FOOD GRADE
You'll notice that some of the oils sourced by MrandMrsNurse are identified as food grade. That's because many essential oils can be used safely in toothpaste, mouthwash, gargle, cooking etc. but there are many factors to take into account such as what dilution ratio are you using? which essential oil? plus what's the age and health status of the intended user?
The quality of the essential oils MrandMrsNurse source do qualify for GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status through the FDA. and that's why we make it known, however WE DO NOT market or recommend ingestion of essential oils unless medically approved and under strict supervision. The safety of our customers comes first, and FDA labeling regulations are in place specifically to protect consumers, that's why we do not label our sourced oils for internal use. We caution against using these highly concentrated oils internally.
So what is GRAS?
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"GRAS" is an acronym for the phrase Generally Recognized As Safe. Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), any substance that is intentionally added to food is a food additive, that is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use of the substance is otherwise excepted from the definition of a food additive.​
But I still want to use them internally, can I?
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That's the tricky question - It's YES, NO, SOMETIMES, NOT ALL THE TIME, you get the point? There's many companies that promote their oils as ingestible, and just as many bloggers doing the same. Our stance is do your own research and educate yourself because essential oils are wonderful natural tools if used correctly.
Essential Oils have been a part of human history for more than 3,500 years and have been used for food flavouring, wound healing etc, and that's why we provide tons of information for and against the ingestion of essential oils in the Botanicals Blog, with many evidence based articles.
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Just because an essential oil is 100% pure and natural, does not mean that it cannot harm you. Harm from an essential oil is not always due to impurities or adulterations; more often it’s simply about the constituents it contains.. Please be careful because there are some constituents in essential oils that can be toxic, irritating and sensitizing if the essential oil is ingested in large enough doses.
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People make errors taking medications all the time, so for us this is about safety, not purity;. For example, a teaspoon of Eucalyptus oil or Wintergreen oil, even if 100% pure, can be fatal to a child.
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Did you know that another known interaction is between essential oils containing methyl salicylate (Wintergreen & Sweet Birch) and blood-thinning medications. This combination can cause the blood to thin too much, leading to internal bleeding and bruising.
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We know there will be many visitors to this site who have been sensibly using essential oils internally for decades, we understand that, and that's why we provide as much information as we can so you the consumer can ultimately make the decision that's best for your own health and wellness.
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One final thing, Don't get tricked by companies using the term “Therapeutic Grade” The FDA plays no part in the grading or safety uses of essential oils. “Therapeutic Grade” is simply a made-up term in the essential oil industry.