* If applied directly to the skin, it might be irritating.
* Pregnancy and breast-feeding: It’s UNSAFE to use American spikenard if you are pregnant. It’s also best to avoid using it if you are breast-feeding, since there isn’t enough information to know whether or not it is safe for a nursing infant.
* See precautions [[Aromatherapy]]
==Benefits and uses of Spikenard are==
Although it's primarily used as a fragrance ingredient, spikenard essential oil is also said to offer a number of health benefits. Although some preliminary research suggests that spikenard (a plant long used in herbal remedies in ayurvedic medicine) may have beneficial effects on health, there's currently a lack of scientific support for the use of spikenard essential oil. This preliminary research includes a 2006 study from the Journal of Medicinal Food, which found that spikenard extract helped improve memory in mice, as well as a 2009 study from the Indian Journal of Biochemistry & Biophysics, which found that spikenard extract helped reduce stress in rats. While these studies indicate that spikenard shows promise in the treatment of certain health conditions, it's important to note that neither study tested the effects of spikenard essential oil.