As the field of natural health, wellness and fitness grows, the use of essential oils in supporting one's health is coming more into the mainstream. Quality essential oils can be found in health food stores and on the internet, along with a great wealth of information. But some folks just hearing of aromatherapy are wondering: Just what are essential oils, where do they come from, and what can they do for me? Well, here's a little primer that may help get you started.
Pure essential oils are distilled from oil sacs found in most structures of plants - the leaves, roots, flowers and more. Almost all essential oils are made up of several, sometimes hundreds of various molecular compounds. The combination and ratios of these compounds give each oil it's particular aromatic and medicinal properties. Essential oils are not just a by-product of plant growth; plants use these oils in a manner similar to those prescribed in medical aromatherapy: to fight infections from microbes, fungi and viruses; to protect themselves from animal invaders; and some suspect they may be used for chemical communication between plants of the same species. While essential oils come from the plant world, they are particularly suited to use in natural health, wellness and fitness programs as their chemistry is remarkably compatible with our own; they are easily absorbed into our bodies, even at the cellular level.
Producing essential oils of the highest grades is truly an art form. It takes a delicate balance of time, temperature and pressure during the distillation process to ensure the most complete range of molecular components is extracted. The finer oils will have the most wonderful aromatic bouquets for this reason - they contain a breadth of compounds when inhaled together give an oil a brilliant aroma. Relatively few essential oils are produced in this manner - many are destined for large manufacturing processes, and will not have the same aromas and therapeutic effects of the highest grade oils.
The use of essential oils by man dates back many thousands of years. Their earliest use is thought around 4500 BC, though it was the ancient Egyptian civilization that developed essential oil production on a grand scale. Roughly 350 liters of oil were found in King Tut's tomb, and essential oils played a significant roll in the embalming process. The Christian Bible contains hundreds of references aromatic oils and incense - perhaps the most well-known being the anointing of the feet of Jesus with Spikenard by Mary Magdalene before his crucifixion. Anointing for spiritual and purification purposes is often mentioned. Other references make note of these oils being used to heal the sick - a testament to the knowledge of the natural healing powers of essential oils.
Modern use of essential oils in natural health, wellness and fitness programs began with the discovery of Lavender's healing properties by a French scientist in the middle of the last century. Lavender was found to have effective healing properties for skin wounds, strong anti-inflammatory properties, and wonderful calming effects when inhaled. Further research has confirmed superior efficacy of essential oils for a broad range of physiological conditions.
Research has confirmed centuries of practical use of essential oils, and we now know that the 'fragrant pharmacy' contains compounds with an extremely broad range of biochemical effects. There are about three hundred essential oils in general use today by professional practitioners, though the average household could fulfill all its likely needs with 10 (for wound healing, cold fighting, insect repelling, calming children and the like), perhaps 20 if their use were a touch more esoteric (for deepening meditation, enhancing yoga practice, etc).
The three primary modes of using essential oils are the following: Topical application (most often diluted in a carrier oil such as Almond oil, Hazelnut, Olive or other 'fatty acid') most often for muscular aches and pains and support for skin conditions and rejuvenation. Inhalation is commonly used for the psychological effects of oils - the olfactory sense organs being directly tied to the brain's emotional centers. Inhalation is also successfully employed for sinus and bronchial congestion along with other breathing ailments. In certain cases, ingestion is prescribed - capsules of peppermint essential oil have been shown effective in scientific studies on the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, a debilitating condition thought to be the result of rampant bacterial grown in the intestines. The list of the proven efficacy of essential oils continues to grow. There are many good texts available to education yourself, and a growing number of professional practitioners in the field. If you'd like to incorporate essential oils in your own health and wellness program, a little research surrounding your own needs will lead you in the right direction. Essential oils are powerful medicine - be safe, understand what you're doing, and you'll likely find aromatherapy can support your own personal needs in a fun and pleasantly aromatic way.
Aromatherapy is a mind and body healing method that uses pure essential oils. Volatile plant essences and the aromatic molecules that derive from them create these pure essential oils. The most common method of producing these pure essential oils is steam distillation. These oils are quite concentrated, unlike standard vegetable or other cooking oil. To use essential oils, therefore a person would have to dilute them considerably before applying them to the skin.
The way these oils work in the practice of aromatherapy is to affect the limbic system, part of the human brain that affects its parasympathetic nervous system. These oils result in an intense antibacterial effect as well.
Steam distillation, while standard is not the only method of creating pure oils. Hydrodistillation, for example, is a similar method but substitutes the use of water instead of steam. The steam is distilled and then put in some type of condenser which chills it. What rises to the top during this process is the oil. It is separated from the distilled water. Hydrodistillation is the earliest form of oils, although it requires carefully watching. If the still that is used for the distillation process should run dry or the contents be overheated the aromatic oil can burn, becoming useless for the oils.
The use of carbon dioxide is another method of making oils for aromatherapy. This carbon dioxide is converted from gas to liquid by its subjection to high pressure. The liquid carbon dioxide is now a safe, very inert liquid solvent. In this form, it will extract the molecules that provide the aroma of the pure essential oils. The greatest advantage of using the carbon dioxide method of creating aromatherapy oils is that there is no residue of the solvent left. What happens, instead, is that once the remaining carbon dioxide is subjected to standard pressure and lower temperature, it reverts to its gas form and eventually evaporates.
Calendula, Rose Hip and some other aromatics are created by the extraction via carbon dioxide that aren't by steam distillation. These aromas are generally stronger and richer than the aromatic results of steam distillation. Cold pressing is another method for creating the quality essential oils needed for aromatherapy.
Orange oil spray is perhaps the most common pure essential oil created with the cold press method. It is released by zesting or scoring the fruit's skin. These citrus oils created through cold pressing are considerably more vibrant than those produced through steam distillation.
The final choice of methods for creating aromatherapy's pure essential oils is the use of florasols or phytols. This method of extraction uses a recently discovered gas solvent that is benign. Dr. Peter Wilde recognized the unique florasol and phytol properties around 1986. Dr. Wilde discovered the solvents could be used to extract aromatic oils from plant materials. These could be used pharmacologically, for food production, as well as the creation of armotherapy's pure essential oils and perfume substances. Extraction is completed by lowering the florasol's temperature, which produces clear wax-free oil that flows freely.
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