Versatile Healers: Pure Essential Oils
As interest in all aspects of natural health and wellness grows, the use of essential oils is becoming more widespread. However, many individuals that are just learning about aromatherapy’s possibilities sometimes don’t know exactly what essential oils are. Well here’s a little primer that get you started in using these wonderful gifts of nature in your own life! Pure essential oils are complex mixtures of aromatic compounds produced by plants. These are the essences that give plants their wonderful scents; it is these easily evaporated compounds that you smell when inhaling the aroma from a rose, or a pine tree, or a bunch of fresh basil.
Essential oils are extracted from oil ’sacs’ in flowers, leaves, stems, roots, seeds, wood and bark. They differ significantly from the well-known vegetable, nut and seed oils which are made up of various fatty acids (essential oils are not). Essential oils are used by the plants in somewhat the same way they are by humans – they fight infection, contain hormone-like compounds, initiate cellular regeneration, and work as chemical defense against fungal, viral, and animal foes. Despite their foliar origins however, essential oils have a similar structure to some compounds found in blood and tissues, allowing them to be compatible with our own physiology.
Producing essential oils of the highest grades is truly an art form. It takes a delicate balance of time, temperature and pressure during the distillation process to ensure the most complete range of molecular components is extracted. The finer oils will have the most wonderful aromatic bouquets for this reason – they contain a breadth of compounds when inhaled together give an oil a brilliant aroma. Relatively few essential oils are produced in this manner – many are destined for large manufacturing processes, and will not have the same aromas and therapeutic effects of the highest grade oils.
The use of essential oils by man dates back many thousands of years. Their earliest use is thought around 4500 BC, though it was the ancient Egyptian civilization that developed essential oil production on a grand scale. Roughly 350 liters of oil were found in King Tut’s tomb, and essential oils played a significant roll in the embalming process. The Christian Bible contains hundreds of references aromatic oils and incense – perhaps the most well-known being the anointing of the feet of Jesus with Spikenard by Mary Magdalene before his crucifixion. Anointing for spiritual and purification purposes is often mentioned. Other references make note of these oils being used to heal the sick – a testament to the knowledge of the natural healing powers of essential oils.
The first modern-day distillation of essential oil was performed by the Persian philosopher Avicenna (980-1037 A.D.) who extracted the essence of rose petals through the ‘enfleurage’ process. His discovery and subsequent use of a wonderful perfume substance eventually lead him to write a book on the healing properties of essential oil of Rose. By the mid 1500’s, many aromatic botanicals were being distilled in Europe and the Middle East. It was in the middle of the last century that the term ‘Aromatherapy’ was coined by French cosmetic chemist Rene-Maurice Gattefosse – Dr. Gattefosse discovered the healing properties of Lavender essential oil when, after burning his hands in a laboratory accident, he submersed them in the flower’s essential oil. His amazingly speedy recovery prompted him to write his book ‘Aromatherapy’ in 1937.
The most promising use of essential oils is in the treatment of infectious illness. Most essential oils display antibacterial effects, some also with strong antiviral properties as well. They can be used to fight infectious illness, or support the immune system to prevent the onset of illness in the first place. It does take a qualified practitioner, or a significantly strong knowledge to choose the right oil for each condition, however. Some oils are particularly effective in treating certain illnesses and not others; these ‘other’ illnesses will have their own best essential oil (or combination of) for treatment. Beyond infectious illness, certain essential oils have strong anti-inflammatory properties, other oils can stimulate the regeneration of tissues, others can help cleanse and purify the body, and still others can reduce muscular and joint pain while increasing circulation. As you can see, essential oils can play a significant role an any natural health, wellness and/or fitness program – the important part is proper education of the user.
Using essential oils is very easy, fun, and can be extremely rewarding. Employing oils is most commonly done using one of these methods: inhalation, topical application, and in certain instances ingestion. Diffusing essential oils with a cold-air nebulizer is best for inhalation, as these units make a fine mist of the oils which are easily absorbed in significant quantities. This method is effective both for psychological effects and support for the respiratory system. Topical application usually involved the dilution of essential oils in a carrier oil to a 5% or less concentration to be used with certain massage techniques. Massage is often used for relief of muscle and joint pain, and also with calming and uplifting psychological results. Topical application will frequently take the form of blends for healing various skin conditions such as eczema, acne, and even revitalizing aging skin. Finally, ingestion – which should only be done with very detailed knowledge from a qualified professional – is often used in the form of oil placed in gel capsules. Peppermint oil is frequently used this way for digestive complaints. There is such a wonderful variety of uses for essential oils; to get the most from them, educate yourself further through courses, texts and knowledgeable practitioners. Most of all, be safe, have fun, and welcome this new edition to your alternative natural health regimen.
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July 15 2008 04:47 pm | Alternative Medicine
Versatile Healers: Pure Essential Oils on 17 Jul 2008 at 8:09 pm #
[...] noreply@blogger.com (DrEddyClinic.com) wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt… have fun, and welcome this new edition to your alternative natural health regimen. About the Author:. The author is a natural health professional utilizing organic essential oils and blends. Share This. Tags: Alternative Medicine. [...]
Zdena on 18 Jul 2008 at 9:56 pm #
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