What Are Essential Oils And How Do You Use Them?
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What are Essential Oils?
Maybe you have heard the term “essential oils” but didn’t know what they were and why people were using them. Perhaps you had a vague idea that it was connected in some way with aromatherapy, but didn’t know how.
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Essential oils are produced from different parts of plants. They can be made from leaves, like peppermint oil. Some are made from bark or wood, like sandalwood while others are made from fruit, roots, flowers, stems, etc.
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Essential oils are made by steam distillation, cold pressing, solvent extraction, and CO2 extraction to make the natural oils in a plant substance very concentrated. In fact, they are 50 times stronger than herbs. It takes an enormous amount of plant material to make just a small amount of essential oils.
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Essential Oils are NOT Fragrance Oils!!
If a so-called “essential oil” has any other products in it, it is not truly an essential oil. True essential oils do not contain synthetic ingredients. Also, if the label says “Fragrance oil” that is only used for making soaps, candles, and other craft items. Fragrance oils are NOT essential oils.
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Make sure you read the labels and always check the ingredients. Somewhere on the bottle should state the plant name (ex. Peppermint – Mentha x Piperita ) and look like this:
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How Do You Use Them?
Most essential oils are either inhaled, diffused, or applied with a carrier oil. It only takes a few drops of these oils to have a powerful effect.
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When essential oils enter the body by inhaling them right from the bottle or using them in a diffuser, they reach the limbic system of the brain and go on to affect all the systems that it interfaces with. These include the circulatory system, the respiratory system, the endocrine system, and memory.
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However, they are also absorbed into the tissues of the skin and into the bloodstream. This is especially true when they are used in carrier oils for massages, lotions/creams, and roller bottles. In the bloodstream, they affect the organs as well. When you get a massage with essential oils, don’t shower or take a bath and wash it off for a couple of hours. Your body takes time to absorb the oils from the skin.
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When applying essential oils to your skin use a carrier oil like fractionated coconut oil or almond oil. When you hear or read that you can use the essential oils “neat” that means they apply the essential oils directly on the skin without any carrier oil. This is not recommended for anyone and especially someone new to using them.
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Shopping For Essential Oils
You can buy individual essential oils or you can buy blends. If you buy blends, it’s up to the maker to decide what oils to mix together and in what proportions. You can save money this way because you only have to buy one bottle of a blend rather than several bottles to mix yourself. If you can afford to buy individual essential oils you will have the option to create blends that fit your needs personally.
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Read the Labels!!
Also, be aware that some blends actually contain a carrier oil so make sure you read the ingredients on the label. When you see a company selling rose essential oil for $10 there is no doubt there is very little essential oil and a lot of carrier oil in that bottle. It’s ok to buy it if you want to wear it as a perfume but if you expect it to be pure rose essential oil that will not be the case.
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The More Info the Better So Ask Questions????
Sometimes companies that are selling on a website like Amazon will not list everything in the description. If the company states it is pure essential oil then I would suggest you contact them directly about their product and have them provide you with more information.
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Essential oils have been used for centuries to promote physical and mental well-being and they are also effective tools in easing uncomfortable symptoms from many different ailments. Some oils can be very expensive, especially those that come from rare or exotic plants. However, most of them are very affordable and by using the few drops as recommended, a small bottle can last a long time.
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Essential oils have been a great addition in our home and use them every day. If you haven’t already, grab a few bottles of oils to start with and experiment with them.
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If you would like to know more about what essential oils to start using today check out this article here:
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