Essential oils (fragrances) are helpful in treating a variety of ailments - from headaches to rheumatism and digestive problems. Therefore, they have been used in natural medicine. Learn about the properties and uses of essential oils, and where to buy them, how to identify natural essential oils, and how to use them. Also find out about the effects of individual essential oils!
Essential oilsis a blessing of nature that humanity has been using since 3000 BC.Essential oilswere already known in ancient Egypt, Macedonia and India . The famous Medieval physician Avicenna is believed to be the first person to distill essential oils. He even developed various massage techniques using essential oils. Oils were used so widely that there was even a separate nursery - aromatherapy - dealing with their use for healing and therapeutic purposes.
Contents:
- Properties of essential oils
- Use of essential oils
- How to choose an essential oil for ailments?
- How to use essential oils?
- Where to buy essential oils?
- Essential oils and pregnancy
Properties of essential oils
Essential oils are obtained from plants - currently we know about 2,000 different essential oil plants, occurring all over the world, but mainly in the tropical zone. These plants have oils in every part of them: flowers, stems, roots, seeds, resin. Essential oils are obtained in several ways, usually by steam distillation, cold pressing or alcohol extraction. It is worth adding that for the purposes of aromatherapy, a small percentage of the obtained essential oils is obtained - about 10% - the rest is used by pharmaceutical and food companies and from the production of perfumes. Essential oils combine with alcohols and fats.
Essential oils are not soluble in water.
Each natural essential oil contains at least several dozen compounds, including alcohols, esters, aldehydes, terpenes, ketones. It is worth remembering, however, that while the oil itself contains many ingredients, it is when you buy itnatural essential oil, care should be taken that it contains … only one ingredient. The manufacturer does not distinguish all compounds contained in a specific essential oil (not all of them are known to us all the time), but informs what kind of oil we have bought, e.g.oleum citrus nobilis- mandarin oil ,oleum citrus limonum- lemon oil,oleum eucalipti globulus- eucalyptus oil,oleum citrus grandis- oil grapefruit,oleum pinus silvestris- sandalwood oil etc.
The properties of essential oils are very diverse - it all depends on which one you choose. Below is a table with the properties and application of the most popular of them - see which one will be most effective in specific cases!
| Kind of oil | Application of the oil |
| Lavender Oil | Lavender oil has a calming effect - it's the perfect remedy for tarnished nerves. It is also used to soothe various types of pains: muscular, menstrual and rheumatic. Lavender oil is also often an ingredient of preparations for … cellulite. |
| Lemon oil | Used in the production of acne cosmetics - it prevents the formation of blackheads and regulates the secretion of sebum. Lemon oil also has a bactericidal and toning effect. It inhibits the action of free radicals and slows down the breakdown of collagen fibers, so it also has anti-aging properties. |
| Eucalyptus oil | Eucalyptus oil is used to prepare inhalations in the treatment of colds and colds. It has a disinfecting and cleansing effect. |
| Pine oil | Like eucalyptus oil, pine oil is used in respiratory infections of the body, it also increases our immunity. However, it can cause allergic reactions in people with very sensitive skin. |
| Cedar oil | It will work for people with cardiovascular and digestive system diseases, because it cleans the veins and digestive tract. |
| Tea tree oil | It has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. It cleans pores and helps fight acne and mycosis. |
| Basil oil | It improves concentration, helps with insomnia, gastric problems, and in the case of various types of pain:rheumatic, migraine, menstrual. |
| Jasmine oil | It is known primarily as an aphrodisiac, also used as an ingredient in cosmetic oils and hair oiling preparations. |
| Peppermint oil | It has an analgesic effect - thanks to the menthol content, it causes a feeling of coolness on the skin. It is also used during inhalation and in gastric ailments. Often used in home aromatherapy fireplaces. |
How to choose an essential oil for ailments?
- Headaches:basil, hyssop, lavender, marjoram, mint, geranium oils.
- Hypertension : Lavender, Marjoram, Rosemary, Rose, Sage, Ylang Oil.
- Hypotension : bergamot, mint, lavender, lemon oils.
- Cold ,runny nose ,cough : anise, cypress, eucalyptus, tea oil lavender, mint, rosemary.
- Stress : juniper, lavender, lemon balm, neroli, geranium, rose oils.
- Digestive disorders : lemon, caraway, coriander, lavender, mint, geranium, rose, sandalwood oils.
- Rheumatic pains : ginger, coriander, cypress, eucalyptus oils.
- Muscle aches : cypress, juniper, lavender, mint, rosemary oils.
- Insomnia : rose, geranium, juniper, lavender, marjoram, mandarin oils.
- Apathy : hyssop, mint, rosemary, thyme oils.
- Fatigueand lack of concentration: basil, geranium, mint, rosemary oils.
- Depression : Basil, Lemon, Fir, Lavender, Neroli, Patchouli, Orange, Rose, Pine, Ylang Oil.
- Anxiety : marjoram, mandarin, neroli and ylang oils.
- Changeable mood : cypress, geranium, mandarin, orange, sandalwood oils.
How to use essential oils?
Essential oils can be used in three ways:
- Aromatherapy
Inhalation of oils can be done with a diffuser (this is the method most often used for colds and for cleansing the sinuses). People suffering from insomnia and headaches can put one or two drops of the appropriate essential oil on the pillow before going to bed. TherapyYou can also smell it by sprinkling a little oil into an aromatherapy fireplace, into a vessel with warm water or on a handkerchief that you put on your nose.
- Topical to the skin
The second effective way to use oils is rubbing them into the skin. Essential particles through the pores of the skin immediately enter the bloodstream (after just 30 seconds). The most common oils are rubbed on the hands, soles of the feet, auricles and around the nape of the neck, but you can also use them to massage the whole body.
Important!Some oils can be very powerful and many of them irritate the skin, so you must dilute the essential oil with a base oil before using it. Most often it is one of the vegetable oils, e.g. coconut or olive oil. It is assumed that the best ratio is 1 drop of essential oil to 6 drops of base oil.
- Oral
Oils for internal use should be approved for oral use (information on this must be placed on the packaging). Depending on your ailments, you can put a few drops of the oil under your tongue, rinse your mouth with water with a little oil or dilute it with any liquid and drink it.
Descriptions of the methods of application and recipes for using individual oils are placed on the packaging.
Where to buy essential oils?
The purchase of essential oils is not a problem: they are available in online stores, drugstores, stores with oriental products, and even home furnishings or … florists. However, you should always carefully check the composition of the product you sell - whether what the seller calls "natural" really is.
Worth knowingEssential oils and pregnancy
It is not recommended to use essential oils during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester and in women who have had a previous miscarriage. Some of them can cause contractions that are threatening the pregnancy. We are talking mainly about hyssop, cypress, lavender, rosemary, juniper, basil, marjoram, sage and nutmeg oils.
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