What are essential oils?

What are essential oils? How do you use them? Do they have real benefits?

You may have anyone of these questions or several others concerning essential oils. We are NOT doctors or in the professional field of medicine. However, we do have over 7yrs experience using Essential Oils. In recent years there’s been an upswing in the interest for natural health remedies. Particularly here in western society where healthcare concerns have become major issues for a variety of reasons, alternative health has gained major popularity. Among the array of organic treatments available, essential oils have solidified their spot. From popular personalities like Dr. Axe all the way to your local holistic specialist, essentials are popping up everywhere! I even saw a sign for essential oils at a CVS drugstore. How’s that for irony? Personally speaking, in our house we use essentials oils every day! We’ll share our personal testimony later, but first let’s go over the definition of essential oils.

Both the "Modern Essentials 5^th edition" and "Essential Oils Pocket Reference 7^th edition" books agree on the following;

Essential oil: is a volatile liquid distilled from various parts of a plant.

These fluids are extracted, typically steam distilled or cold pressed, taken from numerous sections of a plant such as; the seed, root, stem, leaf, flower, bush, bark or fruit, to name a few. Their makeup is complex. One type of oil can contain a multitude of highly concentrated compounds. These compounds are extremely powerful as a result of distillation, the method in which they (essential oils) are extracted.

E.O.’s as they are sometimes abbreviated, give plants their aroma, aids in their pollination, protect them from the elements and natural predators such as insects. So, in short, what is an essential oil?

An essential oil is the essence of a plant! It’s the lifeblood taken from one of its varying components or extremities. The essential oil is vital to the life of a plant.

History of Essential Oils:

In order to move forward how about we take a look back? It’s important that we have a grasp on the history of essential oils. Essential oils or aromatic oils, as they were once known as, are perceived by many as mankind’s first medicine. For thousands of years essential oils have been utilized in many ways, from treating illnesses, to temple rituals. For these ancient civilizations they were a cultural norm. The earliest indications that testify to this fact, can be traced to Lascaux, France. This is where cave paintings were discovered, which indicate the use of medicinal plants in everyday life. These findings that have been dated as far back as 18,000 B.C.E.

Some credit ancient Egypt or Kemet, as being the first to use essential oils. This is up for debate due to the position taken by some historians that the early Egyptians oils were different from the steam distilled oils of today. The Egyptian oils were steeped or immersed not distilled. The plant that was extracted was immersed into hot vegetable oil and or animal fat in order to obtain its liquid. Thus, they were not “pure” essential oils, however they were still used for their aromatic and medicinal properties.

Egyptian Hieroglyphics or Medu Neter, point to priests and physicians using oils that came from plants. The “Ebers Papyrus”, a very well-preserved Egyptian document dating between 1553-1550 B.C.E., records their use of frankincense and other aromatics to care for different ailments. 35 alabaster jars used for scented oils and balms were even found in King Tut’s tomb!

Historical evidence of the use of plant derived aromatics is recorded by discoveries such as a distillation apparatus found in Tepe Gawra, ancient Northern Mesopotamia, all the way to the ancient Chinese text “PenT’Sao” thought to be written by the Emperor Shen Nung around 2500 B.C.E. It identifies medicinal uses of over 300 plants! Ancient Greece and Rome were both known for their usage of plant-based aromatics in perfuming and scenting everything from their clothes to military flags. Add in the significance of oil usage throughout the Bible and it should be a mystery, why we're seemingly just catching on to something that's virtually been around forever.

Back to the future and the Benefits of Essential Oils!

Fast forward to our present day, and we see there’s a resurgence in the use of essential oils. They weren’t lost, just overshadowed by modern medicine. Now, with so many focusing their attention on healthy lifestyles, well being and living, it’s back to the future with a blast from the past! Essential oils are being used today because of the amazing benefits they’ve always had.

There are tons of benefits to using essential oils, but here are a few ways E. O.’s can be used in supporting YOUR overall health, bettering YOUR emotional state, strengthening YOUR focus, and enhancing YOUR diet. YOU can use them to create organic cleaning supplies, beauty & hygiene and of course natural fragrances that can clean & freshen YOUR air!

We know that covers a wide range of things, so we’ll categorize some of our examples.

More Benefits of Essential Oils!

Some Health Benefits of Essential Oils include;

Aiding the Immune System
Easing Skin Irritations
Promoting Healthy Digestion
Supporting Good Oral Health
Comforting General Aches & Pains
Encouraging Relaxed Sleep, and more!

Some Emotional Benefits of Essential Oils include;

Inviting calmness
Boosting Energy
Soothing thought
Renewing Passion
Invigorating your drive
Uplifting and encourage change in your mood!

These benefits may seem hard to believe, but We can attest to many of them. In our house of 6, we use a number of oils daily. We use both individual oils as well as oil blends, which are multiple oils mixed together producing a united blend to achieve the desired outcome.

For instance, our children use a blend for mental focus as well as a blend for balancing their energy. Being home-schooled can sometimes be a challenge for them to focus in being that they are in their own space and can possibly be distracted by various things.

Likewise, they may retain excess nervous energy not expelled by the typical weekday physical transit to an outside school location. The oils indeed help to heighten their focus and harmonize their energies. I personally use a calming blend when feeling stressed or agitated and with my weekly exercise routine there’s several oils and blends that help with muscle aches and soreness. The oils work!

OK, so how do you use Essential Oils?

So, your next question has got to be, how do I use them? Well there are 3 main ways to use them. Aromatically, topically and internally. Let’s summarize each technique.

Aromatic Use of Essential Oils:

Aromatic use pertains to the aroma or smell of the oils. By getting the oils into and throughout the air, you allow them to go to work. Here are some ways to achieve this.

Mix with water in a spray bottle and mist over carpet, furniture, or other linens in the home
Add to a diffuser
Place a drop of oil in your hand, rub the palms together, cup the hands over your nose, and inhale

Topical Use of Essential Oils:

The Topical Use of Essential Oils is achieved by rubbing the oil AS RECOMMENDED on the area of the body desired. Please note: Many oils are so strong that they will burn the skin. Some oils must be diluted with a carrier or mixer oil in order to be properly applied. Here’s a list of beneficial areas and some sensitive areas of application.

Beneficial areas to apply oils:

Neck
Forehead and temples
Chest and abdomen
Arms, legs, bottom of feet

Sensitive areas, be cautious and or stay a way:

Certain facial areas, like the skin around the eyes
Inner ears and eyes themselves
Broken or injured skin

Topical application techniques: Now, here are some ways you can apply the oils.

Place a few drops of oil in a warm bath
Make a hot or cold compress by soaking a cloth in water, add 2 drops of oil, and apply to desired area
Mix a few drops of essential oil with lotion or a daily moisturizer and apply to the skin

Internal Use of Essential Oils:

Internal Use of Essential Oils, once again, is to be used AS RECOMMENDED!!! All oils depending on the grade of the brand of oils you use, should NOT be ingested! They too often will need to be diluted.

Here are a few ways to take these oils internally.

Place drops in a veggie capsule and swallow with water
Add to a glass of water, or other beverages
Place a few drops right into a sauce for your meal

What do we mean, Grade of Oil???

Okay, so what do we mean, grade of oil? Can't I go buy those drugstore oils? The truth is that essential oils are indeed growing in popularity. That means it’s becoming big business, and many want a piece of the pie. What many don't understand, however, is what goes into the production of these oils.

Producing the purest, best quality oils, can be costly. The process may require several hundred pounds or even thousands, of plant material to generate just one pound of pure essential oil. Here’s more on the topic from the book “Modern Essentials”.

“…1 lb of pure Melissa oil sells for between $9,000 & $1,500. Although this sounds quite expensive one must realize that 3 tons of plant material are required to produce that single pound of oil”.

Because the vast majority of all the oils produced in the world today are used by the perfume industry, the oils are being purchased for their aromatic qualities only. High pressure, high temperatures, rapid processing, and the use of chemical solvents are often employed during the distillation process so that a greater quantity of oil can be produced at a faster rate. These oils may smell just as good and cost much less, but they will lack most, if not all, of the chemical constituents necessary to produce the expected therapeutic results.

Anything less than certified pure, therapeutic grade essential oil may not produce the desired results and can, in some cases, be extremely toxic.” ~Modern Essentials 5th edition

In other words, do you want to go get that low-priced perfume that may give YOU a rash? Or do you want to get certified pure therapeutic-grade (CPT or CPTG) essential oils, that'll clear that rash up? Be careful, and don't fall for the knockoffs, certified pure therapeutic grade essential oils are antibacterial, anticancer, antifungal, and antiviral, to name a few of their advantages.

Some of these pure oils like frankincense, even cross the blood-brain barrier, the membrane between the circulating blood and the Brain. This membrane stops harmful substances from getting to the brain tissue. This means a CPTG essential oil like frankincense, can aid with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson's diseases. When YOU GET YOUR OILS, you make the choice! As for my house, we choose CPTG…

This was just a Basic Introduction to Essential Oils!?!

This was just a basic introduction to essential oils! There’s a boat load of oiled up goodness we haven’t touched on. What are the best essential oils to start with? What oils can help YOU specifically? Essential Oils Used in Scripture. Essential Oil Recipes! Essential Oil based products, from beauty to soap! Not to mention Oil DIY and ways to start YOUR OWN Essential Oils Business!

Want to know More about Essential Oils?

Do YOU want more???

For more information on essential oils, how they can help support healthy blood flow, the immune, cardiovascular and nervous systems. Or perhaps how they can help with lung and respiratory function, aid in focusing daily intentions or in conjunction with your diet and exercise plan. More about oil blends, that will support your physical and emotional health. More about E.O. based products lotions, shampoo, creams, or perfumes. Or more on starting YOUR OWN Essential Oils Business...

Are YOU ready to start using YOUR OWN CPT Grade Essential Oils?

Click the following link, then select "Shop" on your computer or the "O" icon for mobile devices! Click Here!!!

Page Resources:

"Modern Essentials, A Contemporary Guide to The Therapeutic Use of Essential Oils 5^th Edition"

"Essential Oils Pocket Reference 7^th Edition