What makes Essential oils Essential?

For over 5,000 years, many different cultures have used these healing plant oils for a variety of health conditions. Essential oils that time were known as “materia medica” or system of healing. In 1928, French chemist, René-Maurice Gattefossé used lavender oil to heal a burn on his hand. He further studied its’ benefits that made him the father of “Aromatherapy”. Essential oils affect not only our biochemical, cellular, physical level but also our emotional, intellectual, spiritual and aesthetic areas of our lives.

Essential oils are extracted directly from the bark, flower, fruit, leaf, seed or root of a plant or tree, and just one drop can have powerful health benefits. EO’s are volatile, lipophilic, hydrophobic and do not contain allergens. They are produced through steam distillation which is the most common way of extracting oils, Cold pressing  which is used to extract oils from citrus fruits and fruit peels and the Solvent extraction or known as liquid-liquid extraction.

Fruits, flowers, leaves, seeds that are used in making essential oils are very delicate. They are carefully planted, trimmed, picked at the right time and extracted using high quality extractors. Organic essential oils have so many health benefits such as it fights cold and flu symptoms, relax your body and soothe sore muscles, heal skin conditions, alleviate pain, balance hormones, improve digestion, reduce cellulite and wrinkles, clean your home. They can be used topically, inhalation, oral ingestion and suppository. Common essential oils to start with are lavender, lemon and peppermint.

For topical use, put 2 drops to your hand then rub on beneficial areas such as; neck, forehead, temples, chest, abdomen, arms, legs, bottom of feet. Avoid skin around eyes, inner ear and broken or damaged skin. Essential oils are composed of very small molecules that can penetrate your cells, and some compounds in essential oils can even cross the blood-brain barrier.

For a better sleep, proper breathing and clean air, put 2-4 drops of oil to your diffuser and inhale the relaxing scent of it. It improves your respiratory system, and calms your body and mind. Overnight diffusion of essential oils can help you overcome insomnia, anxiety, depression and nightmares.

Oral ingestion of essential oils is highly beneficial because it will enter to your system directly, from the gastrointestinal tract, to your organs and to your cells. They are said to be lipid or fat soluble allowing them to be easily transported to all of your organs including the brain. Put 1 drop of lemon essential oil in a glass of water to prevent you from having cough and colds. You may also place 1-2 drops in a supplement capsule. A drop under your tongue is also beneficial for instant absorption. Proper dosage is 1-5 drops every 4-6 hours. To avoid essential oils toxicity daily dose is no more than 20 drops for 24 hours. There are essential oil that needs to be diluted before taking it orally like cassia, cinnamon, clove, cumin, geranium, lemongrass, oregano and thyme. Combine these oils with 3 drops of carrier oils like almond, avocado, castor, coconut and olive oil for proper absorption. Essential oil can be mixed with your cooked and raw dishes too. Make sure to put just 1-2 drops only because these oils are highly concentrated.

Essential oils can be part of your first aid kit. It is said to be essential because whenever you experience stress, headache, indigestion, allergy, wound, sting, muscle pain or injury, It’s always good to have essential oils that can subside pain and discomfort in just a few minutes.