How to Use Essential Oils - Aromatherapy

Put a drop of essential oil in the palm of your hand
rub hands together
cup hands over nose and inhale
exhale outside hands

Repeat this inhaling and exhaling several times

Not all essential oils are created equal

You would think that the essential oils you find in the health food store are the cleanest, highest quality you can get. This is not always so.
Why are some so expensive and others not so? Let me tell you what I have learned so far.

Essential oils come in different “grades.” The safest and cleanest are the “therapeutic grade” essential oils. Any thing other than therapeutic grade are probably blended with a carrier oil, or they could be partially or wholly synthetic and/or have chemically created, fragrant oils added which may smell similar to the real stuff but have no therapeutic value, and can even be dangerous.

The particular species called Lavendula angustofolia is said to have the most potent and therapeutic properties to induce relaxation, to help with sleeping, headaches, and which are naturally antibacterial, help heal burns etc. Perfume copies can’t possibly have the same effects. For example, many have heard that lavender oil is good for burns. However in the synthetic lavender oil, (usually a hybrid called lavandin cut with synthetic linalyl acetate to improve the fragrance and with other solvents to increase the volume) is a substance that can actually worsen the burn wound.

Within the category of therapeutic grade essential oils, however, there is a wide variation in quality. Once upon a time I had misplaced my Young Living peppermint oil. In desperation I went to a health food store and purchased their therapeutic grade essential peppermint oil. I had assumed that therapeutic grade essential oils were created equal. Not so. The indications on this cute little blue bottle said: “For external use only.”

Please! How is inhaling essential oil not considered “internal use?” The vapours of the essential oils we breathe pass into our blood stream via the lungs!

Currently I use Young Living essential oils. I have been trying other brands of therapeutic grade essential oils to see if I can find any as effective and clean. (Suggestions, comments, experiences on this subject are welcome) Young Living is labeled as a food supplement. (IMPORTANT: with concentrated essential oils - check for strength indications in case they need to be diluted before use) If we are inhaling essential oils in order to feel better or to heal, shouldn’t they be totally organic and real?

THE ACTION OF ESSENTIAL OILS
Essential oils work in three ways to deliver therapeutic effects. Firstly when we smell the essential oils, responses are triggered in our brain that can effect hormones, moods and emotions. In this way Aromatherapy can assist in relieving stress, insomnia, mood swings and fatigue. You can see why a synthetic copy would not have the same results.

Secondly, the vapours of the essential oils we breathe pass into our blood stream via the lungs, affecting underlying tissues and organs in a therapeutic way.

Thirdly, when essential oils are massaged onto the skin, blended in a safe dilution with a plant carrier oil, the oils rapidly absorb through the skin into the blood stream and lymphatic system, affecting underlying tissues and organs, and promoting general well being.

Producing pure essential oils is very costly. It often requires several hundred or even thousands of pounds of raw plant material for a just one pound of essential oil. (5000 lbs of rose petals make 1 pint of rose oil) So if you think that little bottle is rather expensive, just think of the little mountain of flowers, leaves, roots, that went into it!

-from www.eleusian.com.au

More on grades of essential oils:

Absolute - A concentrated semi-solid aromatic oil usually obtained by alcohol extraction. Absolutes can be successful in aromatherapy, but they must be handled with extreme care. Examples of absolutes are Jasmine and Rose. They should not be ingested by mouth, but can be applied to skin.
Perfume grade oils may be mingled with chemical pesticides, fungicides, or fertilizers. Chemical reactions can occur with the oils and damage beneficial constituents if processed under high pressure, in high heat and metal distilleries. Additives may be used to dilute the oils or the scent may result from artificial substances created in the laboratory.
Pure grade essential oil bottles claim to be “100% pure,” but regulations enforce that only a minimum of 1% of the contents of a bottle must contain “100% pure organic essential oil” for the bottle to be labeled as such. The remainder is often comprised of carrier oils or synthesized ingredients.

note: I am thinking of setting up an online store with a few of the products I most like to recommend to my readers. What do you think? As a reader would this interest you?