Natural Products Index

Safety and Allergies

Safety:
All products containing natural therapeutic ingredients should be protected from extreme conditions - keep them cool and away from direct sunlight. (Warmth and light will increase the speed at which the product ages and becomes less effective.) This is particularly true of the neat Essential Oils - they should always be supplied and kept in amber glass bottles, and should be stored cool and away from sunshine.
There is evidence that Tea tree in particular will oxidise under poor storage conditions and there will be an increase in components that may cause skin irritation; however whether this really does represent a significant practical hazard is open to debate. It is a contentious issue, and by no means settled. However, it is true to say that Tea tree remains extremely safe and effective if stored sensibly. It should probably be discarded after 2 years anyway.
Neat Essential Oils and products containing a high concentration of them should be handled with caution for several different reasons:
They can be very irritating to the eyes. So keep away from eyes, rinse eyes well if there is any contact, and seek medical attention if at all worried that the eyes are being affected or if discomfort continues...
Keep the products away from polished or varnished surfaces, or from plastics - they can cause damage.
All Essential Oils should be supplied in amber glass bottles fitted with dropper inserts, and should remain in them. The insert not only helps accurate dropwise application of the oil, but limits the amount lost as spillage if the bottle is knocked over. They also limit the amount consumed by a child before it decides the oil is too ghastly to continue drinking it!

Allergies: the formulation of effective products is a battle to achieve a balance between so little therapeutic ingredient that the product is useless, and so much active ingredient that it causes harm. And that struggle is complicated by the fact that not all individuals are alike - some may have little ability to tolerate the levels of essential oil that are necessary for any therapeutic effect.
The safe way to commence the use of any new product is to use just a small amount, and to apply it on a small area that is not particularly sensitive. Only continue to regular and sustained use if there is no reaction. This is particularly true of concentrated therapeutic products or neat Essential Oils. Be cautious, and don't risk a bad reaction! If you buy the product to sell on, you must be careful to pass on this advice to your customer.
This advice is particularly important with 'atopic' individuals - those who have an individual or family history of allergies (of any kind). These are most often people with fair skin and blond hair, but everyone should be questioned and cautioned about allergic reactions before use commences.
Remember, if you or your customers suffer an allergic reaction, it doesn't mean that the product is at fault. It means that the person and the product together are a bad combination. We can't stop using things just because the occasional individual has a bad reaction to them - there are even people who have shown allergic reactions to water!!! What we all need to do is to be careful about our first contact with new substances and use something else if we have to.

The advice above has been written by a qualified biochemist.

Natural Products for Footcare A Treatment Guide Natural Products - What Are They Used For?
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Regulations prevent anyone from making therapeutic claims on a site where you are able to buy products. Therefore, this site refrains from recommending any specific product, instead preferring to bring you objective information about how natural products are used for footcare... Scroll down, or click the links to fast forward to the section of interest to you...
Oils	Creams	Powders	Allergies
Please ensure that you read the sections at the bottom of the page on Safety and Allergies
What follows is a very brief summary of uses, but this page is being developed and constantly added to as we persuade increasing numbers of users to contribute. You are invited to submit reports of your own experiences to us. PURE ESSENTIAL OILS: All Essential Oils should be in amber glass bottles fitted with dropper inserts. Rollerballs or bottles fitted caps containing small applicator brushes should not be used as these transfer infection back into the bottle. Instead, a small amount of oil should be applied to the skin using a finger, cotton wool bud, or tissue. Hands must be washed after application. Every effort must be made to keep the oil away from eyes, plastics, or polished or varnished surfaces. Oils should also be kept away from children. Individual patients can use small bottles (eg 10ml) which are inexpensive, long-lasting, and sufficient to demonstrate effectiveness on a variety of conditions. Larger bottles such as 100ml are useful for surgery use. If the skin is broken, application of neat oils may be uncomfortable - so use creams to start off with. After infection is under control, use powders to maintain good foot hygiene. Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) This neat Essential Oil is the first choice for treatment of Athlete's Foot or Fungal Nail Infections. For Athlete's Foot: Pure Tea Tree Oil can be applied - directly to the skin in obviously affected areas and beyond. Where the skin is broken, this can cause stinging, so we would suggest using a cream with a high Tea Tree Oil content until sufficient skin integrity means that the pure oil can be used without discomfort. After that, progress should be rapid. Because of the persistence of infectious organisms in clothing etc, we would recommend that a powder with a low dose of Tea Tree is useful as a long term preventative... Socks and footwear should be disinfected with Water Soluble Tea Tree Oil. So, Cream with Tea Tree to start with if the skin is broken, neat Tea Tree Oil to combat the infection, and a Tea Tree Powder for long term hygiene. Cream with Marigold can be used intially with stubborn infections. For Fungal Nail Infections: Some patients may complain that adjacent skin is affected by regular, constant use, but they can achieve some protection using a product such as vaseline or clear nail varnish - applying the varnish as a protection to the skin whilst leaving the nail exposed to the oil! One thing of vital importance to remember is that the length of time required for healthy nail to grow through (6-18 months) can discourage patients and cause them to stop treatment too early. Caution them about this and explain that patience will be rewarded! Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) and Lemon (citrus limonum) This blend is commonly used against Verrucas. The inclusion of Lemon seems to improve the penetration into dry hard skin in preference to just neat Tea tree oil. (Some people are also trying Tea tree, Lemon & Ravensara since this mixture was developed to tackle ordinary warts. ) Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia), Lemon (citrus limonum) and Ravensara (Ravensara aromatica) This blend is commonly used against Warts. Ravensara is gaining a reputation as effective against such viral conditions, so some people are also using this against verrucas. Water Soluble Tea Tree Oil This is a concentrated solution of Tea tree oil that has been solubilised so that it can be diluted in warm water to make an antiseptic solution. The solution can be used for wiping down surfaces in the clinic, or for wiping patients feet prior to examination. It can also be used to disinfect patients socks and shoes when it is known that they have an infection such as Athlete's Foot or a Fungal Nail Infection. Socks, and even trainers, can be soaked in this disinfecting solution to remove infection rather than destroying the footwear. It is a concentrated solution of oil in water, made with the addition of a surfactant (detergent). A 50ml bottle supplied as a 20% concentration of oil, can therefore be diluted to 1 litre so that you end up with convenient 1% disinfectant solution that is handy around the clinic, or useful for the patient. Some suppliers also sell a 250ml bottle of 20% oil which when diluted makes 5 litres - just right for the standard (1 gallon) bucket to disinfect trainers! Dilution of Water Soluble Tea Tree Oil is extremely easy. Just get an appropriate container of approximately 1 litre size, empty the oil in then dilute with warm water. Swirl and shake to ensure good mixing, and that's all there is to it! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CREAMS: - products to complement the therapeutic oils These are formulated to complement the range of therapeutic Essential Oils that are available. Use neat oils initially to control infection (if these are well tolerated), then use creams to continue a reduced application of active ingredient whilst keeping skin moisturised. Continue with powders to maintain good foot hygiene after infection is under control. Cream with Tea tree In cases where there are open skin lesions, use of neat essential oils is likely to be too uncomfortable. However, initial treatment can commence using this cream - a gentler application of Tea tree that will start to control any infection. Similarly, once the worst of any infection has been overcome, a regular use of this cream will help to keep it at bay. Cream with Marigold (Tagetes minuta) This is the strongest therapeutic product, containing the Pure Essential Oil of Tagetes minuta, commonly known as the French or African Marigold. (The oil often comes from India!) For fungal infections that seem resistant to even Tea Tree, this is the product to gain control... This product is only for short term use, and once theinfection is under control Tea tree oil should be used routinely instead. We advise everyone to always bear in mind the cautions about allergic reactions, and this potent product is probably most likely to require caution. (See Allergies) Tagetes oil should never be used neat. Cream with Lemon and Tea tree To complement the Lemon & Tea tree Essential Oil blend formulated for verrucas. Cream with Tea tree, Lemon and Ravensara To complement the Tea tree, Lemon & Ravensara Essential Oil blend formulated for verrucas. Cream with Calendula (Calendula officinalis) This contains the extract of the familiar English Marigold, Calendula officinalis, which is widely used for sore, cracked skin. Herbalists recommend its use to reduce old scars, and to help with varicose veins and chronic ulcers. The cream is best if it incorporates a herbalists' fluid extract of Calendula, plus a cold infused oil which is best if made by extracting the flowers into sunflower oil. For the very driest skin, the pure oil might be the preferred choice - though this can be difficult to find... Cream with Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) This cream has a general and wide-ranging usefulness due to the established properties of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) at treating soreness, burns and infection. Cream with Peppermint (Mentha piperita) This is not mentioned with the intention that it be recommended for any particular therapeutic use, but it is a popular remedy for tired and aching feet, and many people will already be familiar with products containing peppermint... Hypo-allergenic, unfragranced Cream This can be extremely useful in bodycare, but oddly difficult to find. Any cream is made by mixing water and oils, so a slight odour of oiliness is to be expected - but most manufacturers cannot resist adding a fragrance to hide this... And often they add a synthetic fragrance oil to which many users will react badly. Creams made using vegetable oils are to be preferred, as these have a positive nourishing effect once absorbed into the skin. Creams made using mineral oils add no nourishment whatsoever to the skin, their only value being that they will not support microbial growth so can be of use to medical staff where there is a high risk of dangerous infection. Many people are now wary of ingredients such as sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES), which are proven to cause irritation for some people. The parabens preservatives are also unpopular now, although most of the criticisms of them are unproven. However, it is possible to get good quality but inexpensive vegetable oil based creams that do not use these ingredients. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ POWDERS: gentle products to complement the therapeutic oils and creams All Powders should be manufactured using a safe vegetable starch and guaranteed free of talc - we strongly recommend that you read about the health hazards of talcum powder to understand why... Tea tree Powder For keeping infections at bay after stronger treatments for Athlete's Foot and Fungal Nail Infections have been successful. Pure Plain Powder For maintaining dryness and good hygiene. Used by reflexologists. Calendula Powder For maintaining dryness and good hygiene, especially if thin, dry skin is a problem. Used by reflexologists. Lavender Powder Used for its aroma, and where a gentle anti-microbial activity is useful.
Safety and Allergies Safety: All products containing natural therapeutic ingredients should be protected from extreme conditions - keep them cool and away from direct sunlight. (Warmth and light will increase the speed at which the product ages and becomes less effective.) This is particularly true of the neat Essential Oils - they should always be supplied and kept in amber glass bottles, and should be stored cool and away from sunshine. There is evidence that Tea tree in particular will oxidise under poor storage conditions and there will be an increase in components that may cause skin irritation; however whether this really does represent a significant practical hazard is open to debate. It is a contentious issue, and by no means settled. However, it is true to say that Tea tree remains extremely safe and effective if stored sensibly. It should probably be discarded after 2 years anyway. Neat Essential Oils and products containing a high concentration of them should be handled with caution for several different reasons: They can be very irritating to the eyes. So keep away from eyes, rinse eyes well if there is any contact, and seek medical attention if at all worried that the eyes are being affected or if discomfort continues... Keep the products away from polished or varnished surfaces, or from plastics - they can cause damage. All Essential Oils should be supplied in amber glass bottles fitted with dropper inserts, and should remain in them. The insert not only helps accurate dropwise application of the oil, but limits the amount lost as spillage if the bottle is knocked over. They also limit the amount consumed by a child before it decides the oil is too ghastly to continue drinking it! Allergies: the formulation of effective products is a battle to achieve a balance between so little therapeutic ingredient that the product is useless, and so much active ingredient that it causes harm. And that struggle is complicated by the fact that not all individuals are alike - some may have little ability to tolerate the levels of essential oil that are necessary for any therapeutic effect. The safe way to commence the use of any new product is to use just a small amount, and to apply it on a small area that is not particularly sensitive. Only continue to regular and sustained use if there is no reaction. This is particularly true of concentrated therapeutic products or neat Essential Oils. Be cautious, and don't risk a bad reaction! If you buy the product to sell on, you must be careful to pass on this advice to your customer. This advice is particularly important with 'atopic' individuals - those who have an individual or family history of allergies (of any kind). These are most often people with fair skin and blond hair, but everyone should be questioned and cautioned about allergic reactions before use commences. Remember, if you or your customers suffer an allergic reaction, it doesn't mean that the product is at fault. It means that the person and the product together are a bad combination. We can't stop using things just because the occasional individual has a bad reaction to them - there are even people who have shown allergic reactions to water!!! What we all need to do is to be careful about our first contact with new substances and use something else if we have to. The advice above has been written by a qualified biochemist.

Natural Products for Footcare A Treatment Guide Natural Products - What Are They Used For?

Natural Products for Footcare
A Treatment Guide
Natural Products - What Are They Used For?