Bygone Bugzz™
Testimonial and Commentary
For the Chemically Sensitive - Tracy Atchison submitted the following Bygone Bugs testimonial, to the publication CanaryNews (http://www.mcshealthenviron.org/freeCN.htm) a newsletter for the chemically sensitive.
"Tracy Atchison writes to tell us of a "wonderful bug repellent" by Lakon Herbals, called "Bygone Bugzz", which does have essential oils but no citronella or pennyroyal. "I'M very sensitive to essential oils, yet I tolerate this well because of the small amounts of each." "It works in southeast Arizona, and it repels mosquitoes and no-seeums! I love it! In six years of looking for something I could use that wasn't chemical, I finally found this."(March 2002).
Many of our customers have chemical allergies or are chemically sensitive, but find they can still use our products. Often a customer will report that they are allergic to essential oils but find they can use our products even though they contain the same essential oil. Our response to this is that we think that the problem they are having with other products is not the botanical essential oil but other ingredients that may not be disclosed on the product label. Many essential oils are not pure and complete. Many are extended with chemical adulterants or non-organic, non-pure vegetable oils, or, are extracted with solvents such as hexane or petrol, which contain hazardous toxins. It is also a common practice in the industry to extend essential oils with a vegetable oil, mineral or a water based surfactant or emulsifier. When purchasing essential oils it is a good idea to test a small amount for purity. Essential oils do not naturally contain a fatty acid; therefore a small dab on a cloth should not leave an oily residue. If it does then, it has been extended with mineral oil, or perhaps a vegetable oil that may or may not have been pure or extracted by pure, chemical-free methods.
Also, essential oils are not miscible in water; therefore, if a drop is placed in a cup of water it should float on the top if it is unadulterated. If it produces a cloudy or milky reaction then the oil has been extended or treated with an emulsifier or surfactant. Another common industry practice is to extend essential oils with ethyl alcohol. There should be no trace of an alcohol odor in a pure essential oil or pure botanical product.
With the increased customer interest in pure botanical products, manufacturers are anxious to get in on the growing market. Thus follows the inevitable consequence of adulterating essences to increase profits. Manufacturers have and will continue to use chemical adulterants to extend the pure essence as long as consumers remain uninformed and uneducated, and, as long as regulations remain lax with regard to labeling.
Pure, genuine and complete essential oils processed by steam distillation and which have not been adulterated, extended or blended, should not ordinarily trigger an allergic reaction in a chemically sensitive individual, unless that individual has an existing allergy to one of the naturally occurring organic components of the botanical. If you do not have an existing allergy to eucalyptus for instance, then it is unlikely you will have an allergic reaction to pure, unadulterated essence of eucalyptus that has been steam distilled.
There is the possibility for allergic reaction to certain products containing essential oils if the essential oil in the product has been deterpenated (separation of the terpenes), a common practice in the food and perfumery industry. Deterpenation chemically alters the natural chemistry of the oil and in some cases can cause it to be toxic, such as in the case of thyme oil.
The essential oil industry is hundreds of years old. Essential oils can be produced without chemical solvents. The oldest methods involve soaking and boiling the botanicals, which is still preferable and quite effective. However, modern methods such as steam distillation and cold pressing have been perfected and result in high quality, pure, chemical free essences. However, a few essential oils such as jasmine, lilac and lily of the valley are so volatile or resinous that they cannot be successfully steam-distilled; therefore the practice of solvent extraction has come into popularity. These solvents are not chemically pure and often contain hazardous impurities that can trigger allergic reactions in the chemically sensitive.
If you find that you have an allergic reaction to a product containing ingredients that would not otherwise aggravate your condition, you might consider contacting the manufacturer and inquiring about their ingredients or suppliers. You also have the option of contacting the FDA or USDA and urging them to increase the labeling regulations for personal care products.
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