Making a Skin Care Product with Essential Oil? Watch Out for Phototoxity

No-one likes Deet, so one of the most common things to make with essential oils is a skin spray or roll-on to keep the mozzies away. Essential oils are incredibly effective for keeping the bugs away (and they smell great too)!

But, that’s only one of a wide variety of sprays or roll-ons you might make for yourself. There are refreshing facial sprays and roll-ons to treat all kinds of limbic (emotional) conditions, from motivation to concentration.

You might also use essential oils in massage creams or home-made personal care products.

It’s important to understand which essential oils are phototoxic or photosensitive if you are going out in the sun within 12 hours of using these products. Used on your skin, these may cause sun sensitivity, making you more susceptible to burning, redness or skin damage.

The chemical components that can create phytotoxicity reactions on the skin are known as furanocoumarins (FCs). They are present in most citrus-peel oils and a few others (such as angelica root). The most common FCs are bergapten (found in cold pressed bergamot, bitter orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime) and bergamottin (found in cold pressed bergamot, grapefruit, lemon and lime).

Not all cold pressed citrus oils are phototoxic. Ethos’s Sweet Orange is cold pressed, for example, but does not contain FCs.

Here is the research, by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young (see references at the end of this article for details). I have highlighted the oils available from Ethos.

List of Commonly Available Essential Oils That are Phototoxic

  • Angelica Root Essential Oil
  • Bergamot (Cold Pressed)
  • Bitter Orange (Cold Pressed)
  • Cumin
  • Fig Leaf Absolute
  • Grapefruit (Cold Pressed)
  • Lemon (Cold Pressed)
  • Lime (Cold Pressed)
  • Mandarin Leaf
  • Opopanax
  • Rue
  • Tagetes

Oils That Might Be Phototoxic

  • Angelica Root Absolute
  • Angelica Root CO2
  • Celery Leaf
  • Celery Seed Absolute
  • Clementine (Cold Pressed)
  • Combava Fruit
  • Cumin Seed Absolute
  • Cumin Seed CO2
  • Khella
  • Lovage Leaf
  • Parsnip
  • Skimmia

Citrus Oils That Are Not Considered Phototoxic

  • Bergamot FCF (FCF Has the Bergapten/FCs Removed)
  • Bergamot (Steam Distilled)
  • Blood Orange (Cold Pressed or Steam Distilled)
  • Lemon (Steam Distilled)
  • Lime (Steam Distilled)
  • Mandarin (Cold Pressed or Steam Distilled)
  • Sweet Orange (Cold Pressed or Steam Distilled)
  • Petitgrain
  • Satsuma (Cold Pressed or Steam Distilled)
  • Tangelo (Cold Pressed or Steam Distilled)
  • Tangerine (Cold Pressed or Steam Distilled)
  • Yuzu Oil (Cold Pressed or Steam Distilled)

Ethos Blends That Include Phototoxic (Grapefruit or Lemon) Essential Oils

  • Energy Boost
  • Focus
  • Immunity
  • Motivation
  • Uplift

Because an essential oil product has FCs, it does not mean it will be damaging for you. For example, a few drops of essential oil in a massage cream applied over the whole body will have an extremely weak concentration and is unlikely to cause problems.

However, you should exercise extreme caution. Dr Jane Buckle, in her book Clinical Aromatherapy, reported that pigmentation can remain for life. Don’t take risks with your skin!

References:

Tisserand, Robert and Young, Rodney — Essential Oil Safety (2nd Edition). 2014.
Buckle, Jane PhD, RN — Clinical Aromatherapy (3rd Edition), 2015.

Essential Oil Dilution Guide

Essential oils are powerful, and very little goes a long way when you are creating products at home. A 2% dilution is usually all you need.

This handy guide will help you calculate the number of drops required for different volumes of carrier.

Safety

  • More oil does not equal more effectiveness. If you are creating something for the first time, start light. You can always add more oil later.
  • For topical use, test a small area before applying widely. Some people have sensitivity to certain oils.
  • Children (and the elderly) are more sensitive than adults to essential oils, so adjust your mix accordingly. For topical application, a good guideline is:
    – 6 to 15 yo – Maximum 3% (recommended 1.5%)
    – 2 to 6yo – Maximum 2% (recommended 1%)
    – 3 months to 2 years – Maximum 0.5% (recommended 0.25%)
  • Pets may also be sensitive to essential oils
  • Always check the attributes of the essential oils you are using. There are essential oils which should never be used with children, essential oils which can be toxic to pets, and essential oils which are photosensitive (may cause skin reactions in sunlight).

Halal Essential Oil Face Spray Recipe

Use this recipe to make a cooling toner for the bathroom or a refreshing spray to keep you hydrated when flying (or just to perk you up at the office). Face sprays are an instant mood-lifter!

You will need:

  • 2oz (60ml) glass or aluminium spray bottle (note 1)
  • 1 tablespoon Witch Hazel or Apple Cider Vinegar (note 2)
  • 18 drops essential oil(s) (note 3)
  • Distilled or filtered water

Method

  1. Start with Witch Hazel or Apple Cider Vinegar in your bottle, then add oil(s). Swirl the bottle to mix.
  2. Fill the rest of the bottle with water. Connect spray cap and give it a good shake.
  3. Label your bottle.
  4. Shake well before each use. (note 4)

Notes

  1. You should never store pure essential oil in plastic, however, a room spray with this dilution is very unlikely to react to plastic, particularly PET, so should be safe in a plastic bottle.
    Sunlight can accelerate the expiration of essential oils, so look for a dark amber or cobalt bottle if you are using glass or plastic.
  2. Witch Hazel is a natural remedy made from the bark and leaves of a plant called Hamamelis virginiana. It is available from pharmacies and natural health stores. Witch Hazel is astringent (pore tightening) and tones and moisturises the skin. It has long been used to treat oily skin, acne, razor burn, blackheads and puffiness.
  3. This recipe will make a spray with a 1% dilution. If you are making a body spray you could use a 2% dilution. The skin on your face is more sensitive, so 1% is recommended.
  4. Although the Witch Hazel or Apple Cider Vinegar will help the oil and water in your spray mix easily with a shake, it will separate again when you are not using it. Always give the bottle a vigorous shake before using.

Halal Essential Oil Room Spray Recipe

You will need:

  • 2oz (60ml) glass or aluminium spray bottle (note 1)
  • 1 tsp salts (Himalayan or Epsom) (note 2)
  • 10 to 30 drops essential oil(s) (note 3)
  • Distilled or filtered water

Method

  1. Add your salts to the bottle first, then oil(s). Swirl the bottle to mix.
  2. Fill the rest of the bottle with water. Connect spray cap and give it a good shake.
  3. Label your bottle.
  4. Shake well before each use. (note 4)

Notes

  1. You should never store pure essential oil in plastic, however, a room spray with this dilution is very unlikely to react to plastic, particularly PET, so should be safe in a plastic bottle.
    Sunlight can accelerate the expiration of essential oils, so look for a dark amber or cobalt bottle if you are using glass or plastic.
  2. Epsom salts will be easiest to mix, but Himalayan, or even regular table salt, will work.
    Oil and water do not combine naturally, so the salt is there to help the oil mix with the water. You could use an aloe gel instead.
    If you are not halal, 1 tablespoon of odourless alcohol such as Vodka can be substituted for the salt.
  3. The strength of your spray is really up to you. Around 20 drops is a good medium strength. You may want to use more for toilets, pets and tobacco smells, or less to make a light spray for the office.
  4. Although the salts (or alcohol) will help the oil and water in your spray mix easily with a shake, it will separate again when you are not using it. Always give the bottle a vigorous shake before using.