What are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are organic compounds extracted from plants with tremendous healing properties. Extractions are directly from the bark, flower, fruit, leaf, seed, or root of a plant or tree. Just one drop can have powerful health benefits. They are typically created through the process of distillation, which separates the oil and water-based compounds of a plant by steaming.
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Using essential oils for healing purposes is called aromatherapy, which is a holistic treatment seeking to improve physical, mental, and emotional health.
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For thousands of years, cultures all over the world have used aromatherapy for a variety of health and wellness. They are often used for relaxation, beauty care, home cleaning, and most often used as natural medicine.
Essential Oils have also been an integral part of the spiritual practices of many religions and cultures throughout history for as long as we have a record for them.
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Just adding some of the most common essential oils like lavender, frankincense, lemon, peppermint, and tea tree oil to your natural medicine cabinet will:
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Fight cold and flu symptoms
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Relax your body and soothe sore muscles
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Reduce anxiety, calm emotions
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Heal skin conditions
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Alleviate pain
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Balance hormones
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Improve digestion
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Reduce cellulite and wrinkles
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Clean your home
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Fight cancer
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Insect Repellant and more!
​HOW DO ESSENTIAL OILS WORK?
Essential Oils are concentrated plant extracts that retain the natural aroma and flavor, or “essence.” of their source. The aroma of essential oils affects behavior through the Limbic System which in turn, regulates the endocrine system or the central nervous system.
Through interaction with the Limbic System, during inhalation, odor molecules travel through the olfactory system and affect the brain through a variety of receptor sites. Commonly referred to as the “emotional brain,” the Limbic System, is a part of your brain that plays a role in emotions, behaviors, sense of smell, and long-term memory.
The Limbic System is also directly connected to those parts of your brain that control heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels, and hormone balance (Higley & Higley, 1998). This relationship helps explain why smells often trigger emotions. Knowing we can hypothesize how inhalation of essential oils can have some very profound physiological and psychological effects!
HOW TO USE ESSENTIAL OILS
Ready to let essential oils guide you back to health? Here are the four most common ways these healing oils are used today:
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Topically – Essential oils have a very small size and a chemical weight of less than 1000m (m = weight of molecule). According to scientific testing, any substance with a molecular weight below 1000m should be absorbed by the skin.
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This means that essential oils can penetrate the skin and pass into the bloodstream and different areas of the body for internal therapeutic benefits.
Apply: For best lather with a carrier oil like coconut oil or jojoba oil.
On exact location of need.
Apply to the bottom of your feet as a safe access point.
Apply on acupressure points.
Apply on temples and behind ears.
Aromatically – There is great evidence that essential oils are absorbed into the bloodstream when inhaled. A large number of blood vessels in the lungs absorb the oils and then circulate them throughout the body. Using a diffuser can help you experience the benefits of essential oils. You can diffuse lavender to reduce stress, melaleuca (tea tree) to cleanse the air, orange to improve mood, frankincense for spiritual enlightenment, and peppermint to improve focus and energy.
Diffuse: Put 3-4 drops with 1/2 cup of purified water and turn it on in the room you are spending time in. You can combine essential oils when diffusing.
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Inhale: You can sniff the oil directly from the bottle. You can rub one drop between your hands, cover over your mouth/nose, and breathe in. You can spray it onto furniture, clothes, or carpeting.
Ingest – Essential oils can be used as a powerful form of medicine, but it should be remembered that again, essential oils are powerful. Most essential oils are NOT safe for internal use. You should contact your medical professional before ingesting. It’s important to remember that a little bit goes a long way. Usually, 1–2 drops are plenty, mixed with water (8-10 oz.)
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Oils like peppermint, lemon, and frankincense have great internal benefits and can be taken with water. Other essential oils like clove and oregano need to be diluted and shouldn’t be taken internally for more than 1 week.
Drink: In water, tea or take in vegetable capsules.
Personal Care – Today, the fastest way essential oils are being used is by making homemade DIY personal care products. This is an excellent way to take advantage of essential oils to improve your beauty, home, and long-term health.
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Some of the best DIY recipes to use essential oils include shampoo, body butter, toothpaste, bug spray, lip balm, and household cleaner.