10 Essential Oils To Not Use In Bath
A warm, relaxing bath with a few drops of aromatic essential oils works no less than a relaxing therapy. It provides immense relaxation to the mind and calms aching muscles without any extra effort. In fact, expert aromatherapists consider it a promising method that delivers several healing and therapeutic benefits to the body. However, one important factor to never ignore is the type of essential oil that you are infusing in your bath water.
There are certain essential oils that should never be used without proper dilution, especially during showers. But, which essential oils should I avoid and why? Wondering right? To ease your concern, we have created a list of 10 essential oils to avoid during bathing, along with some good substitutes to add on.
Essential Oils To Not Use In Bath - Avoid These At All Costs
Our experts have put together a list of essential oils that you should skip while taking a shower. Now, does this also mean you shouldn't use them to make bath care products? No, because formulating bath care products requires the addition of many other ingredients. This means their safe usage depends on the recipe on not primarily on one essential oil.
Clove Bud Essential Oil
The crisp, strong aroma of clove bud essential oil is widely used in seasonings and sauces for its aroma and flavor. However, experts give it a zero rating when it comes to using it while bathing. The simple reason is its extremely overpowering and intoxicating effects on individuals. Adding clove essential oil to your regular bath water can also damage your skin barrier due to its highly sensitive nature.
Cinnamon Essential Oil
One should never mix spiced essential oils like cinnamon essential oil. It carries the raw extract of cinnamon bark that can cause toxicity and burning to your sensory receptors. Besides, cinnamon oil doesn't work best for all skin types, which is another important reason to avoid using it during a shower.
Ginger Essential Oil
Ginger essential oil is an aromatic marvel that might not result in a promising manner when it comes to bathing. It inherits the raw botanical nature of ginger roots that are highly spiced and warm in nature. Adopting the use of undiluted ginger essential oil can result in some serious mishaps, like allergic reactions and toxicity. Instead, you can always go around using mild and soothing essential oils like lavender essential oil for achieving maximum relaxation without any worry.
Allspice Essential Oil
The powerful aroma of allspice essential oil doesn’t make a good fit to get infused along with your bath water. The strong aroma of allspice essential oil can overpower your senses, resulting in a headache and dizziness. Moreover, the strong effects of this concentrated oil might not go well with all skin types. Individuals with acne or allergies should maintain a good distance from the consumption or application of allspice oil to avoid potential risks.
Lemon Essential Oil
Lemon essential oil has a prestigious image as the most refreshing essential oils. But still, you should never use it along with your bath water. It contains terpenes as the core compound, which can cause redness and skin irritation when used on the skin. Moreover, it has a strong zesty aroma that might create difficulty in breathing.
Bergamot Essential Oil
The most common side effects of using bergamot essential oil while bathing are nausea or dizziness. It has a bitter-sweet aroma that can overpower the senses at times, causing adverse reactions. You should also avoid using it on your pet's body as it has an extremely strong nature in comparison to the delicate, furry skin of them.
Black Pepper Essential Oil
Ingesting or breathing raw black pepper essential oil can be extremely fatal, as it is a highly spiced essential oil. Some researchers also suggest that inhalation of black pepper oil can even cause permanent lung disorders and burning skin infections.
White Pepper Essential Oil
You must have seen white pepper essential oil mentioned in the ingredient list of several aroma blends and massage oils. The simple reason is its concentrated and warm nature that helps in improving the blood circulation. But unfortunately, this doesn’t make it suitable to use while bathing. It can cause burning in the eyes and skin due to it’s strong nature. In case of sensitive skin individuals, it can even cause allergic reactions like small bumps, itching, and eczema over the skin.
Turmeric Essential Oil
We have always heard that turmeric is highly beneficial for glowing and vibrant skin, but this doesn't make turmeric essential oil ideal for your skin during a bath. Pure turmeric essential oil is obtained after pressing the roots of Curcuma longa and is a highly concentrated liquid. Using it on the skin can cause sensitivity and inflammation, which can even turn severe at times.
Camphor Essential Oil
The herbaceous, menthol-like aroma of camphor essential oil is the least recommended option when it comes to topical application. It's usage on the skin can result in dryness, rashes, and irritation to suffer from. In spite of this, you can always diffuse it around your home to positify the environment.
Concluding Thoughts
Using essential oils while bathing has become a great trend nowadays. After all, who doesn’t like to smell great and have well-nourished skin? But one should always understand the nature of a specific essential oil before adding to its use. The simple reason is the oleic and concentrated nature of essential oil that doesn’t dilute in water and comes into direct contact with the skin. This can lead to reactions and burns, degrading the skin texture. But this doesn’t make essential oils less effective. You can always go around using mild and gentle oils like rose essential oil or eucalyptus essential oil for brighter, nourished skin.
