I'm going to begin by clarifying my opinion really quickly. Essential oils are as good as over-the-counter medications when it comes to treating minor issues like a headache, nausea, or a minor anxiety attack. My three main examples of essential oils being better than over-the-counter medications are peppermint, Frankincense, and Lavender. Peppermint is used for minor nausea, it has personally been helping me for over a year now. Frankincense is used for small headaches and finally lavender is used for anxiety and stress. I have been able to get off of as-needed medication because I started using essential oils.

Essential oils, according to Cedars Sinai, are "made by distilling the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and bark of plants with steam or water". I am not personally opposed to individuals pursuing means of maintaining health that are not FDA-approved, but their potential side effects should not be taken lightly. Cedars Sinai reports that essential oils can contain mild reactions such as skin irritation. The organization recommends individuals considering employing essential oils as part of maintaining their health discuss their suggestions with their health professionals. Just because something may help suffice as a health product, it does not mean that individuals should employ it as a part of maintaining their health. Simply employing an essential oil that is not FDA-approved to maintain their health is careless, and should stick with what health professionals advise. CITATIONS: Cedaris-Sinai Staff. “Essential Oils: What You Need to Know.” Cedars-Sinai, 17 July 2019, www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/essential-oils-what-you-need-to-know.html.

**TL;DR Essential oils have varied effects and it needs to be acknowledged that there are a number of situations in which their use is actively harmful.** If essential oils do indeed have the potential to help- which there is some evidence to suggest- it is important that there is transparency surrounding the origins of the products. Medications that are available for prescription and purchase have to be approved by The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. There are no product specific regulations applying to the production and sale of aromatherapy oils and are subject to either cosmetics or General Product Safety Regulation depending on their content. (1) In this sense, the two things are not comparable because they have not been subject to equal scrutiny and research. (2) Side effects and interactions with other substances can be missed by customers because they are “natural” remedies: bergamot increases sun sensitivity, eucalyptus has the potential to decrease efficacy of seizure medications and clay sage oil can induce contractions in pregnant women. (2) Whether or not essential oils are effective in alleviating minor ailments; the cases in which they can be actively harmful are enough to necessitate caution in discussions of their advantages over OTC treatments. 1. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/872742/GN8_FINAL_10_03_2020__combined_.pdf 2. https://www.webmd.com/beauty/news/20180813/essential-oils-promise-help-but-beware-the-risks