Discovering Essential Oils

Sometimes you hear about something, or know a bit about something and the exposure you had to the thing does not really impress you. That was me with Essential Oils. I would walk into a candle shop or the Spa room and because of the fragrances mixed together, the place smelt funny and so I never paid much attention to Essential oils. Then, I had the opportunity to do some research on the topic and I was blown away by the tremendous benefits of and uses for the oils and now I do not know how I ever lived without them.

What are Essential oils? “An essential oil is a natural product extracted from a single plant species. Not all plants produce essential oils, and in the plants that do, the essential oil may be found in the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, or fruits” so says the website of the University of Minnesota in their Taking Charge of Health and Wellbeing newsletter. The website goes on to say that “It is important to know something about how essential oils are extracted because oils from the same plant extracted in different ways can result in very different products”. Steam distillation, expression, and supercritical C02 extractions are ways in which oils can be extracted from plants.

A keen point to note as well the site says is that “Essential oils do not feel oily; they are called “oils” because they contain the oil-soluble chemicals in the plant (usually 100 to 200 chemicals per essential oil). This complex chemistry gives essential oils their therapeutic properties and explains why different essential oils may have overlapping effects”  

I discovered when shopping for oils that you would find one hundred percent pure essential oil and let’s just say there are the ones that are not pure. This is an important fact to note when using oils topically or ingesting them. Always be sure when using the ingesting method that you are guided by a professional. You can also diffuse the oils by using a Diffuser, which is one of my favorite ways to use the oils. The good news is you can find very affordable Diffusers if you shop around.

Room Sprays

I would be the first to admit I love home remedies and DIY’s and when using essential oils, you can do just that. You can make everything from your own bath products to even room sprays.

Bottles of Essential oils and spray bottles

For example, instead of using commercial air refreshers, which sometimes can contain harmful chemicals, I just make my room sprays and use them in places like the toilet. This way I can have the scent of Lavender lingering and enjoy the fragrance knowing that it is not harmful to the household or the environment.

Essential oils like Lemon oil is really perfect for cleaning surfaces

In general, some of the more popular and really useful oils are Peppermint, Lemon, Rosemary, Tea Tree, Clove, Ginger, and Eucalyptus it depends on what your needs are. For example, I read that Tea Tree Oil, as well as Rosemary, is good for hair growth, Peppermint and Ginger oil helps with digestive issues and Lemon oil cleans well. I have found handy cleaning recipes using Lemon oil on the internet and again, always be sure to seek the guidance and advice of a professional or doctor when consuming Essential oils. You can, like with everything else, cause more harm than good, yes even with natural products if you do not use them right.

Like myself I hope you begin the process of discovering Essential oils and keep finding new ways to use them. Thank you for taking time to visit my site and read my story and please free to leave a comment.

References

https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/what-are-essential-oils

I grew up seeing my mother on the sewing machine a lot. Our house was always filled with fabric and I was bitten by the sewing bug at an early age. Today, in addition to Photography, I also make accessories and children’s clothing, under the Your Wardrobe Label.