I’ve used essential oils for what seems like forever. As I learn more, there are some incredibly toxic reasons to not use lavender or tea tree oils anymore.
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This is one of those posts that I never wanted to have to write. Like so many of you, I have been a longtime user and fan of essential oils. I have used them to replace fragrance in perfume and all household products, use them whenever we need a first aid kit, and for so many parts of my everyday life including weight loss and fitness. They have been a crucial part of my life.
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So it’s with a heavy heart that I share that we will have to omit two of my favorite oils from our everyday use: tea tree and lavender.
Yes, for real.
Why I No Longer Use Lavender and Tea Tree Essential Oils (And What to Use Instead)
I feel like I’m always learning new things about the world around us and I always try really hard to digest new information and apply it to bettering our lives. I also try to always share what I’m learning here with you all. And like I said before, essential oils are and will still be an important part of my life – we’ll just be shifting how we are using certain ones.
If you’ve followed along here for a while, you know that I’ve written a ton of essential oil guides, and tea tree and lavender have always been pretty much a part of each one. I’ve always considered them two of the cornerstone oils that just cure everything – until I started doing some research.
If you read my review a few weeks ago of the new clean beauty documentary, Toxic Beauty, you saw me question the director, Phyllis Ellis, about how surprised I was whenever they called out the use of lavender and tea tree oils (two of my favorites!).
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This was her response:
From the science we followed it has been proven that persistent exposure to lavender products is associated with premature breast development in girls, according to new research by NIEHS scientists and several other leading researchers. The findings also reveal that chemicals in lavender oil and tea tree oil are potential endocrine disruptors with varying effects on receptors for two hormones — estrogen and androgen. It was found that lavender and tea tree oil can mimic hormones and that’s not good.As consumers we think essential oils are safe because they are ‘natural’ but many natural products can have the same dangerous effects as synthetic compounds/chemicals. Hundreds of undisclosed chemicals can be found in the word ‘fragrance’ or ‘parfum’ on any label.
So what is an endocrine disruptor?
According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, “endocrine disruptors are chemicals that may interfere with the body’s endocrine system and produce adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological, and immune effects in both humans and wildlife. A wide range of substances, both natural and man-made, are thought to cause endocrine disruption, including pharmaceuticals, dioxin and dioxin-like compounds, polychlorinated biphenyls, DDT and other pesticides, and plasticizers such as bisphenol A. Endocrine disruptors may be found in many everyday products– including plastic bottles, metal food cans, detergents, flame retardants, food, toys, cosmetics, and pesticides.”
Furthermore, the EWG says that these endocrine disruptors basically play tricks on our bodies and do things like, “increasing production of certain hormones; decreasing production of others; imitating hormones; turning one hormone into another; interfering with hormone signaling; telling cells to die prematurely; competing with essential nutrients; binding to essential hormones; accumulating in organs that produce hormones.”
Does that sound scary to you? Because it does to me.
So what does this mean for my use of tea tree oil and lavender oil?
Unfortunately, my use of these oils in our home and for our family will have to come to an end. I just don’t think that it’s safe to use them around our kids and dog and in any type of products that we’re using on our skin as it can be directly adsorbed into our blood stream. But, I won’t finish this post without leaving you with some alternatives!
What to use instead of lavender oil: Petitgrain oil, Chamomile oil, Rose oil, Sandalwood oil, and Bergamot oil.
What to use instead of tea tree oil: Geranium Oil, Juniper Berry Oil, and Eucalyptus Oil.
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Looking for more on essential oils? You’ll love these:
- Looking For The Best Essential Oils? Here’s How and Why They Are a Part of My Life
- DIY Seasonal Allergy Relief Balm
- Peppermint Lip Scrub Recipe
- DIY Non Toxic Toy Cleaner That Actually Works
- 10 Simple Swaps For Toxic Free Living
- 30+ Zero Waste Living Tips
XOXO,
Allison
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