Essential oils are highly concentrated aromatic essences derived from various plant extracts. The powerful aromas of these oils affect your mood, feelings, and mindset, as well as catalyze change in the human body. Ancient Alchemists named these aromatic plants “essentials” believing their fragrances reflected the plants’ true inner beauty.
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Short History Of Essential Oils Use
Essental Oils In Modern Times
Essential Oils Immediate Effects
How To Apply These Oils?
Most Common Essential Oils And Th Effects Of Using Them
Short History Of Essential Oils Use
Throughout history the oils played an essential part of spiritual and healing rituals, cosmetics and food preparation dating back to the early Egyptians; who is credited for creating the most complex methods for using them believing the oils were the of utmost importance to achieve divinity.
The oils were once considered such a valuable commodity that when grave robbers raided the tombs of the wealthy and noble, they would steal the essential oils and leave behind the gold and jewels.
When Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, he forced the priests to hand over their secret essential oil formulas believing they gave one great power. Fearing the invaders would use the oils in nefarious ways; the Egyptian priests provided the Greeks with misinformation and left out vital ingredients in the formulas.
In ancient Greece, Hippocrates, the “Father of Medicine.” halted a plague in Athens by using the aromatics of essential oils. The Greek Physician, Pedanius Dioscorides, wrote a book describing methods for using essential oils that are used today in many medical schools and practices around the world.
In India, the Ayurvedic healing tradition routinely uses essential-oil fragrances to obtain the right doshic balance needed for good health.
Essental Oils In Modern Times
Essential oils made a strong comeback in the early part of the 20th century in France when Dr. Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, a perfumer in Grasse, was accidentally burned as a result of an explosion in his lab.
He immediately submerged his hand in a lavender rinse and much to his surprise his burn healed at a rapid rate without leaving a scar. As a result, he changed his practice to studying the effects of this type of alternative medicine.
Essential Oils Immediate Effects
Recent studies have yielded the following results:
- Keypunch operator errors were cut in half after the owners of their business began piping lemon scent through their ventilation system.
- Japanese corporations use various scents to increase worker production performance.
- Truck drivers became increasingly alert through the use of eucalyptus oil.
- New York subway passengers became less aggressive when the cars were scented with pleasant aromas.
How To Apply These Oils?
There are several methods of applications for essential oils. The most common is the dilution. To use essential oils it is recommended that you dilute them with a carrier.
The most popular carrier oils are jojoba, sesame, almond, coconut, castor, grape seed, avocado, apricot, olive, Shea butter, and safflower. Water is also a common carrier.
The dilution of these oils depends on your method of application; such as for massage, bath, compress, inhalant, body mist, room spray, mouthwash or liniment.
There are many formulas, uses and a vast amount of information available both online and offline about essential oils. These resources can help you understand how to use the oils to achieve your desired results and treat your ailments both internally and externally.
Most Common Essential Oils And Th Effects Of Using Them
These are some examples of the most common oils:
Reduces appetite, water retention, exhaustion, and inflammation, improves digestion and prevents nausea. Can be used to treat acne, eczema, sensitive and aging skin and can reduce fungal infections in feet or toes.
Stabilizes hormones and treats PMS, menopausal symptoms and improves the function of the adrenal gland. They are used to regulate blood pressure and as an antibacterial and antifungal treatment. Reduces skin inflammation and infection from insect bites, acne, eczema, and burns. Improves scarring, stretch marks, enlarged veins, lice, shingles, and herpes. It relieves anxiety, depression, and stress.
Is an antiseptic and used to fight urinary tract infections. It also inhibits fungal infections and eases pain from indigestion, muscle cramps, rheumatism, nerve conditions, and headaches. Can counter oily skin or hair, scabies, and ringworm and is also a natural deodorant.
Used as an overall first aid oil, treats infections including Staphylococcus, strep throat, pneumonia, and flu viruses. It treats lung, sinus, and vaginal infection and is used for laryngitis and asthma. Improves digestive health as well as boosts immunity. It is a great cell regenerator and helps to prevent scarring and stretch marks. It is used on sun damaged skin, burns, rashes, bug bites and swollen areas of the body. Reduces anxiety, insomnia, irritability, and depression.
Is a strong bacterial, fungal and viral treatment. Reduces mouth infections, flu and lung, urinary, genital, sinus, and respiratory disease. Useful for treating dandruff, dermatitis, acne, warts, rashes, scabies and herpes simplex. Treats shingles, chicken pox, and can kill mites, ticks, and head lice.
Enhances the immunity system. Heals wounds and prevents scarring. It can be used as an anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antiseptic treatment for genital, urinary, mouth and throat infections. Relives flu systems and muscle pain. Reduces stress, depression, anxiety, insomnia and convulsive behaviors such as eating disorders.
Is a strong sedative and can help to lower blood pressure. It is used in tonics to help balance oil production and can correct dry skin. It can reverse fatigue and make senses more acute, and is therefore used as an aphrodisiac. It tempers fear, anxiety, anger, and frustration.
Can be used to relieve sore muscles, ease a sprain, tendon, joint and menstrual pain, and headaches. Treats indigestion, diarrhea and stomach ulcers. Is an antioxidant that inhibits bacterial, fungal and various toxins on the skin. Can bring out blonde highlights in hair if used in a rinse. Is used to reduce puffiness and inflammation, boils, rashes, broken capillaries, and skin allergies. Is an antidepressant, suppresses anger and can reduce hyperactivity in children.
Relieves muscle spasms and tics, menstrual cramps, spasmodic cough, migraine, and stiff joint pain. Used as a strong sedative and can stabilize hysteria, shock, irritability, as well as ease insomnia, grief, rejection, and loneliness. Can heal bruises, burns, insect bites, and repair injured the skin.
Used as a potent antiseptic for cleaning and disinfecting. It is one of the best stimulants for the nervous system, adrenal glands, digestion, and poor circulation. Treats lung congestion, sore throats, and canker sore, as well as muscle and rheumatism pain. It is used to improve the complexion on dry, mature, couperose skin conditions and treats varicose veins. Its antioxidant benefits help to minimize free radical damage and enhance cellular regeneration. Called the “herb of remembrance,” it can help improve memory, confidence, perception, and creativity.
Alleviates nausea, ulcers, and irritable bowel syndrome. When inhaled, peppermint steam clears sinuses, lung congestion, and infection. It enhances digestion and can treat salmonella poisoning. Provides relief from tension headaches and those suffering from pain. Used to treat dry, itchy skin and damaged, brittle hair. Can kill head lice and defeat certain viral and fungal skin infections. It is an emotional stimulant that counters depression, anxiety, insomnia, mental fogginess and lack of focus.
Is a strong antiviral, antibacterial and decongestant used to treat sinus and throat infections, fever and the flu. Its drying effect is useful for respiratory conditions that produce excessive mucus. Also, an antiseptic used to treat wounds, boils, lice, chicken pox, and herpes simplex. The scent increases energy and reverses headache, shock, and stress.
The list above is just the tip of the iceberg. The use of oils and aromatics are extensive and can become a supplementary part of a treatment or used as an alternative form of treatment that will not produce the negative side effects that pharmaceutical drugs may cause.
If you are interested in putting them into practice, it is important you research the techniques and methods for proper use. Otherwise, you may not achieve the efficacy you desire.
Essential oils are one of nature’s medicinal wonders and still the key element in many non-Western medical practices. These oils will be studied and enjoyed by people around the world for centuries to come.
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