Home Fragrances and the Perfect Gifts

Guide To Essential Oils

Want to know what essential oils are and how they can help your mind, body and spirit? Well you’re in luck because here’s a simple and inexpensive way to start feeling good and looking great. There’s no real mystery to essential oils as they can have some really positive effects on your well-being. They’re proven in many clinical trials to have positive benefits for you and have been reputed to help with many conditions and ailments.

What are Essential Oils?

Pure Essential Oils

Simply put, essential oils are the aromatic liquids derived from fragrant plants and trees. The oils are found in the small oil sacs/glands on various areas of the plant or grass. The oil glands can be in the petals, seeds, under bark, roots, leaves,  in the fruit and in other areas on the plant, tree or grass.  Some of the most popular essential oils that you’ve most likely will have heard of, and may even have used are:

Basil essential oil, Bergamot essential oil, Eucalyptus essential oil, Frankincense essential oil, Geranium essential oil, Lavender essential oil, Lemon essential oil, Myrrh essential oil, Orange essential oil, Patchouli essential oil, Peppermint essential oil, Rosemary essential oil, Sandalwood essential oil and Tea Tree essential oil.

Pure essential oils vary greatly in price because certain plants produce more of the fragrant liquid than others. Lavender essential oil is a lot cheaper than Rose essential oil because Lavender produces a lot more oil per plant. You can choose very inexpensive essential oils to begin with while you experiment and find your favourite fragrances.

How are Essential Oils Produced?

There are a number of methods of extracting the oils depending on the source. A Traditional and common way is via steam ‘distillation’ which bears its roots in methods first practised thousands of years ago. The plant parts are put into a still and submitted to plenty of steam, this in turn results in the plant releasing the pure essential oil from its cells. The fragrant extract is then processed through a number of glass tubes acting as a condenser to cause separation of the oil from the water. The water is then often used as another commercial aromatic product such as rose-water.

Another method, used to extract oils from various fruits such as lemons and oranges, is called ‘expression’. Modern methods now mean that a centrifuge machine is used to ’spin’ the fruit at high speed causing the oil and extracts to seep out and separate. Older forms of this method were much simpler but very labour intensive as they used to ’squeez’ the fruit and the liquids then extracted.

A couple of other methods used for the extraction of essential oils is by ‘Enfleurage’ (labelled ‘enfleurage absolute’), which is rare, plus very expensive because it is time-consuming and labour intensive. Some producers have adapted the above method and have introduced solvents into the process to reduce costs.  These solvent produced oils are more expensive (with the exception of Rose Otto) and labelled ‘absolute’.

Right, that’s the science bit over… how can they help you!

What are the Amazing Properties of Pure Essential Oils?

The extracts from plants and trees form the basis for many studies and in-depth research into curing diseases and developing many other positive health related products. This should lead you to suspect that there might just be something for you in these essential oils… and you’d be right!

Aromatherapists base their livelihood on the power massage with essential oils and studies have shown Lavender essential oil promotes the growth of healthy skin cells and encourages relaxation (see aromatherapy intensive care research).

See my ‘top 5 essential oils’ and use them to refresh, invigorate and empower (whoa, I’m getting carried away now :-), hey - you know what I mean…

#1. Basil (Ocymum basilicum)

Basil Essential Oil

Origin: Distillation of the flowering tops and leaves from this outrageously fragrant herb. Found native to Africa and the Far East.

Fragrance: Warm, spicy.

Blends: Mix with Bergamot, lemon and other citrus oils, frankincense, geranium.

Uses: Mainly as a mental stimulant and nerve tonic. Helps bronchitis, colds, coughs, headache, mental and physical fatigue, sinus problems.

Caution: DO NOT use during pregnancy. Avoid if sensitive skin. Use low concentration - half per cent.

#2. Frankincense (Boswellia thurifera)

Frankincense Essential Oil

Origin: Distillation of the hardened resin of this North African small tree.

Fragrance: Warm, balsamic.

Blends: Mix with basil, black pepper, cedar-wood, citrus essences, coriander, lavender, myrrh, rose, sandalwood, vetiver.

Uses: Highly valued for its effects on the mind, especially when used as an aid to meditation, and for a respiratory aid. Helpful for acne,, bronchitis, catarrh, coughs, deep wounds, piles, lethargy, nose bleeds, skin care (all ages).

#3. Lavender (Boswellia thurifera)

Lavender Essential Oils

Origin: Distillation of the leaves and flowering tops of the plant native to Morocco.

Fragrance: Refreshing, floral, balsamic, woody undertones.

Blends: Can blended with most other oils - particularly bergamot, chamomile, clary sage, frankincense, grapefruit, juniper, marjoram, vetiver, ylang-ylang.

Uses: Regulates the central nervous system. Helpful for acne, anxiety, athlete’s foot, bronchitis, burns, chilblains, colds, cuts, dandruff, depression… (I’ll stop there as there’s a big list - take it from me, it’s good!).

#4. Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha)

Myrrh Essential Oil

Origin: Steam distillation of the hardened myrrh exudes or ‘tears’ from the shrub/small tree native to Southwest Asia.

Fragrance: Medicinal, warm, balsamic.

Blends: Mixes well with cypress, frankincense, geranium, juniper, lavender, lemon, patchouli, pine, sandalwood.

Uses: Anti-inflammatory, with pronounced anti-fungal properties (smelly feet eh?).  Sedative on the nervous system yet can stimulate digestion and menstruation. Good expectorant. Helpful for arthritis, athlete’s foot, colds, cracked skin, gum infection, mouth ulcers, respiratory disorders, wounds.

Caution: Do NOT use during pregnancy. Steep the Myrrh bottle in warm water until it reaches ‘dropping’ consistency before opening, as it tends to thicken slightly on contact with air.

#5. Sandalwood (Santalum album)

Sandalwood Essential Oil

Origin: Distillation of the soft wood found under the bark of the tree.  A small parasitic tree native to India.

Fragrance: Deep, woody, sweet.

Blends: Mixes well with many essences particularly bergamot, frankincense, geranium, patchouli, rose, ylang-ylang.

Uses: Mainly for nervous tension, skin problems, respiratory infections and  urinary tract infections. Reputed to be an aphrodisiac. Helpful for acne, bronchitis, cystitis, depression, diarrhoea, insomnia, laryngitis, skin care.

Start using essential oils today… take a massage, put a few drops in your bath to relax,  cure a sore throat or use as a facial. Why? Because you’re worth it of course!

Tags: basil essential oil, bergamot essential oil, Essential Oils, myrrh essential oil, patchouli essential oil