Have you heard of photosensitive essential oils or phototoxic essential oils? Â Certain essential oils can cause a skin reaction when exposed to the sun. Â This is called photosensitivity or phototoxicity.
It’s a reaction to essential oils that could cause blistering of the skin where the oil had been applied, severe sunburn, or a long-lasting change to the color of your skin. Definitely, something to be avoided.
Most of the essential oils that cause this photosensitive reaction from the sun are citrus oils.
But (and this is an important but) not all citrus essential oils are phototoxic.
Yes, that’s right. According to the research reported in Tisserand and Young’s book, Essential Oil Safety, the following citrus essential oils are not phototoxic:
- Mandarin essential oil
- Wild orange/Sweet orange essential oil
- Tangerine essential oil
- Steam-distilled lemon essential oil
- Steam-distilled lime essential oil
- (lemongrass is also not phototoxic. It’s not even citrus, but I frequently see it listed on charts and in articles saying it is phototoxic, so I thought I’d try to clear that one up, too)
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So which citrus oils are phototoxic?
- Bergamot essential oil
- Grapefruit essential oil
- Bitter orange essential oil
- Cold-pressed lemon essential oil
- Cold-pressed lime essential oil
Be especially careful with bergamot and cold-pressed lime essential oils.
The citrus essential oils listed above are not all equally phototoxic.
It takes 24 times as much grapefruit essential oil to be as phototoxic as 1 drop of bergamot.
Here’s a list of the maximum number of drops per ounce of carrier oil before each of these essential oils will cause a phototoxic reaction:
- bergamot 1 drop
- cold-pressed lime 4 drops
- bitter orange 8 drops
- cold-pressed lemon 12 drops
- grapefruit 24 drops
What does it all mean? Can we still use these phototoxic citrus essential oils when our skin will be exposed to the sun?
Here are a few safe ways to use these phototoxic essential oils on our skin:
- Use fewer drops of the phototoxic essential oil than the recommended maximum listed above. So, for example, the recommended phototoxic-safe maximum number of drops of grapefruit per ounce of carrier oil is 24. A 10ml roller bottle is 1/3 of an ounce, so the recommended maximum for a 10ml roller bottle is 8 drops of grapefruit. (that’s a lot!) Use fewer than 8 drops of grapefruit per 10ml of carrier oil and you can safely use that diluted grapefruit roller bottle even on skin that might be exposed to the sun.
- wear sun-protective clothing over the phototoxic oil
- Diffuse the essential oil instead of applying it topically
- Use the phototoxic essential oil in a product that will be washed off (soap, shampoo, sugar scrub, bath bomb, bubble bath, shower gel, body wash, etc)
While you should be careful using essential oils in the sun, there are many safe ways to use essential oils in the summer. Here are a few favorite essential oil recipes for summer that I think you might like:
DIY Bug Spray That Really Works!
25 of the Best Summer Essential Oil Diffuser Blends
Homemade Peppermint Cooling Spray
After Sun Spray {made with essential oils}
Clever & Creative Ways to Use Empty Essential Oil Bottles
Calming diffuser blends for stress
DIY Peppermint Cooling Foot Cream
DIY Stinky Shoe Spray with essential oils
Interested in more recipes, tips, and ideas for how to use essential oils?
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Please note: This is for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. Products mentioned in this article have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products and information on this page are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This website is not a substitute for professional care. Always consult your medical doctor regarding your medical care. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
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