Are essential oils ‘good medicine’?

Dear Dr. Roach: I have a relative who sells one of the popular brands of essential oil products and related equipment. She sends out many social network postings about the benefits of these products.

I do not purchase these for several reasons. I am sensitive to many airborne scents and have a scent-free home, but my primary concern is that she seems to be practicing medicine by claiming what I believe to be unproven health benefits. These are very costly and, at a minimum, harm is done by persuading people to spend a great deal of money for products that may not do what they are claimed to do.

Can you please comment on possible benefits/harm from these products? — J.R.

Essential oils from plants have been used to scent the air for millennia. There are certainly many claims about purported health benefits, but there is little evidence to support their use for those purposes. Health claims for aromatherapy should be taken with skepticism. One exception is that several reviews have found that some aromatherapies can reduce anxiety levels, and possibly some symptoms of depression. As I frequently note, the placebo effect is powerful, and if you expect that a treatment, such as aromatherapy, will help your symptoms, it very well may. As such, I have no objection to people who want to use them for mild symptoms. I do object when people forgo potentially effective treatment for serious illness.

Your point about cost is a real issue, but essential oils do not have to be very expensive.

Harm from aromatherapy is generally limited to allergic or non-allergic irritation of the nose and skin. Essential oils are not to be taken internally, and even topical use can lead to problems, as they can be absorbed into the body directly through the skin.