Essential Oils for Beginners
In nature, you’ll discover the subtle glory of essential oils evaporating from the plants around you. Just think of the smell of grass after a fresh cut! Aromatic plant chemicals can be extracted and concentrated into pure essential oils. Essential oils come from all parts of the plant, including bark, leaves, flowers, and roots. The word “essential” represents the “essence” or soul of the plant. We can smell plants because their essential oils are volatile – they effortlessly evaporate into the atmosphere, providing us with nature’s aromatherapy.
How Essential Oils Impact Us. The array of potential therapeutic effects of essential oils reflects the multiple points of entry and impact. When we inhale them, they travel directly to a primitive part of our brain responsible for emotions and memories. Essential oils also enter our lung tissues and from there diffuse rapidly into our bloodstream. We can also absorb essential oils through our skin and mucous membranes and even ingest them when safely added to food products like a peppermint chocolate bar. For centuries, essential oils have been used for all kinds of things, including first aid, sleeplessness, stress, pain, infections, headaches, and more.
Essential Oil Safety. Take a minute to learn some basic safety tips. Essential oils are concentrated in a way that would never occur in nature. It takes 75 lemon rinds to make one small bottle of essential oil! For this reason, always dilute essential oils in a carrier oil (such as jojoba or sweet almond oil) before applying them to the skin. Dilution needs vary based on each essential oil, so be sure that your recipes are from a reliable source, such as a qualified aromatherapist. Patch test an area on the forearm for 24 hours before using. If you diffuse essential oils, be sure to do so away from young children and pets. While some (but not all) essential oils are safe to consume in very high dilutions (you’ll find them in toothpaste, mouthwash, or peppermint candies), this does not mean you can swallow these same essential oils from the bottle.
Essential Oil Quality. Companies like NOW® ensure the quality and purity of their oils by using internationally recognized methods and tests that are transparently published on their website. If you encounter the term “therapeutic grade” concerning essential oils, understand that it is a misleading marketing term with no official meaning. What about the term PURE on a label? Generally, it suggests that the essential oil has not been diluted with a carrier oil. Some expensive essential oils, such as rose and jasmine, are almost always diluted. The term PURE should not be construed as being free from impurities. Recognized quality testing is the only guarantee.
Tips for Beginners. The plethora of uses for essential oils is mind-blowing. You can diffuse them (a great way to wake up, focus, or relax), soak them (by diluting them in a carrier oil and then adding them to a bath), apply them topically (to enhance a massage), add them to homemade body care and cleaning products, make a potpourri spray, bath bombs, body scrubs, and more! If you’re not sure where to start, begin by purchasing a few popular and versatile essential oils. Lavender is one of the safest and gentlest essential oils, perfect for any beginner. It is most commonly used for relaxation. Lavender is naturally soothing to the skin and so may be useful after a minor sunburn (diluted in aloe vera gel). Peppermint is refreshing and perfect for the winter holiday season. Many find it beneficial for soothing a headache (when added to the temples) or as a spider or rodent repellent (when added to any floor cleaner when cleaning).
Carrier Oils for Safe Dilution. Remember to dilute all essential oils in a carrier oil before adding them to the skin. Jojoba oil is a popular choice, appreciated for its excellent shelf life, compatibility with most skin types, and the fact that it is a wax, often described as similar to sebum, our skin’s natural moisturizer. Also consider sweet almond oil; this exceptional emollient acts as a skin conditioner, great for dry, chapped, and flaky skin.