Are Essential Oils for You?
Have you ever walked into a room and there was a smell that conjured a memory? For example, the distinctive smell of apple pie, reminds you of your grandmother. Or someone in the office is peeling an orange? What does that strong bright smell do to your psyche? The sense of smell is powerful. This is no surprise since the olfactory nerve carries that smell to the olfactory bulb, which is close to the amygdala and hippocampus, the parts of the brain that house emotion and memory. The olfactory nerve is also the shortest nerve to the brain, giving it ample opportunity to send the smell.
Have you ever tried essential oils? Thought about trying them? That orange that was peeled in the office? It was releasing the essential oils of the orange. The smell of the oil travels to that same olfactory bulb, and may trigger well-being or relaxation, and other beneficial emotional or physical feelings. Maybe it’s time to take a closer look at the importance of essential oils.
What Are Essential Oils?
The word essential may mean they are necessary or basic. But the word essential in essential oil comes from the word quintessential. This word dates back to the discovery of essential oils and is translated to the fifth essence. It was believed that it was the fifth element after fire, water, air, and earth. This fifth element was said, when combined with the other four, made up the whole being. The quintessence was believed to be the life force or the spirit of the plant. Well, the plant may not have a spirit but it is where we get essential oils; from the essence of plants. Plants are more complex than people realize. They are the only living thing that produces their own energy and has certain innate qualities to help protect it from its environment. We are dependent on them for the energy and nutrients we need to survive. Those qualities that protect them also protect us and help us with environmental issues we encounter. Essential oils are obtained from bark, wood, fruit, roots, leaves...basically all parts of a plant. Essential oils are usually steamed or pressed from the part of the plant where the oils are located. Essential oils are used for many things; the body, medicinal needs, household products, and food products. You can experience essential oils in different ways such as diffusing (placing water and the essential oil in a diffuser), applying it to the skin with a carrier oil (fixed oil such as fractionated coconut oil), or in some cases, internally (must be listed okay to take internally).
Why Essential Oils?
Historically, oils have been used, basically for thousands of years. Many modern medicines are made from plant derived compounds. In ancient times, plants were used to remedy almost every malady encountered. Over generations, many have benefited from essential oils.
12 resins (oils before distillation) have been mentioned many times in the bible, used for anointing, perfumes, and incenses. They were used by the Greeks, the botany trailblazers, for medicines and burial purposes. Hippocrates documented over 200 herbs, and believed surgery should be used as a last resort. The Chinese used them for balancing the Qi (chi)(the body’s life energy) and holistic medicinal healing and the Egyptians for preserving bodies (mummification), religious and mysticism ceremonies. In Europe, in the time of the dark ages, the holistic way of treating was rejected. The Catholic Church was against bathing so people/monks secretly distributed them to take care of the odors of not bathing, and other holistic uses.
After the distillation process was discovered, popularity of essential oils spread across Europe, and fumigation processes were conducted during the Plague. There were certain oils that protected against the plague. There is the story of four brothers robbing the dead, and instead of arresting them, officials thought they would come to their own demise from the disease. But the thefts continued. When they were finally apprehended, it was found they were the sons of a perfumer and an herbalist, which is how they learned about essential oils that would prevent them from contracting the plague. They would wash all of their treasures with a blend of oils.
This is how we have the “Thieves” essential oil today. It is typically a blend of eucalyptus, clove, rosemary, thyme, and sage. It is used to protect against colds, viruses, for a strong immune system and general well being.
When modern/western medicine took over, essential oils were pushed aside. Today, essential oils are lumped in with “alternative medicines”. But really, essential oils which have been around for thousands of years, are the real traditional medicine, and have been making a comeback, in fact, a boom in past years.
Essential oils can be used for anything really. Instead of depending on prescription medications and synthetic drugs, with the possibility of dangerous side effects, we can opt for safer, natural remedies with thousands of years of history and use backing up the benefits.
Essential oils can:
- Reduce toxicity
- Balance hormones
- Improve digestion
- Boost energy
- Improve brain function
- Reduce emotional stress
- Produce radiant skin
- Boost Immunity & fight infection
- Alleviate aches and pains
Some properties of essential oils:
- Analgesic
- Anti-bacterial
- Anti-fungal
- Anti-inflammation
- Anti-spasmodic
- Anti-septic
- Decongestant
- Expectorant
- Rubefacient
- Sedative
- Anti-Viral
Dr. Josh Axe, founder of Ancient Nutrition Bone Broth, tells the story of his mother, whose cancer came back. She called him and asked for advice because she had gone the “traditional” route with chemotherapy and the other invasive treatments and suffered from several problems like leaky gut syndrome, yeast infections, depression to name a few. She went off all of her medications and he advised her using diet (The Gerson Therapy, See here), bone broth, antioxidants, salmon, goat milk kefir, and organic green salads. For her essential oils treatment, to fight against unhealthy, irregular cells in the body, they used oregano, frankincense and myrrh. She is cancer free. He does not claim this regimen cured her cancer but feels that natural therapies along with conventional medicine helped her.
You can replace almost anything with essential oils. Such as soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, household cleansers, and many other everyday items. You can use them for protection against germs, toxins, stress, wound care, aches and many other symptoms. Today’s cleansers have so much toxicity in them. Why not use milder, safer alternatives for your home? Our skin is our biggest organ, and absorbs substances that come in contact within 4 seconds. That is why it is important to use cleaning and body products that are less harmful to us.
Drugs for many ailments and illnesses have terrible side effects. For instance, Diabetes drugs cause B12 vitamin deficiency and nerve damage. High Blood Pressure, impotency, and heart disease are due to vitamin & mineral deficiencies. Statins for high cholesterol can cause organ damage, memory loss, and sexual dysfunction. Depression Drugs….cause dependency among other problems.
One Harvard study states 2 million are hospitalized and 128,000 deaths are caused by misdiagnosis. Zero from using essential oils. Another account, by a Doctor, states of the 50 patients he sees daily, 75% don’t need to be there and 80% of those will expect an antibiotic when in fact they don’t need it. There are thousands of peer reviews discussing the efficacy of essential oils.
Essential oils are not a quick fix though and what people are so used to these days. Essential oils can empower us to take control of our own health but we need to use patience, study and practice. We need to make sure we are using them safely.
Make sure you do your research. It is important to get a high quality, efficacious essential oil. It is imperative its Latin name is used on the label, for example, lavender’s latin name would be Lavendula Officinalis. Make sure it is from a reputable source...read the reviews. Read how it is distilled or pressed. Also, choose organic and for using internally, make sure it is labeled as such.
So there you have it, a little delving into essential oils. You, yourself have to determine whether essential oils are right for you and in what way. A lot of people believe they are just a lot of fluffy scented stuff and not important. For some it will be important. There are countless studies of how it has helped many, if not cancer, then for relaxation and lifting your mood. Instead of going on those drugs, maybe check out the natural ways first. Whatever you choose, make sure, like said above, you do your homework. It might be an eye opening….or should I say a nose opening experience.
Hometown Pharmacy has your essential oil needs. Stop into a store today to check out the selection.
Sources:
- Healing Power of Essential Oils by Eric Zielinski D.C. @drericz
- Essential Oils Ancient Medicine by Dr. Josh Axe, Ty Bollinger, Jordan Rubin
- Dr Axe Ty Bollinger @JordanRubinOfficial
Please see recipes here:
- Helichrysum oil uses - recipes This oils has many uses and is a traditional medicine for healing in the Mediterranean Region
- Guacamole recipe Made with Lime essential oil and Cilantro essential oil, again make sure these oils are labeled okay to take internally and from a reputable source.
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