When the body is detoxing and processing the VOCs in essential oils, then it is not a problem.

Of course, don’t ever eat, smell or spend time with something that your body is telling you is harmful or uncomfortable. So, lots of EI/MCS people are adversely affected by almost all smells and any toxic VOC as described below. It is a positive trigger for those who like the smell. So, when we smell these plants with all of their various healing properties, it affects us instantly. This is why smells are closely associated with memory and emotions. What goes into the nose can more easily get into the brain and affect thoughts and feelings. This makes perfect sense because it is similar to why people snort cocaine up their noses in order to INSTANTLY FEEL DIFFERENT. I learned that essential oils can stop a PTSD reaction trigger. I have later learned that they are used in cutting edge PTSD therapy. I knew for sure, that they made me feel good. I postulated if the Positive Neuro-Enhancing molecules were there in my nose & surrounding skin, then the NeuroToxic molecules wouldn’t have a place to stick. I thought of the inside of my nose like a sponge. I used to have a theory that the essential oil would fill the place of the “sticky molecules’ that are nasty fixatives that make synthetic scents last longer. They can also relieve the anxiety and actual toxin PTSD caused by Chemical Sensitivity upon encountering neurotoxic chemicals like gasoline or air-fresheners. I did figure out that smelling beautiful plants has an equal and opposite reaction as smelling synthetic toxins. I love essential oils and I feel they are a very beneficial part of my healing. I feel that small amounts of VOCs are a part of life and are in things like vinegar and plants. When I had to use the public sauna, I would put them on a cloth and breathe them in. I have used essential oils in a lot of ways. Many small shrubs and bushes also emit VOCs. Vegetation is a major source of isoprene a VOC that gets emitted naturally from tree species like poplar, eucalyptus, oak. Large numbers of VOCs are relatively benign. Other expensive oils like Frankincense are often counterfeit. Rose is a very expensive oil, so that makes sense many are not actually rose. In several ” Pure Rose” oils products, I could sense were synthetic. Other oils, like Eucalyptus, I used for my asthma. Very strong citrus air freshener can still be irritating to my lungs. When I had MCS/EI Patchouli, Lavender, Geranium & citrus cleaners irritated me. I used Aura Cacia & Natures Alchemy, CERTIFIED ORGANIC (not that that is always accurate). I smelled toxins in some other “organic” oils. That said, some people sense even more toxins than I did. So, I didn’t need to be told if there were toxins in something, I could smell it or sense it. Of course, my sense of smell for toxins was about 800 times the average person. However, I was never hospitalized, never had an anaphylactic shock or any serious reaction, besides asthma, EMF sensitivity, anxiety, depression, deep brain fog, memory loss, brain function loss, problems with my nervous system, persistent cough. I did want to move to the desert far away from gasoline, pollution & toxins. I was pretty much housebound for a few years. I consider myself to have had a Medium Level MCS. I used them a lot in my recovery from Environmental Illness/Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. STUDY about VOCs in essential oils below ***

Treants living in prismatica