as free from any monetary influence or financial gain as possible. I would simply like to learn the truth about oils, home-remedy uses, quality control, etc., without the fear of accidentally and unintentionally poisoning myself family. This article and these comments have been very helpful.
No matter what oil company you go with, there is some form of monetary or financial gain. The great thing about YL, although many fear the whole “MLM” label is that they are so open with their farms and policies of their oils. I would rather pay great money to someone who is truly passionate about their products, than a non MLM company who just jumped on the bandwagon with low priced oils to draw people in. I have personally seen YL oils help oir body tremendously so I would rather give my money to them than to the pharmaceutical companies who truly don’t care about wellness. Don’t let the MLM title that other companies have tainted ruin your interest in giving YL a try. You can also buy retail which is accessible to anybody. I started that way and trying one oil and seeing their quality and how they really worked, led me to want more of this company.
Rhanks for your research. What a confusing mess. So, inhaling essential oil is safer than ingesting?!
My understanding is that not every essential oil is the same as far as safe use of that essential oil. Some are safe to ingest but may not be safe to inhale or to use topically, and some are safe to inhale, but only for a limited time frame, and some are safe to use topically but not near the lungs and some are safe to use topically, ingested, and to inhale too, and so on. Do a lot of research on the specific essential oil you plan to be using first before you buy and then make sure you have researched fully the product you plan to buy. Hope that helps clarify for you that this article doesn’t cover everything you need to know about every single essential oil, such as how much, with what carrier oil, and how often and how to use and what for, regarding every type of essential oil that there is available.
I’m in product development with EO2 Perform LLC, and I bet I just swallowed at least 30 drops or so if various Young loving essential oils namely cinnamon bark, cardamom, clove, orange, peppermint, basil, nutmeg, and black pepper. I’m still alive and have no issues whatsoever.????
I am still alive too and I have used them in my water and a few recipes.I love Young Living.
I don’t think putting my trust in a company whose founder murdered his baby son is a particularly smart idea. Especially when it’s been proven their claims are bogus.
You! Are a rock star for compiling this great info! Thanks so very much – took so much confusion out of this topic!
You’re very welcome, Julie. Glad you found our article to be helpful :)
Hi
I am most interested to learn whether Rosemary essential oil can be added to my morning glass of water, to which I add lemon juice and apple cide vinegar and warm water. I was thinking of using one drop of pure oil to stilimulate bile production in the liver to help vitamin A absorbtion to help ride myself of sinusitis.
thanks
Am interested also in this, but am yet to find an answer :(
I have without any issues, as have many friends of mine, so I would say yes, you can, but just remember essential oils are concentrated so the flavor will definitely be there. It’s not my favorite to ingest. This author may disagree, however, so do your research for sure, but I’ve never had issues and I take it internally in capsules as well. Good luck!
Excellent information! This information is so helpful. Thanks so much.
You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed the article :)
I DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN. BUT LIKE TO KNOW WHERE YOU GO SHOPPING FOR YOUR OILS.
We have a great resource on the best essential oil brands. Highly recommend reading it :)
Saw a few things on here that should be addressed… first, while small amounts of an essential oil are fine in most cases, some are indeed toxic and should not be taken orally. Rosemary is one of these, as it accumulates in the body. Drinking it in a glass of water is NOT the way to go! Also, while doTerra is good, they are unfortunately not organic. That said, I have taken some of their oils orally before (for anaphylaxis,) and it went just fine. With essential oils, sometimes inhaling is better than oral intake, and sometimes oral intake is the best; it depends on the particular oil and what you are taking it for. But PLEASE always research thoroughly before dosing!
Hello, It is my understanding that with essential oils and hydosols, the term “food grade” means that the alembic that was used for steam distillation was sterilized and made of stainless steel. The commonly used copper alembics could contaminate the oils with too much copper, which is bad for germs, but also bad for mammals.
I used to have a website where I posted information about health topics and medicinal recipes. I ended up removing the website because some people were doing truly crazy things with the recipes, having misunderstood very basic instructions. I was afraid that someone would get seriously hurt…and that was just for making shampoo.
There is such a thing as a licensed Naturopathic Doctor. Anyone who wants to ingest essential oils as a medicine should find an N.D. and for a $40 consultation fee, talk about likely allergies, safety, what herbs and vitamins are actually the best choice. I wouldn’t mix two oils together and hope for the best – yes, you may “still be alive”, but with liver damage.
This is a very one sided argument. Somethings are not FDA approved because they do not need to be approved as a drug. Foods that ARE FDA approved still kill people all the time because they are allowed to be bought over the counter. Think clearly about the effects of wine, beer, vodka, cigarettes, caffeine or Energy Drinks. Think of Saccharin, Aspartame, Phenyalelanine, Sudafed, – could you take any of these in a large dose and not get sick or die? Well, of course you can die. Opiates are FDA approved and yet doctors prescribe them causing teens to get addicted and even die. So lets put this in the proper perspective. I have been eating Frankincense for my cancer. You can use the oil or the capsules Its called Boswella. My twin sister and I both were cured, no chemo, or radiation. We did alternative things by TRUSTING ourselves. Why would we use something that kills cancer but destroys our immune system at the same time? Radiation is deadly. Chemo is deadly and yet just because 25% who use chemo/rad treatment survive people think its a cure.
You are a strong spirited woman and I love you and your twin sisters’ mindset!! Good for you!!!!!
What brand did you use? What type of cancer? So happy this worked for you?
Thank you so much for this! I don’t even want to use them for cooking, just on my skin! I’m very careful about what I put on my skin and that of my daughter and would like to start adding oils to my shea butter. This was so helpful about which oils are safe to use.
I am a wood worker doing salt and pepper Mills, cutting boards and am interested in mixing with bees wax and mineral oil for a finish on the surfaces. Any thoughts on this?
As long as you use food grade mineral oil it is fine. It leaches into the food when used a little bit.
I was told to use Thieves Oil for allergies. Is it safe to use a few drops in water? Strong aromas give me migraine headaches. Thanks.
Have been using lemon oil, cinnamon oil, and peppermint oil in water with excellent health benefits for over 25 years.
I’m very glad to see a positive blog on this and your honest review. It’s refreshing to see the truth, rather than the FDA and AMA’s paid bloggers who promote lies about essential oil all over Google.
Please keep telling the truth and blogging honest articles like this so that people understand that essential oils are 100% safe and healthy for you when used with common sense.
I decided to do some research when I noticed that Walmart is now selling EO’s for aromatherapy in the vitamin supplement isle. I am a little concerned that someone might think that they are safe for ingestion. I have, in the past, always found EO’s and diffusers in the candle department. Also, when I was a little girl, back in the 60’s, we liked to make our own cinnamon and peppermint toothpicks. Those oils were kept behind the counter at the pharmacy and could only be purchased by an adult, or since the pharmacist knew us, with a note from mom. Anyhow, great article.
No, Essential oils are not required to pass FDA guidelines, but a company can voluntarily submit their products to the FDA for evaluation to get the stamp of approval. (which they cannot claim without having done so)
I don’t know if anyone commented this but there are apps available for your phone on essential oil use, how to use them, what for, whether to dilute, what’s safe for pregnant women or not, etc. They show under each oil, using symbols, whether or not to ingest, diffuse, or use topically, as not all are good for all three. The one I use is Modern Essentials. It’s geared toward doTerra oils because their blend names are in there, but even with YL oils I’m able to figure that out, as they list what’s in blends as well. It’s not a free app, but well worth the $4.99 I paid at the time!
Can I dilute essential oils in alcohol or carrier oil to the strength of an extract? If so, how much oil should I use for how much base?
I live in India and I make Turkish delights. The humidity here is a big problem with sweet making and the idea is to use as little water as possible. I’ve seen that it’s possible to flavour with rose oil instead of rose water but all our oils seem to be for aromatherapy and not for cooking. Do you think it would be safe just to use a couple of drops.
Is an essential oil that is labelled as 100% pure thereputic grade safe for use in cooking? For example, nutmeg essential oil, I can’t find a food grade option in my country but there are some that say they are 100% pure but are labelled as therapeutic grade?
This blog post is not the full picture. Because therapeutic grade oils are not intended for consumption they do not require the level of food safety that occurs in food facilities. Risk of contamination from manufacturing processes like metals, pathogens, and or other things that would be protected by critical control points can be threats to your health. Just spend the time to correctly source it, and not risk your health
I was wanting to make a homemade toothpaste and one of the ingredients is myrrh but after looking for the best one to buy, that’s when it got confusing. some of the reviews got right down scary. Can you recommend reputable company? I’m new to this and just need to be pointed in the right direction.
Thanks for the updates on the essential oils,I love baking and was just looking through to see what oils or favour I can use to inhads my cake .
I’ve had multiple myeloma for almost 17 years when at the time I went in in 2004 they gave me a prognosis of five years or less but I struggle through it made it through the chemo in the bone marrow transplant but I was dumb I still smoke for a couple years after that, I do supplements according to my blood charts and how to correct them to bring in to normal range. I make turmeric bombs with Black seed oil honey and fine ground black pepper into powder form the doctor says whatever you’re doing keep doing it! I Used to do 27 pills a week with two chemo infusions now I’m down to three pills a week and one infusion every other week because I told the doctor enough is enough this chemo is going to kill me anyway! I was thinking about using some Frankincense oil with some DMSO so it passes the blood brain barrier and get into every root of my body! What do you think? And yes all the stuff I have looked at says DMSO is safe as long as you don’t overdo it! I might go back to bitter apricot seeds also!
Intended use is determined by the manufacturer of a product rather than FDA, and is listed on the product packaging. If, say, an essential oil company put instructions on its product about how to use it in food, and the FDA caught wind and determined that there is not enough evidence to support that intended use as safe, then they could make the company stop marketing it that way. That is, unless the product is considered a supplement (like a multi-vitamin or ginseng, etc) because supplements are not regulated by FDA or anyone at all (in which case there would be a disclaimer about not being evaluated by the FDA on the product’s label, and it would take consumer complaints and evidence of dangerous effects before regulators could step in).
As it is, I think most oil companies just leave any mention of use as a food additive off of their official product labeling so they don’t get caught with a potentially unsafe “intended use” that may draw FDA attention.
To the author’s point, the FDA determines substances are safe for their “intended use” which does not include substance abuse (or in the case of Rx drugs, FDA determines if the evidence shows greater benefit than risk when used *as intended* under doc supervison). You’re 100% right that the FDA has way too much to regulate with too few resources, and on top of that our US consumer safety standards are much more lax than, say, in the EU. So a healthy level of skepticism is a good thing, but in addition it’s important to understand that an ‘ok’ by FDA does not mean something is safe in all circumstances.
I am looking for Eucalyptus essential oil to dilute and use on my gums to destroy
germs in the mouth. Do not want to eat it. I read that it will help you regrow gums that
have receded.
I am looking for Eucalyptus essential oil to dilute and use on my gums to destroy
germs in the mouth. Do not want to eat it. I read that it will help you regrow gums that
have receded.
Thank you for this great article. Is there a food-grade, edible, organic essential oil brand that you recommend? And what do you think about people that people Thieves Oil in there tea in the morning?
Thanks for your useful blog on food grade essential oils. Could you suggest a trusted source for pure Neroli oil likely to be safe for use as a homemade drink flavoring? doTERRA doesn’t carry it. All the other places I have found it include a “For external use only” disclaimer. All my searches for Neroli oil explicitly described as safe for consumption have turned up nothing. Thanks.