Do essential oils penetrate the skin into the bloodstream?
This is a very confusing issue in the aromatherapy literature as most sources say the skin readily absorbs essential oils into the bloodstream and this is the route by which significant volumes of oils can enter the body. They say this is not only because the skin is the largest organ, but also because some essential oils are extremely lipophilic in nature, and the molecular structure of essential oils is very small. Research has proven the penetration ability of several drugs now administered in the form of patches, and it is assumed that essential oils are similarly absorbed. However, by investigating a wide range of dermatological literature, one can find much more evidence to support the opposite view. Whole essential oils are not freely absorbed and very few essential oil constituents are absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream. Most chemical constituents would be absorbed into the circulation in reasonably significant amounts via nasal membranes and lungs if the concentrat
