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World J Dermatol. May 2, 2017; 6(2): 27-31
Published online May 2, 2017. doi: 10.5314/wjd.v6.i2.27
Cutaneous implications of essential oils
Ramya Vangipuram, Lisa Mask-Bull, Soo Jung Kim
Ramya Vangipuram, Center for Clinical Studies, Webster, TX 77598, United States
Lisa Mask-Bull, Soo Jung Kim, Department of Dermatology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, United States
Author contributions: Vangipuram R, Mask-Bull L and Kim SJ contributed equally to this work; Vangipuram R wrote the paper; Mask-Bull L developed the idea and designed the outline; Kim SJ performed a critical revision of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflict of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Ramya Vangipuram, MD, Center for Clinical Studies, 451 N. Texas Ave, Webster, TX 77598, United States. rvangip@gmail.com
Telephone: +1-281-3332288-1109 Fax: +1-281-3334605
Received: October 20, 2016
Peer-review started: October 24, 2016
First decision: December 1, 2016
Revised: January 8, 2017
Accepted: February 10, 2017
Article in press: February 13, 2017
Published online: May 2, 2017
Abstract

Essential oils (EOs) as home remedies and for health benefits have been used for millennia, but with the recent surge in the popularity of natural products, these oils have garnered increased attention. EOs are complex natural mixtures obtained plant materials, and have demonstrated potent biological effects in vitro. They have commercial value in the food, cosmetics, and fragrance industries, and also have also experienced a steady rise in personal and home use as part of aromatherapy. Currently, widespread acceptance and use of EOs is limited by a lack of large-scale clinical trials in humans. In addition, they are associated with notable side effects such as contact and allergic dermatitis, among a myriad of rare but serious systemic side effects. This review is intended to provide the clinician with key background information and biology of essentials oils, identify key trials demonstrating benefits, and describe adverse effects, with a focus on cutaneous presentations.

Keywords: Essential oils, Photosensitization, Contact dermatitis, Aromatherapy

Core tip: Essential oils (EOs) have been used as home remedies for millennia. Currently, widespread acceptance and use of EOs is limited by a lack of large-scale clinical trials in humans. In addition, EOs are associated with notable side effects such as contact and allergic dermatitis, among a myriad of rare but serious systemic side effects. We review the current usage of EOs and identify pertinent cutaneous manifestations.