Essential oils are known for their medicinal and therapeutic benefits throughout the world, and a few drops of them into an electric diffuser can magically transform the atmosphere in your house. However, that’s not what happened to this poor lady.
A British lady named Emily Smith, recently shared a post on Facebook to warn others after her face was severely disfigured and burnt by an essential oil.
Source: Facebook
Based on her post, she bought a popular electric diffuser to scent her home with patchouli oil.
“I walked over to the diffuser and held the button down for a number of seconds. In the process of turning the appliance off, some of the vapour from the diffuser must have sprayed onto my face.”
Unaware of the dangers of vaporised essential oil hitting her skin, she went on with her life… but a few hours later, she felt a stinging sensation on her face.
Source: Facebook
“I ran my face under a tap for 10 minutes, then soaked it in cold water for 20 minutes whilst I rang 111 for medical guidance.
“I described the burn to the operator, who affirmed that I had only suffered first degree burns, and that professional medical attention would not be necessary.”
Since first degree burns can be treated at home with cold water and aloe vera, she followed the advice given and went to bed afterwards. Big mistake…
At 3am, she woke up only to feel the pain on her face again. Plus, her eyes were bloodshot and misted when she looked into the mirror in the bathroom. Emily didn’t take it seriously and went back to bed after applying more aloe vera cream and taking some painkillers.
The next morning, she looked into the mirror and couldn’t recognise herself. “My face had swollen, my eyes were blurred and continuously watering,” she said.
Besides, there was pus discharged from her skin and her face and eyes felt more painful than ever. She contacted the health advisers again and was told to go to the emergency room.
Source: Facebook
Source: Facebook
There, a nurse peeled off her blisters and skin while waiting to be attended by staff from the burns department.
She was soon diagnosed with chemical burns and transferred to an eye specialist for treatment as the doctor worried that her eyes may have been chemically damaged.
The whole process took 12 hours and Emily managed to do some research online.
“When I followed the instructions given and ran my burns under the tap, I was not removing the oil. Oil does not just get washed off.
“When I soaked my face in a bowl of water, I was not really relieving my burn. I was marinating my face in the cause of my troubles.”
This incident has left her with permanent eye damage and she’s now potentially disfigured for life; and she just turned 24 and got engaged last month!
Source: Facebook
Source: Facebook
Certain essential oils are highly toxic and can cause hallucination, seizures and agitation if used excessively. Besides, some essential oils should never be used on babies, pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers, such as the following:
- Rosemary essential oil
- Spike lavender essential oil
- Sage essential oil
- Mugwort essential oil
- Tarragon essential oil
- Wintergreen essential oil
So guys, before using any essential oil, remember to do your own research! Get well soon, Emily!
Also read: Malaysian Lady Rushed To Emergency Ward After Using FAKE Aloe Vera Gel
