Klerksdorp Midweek, Klerksdorp - This winter is the ideal time to rejuvenate your mind and body and essential oils can play a significant role in this process. These oils are extracted directly from the leaf, seed, bark, flower, fruit or root of a plant, usually via the process of steam distillation. Just one drop of these natural essential oils can provide powerful therapeutic benefits. Essential oils are extremely potent on their own, and we recommend that you dilute them with a carrier oil or in a product if you want to apply them to the skin. They can also be diffused into any space via a burner or diffuser.
How do essential oils work?
- Essential oils are most commonly used in the practice of aromatherapy, in which they are inhaled through various methods. Essential oils are not meant to be swallowed.
- The chemicals in essential oils can interact with your body in several ways. When applied to your skin, some plant chemicals are absorbed.
- Certain application methods can improve absorption, such as applying with heat or to different areas of the body.
- Inhaling the aromas from essential oils can stimulate areas of your limbic system, which is a part of your brain that plays a role in emotions, behaviours, sense of smell and long-term memory.
Interestingly, the limbic system is heavily involved in forming memories. This can partly explain why familiar smells can trigger memories or emotions. The limbic system also plays a role in controlling several unconscious physiological functions, such as breathing, heart rate and blood pressure. Thus, essential oils can exert a physical effect on your body.
How to choose the right essential oils
- Find an oil that contains only aromatic plant compounds, without additives or synthetic oils. Pure oils usually list the plant’s botanical name (such as Lavandula officinalis) rather than terms like “essential oil of lavender.”
True essential oils are the ones that have been changed the least by the extraction process. Choose a chemical-free essential oil that has been extracted through distillation or mechanical cold pressing.
Purchase a brand with a reputation for producing high-quality products.
There are more than 90 types of essential oils, each with its own unique smell and potential health benefits.
Here’s a list of 10 popular essential oils:
- Peppermint: used to boost energy and aid digestion.
- Lavender: used to relieve stress.
- Sandalwood: used to calm nerves and help with focus.
- Bergamot: used to reduce stress and improve skin conditions like eczema.
- Rose: used to improve mood and reduce anxiety.
- Chamomile: used to improve mood and relaxation.
- Ylang-Ylang: used to relieve headaches, nausea and skin conditions.
- Tea Tree: used to fight infections and boost immunity.
- Jasmine: used to help with depression, childbirth and libido.
- Lemon: used to aid digestion, mood, headaches and more.
Health benefits of essential oils
- Stress and anxiety
It has been estimated that 43% of people who have stress and anxiety use some form of alternative therapy to help relieve their symptoms.
Regarding aromatherapy, studies have been quite positive. Many have shown that the smell of some essential oils can work alongside traditional therapy to relieve anxiety and stress.
Using essential oils during a massage may also help relieve stress.
- Headaches and migraines
In the ’90s, two studies found that dabbing a peppermint oil and ethanol mixture on participants’ foreheads and temples relieved headache pain. A 2012 study also observed reduced headache pain after applying lavender oil to the skin. A traditional Persian headache remedy is to apply a mixture of chamomile and sesame oil to the temples to relieve headaches and migraines.
- Sleep and insomnia
Smelling lavender oil has been shown to improve the sleep quality of women after childbirth, as well as patients with heart disease.
One 2014 review examined 15 studies on essential oils and sleep. The majority showed that smelling the oils - mostly lavender oil - has positive effects on sleep habits.
- Reducing inflammation
Essential oils help fight inflammatory conditions, as test-tube studies show that they have anti-inflammatory effects.
- Antibiotic and antimicrobial
The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has renewed interest in the search for other compounds that can fight bacterial infections. Test-tube studies have investigated essential oils extensively for their antimicrobial effects, observing positive results.
Other uses
Essential oils have many uses outside of aromatherapy. You can use them to scent your homes or freshen up things like laundry. They are also used as a natural scent in homemade cosmetics and high-quality natural products.
What’s more, essential oils provide a safe and environmentally friendly alternative to man-made mosquito repellents. Studies have shown that some oils, such as citronella, repel certain types of mosquitoes for around 2 hours. Protection time may be extended up to 3 hours in combination with vanillin.
Furthermore, the properties of essential oils indicate that some of them could be used industrially for extending the shelf life of foods.
Safety and side effects:
Just because something is natural doesn’t mean it’s safe. Plants and herbal products contain many bioactive compounds that may harm your health, and essential oils are no different. However, when inhaled or combined with a base oil for use on your skin, most essential oils are considered safe. Be sure to consider others in your environment who might be inhaling the aroma, including children, pets and pregnant or breastfeeding women, who are generally advised to avoid them.
They may cause some side effects, including rashes (most common), asthma attacks, headaches, allergic reactions. The oils that have most commonly been associated with adverse reactions are lavender, peppermint, tea tree and ylang-ylang. Oils that are high in phenols, such as cinnamon, can cause skin irritation and shouldn’t be used on the skin without being combined with a base oil. Essential oils made from citrus fruits increase the skin’s reaction to sunlight and burns can occur.
The bottom line? Essential oils are generally safe to inhale or apply to the skin if they’ve been combined with a base oil. However, if you have a serious health condition or are taking medication, you should discuss their use with your healthcare practitioner.
