Essential Oils

Are you tired of cheap imitations and inferior copies?  Maybe it's time for you to try the real thing.  Essential oils are the aroma you enjoy when you smell a plant or flower.  Once you have experienced the real thing, you will never settle for a fake chemical reproduction again. 

Remember the old saying, "Stop and smell the roses"? As we learn more about the science behind the essential oils used in aromatherapy, we realize there might be more to this than just an admonition to slow down and enjoy the journey. We discover that there might be actual mental and physical health benefits derived from the aroma itself. 

There are two types of oils used in aromatherapy, essential oils and carrier oils. Essential oils are not what most people know as “oil”. Carrier oils will be more familiar to you. They are like the oils you cook with or use on your skin.

Essential oils are kept in a special gland in the plant, and are extracted from the plant by several different methods. They are also known as volatile oils because they dissipate, or evaporate, so rapidly, leaving no stains or oily residue. They can be extracted from trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers.

These oils are essential to the plant in a variety of ways. They attract pollinators, repel harmful insects, kill infections, and keep other plants from overcrowding them. An essential oil, on average, contains a hundred different components, many of which are known to have beneficial properties for people (and animals). They have been valued throughout history for these beneficial properties.

Today, essential oils have become popular, in part, because, unlike chemical drugs, they are believed to enter and leave the body without leaving any toxins behind. They do, however, affect the body. You should make yourself aware of any warnings or cautions associated with particular oils.

As you further explore essential oils, you will run into two areas of separation: extraction method and grade. The extraction method is, simply, how the oil is removed from the plant. Most consider steam distillation to be the preferred method as it better preserves the chemical constitution and purity of the oil. Solvent extraction uses chemicals to extract the oils, and some feel this compromises the oil. These are called absolutes. Other methods include expression, enfleurage, and carbon dioxide. Some of the different grades of oils are commercial, therapeutic, organic, wild-crafted, certified organic, etc. Perfume oils are considered inferior and usually are synthetically made.

Essential oils have many uses...

• cleaning
• relaxation
• medicinal
• bug repellent

and many delivery methods...

• diffusion
• bath
• carrier oils
• soap 
• candles
• skin products

Much more is known today, about the science of the essential oils used in aromatherapy; however, the choice of scents, the effects of the scent, and how each person chooses to apply them varies greatly, and is a very individual pursuit. This is why many still choose to call it the art of aromatherapy.  

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