Hazardous Essential Oils
The below list displays essential oils are more toxic and that tend to possess greater risk than most other essential oils. It is strongly recommended that you avoid using these oils if you are new to working with essential oils and do not have the express guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner.
List of Hazardous, Dangerous and Toxic Essential Oils
Do not assume that an oil is safe to use if it is not on this list.
For more information about hazardous and toxic essential oils, refer to Essential Oil Safety, Edition 2 by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young.
Almond, Bitter
Prunus dulcis var. amara
Boldo Leaf
Peumus boldus
Broom, Spanish
Spartium junceum
Cade, Unrectified
Juniperus oxycedrus
Calamus
Acorus calamus
Camphor, Brown
Cinnamomum camphora
Camphor, Yellow
Cinnamomum camphora
Deertongue
Carphephorus odoratissimus
Garlic
Allium sativum
Horseradish
Armoracia rusticana
Jaborandi
Pilocarpus jaborandi
Melilotus
Melilotus officinalis
Mugwort
Artemisia vulgaris
Mustard
Brassica nigra
Onion
Allium cepa
Pennyroyal
Mentha pulegium
Rue
Ruta graveolens
Sassafras
Sassafras albidum
Snakeroot
Asarum canadense
Thuja
Thuja occidentalis
Wormseed
Chenopodium ambrosioides var. anthelminticum
Wormwood
Artemisia absinthium
For more information, refer to Essential Oil Safety, Edition 2 by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young.
Essential Oils That May Cause Dermal Irritation and Skin Sensitization
The Essential Oils That May Cause Dermal Irritation and Skin Sensitization article lists essential oils that should be used with extreme care (if even at all) in topical applications.
General Safety Information
Do not take any oils internally and do not apply undiluted essential oils, absolutes, CO2s or other concentrated essences onto the skin without advanced essential oil knowledge or consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. For general dilution information, read AromaWeb's Guide to Diluting Essential Oils. If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Use extreme caution when using oils with children and be sure to first read the recommended dilution ratios for children. Consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using oils with children, the elderly, if you have medical issues or are taking medications. Before using this or any essential oil, carefully read AromaWeb's Essential Oil Safety Information page. For in-depth information on oil safety issues, read Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young.
Shelf Life
Important Information About the Profiles
The essential oil information provided on AromaWeb is intended for basic educational purposes only. The references to safety information, test results, constituents and percentages is generalized information. Essential oils can vary greatly in composition. The data is not necessary complete and is not guaranteed to be accurate. The essential oil photos are intended to represent the typical and approximate color of each essential oil. However, essential oil composition and color can vary based on harvesting, distillation, age of the essential oil and other factors. Profiles for several CO2 Extracts and absolutes are included within the directory, and are denoted as such.
