Using Essential Oils

Ancient practice meets modern times

The practice of essential oils use dates back to the ancient Egyptians. Since then, years of research and study have proven essential oils effectiveness in treating mood changes, energy levels, pain relief, emotional pain and disease.

Essential oils are nature’s gift to us for balanced health. Used properly, they can have profound effects on the human body. Working in concert with our bodies energy system, essential oils work quickly to restore balance and prevent disease.

Essential oils

Are naturally anti-septic so they can be used to fight infection
Reduce inflammation, balance hormones, and relieve pain
Work quickly because they are easily absorbed into the bloodstream via the skin or nasal passages.
Carry all of their healing properties to the body even if they are being used for one specific purpose.
Work on the all levels- mind, body & spirit at the same time.
Smell good

Little Known Facts about Essential Oils

Essential oils are the chemical constituents of plants that give them their fragrance. They are drawn from many different parts of plants. They are highly concentrated, sensitive to heat and light and are only soluble in oil. Unlike their synthetic counterparts “fragrances,” essential oils work to alter the body on physiological and emotional levels.

Essential oils work by inhalation because they are readily absorbed into the bloodstream by inhalation. The sense of smell was the first sense to develop in evolution and was the most important because scent travels faster to the brain than any other sensory information. By topical application, they are also absorbed into the bloodstream because they penetrate the skin to the first layer. It is because of their potency that caution should always be taken when using pure essential oils.

Because of their volatility, a blend of oils will diffuse at different rates often allowing the lighter scents to evaporate first and leaving the heavier scents to linger. (For example, a blend with lemon, lavender and sandalwood when diffused with a heat source such as a candle diffuser will reveal the lemon scent first, then the lavender, then the sandalwood.) That is why it is recommended to mix your blend with a carrier so it will last longer on your skin.

History of Essential Oils

The practice of Aromatherapy dates back to Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Persia, India and China. In ancient Egypt, oils were presented as gifts to the pharaoh, and as offerings to the gods. They were used not only as perfume, but in healing the sick and ritual ceremonies.

The use of essential oils in perfumery and in preparation of medicines dates back to the 1800’s. Upon separation and analysis of the chemical constituents of essential oils, benefits were noted for certain constituents. Scientists began isolating that chemical and reproducing it in a lab to create what we now know as pharmaceuticals. Because of uncontrollable weather conditions and variance in farming methods, essential oils lost their validity in medicinal uses and pharmaceuticals gained popularity.

Essential oils can be:

Diluted in massage oil, shower gel, body lotion, bath salts, etc.	Dropped in bath water (makes a giant diffuser)
Diffused into the air with a professional diffuser	In a humidifier or steaming hot pot of water for inhalation
Put on a hot or cool compress	Worn as a perfume when mixed with a carried oil or alcohol base
Dropped on a tissue and placed under the pillowcase for enhanced sleep	Applied directly to the skin (use only those oils advised by a professional)