Essential Oils and Aromatherapy
Essential oils are the lifeblood of a plant and work well in conjunction with the human body as well. Depending upon the compounds, various essential oils support our digestive, respiratory, cognitive, circulatory, nervous, urinary/excretory, skeletal, muscular, endocrine, integumentary (skin) , lymphatic, reproductive, and immune systems in amazing ways. In addition, essential oil uses range from aromatherapy to household cleaning products, personal beauty care and other natural solutions.
Essentials oils are distilled or cold pressed from various parts of plants which include the roots, fruit, flowers, resin, shrubs, bark and peels to name a few. Distillation is the process that separates the oil and water-based compounds of a plant or tree by steaming the highly concentrated oil. Separating the most powerful compounds of a plant into a single oil. Essential oils are composed of very small molecules that can penetrate your cells and can cross the blood-brain barrier. Fatty oils have large molecules and therefore cannot penetrate your cells. This is what makes essential oils therapeutic. However, the US regulations only requires that a product contain as little as 5% essential oil to be labelled as therapeutic. All essential oils are not equal, and they are certainly not therapeutic with 95% of its contents unknown.
AROMATOHERAPY is a form of holistic treatment that uses natural plant extracts to promote health and well-being. Aromatherapy uses aromatic essential oils to improve the health of the body, mind, and spirit. Essential oils help to improve sleep, aid in digestion, boost energy levels, improve cognitive function, reduce emotional stress and anxiety, support immune system, kill bacteria, funguses and viruses, reduce anxiety and pain, boost skin and hair health, and to reduce inflammation, to name a few. In addition, essential oils for hormones can help to balance your estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, thyroid and testosterone levels.
Enjoying aromatherapy safely should not be based in fear but in education.
Evidence based contraindications and adverse reactions should always be considered before using an essential oil.
Photosensitivity as it relates to many citrus essential oils contain furocoumarins, which can cause severe burns and increase skin cancer risk when the skin is exposed to UV light or sunlight. It is recommended that you wait at least 12 hours after applying a photosensitive essential oil to the skin before going out in the sun. This concern does not apply to steam distilled citrus oils.
Skin/Topical Use is a common way to apply essential oils. However, certain oils may cause irritation if used in too high a concentration. It is recommended that you dilute oils with carrier oils (fatty oils) before applying. Diluting at 1 percent is equivalent to adding 6 drops of essential oil to 1 ounce of carrier oil.
