Why I don’t use essential oils in my apothecary

I often get asked why I don’t use essential oils in my apothecary. It’s a fair question, considering how popular they’ve become in the herbal and wellness world. They’re in everything—soaps, lotions, salves, even remedies meant for babies and pregnant mothers.

I came to herbalism as a mother first. Like many women, I was looking for something gentler, something that made sense, something I could trust to care for my children without unnecessary risk. I started with teas and tinctures, slowly learning the ways of the plants, working with whole herbs in their natural forms. It was an intuitive process, guided by what felt right. And when I began learning more about essential oils, something about them felt off. The more I dug, the more I realized why.

But in the beginning of my mothering journey, I used them too. I thought they were the best way to support the body "naturally." I believed in their potency and saw them as an easy way to incorporate plant medicine into my home. Over time, however, my perspective shifted. I began questioning their place in my practice and slowly moved away from essential oils, turning instead to whole plant medicine. It wasn’t an overnight decision, but one that came through experience, learning, and deepening my relationship with herbalism. Now, I want to share why I made that transition.

Essential Oils Are Not the Whole Plant

When I work with herbs, I work with the whole plant—leaves, flowers, roots, berries—because that’s how nature intended them to be used. Plants contain a symphony of constituents that work together in a balanced way. When we steep a cup of chamomile tea, we’re getting its gentle nervine effects, its anti-inflammatory properties, and its soothing aroma all in harmony. But when we extract only the volatile oils of a plant and concentrate them to extreme levels, we lose that natural balance.

Essential oils are potent—so potent that they can be irritating or even toxic when used improperly. A single drop of peppermint essential oil is equivalent to roughly 28 cups of peppermint tea. That level of concentration isn’t something our bodies are designed to handle in large amounts, especially not daily, and especially not for our children.

The Sustainability Issue

As a folk herbalist and small-batch apothecary, sustainability is at the heart of what I do. I honor the plants I work with, harvesting mindfully and sourcing ethically. But essential oils require an enormous amount of plant material for just a tiny vial of oil. It takes about 250 pounds of lavender flowers to produce a single pound of lavender essential oil. For rose oil, it’s even more extreme—roughly 10,000 pounds of rose petals for just one pound of oil.

This level of extraction isn’t something our ancestors practiced. It’s a modern phenomenon, one that often prioritizes profit over sustainability. Many of the most popular essential oils—like frankincense and sandalwood—are harvested in ways that threaten the very existence of these sacred plants. As someone who believes in working in relationship with the land, I can’t justify supporting an industry that takes more than it gives.

Safety Concerns, Especially for Women and Children

As mothers, we are constantly looking for ways to support our children’s health in the safest way possible. But essential oils are often marketed as safe for everyone, when in reality, they can be incredibly strong and even harmful when used incorrectly. I’ve seen well-meaning moms apply undiluted oils to their babies’ skin, not realizing that some oils can cause severe reactions. Even diluted, some oils—like eucalyptus, peppermint, and rosemary—can slow breathing in infants and young children.

There’s also the issue of hormone disruption. Many essential oils, including lavender and tea tree, have been linked to endocrine disruption, particularly in children. As a mother, I don’t want to introduce anything into my home or apothecary that could interfere with my children’s natural development. Whole plant preparations—infusions, tinctures, infused oils—have been used safely for generations. That’s what I trust.

The Folk Way: Simple, Gentle, and Effective

Folk herbalism is about working with what we have, in ways that are safe and accessible. Our great-grandmothers didn’t have shelves lined with tiny bottles of distilled plant oils. They had jars of herbs, simple salves made from infused oils, teas steeped with love. And it worked. It still works.

When I make a salve, I infuse whole herbs into oils over weeks, allowing the plant to slowly release its medicine in a gentle, balanced way. When I make a tincture, I extract the full range of a plant’s healing properties—not just the volatile oils, but also the nourishing compounds that support long-term wellness. This is the way of the herbalist, the way of the mother tending to her family’s health with care and wisdom.

A Return to Tradition

I’m not here to tell anyone what to do. I know many people love their essential oils, and I respect that. But for me, for my family, and for the women I serve through my apothecary, I choose to walk a different path. A path rooted in tradition, in sustainability, in deep reverence for the plants and the way they were meant to be used.

So if you ever wonder why my products don’t contain essential oils, it’s not because I haven’t thought about it. It’s because I have. And I’ve chosen to trust the plants in their wholeness, just as they trust us to honor them in return.