Usage patterns of aromatherapy among the French general population: A descriptive study focusing on dermal exposure

•Essential oils consumption was assessed on a representative sample of the French population focusing on the dermal exposure.•Twelve types of essential oils were taken into account for 5 classes of age from birth to 70 years.•Our results demonstrated that their use is widespread in the French population, more specifically by women.•A relative lack of regulation may be observed, the inherent risks of using such products should be better communicated.

Although likely benefits of aromatherapy are well documented, little is known about essential oils consumption and exposure to molecules present in the oils. The aim of our study was to determine usage patterns of 12 types of essential oils among a quite large panel, sorted per sex and quintile of age from birth to 70. A survey was conducted in September 2014 among 1507 French individuals, selected to build a representative panel of the general population. The key point of our study, apart from the fact that it has never been done among general population, was the focus on dermal exposure. Information about types of essential oils used, skin areas exposed, frequencies and quantities were collected. Our work revealed that some sub-populations could be significantly exposed to molecules of toxicological concern, especially in terms of skin sensitization. This work is the first step to assess human exposure to these molecules, and will help safety authorities and risk managers to protect the population.