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?

Beyond the Neti

Breakfast at Stefanie’s reader Adam asked: Do you have any remedies for sinus-y itchy throat & cough stuff?
I have a neti pot, he said.

I said, well, this is what I find works great. It might not be for everyone!

I like to use the nasal spray bottles — I think it works better than the neti for healing sinus trouble, cough, irritated throat. The salt water has a chance to rinse over the whole sinuses.
normally the neti pot just rinses over one area and doesn’t get deep in there.

For simplicity I get a nasal spray product in a bottle that can be opened and emptied. Like from, say, Walgreens - they have a “salt solution” or “saline solution” which has a bunch of chemical stuff in it. I pour it out and add a salt solution using good quality salt. A dropper bottle will work, too, but you have to use 3 droppers full on each side. I think “Real Salt” from Whole Foods might be okay and not so expensive. Or salt sold for use with the Neti pot, or what you will. Don’t ever use “regular” commercial processed salt.

The solution should be very salty to the taste, but not, like, over the top salty. (start with no more than 1/4 tsp salt to 1/3c water) Pour it into your nasal spray bottle. Using warm water is best, but not absolutely necessary.
Here is what I do: I take my bottle with salt mix and lay down on my back. I tilt my head back.
Then I squeeze some solution into my sinuses, breathe through my mouth, and tilt my head to one side, then the other side. I then sit up and blow my nose (have my hanky handy).

If you have too much salt it will be very uncomfortable and may cause a little bleeding of the tissues. Just dilute a little and try again about an hour later if this happens.

If it hurts it’s too strong.  
If it isn’t salty enough, it won’t have any noticeable result. 
If it is merely uncomfortable and salty you got it just right.

If congestion is really bad, do a few rinses — you will proably notice improvement after a couple of hours. I noticed that when there was a lot of congestion, the salt water kind of sat and mixed and started to loosen it up, and in about an hour I had salty nose blowing going on. What a relief!
Do this a couple or a few times depending on how bad your condition is.
The salt water that drips into your throat will relieve some of that throat pain
It should relieve the cough too.

Last night my mother called me and mentioned she was just not quite getting well from the flu. She had a cough that wouldn’t go away. I mentioned the salt water rinses. Now, you should know that my mother is a scientist and she doesn’t put up with rumours about this or that remedy. She wants the hard science. She couldn’t believe that this would help her cough, because she was unaware of any congestion or post nasal drip. Rinsing the sinuses shouldn’t help as far as she could see. However I have noticed when I am recovering from allergies and illnesses that sinus congestion dries up, but causes a lot of irritation. Sometimes even a very sore throat, laryngitis, or a lingering cough.

I was rooming with a dancer named Sam for work on a show in New York. Cold and flu season. Sam had a bad cold, and the cough was not only bad, but was keeping her awake. She didn’t really want me to try to pour salt water in her nose (I didn’t have a bottle handy, so I was figuring out how to use a paper cup). But she did get some relief for her cough by gargling with warm salt water (I did have salt with me). A few days later she recounted our salt water story to her mother. Her mother, in a rich Long Island accent had said, “Well, that girl knows what she is talking about! You should listen to her!”

Alkaline vs Acid

“All foods, after digestion and absorption leave either an acid or alkaline ash in the body depending on their mineral composition. The normal body chemistry is approximately 20 per cent acid and 80 per cent alkaline. This is the acid-alkaline balance. In normal health, the reaction of the blood is alkaline and that is essential for our physical and mental well-being. The preponderence of alkalins in the blood is due to the fact that the products of the vital combustions taking place in the body are mostly acid in character. Carbohydrates and fats form about nine-tenths of the normal fuel of the body. In normal health, this great mass of material is converted into carbon dioxide gas and water. Half of the remaining one-tenth fuel is also con- verted into the same gas and water. This huge amount of acid is transported by the blood to the various points of discharge, mainly the lungs. By virtue of alkalinity, the blood is able to transport the acid from the tissues to the discharge points.
Acidosis:
Whenever the alkalinity of the blood is reduced, even slightly, its ability to transport the carbon dioxide gets reduced. This results in the accumulation of acid in the tissues. This condition is known as acidosis or hypo-alkalinity of the blood. Its symptoms are hunger, indigestion, burning sensation and pain in the pharynx, nausea, vomiting, headache, various nervous disorders and drowsiness. Acidosis is the breeding ground for most diseases. Rheumatism, premature old age, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, skin disorders and various degenerative diseases are traceable to this condition.”

You can read more at www.natural-advice.com/alkalizingdiet.htm. I disagree with a couple of points there: In particular I am not a fan of oranges or orange juice! I think they cause congestion. I stick with tangerines. Overall I found this page to have comprehensive and helpful info, if a little lacking in professional presentation.

Green veggies are the best for alkalizing the blood - kale, cucumbers, celery, parsley….here is a chart of all foods and drinks which tells you if they are acid-forming foods or alkaline forming foods: Alkaline-Foods-Chart