A question that often crops up regards the safety of limonene and linalool. There have been lots of scare stories in the press and on the internet which stems from confusion regarding synthetic limonene and linalool and the natural counterparts.
Limonene and linalool occur naturally as a contituent in many essential oils. For example, one of the natural constituents of lemon essential oil is limonene, and one of the natural constituents of lavender essential oil is linalool.
They can also be manufactured synthetically and this is where the problems occur. When produced synthetically they can have all sorts of nasty side effects due to the extreme strength at which they are produced, using often aggressive chemicals. On the other hand, Mother Nature is so clever that, when she produces it, she only does it in perfect balance so that when used correctly it is not only safe but beneficial.
It used to be that the natural componentry of essential oils did not have to be shown on ingredients listings but recent legislation says that manufacturers need to show them. It can be really confusing for customers. What is important is that when you read ingredient labels, you need to check for whether the limonene and linalool are naturally occuring from essential oils contained in the product.
Please be assured that the products that we stock which contain these ingredients do so as natural constituents of the natural essential oils used and not the synthetic versions.
