Tagetes Essential Oil – Possible Skin Issues:

Greener Life Diamond – Bio-Healthy Score => 3 – Possible Skin Issues

Maximum dermal use level: 0.01% to avoid phototoxicity

The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) recommends that Tagetes oil be limited to 0.01% (about 1 drop per 16 ounces of any other carrier oils) for leave-on products like ointments, creams, and lotions used on skin exposed to sunlight. There is no restriction for body washes, shampoos, soaps, and other wash-off products because the oil does not remain on the skin.

Tagetes oil is said to cause phototoxic effects mainly due to the presence of limonene, just like the citrus oils. It expresses skin sensitization if the oil is oxidized and it is best to avoid oxidized and old oils. Essential oils that are phototoxic in nature can cause skin sensitization, irritation of the skin, contact dermatitis, hyperpigmentation and certain other allergic reactions.

Tagetes oil should not be used on skin that will be exposed to direct sunlight within 12 hours of application.

The maximum level for dermal use is 0.01% according to the International Fragrance Association (IFRA), on the parts of the skin that are exposed to sunlight and is not applicable for rinse-off products. IFRA recommends this safety level based on the unpublished study of RIFM (The Research Institute for Fragrance Materials).

SCCP (The Scientific Committee on Consumer Products) suggests that, since “no safe limit of use in cosmetic products has been demonstrated”, Tagetes oil and its absolutes should be avoided for use in the manufacturing of Cosmetic products.

Tagetes oil is said to cause allergic reactions like skin rashes for people who are generally allergic to daisy flowers and any other flowers from the plant family, Asteraceae, including Chrysanthemum, Marigold and Ragweed.

Never use essential oils internally and for topical application, ensure that you blend Tagetes oil with gentle carrier oils, as essential oils are highly concentrated substances and may harm the skin, when used directly.

Though Tagetes oil has been claimed as an oil with the lowest toxicity, studies have proved the mild irritating effects of Tagetes oil on rabbits, its allergic contact dermatitis, primary eye irritation and acute inhalation toxicity.

Sufficient information is not available on the safety of Tagetes oil and higher concentration might be tough to resist. So it is bestto avoid Tagetes oil on children, pregnant women and nursing moms.

Reference Links Substantiating the Possible Skin Issues of Tagetes Oil:

1. Tagetes oil by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pesticide Programs, Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division
2. Tagetes by Leung’s Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients, used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics by Ikhlas A. Khan and Ehab A. Abourashed.
3. Tagetes – Side Effects by WebMD
4. Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals By Robert Tisserand, Rodney Young
5. A brief study on Marigold (Tagetes Species): A Review by Dixit Priyanka, Tripathi Shalini, Verma Kumar Navneet, Department of Pharmacy, RITM, India and published in the International Research Journal of Pharmacy

Thought for the day:

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul. –Luther Burbank

Suggested reading:

1. Ayurveda & Aromatherapy: The Earth Essential Guide to Ancient Wisdom and Modern Healing by Dr. Light Miller, Dr. Bryan Miller
2. 375 Essential Oils and Hydrosols by Jeanne Rose
3. Ayurvedic Remedies for the Whole Family by Dr. Light Miller
4. Scientific Basis for Ayurvedic Therapies from CRC Press
5. Essential Oil Safety, Second Edition by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young

Reference Links:

1. Evaluating biological activities of the seed extracts from Tagetes minuta found in Northern Pakistan published in the Journal of Medicinal Plants Research
2. Ann Arbor Summer – More on Marigolds
3. Herbal Remedies for Asthma: An Overview published in the Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research
4. Antibacterial activity of Tagetes minuta essential oil with different chemical composition published in Flavour and Fragrance Journal