Essential Oils - Conneaut,OH

As a teacher, I would not use them in the classroom. Partly that is because I don't like scents of any kind. Partly that is because I have a co-worker who has a severe allergy to scents that can set off an asthma attack. I have another co-worker who has severe migraines that can be sparked by scents. We have a couple of students with cystic fibrosis who have severe breathing problems. We have some students on the autism spectrum who have sensory issues and are very sensetive to smells. We have a student going through chemo who is very sensitive to smells.

I sometimes go into a school social worker's office. It is a very small office. She has a diffuser with vanilla scent in it. I can't stand to be in her office for more than a couple of minutes before the scent becomes overpowering and almost makes me sick to my stomach.

Essential oils should not be in the classroom in my experience.

I might get flamed for this post, but please don't buy into carefully crafted marketing hype of a multi-level marketing system.

Essential oils generally say "food grade" or "not to be ingested" based on what insurance premium the company is willing to pay (they have to pay beaucoup bucks to say "food grade" on the label).
There is no such thing as "Therapeutic Grade", that term is actually trademarked by Young Living essential oils.
And it doesn't matter if something is so-called "natural" or has "chemicals", because chemistry makes up everything and natural is not any set definition. Essential oils still emit volatile organic compounds and can trigger an asthma attack or allergies in those people who are chemically sensitive.

Basically essential oils smell nice and nice smells can help people relax or be used to scent natural cleaning products and that's great. Essential oils can't cure ADD or Autism or any other health issue they've been touted to treat.

I tried the essential oils for sleeping - I'd have to go look at which one it was - but it really didn't help.

I would be concerned about using it in a classroom. There are soo many people - not just kids - with allergies....smell, touch, etc....

With all the possibilities of allergies from any number of students/faculty - I think there would be a major liability issue if anyone were doing this in a school.
Some school boards have banned them I imagine for that very reason.

Besides - you never know how individuals will react to it.
Some people drink green tea to help them recover from gastroenteritis - but for me - too much green tea gives me the runs.

So - essential oil use I think should be left to home use and let parents see how their kids will react to it.
You have too many factors you can't control in a public/classroom setting.

I have family and friends who sell essential oils. I work at a doctor's office where a nurse is always talking about them. One day she decided to bring one or two in to "share." I thought a bottle of Pine-Sol had exploded it smelled so bad. The next day she used a different one and I felt like I was tasting it all day. Needless to say, she does not "share" them with us anymore in the office.

I think you might have all sorts of reactions and issues if you used them around kids.

I use them a little at home. They can be tricky -- you need to work with them a bit to find the right concentration. When you typed "disused on a shelf" I think you are referring to "diffuser" on a shelf, where there are reeds that draw up the oil and gradually disperse the scent?

While they are fine at home, I really would advise strongly against using them in a classroom. As others note already, you are going to have issues with potential allergies. And even without a formal allergy being present, these scents do give some people headaches big-time if they are sensitive to scents (even if they like the scent -- there are some scents and oils that just make my head hurt and others don't, and you'd have to account for the varying reactions of an entire roomful of kids). Some kids are going to find scents very distracting, too. And the oils can be dangerous to skin and eyes and certainly dangerous if ingested -- if a kid got into the oil itself you could end up with a child who has to get to a doctor to flush eyes or treat skin reactions. Not worth it.

If you are a teacher with classroom issues of kids keyed up in the a.m. and hitting a slump in the p.m., I'd consider working with the school counselor if there is one, to see what techniques he or she has for this.

My husband, brother in law, and daughter are extremely sensitive to scents. I can't even use Scentsy in the house without giving them migraines. I would say putting it in a classroom where you don't know what sensitivities children might have to that sort of thing would be a bad idea.

I doubt it would be allowed, and I'm not sure there's any evidence that it would be helpful. While there are anecdotes about some people getting some results for certain conditions, you're talking about helping a whole classroom of kids with various issues with one diffuser.

Moreover, are you aware that a number of the essential oil companies just got in a whole heap of trouble from the FDA for claiming that oils treat certain diseases or conditions? While the companies themselves may not have done anything "official" on their own websites (you'd have to check on them), they did not monitor a bunch of their trainees and distributors who put all kinds of false info out. Official cease and desist letters went out from the FDA. You can find those through a google search. The supplement industry is specifically prohibited by the FDA for claiming that food-based or natural products can be used to "diagnose, prevent, treat or cure" diseases. So you have to be extremely careful about what you listen to and believe. It's essential to look for clinical studies by independent labs and academic institutions, not things that an industry funds itself.

I doubt very much that they are used in the classroom. Use is controversial. Some parents would object not to mention the possibilities of allergy.

How old is your child? If older they may be able to take a vial with them to use themselves by putting a drop on their skin. This would be like using a perfume. However you must clear this with the school first.

My daughter uses essential oils at home. She says sometimes they help and other times not so much.

there would be no way it would be appropriate to use these in a classroom, sorry. i love essential oils and use 'em a lot, but so many people are allergic to or very sensitive to them. it would be a nightmare.
i put mine in the kettle on top of the wood stove, or mist some onto our pillows and linens, or simply open a bottle and take a sniff.
khairete
S.

Allergies or sensitivities to "scents" are typically caused by artificial scents created with chemicals. True therapeutic grade essential oils have NO chemicals in them, just pure oils from plants. Diffusing therapeutic grade oils can be beneficial for people with health issues: asthma (specifically eucalyptus or peppermint), ADD or ADHD (Vetiver or Lavender), autism (grapefruit, frankincense) and many, many others. Essential oils were used for centuries before modern medicine took over. We have been taught that lab-created medicines are the best method to cure illnesses, but how can something artificial be better for us than something natural? How many times have you taken prescription medications that may 'fix' one thing, but cause a plethora of other health problems? Why does every prescription medication come with a laundry list of side effects?

For relaxation diffuse use lavender, grapefruit or bergamot.
For alertness and mental clarity - rosemary, clary sage, lemon, peppermint

I have made essential oils part of daily life for myself and my family and will be happy to answer any questions or help you figure out which oils would be best for you.