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Aromatherapy and Essential Oils
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils come from the roots, leaves, flowers, fruits, stems, bark, wood, and seeds of aromatic plants. They are contained in special oil sacs in the plant and are concentrated in various parts of the plant. Volatile, aromatic molecules composed of complex chemical constituents comprise essential oils. Volatile means that the aromatic molecules will evaporate and become airborne upon contact with the atmosphere or with heat. (It also means that they are flammable.) Being volatile, these molecules tend to evaporate from plants in the heat of the day and concentrate in the cool of night. This is why the time of day a plant is picked for distillation is most important in regard to its yield.
In the lives of plants, essential oils have several specialized purposes. They give flavor and fragrance to plants, which encourages pollination by insects and may protect the plant from moisture loss. Some essential oils are toxic. They contain chemicals that repel the microorganisms that may infect the plant or insects and animals that feed on the plant. The purpose for which nature intended a particular plant aromatic often correlates with its use in aromatherapy. For example, jasmine has an intoxicating aroma that attracts pollinators as part of its reproductive cycle. In aromatherapy, jasmine is used for frigidity and reproductive problems. The herb wormwood, as its name indicates, has traditionally been used as a vermifuge (a substance that kills internal parasites and worms in humans). The toxic essential oil of wormwood serves the same purpose in the plant, protecting it from parasites.
Buying Essential Oils
There are currently no regulations regarding the quality and purity of essential oils sold in the United States. (This is in stark contrast to France, where essential oils are sold by pharmacists and prescribed by medical doctors.) It is important to understand the principles of quality so you can make an educated choice when buying essential oils. The therapeutic benefits of aromatherapy can only be fully received if the essential oils are of good quality and are used properly and safely.
Despite the recent resurgence of aromatherapy, modern essential oils still are primarily manufactured as perfume and flavoring agents. The criteria of the perfume industry are far different from those of an aromatherapist. Even the finest perfume oils may not be suitable for therapeutic use. Many perfume essences are extracted with chemical solvents, because this mode of extraction yields the most potent scent. Small amounts of solvent impurities are left in the oil, making solvent-extracted essences unsuitable for aromatherapy purposes.
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils come from the roots, leaves, flowers, fruits, stems, bark, wood, and seeds of aromatic plants. They are contained in special oil sacs in the plant and are concentrated in various parts of the plant. Volatile, aromatic molecules composed of complex chemical constituents comprise essential oils. Volatile means that the aromatic molecules will evaporate and become airborne upon contact with the atmosphere or with heat. (It also means that they are flammable.) Being volatile, these molecules tend to evaporate from plants in the heat of the day and concentrate in the cool of night. This is why the time of day a plant is picked for distillation is most important in regard to its yield.
In the lives of plants, essential oils have several specialized purposes. They give flavor and fragrance to plants, which encourages pollination by insects and may protect the plant from moisture loss. Some essential oils are toxic. They contain chemicals that repel the microorganisms that may infect the plant or insects and animals that feed on the plant. The purpose for which nature intended a particular plant aromatic often correlates with its use in aromatherapy. For example, jasmine has an intoxicating aroma that attracts pollinators as part of its reproductive cycle. In aromatherapy, jasmine is used for frigidity and reproductive problems. The herb wormwood, as its name indicates, has traditionally been used as a vermifuge (a substance that kills internal parasites and worms in humans). The toxic essential oil of wormwood serves the same purpose in the plant, protecting it from parasites.
Buying Essential Oils
There are currently no regulations regarding the quality and purity of essential oils sold in the United States. (This is in stark contrast to France, where essential oils are sold by pharmacists and prescribed by medical doctors.) It is important to understand the principles of quality so you can make an educated choice when buying essential oils. The therapeutic benefits of aromatherapy can only be fully received if the essential oils are of good quality and are used properly and safely.
Despite the recent resurgence of aromatherapy, modern essential oils still are primarily manufactured as perfume and flavoring agents. The criteria of the perfume industry are far different from those of an aromatherapist. Even the finest perfume oils may not be suitable for therapeutic use. Many perfume essences are extracted with chemical solvents, because this mode of extraction yields the most potent scent. Small amounts of solvent impurities are left in the oil, making solvent-extracted essences unsuitable for aromatherapy purposes.
Specific Essential Oil Massage Mixtures
Acne:
Bergamot, Lavender, and Sandalwood
Allergies:
Chamomile, Gurjun Balsam
Asthma:
Eucalyptus, Marjoram, Lavender and Gurjun Balsam
Colds:
Eucalyptus, Lavender, and Rosemary
Earache:
Rosemary, Cajuput
Hot Sweaty Fever:
Peppermint
Chilled cold Fever:
Cinnamon Leaf
Headache:
Jasmine, Rosemary
Hysteria:
Clary Sage, Chamomile, Marjoram, Neroli, Jasmine, and Rose
Mental Exhaustion:
Peppermint, Rosemary
Obesity:
Fennel, Juniper, Patchouli, and Lemon
Rejuvenation:
Rose, Neroli, Jasmine, Frankincense, and Patchouli
Skin Care:
Lavender, Chamomile, Geranium, Sandalwood, and Palmarosa
Acne:
Bergamot, Lavender, and Sandalwood
Allergies:
Chamomile, Gurjun Balsam
Asthma:
Eucalyptus, Marjoram, Lavender and Gurjun Balsam
Colds:
Eucalyptus, Lavender, and Rosemary
Earache:
Rosemary, Cajuput
Hot Sweaty Fever:
Peppermint
Chilled cold Fever:
Cinnamon Leaf
Headache:
Jasmine, Rosemary
Hysteria:
Clary Sage, Chamomile, Marjoram, Neroli, Jasmine, and Rose
Mental Exhaustion:
Peppermint, Rosemary
Obesity:
Fennel, Juniper, Patchouli, and Lemon
Rejuvenation:
Rose, Neroli, Jasmine, Frankincense, and Patchouli
Skin Care:
Lavender, Chamomile, Geranium, Sandalwood, and Palmarosa
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The Integrity of Essential Oils is the Absolute Heart of Aromatherapy
For oils to be pure, natural, and complete, they should contain no adulterants or additives and should not have been rendered incomplete by de-terpenation and re-distillation. Essential oils for aromatherapy should be distilled from plants grown wild or organically cultivated. They should be identified as specific botanical species and extracted with proper distillation methods. Unfortunately, aromatic botanicals that meet these criteria are almost unavailable commercially. One of the telling signs is the low price of aromatic oils available in retail stores. Quality essential oils are expensive (although high price is not necessarily a guarantee of high quality).
Until high standards and quality control become the norm, how do we choose the right essential oils? Try to find a dealer who is knowledgeable in aromatherapy. Perhaps there is a certified aromatherapist in your area who sells aromatherapy products. Ask questions: Have all the criteria been met? Does the distributor test the oils with gas chromatography? Is literature provided that guarantees specific standards have been met?
Train your nose. By smelling many oils, you will eventually be able to detect simple adulterants such as alcohol. Pour a drop of essential oil on a piece of clean white paper. Pure essential oils will evaporate without a trace. If mineral oil or vegetable oil has been added, a stain will be left. Knowledgeable consumers will create a demand for high-quality essential oils and enhance the benefits we all receive from this truly holistic therapy.
How to Use Essential Oils
Blending Essential oils
Essential oils are generally not used undiluted. Large quantities of plant material are needed to extract a small quantity of essential oil, creating a highly concentrated substance. For example, 5,000 pounds of rose petals are required to make 1 pound of essential oil. Essential oils are often too strong to use alone, so it is necessary to blend the essential oils with other substances called carriers. Carriers are the bases substances used to carry and disperse a small quantity of essential oils onto a larger area of the skin or into the body. Substances used as carriers include vinegar, wine, alcohol, water, milk, egg yolk, and white lotion, but the most common carrier method is to blend the essential oil with a vegetable or seed oil.
How Aromatherapy Works
Scent of the Mind
Olfaction is the process of the brain perceiving odor of smelling. Aromatic molecules are inhaled into the nasal passages, where they come in contact with the olfactory epithelium, and a small, dime-sized area in the nasal cavities behind the bridge of the nose. The mucous layer of the epithelium is covered with receptor-bearing cilia, which are like little antennas attached to neurons, or nerve cells. The various shapes of the aromatic molecules fit together with these receptors like a lock and key. Twenty million olfactory neurons receive and transmit information to the olfactory bulb. (These unique neurons are the only nerve cells in our system that transmits and receives information, as well as regenerate themselves.) The olfactory nerves then carry the odor messages to the part of the brain called the limbic system.
Smell is the only sense that goes directly to the limbic system, bypassing the cerebral cortex, the intellectual part of the brain. Other senses such as sight and hearing must register with the cortex before entering other parts of the brain. In other words, our sense of smell is our only direct link from the outer world to our inner world.
The limbic system is the center of memory and emotion. Scent can provoke powerful and primal feelings in all living beings. We have all experienced strong emotions or recalled a particular memory upon smelling a scent connected to events in our lives. Aromas can enhance memory retention. When a group of schoolchildren were given a list of words to memorize, some were given an aroma to smell along with the words. The children who smelled the aroma had better memory retention and were better able to recall the list than the children who did not smell the aroma.
From the limbic system, odor messages go to the hypothalamus, which sends messages to other parts of the brain. When the brain receives odor stimulation, it releases various neurotransmitters. Each area of the brain releases a different type of neurotransmitter. The thalamus releases enkephalins, which kill pain, induce euphoria, and promote a feeling of well-being. The raphe nucleus releases serotonin, which promotes relaxation and sleep. The pituitary gland releases endorphins, which kill pain, promote euphoria, and may stimulate sexual feelings. The locus ceruleus releases nor-adrenaline, which is a stimulant that keeps us alert and awake.
Odor messages are one of the fastest ways to achieve psychological or physiological effects. Through the connection between the limbic system and other parts of the brain, many functions of the body and mind may be regulated by smell, such as hormone balance, breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, stress levels, and memory.
Absorption into the circulatory system
Essential oils are oil soluble and of low molecular weight, and are therefore able to mix with the sebaceous (oil) secretions of the skin. The skin was once thought to be an impenetrable barrier, but we now know certain substances have the ability to penetrate skin (e.g., pharmaceutical drugs are commonly administered dermally, in the form of a skin patch). Essential oils readily penetrate the skin’s sebaceous glands, travel into the lower layers of the skin, and enter the bloodstream through the capillary system. This process takes about twenty minutes. You can see for yourself the skin’s ability to absorb odor molecules: Place a cut clove of garlic on the soles of your feet. In a few hours, the smell of garlic will be on your breath.
The skin is an organ of both absorption and elimination. This makes massage an ideal vehicle for aromatherapy. Each essential oil has unique medicinal properties and an affinity for a particular system of the body. When applied to the skin, the essential oil can travel through the circulatory system and bring its therapeutic effects to the needy area. Essential oils can also help in the elimination of toxins by strengthening the lymphatic system, the body’s primary waste-disposal system
For oils to be pure, natural, and complete, they should contain no adulterants or additives and should not have been rendered incomplete by de-terpenation and re-distillation. Essential oils for aromatherapy should be distilled from plants grown wild or organically cultivated. They should be identified as specific botanical species and extracted with proper distillation methods. Unfortunately, aromatic botanicals that meet these criteria are almost unavailable commercially. One of the telling signs is the low price of aromatic oils available in retail stores. Quality essential oils are expensive (although high price is not necessarily a guarantee of high quality).
Until high standards and quality control become the norm, how do we choose the right essential oils? Try to find a dealer who is knowledgeable in aromatherapy. Perhaps there is a certified aromatherapist in your area who sells aromatherapy products. Ask questions: Have all the criteria been met? Does the distributor test the oils with gas chromatography? Is literature provided that guarantees specific standards have been met?
Train your nose. By smelling many oils, you will eventually be able to detect simple adulterants such as alcohol. Pour a drop of essential oil on a piece of clean white paper. Pure essential oils will evaporate without a trace. If mineral oil or vegetable oil has been added, a stain will be left. Knowledgeable consumers will create a demand for high-quality essential oils and enhance the benefits we all receive from this truly holistic therapy.
How to Use Essential Oils
Blending Essential oils
Essential oils are generally not used undiluted. Large quantities of plant material are needed to extract a small quantity of essential oil, creating a highly concentrated substance. For example, 5,000 pounds of rose petals are required to make 1 pound of essential oil. Essential oils are often too strong to use alone, so it is necessary to blend the essential oils with other substances called carriers. Carriers are the bases substances used to carry and disperse a small quantity of essential oils onto a larger area of the skin or into the body. Substances used as carriers include vinegar, wine, alcohol, water, milk, egg yolk, and white lotion, but the most common carrier method is to blend the essential oil with a vegetable or seed oil.
How Aromatherapy Works
Scent of the Mind
Olfaction is the process of the brain perceiving odor of smelling. Aromatic molecules are inhaled into the nasal passages, where they come in contact with the olfactory epithelium, and a small, dime-sized area in the nasal cavities behind the bridge of the nose. The mucous layer of the epithelium is covered with receptor-bearing cilia, which are like little antennas attached to neurons, or nerve cells. The various shapes of the aromatic molecules fit together with these receptors like a lock and key. Twenty million olfactory neurons receive and transmit information to the olfactory bulb. (These unique neurons are the only nerve cells in our system that transmits and receives information, as well as regenerate themselves.) The olfactory nerves then carry the odor messages to the part of the brain called the limbic system.
Smell is the only sense that goes directly to the limbic system, bypassing the cerebral cortex, the intellectual part of the brain. Other senses such as sight and hearing must register with the cortex before entering other parts of the brain. In other words, our sense of smell is our only direct link from the outer world to our inner world.
The limbic system is the center of memory and emotion. Scent can provoke powerful and primal feelings in all living beings. We have all experienced strong emotions or recalled a particular memory upon smelling a scent connected to events in our lives. Aromas can enhance memory retention. When a group of schoolchildren were given a list of words to memorize, some were given an aroma to smell along with the words. The children who smelled the aroma had better memory retention and were better able to recall the list than the children who did not smell the aroma.
From the limbic system, odor messages go to the hypothalamus, which sends messages to other parts of the brain. When the brain receives odor stimulation, it releases various neurotransmitters. Each area of the brain releases a different type of neurotransmitter. The thalamus releases enkephalins, which kill pain, induce euphoria, and promote a feeling of well-being. The raphe nucleus releases serotonin, which promotes relaxation and sleep. The pituitary gland releases endorphins, which kill pain, promote euphoria, and may stimulate sexual feelings. The locus ceruleus releases nor-adrenaline, which is a stimulant that keeps us alert and awake.
Odor messages are one of the fastest ways to achieve psychological or physiological effects. Through the connection between the limbic system and other parts of the brain, many functions of the body and mind may be regulated by smell, such as hormone balance, breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, stress levels, and memory.
Absorption into the circulatory system
Essential oils are oil soluble and of low molecular weight, and are therefore able to mix with the sebaceous (oil) secretions of the skin. The skin was once thought to be an impenetrable barrier, but we now know certain substances have the ability to penetrate skin (e.g., pharmaceutical drugs are commonly administered dermally, in the form of a skin patch). Essential oils readily penetrate the skin’s sebaceous glands, travel into the lower layers of the skin, and enter the bloodstream through the capillary system. This process takes about twenty minutes. You can see for yourself the skin’s ability to absorb odor molecules: Place a cut clove of garlic on the soles of your feet. In a few hours, the smell of garlic will be on your breath.
The skin is an organ of both absorption and elimination. This makes massage an ideal vehicle for aromatherapy. Each essential oil has unique medicinal properties and an affinity for a particular system of the body. When applied to the skin, the essential oil can travel through the circulatory system and bring its therapeutic effects to the needy area. Essential oils can also help in the elimination of toxins by strengthening the lymphatic system, the body’s primary waste-disposal system
