What are essential oils?
Essential oils are compounds extracted from plants.
The oils capture the plant’s scent and flavor, or “essence.”
Unique aromatic compounds give each essential oil its characteristic essence.
Essential oils are obtained through distillation (via steam and/or water) or mechanical methods, such as cold pressing.
Once the aromatic chemicals have been extracted, they are combined with a carrier oil to create a product that’s ready for use.
The way the oils are made is important, as essential oils obtained through chemical processes are not considered true essential oils.
How are essential oils taken?
- Applied to the skin
- Inhaled
- Ingested
Oral ingestion of essential oils is NOT recommended for the general public because a great deal of essential oils knowledge and expertise is necessary for safe practice.
Last year alone consumers in the United States spent $1 billion on essential oil products and is expected to exceed $11 billion by the year 2022. That is a lot of money to be spending on a product if it does not work. Science aside, most of the sales are repeat orders which indicate to me that they do work.
The use of essential oils is cross-cultural and dates back thousands of years. Many know the story of frankincense being offered as one of the gifts of the Magi. Even if you haven’t purchased an essential oil roller or diffuser, chances are you may have used them anyway. Vick’s Vaporub, typically rubbed on the chest as a cough suppressant, contains the essential eucalyptus, cedarleaf, and nutmeg oils (among others) suspended in petroleum jelly. I bet you didn’t know that.
Since medicine practiced in the United States is generally not intended to cure any causes, but are instead intended to treat the symptoms, the main focus is on drugs as opposed to remedies that may be free or created by God for this purpose. Science generally drugs a problem, cuts it out, or allows the patient to die.
Scientific Studies
One of the scientific studies that have revealed positive results from essential oils involves patients with dementia. There are other proven success stories for essential oils, such as the treatment of acne with tea tree oil and the treatment of alopecia areata or hair loss with oils like thyme, rosemary, lavender and cedarwood.
Research into the use of essential oils found in citrus fruits is particularly intriguing due to their natural antibacterial qualities. For example, citrus oil, particularly when combined with Dead Sea salts, was shown to inhibit bacterial growth in mice and act as an anti-inflammatory agent. The citrus essential oil bergamot could help fight the growth of common causes of food poisoning like listeria, e coli, and staphylococcus.
Johns Hopkins
found that certain essential oils could kill a type of Lyme bacteria better than antibiotics — but results in human clinical trials are mixed.
Some studies indicate that there’s a benefit to using essential oils while others show no improvement in symptoms. Clinical trials have looked at whether essential oils can alleviate conditions such as:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Nausea
- Insomnia
- Low appetite
- Dry mouth
There is a lot of information out there on essential oils and aroma therapy. The highest quality brand of essential oils is Mantra. They have value packs as well as individual bottles. They even have an affiliate program in case you might know anyone interested in earning 5 figures a month in their spare time. You can check that out at Mantra Financial Opportunity.