Helichrysum Oil: Evidence, Safety and How It Is Used

Safety first. Do not swallow essential oils. Poison Control says some are poisonous if swallowed or absorbed through the skin, and children may be more susceptible. [1] If one has been swallowed, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222; call 911 for collapse, a seizure or trouble breathing. [1] Helichrysum belongs to the daisy family (Asteraceae), and an allergic reaction to its extracts has been reported. [2] See essential oil safety.

What helichrysum oil is

Helichrysum oil is an essential oil from Helichrysum italicum (Roth) G. Don, a plant in the Asteraceae family. [3] It is sometimes sold as "immortelle" oil. [4] A review describes it as a typical Mediterranean plant found on Sardinia, Corsica, the Iberian Peninsula, the Adriatic islands and the Balkan Peninsula, mostly collected from wild plants, with cultivation growing because of rising demand. [5]

Name traps. Other plants in the genus Helichrysum are different species. The sandy everlasting, Helichrysum arenarium, has a very different oil: one analysis found fatty acids and nonanal as its main components, against γ-curcumene and selinenes in H. italicum flower oil. [6] A review of the antimicrobial literature lists neryl acetate, α-pinene and γ-curcumene as dominant compounds in H. italicum oil samples. [5] The French allergy study below refers to a flower absolute, which is made differently from an essential oil; see absolutes, hydrosols and infused oils.

Traditional use

A review reports that flowers and leaves of H. italicum have been used in traditional medicine in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Bosnia and Herzegovina for allergies, colds, cough, skin, liver and gallbladder complaints, inflammation, infections and sleeplessness. [2] The oil has been used traditionally as an expectorant. [4] These are records of use. The review's own conclusion is that most traditionally claimed applications are not yet scientifically proven. [2]

What research shows (by use)

Nearly all of the research is laboratory or animal work. Aromatherapy and skin trials are also hard to blind and often small.

Proper evidence not found for helichrysum oil improving scars, bruising, wounds, stretch marks or skin conditions in people. In the sources we read we found no human trial of the oil for these uses. A review of the plant states that clinical trials are needed. [2] An experiment in a dish or in rats is not evidence of effect in people.

Safety: who should be careful

• Allergy. In a French study of 42 patients allergic to their own essential oils, two cases were attributed to a helichrysum flower absolute; most were due to lavender, tea tree and ravintsara oils. [11] A review reports a case of allergic reaction to its extracts. [2] Poison Control advises diluting potent oils in a carrier oil, not using them on damaged skin, and washing off and stopping if a rash appears. [1] The sources we read did not test cross-reactions with other daisy-family plants; people with such allergies should ask a clinician. See skin reactions.
• Medicines. A review notes one flavonoid from the plant inhibited some CYP liver-enzyme isoforms in laboratory work; what this means for people is not established in the sources we read. [2] If you take medicines cleared by liver enzymes, ask a pharmacist. See medication interactions.
• Pregnancy, breastfeeding, babies and children. The sources we read did not address helichrysum oil, which is not proof of safety. See pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• Pets. Not described in the sources we read; see essential oils and pets.
• Toxicity in the lab. The review reports the plant did not show significant cytotoxicity or genotoxicity in the studies it covered. [2] That is not a safety guarantee for the oil on human skin. Separately, one analysis found the essential oil from H. italicum flowers toxic to brine shrimp in a laboratory test (LC50 about 16 micrograms per mL); this is a lab result in small animals, not a measure of risk to people. [6]

Quality

Composition differs between species and samples, and Poison Control notes it can be hard to know the species, concentration or contaminants in an essential oil. [1] Check that the label gives Helichrysum italicum and the plant part. See quality testing.