Q: What is the Essential Oil Infobase?
A: The best way to get to know about Essential Oils is to research
their history, properties, derivation, uses.
It is intended that the Infobase will become a full A-Z of Essential Oil related data, lore
and information. Even going so far as becoming a collection of anecdotal responses to oils and their blends based on
practitioner case study and client experiences.
Added to, as time goes by, all member practitioners are encouraged to send useful facts,
case studies or information to The H Club by e-mail in the first instance.
Q: Are Essential Oils the same thing as Herbal Remedies ?
A:
NO. Whilst Essential Oils are made from plant extracts, blends made by Aromatherapists have not been subjected to registration
as Medicinal Products.
The Medicines
and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for this area of legislation. The MHRA publishes a very helpful
Guidance Note No: 8 "A Guide to What is a Medicinal Product" which is regularly updated) and can be accessed through
their website at www.mhra.gov.uk.
It is an
offence to sell or supply, or to advertise a medicinal product without a licence (marketing authorisation) granted by the
MHRA.
The European Community‟s
Medicinal Products Directive 2001/83/EC as amended defines
a "medicinal product" as:
(a)
"Any substance or combination of substances presented as having properties
for treating or preventing disease in human beings; ["the first limb"]
(b) Any substance
or combination of substances which may be used in or administered
to human beings either with a view to restoring, correcting or modifying
physiological functions by exerting a pharmacological, immunological or metabolic action, or to making a medical diagnosis" ["the second limb"].
Medicinal products may well fall under both limbs of the definition but the
European Court of Justice ("ECJ") has confirmed that falling under either limb is sufficient to classify a product
as a medicinal product (MHRA Guidance Note 8 pp10-11 March 2007).
Caution - Responsible Marketing
Essential oils themselves do not constitute a medicinal product and for this reason there is no requirement
for them to be medically licensed. They fall under the General Product Safety Regulations. It is the blend created by the
professional aromatherapist for the individual needs of the client, whether psychological or physiological, that could make
it a medicinal product if health calims are made or the product is so described by the therapist.
Aromatherapists
must not purport to cure any disease through the use of blended essential oils although they can report positive outcomes
from actual case studies in a published article that is quite separate from their marketing materials, web-site etc.
Please note, neither the author of these notes nor The
H Club can be held responsible for any loss or claim arising out of the use, or misuse,
of any information made available via these web pages or their contents.
Any information relating products or services to any therapeutic use or medicinal benefit
is being relayed as anectdotal and commonly reported by third parties in public domain and should not be construed
as a medicinal claim, medicinal property or medicinal evidence.
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