Essential Oils and Usage tips
Lately, I've been coming across various herbal, organic and ayurvedic products that have certain "essential oils" in them. We keep on hearing about them every now and then these days, but how much do we know about them except for their names like lavender, geranium, tea tree etc.? While reviewing certain of these “Essential and aroma oil” products, I thought of doing some research on these essential oils, typically used for aromatherapy and other beauty and health products. Here I’ve come up with certain facts, which are listed below.
Firstly, we need to know what exactly are essential oils?
If you are an Indian, you might be well aware of the word "aushadi" which we usually associate to the medicines created from plants and herbs. The word actually means "giver of life" or "carrier of light". An essential oil basically is that only.
It is formed in the plant cells using the action of light. The essential oils are the sources of attaining healing power from sun's energy. Essential oils constitute the fragrances in all flowers, spices, fruits, leaves, woods and herbs.
"Described as the 'life blood' of the plant, Marcel Lavabre, a French aroma therapist went one step further when he said 'Essential oils are the ultimate manifestation of a plant's joie de vivre, or enjoyment of life. Such aromas are invigorating both to body and mind, please the sense, and bring us in touch with nature wherever we encounter them.' "
Loads of essential oils have antiseptic and antibacterial powers. They can help in curing infections, and also work a lot in improving the immunity of our body functions. Essential oils not only bring health and beautiful fragrance to our bodies but also create a refreshing and rejuvenating experience for the brain functions and mental activities.
How does essential oil work in our body?
Essential oils are believed to affect our bodies and minds through two main pathways - through the skin and via the sense of smell.
When essential oils are applied to the skin in body oil, perfume oil, lotion, spray mist, or placed in bath water, they easily permeate the skin because of their smaller molecular structure. They most easily enter through the hair follicles, pores and interstitial fluid, which surrounds our skin cells, and then they reach the fine capillaries of the blood and lymph system. These are then carried around the entire body to all the cells, crossing even the blood-brain barrier to act on the outer portions of the brain.
Tips to check the quality of essential oils and usage:
These days you might find tons of companies claiming to give you pure and organic aromatherapy experience with their high quality essential oils, but the truth is far different from their claims.
Loads of the stuffs they call "essential oils" are usually simple perfumes without any medicinal quality and are stretched by being carried in vegetable oils or alcohol. These inferior makes do smell nice, but lack any of the beneficial qualities you might be looking for.
If you want to check the highest grade essential oils that serve the most beneficial effects, then make it a note to test the quality on below parameters:
1) Good quality oils are usually sold in amber colored bottles with dropper tops.
2) They should not feel oily when rubbed between the fingers.
3) They should not leave a greasy spot on a blotter or tissue after evaporation.
4) They should not break up or leave a milky trace in water.
5) They should not smell of alcohol.
6) Essential oils should be stored at room temperature or cooler and out of direct sunlight.
7) Never apply essential oil straight on the skin. Always use a carrier oil or cream. Only lavender and tea tree can be used undiluted on the skin if necessary.
8) Always assure that the label of the essential oil container states what is in it and how to use it.
9) Never substitute a medical advice with essential oils. Use essential oils to complement a physician's care.
10) Essential oils will never turn rancid if left open. They will simply evaporate.
11) If in doubt, seek the advice of a properly certified aroma therapist recognized by your provincial aromatherapy association or governing body.
12) Never use essential oils in large dosages. The maximum combined amount, for all essential oils, used for a full body massage would be about 12-13 drops. This measurement usually depends on the oils too. 12 drops of sage essential oil can prove to be toxic. More is never better with essential oils
I hope the above information helps you to choose wisely and live better!