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"Thou hast loved justice, and hated iniquity: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."
-- Psalms 44:8
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are subtle volatile resins, the regenerating, oxygenating immune properties of plants. They give us ozone, oxygen and negative ions. Bacteria and viruses cannot live in ozone or in a negative ion environment. Antibiotics are virtually useless because bacteria mutate in as little as 20 minutes. Western medicine is helpless against the viruses cropping up worldwide as once-bacterial diseases mutate into horrible new viral forms: Ebola, Streptococcus A, Hanta virus, viral tuberculosis, viral cancer flu, AIDS, new Super Germs. Researchers have found not one virus able to create resistance to essential oils or to mutate in their presence.
Please understand we are NOT here talking about the oils you find at your local health food store. These are mostly rejects from the large oil brokers, cut with propylene glycol or adulterated with synthetic compounds. Don't be fooled by their labels! The FDA requires only 5% of the contents to be essential oil for the label to say "pure"! We're talking about truly 100% pure oils.
Introduction to essential oils
Essential oils offer the most exciting, effective and deeply pleasurable way to maintain good health and well being. While its concepts can
be grasped intuitively, few people realize scientific proof does, in fact, exist for many of the uses of essential oils.
Natural plant medicines have been used throughout human history. They deserve serious study, for their potential, as a healing therapy is enormous. Unfortunately, the public today is still largely unfamiliar with how to use plant medicines.
In France, many trained medical doctors use essential oils and herbs to fight common infections. They are primarily used for respiratory infections, but they are also used against infections of the digestive system, the urinary tract, the reproductive organs, and the skin.
The French are world leaders in the field of aromatherapy, the use of essential oils for therapeutic purposes. Since medical aromatherapy treatments are considered normal and routine, treatments using herbs and essential oils are covered by health insurance plans. People in France can go to pharmacies where formulas consisting of essential oils and herbal tinctures are specifically made under a doctor's prescription. Medical aromatherapy is taught in colleges, universities, and medical schools.
In the United State, natural plant medicines are commonly available but medical doctors rarely use them to treat infections. The American public in general is unfamiliar with aromatherapy. Most people have never even smelled an essential oil. The possibility of using essential oils for medical purposes is not well understood. There is comparatively little public or private funding available for natural health care research.
Natural plant medicines are safe, comparatively inexpensive, practical to use, quick acting, and effective against infections. The use of plant medicines to combat infections is adequately documented in the medical and scientific literature. There is now also ample clinical experience to show how plant medicines can be effective for a wide range of health problems caused by infections. Unfortunately, much of the relevant research and medical literature available on this topic is available only in other countries.
In order to make better decisions people should be informed about alternative treatments and what they can do to live a longer and healthier life. A freely informed public is in everyone's best interest.
As early as 1534, Indians living in Canada showed the French how to counteract scurvy by boiling a mixture of pine needles and bark from the white pine tree, a plant rich in Vitamin C. But the French did not listen to the Indians and European sailors continued dying from scurvy until well into the nineteenth century.
Essential oils are the end result of plant metabolism, the biological activity of plants. They are synthesized by the plant's chemistry and circulate through the stems, leaves, flowers, and roots. They contain the elements that make each plant unique - the scent and the intelligence of the plant. Walk through a forest of pine trees and you can easily smell their fragrance. Essential oils are found in the skin of an orange, in the leaves of a
peppermint plant, and in the petals of a rose flower. Essential oils give the plant its aroma and flavor.
Essential oils are "essential" for a plant's survival. Scientists have observed that different varieties of plants use essential oils to repel unwanted insects, to help in healing the plant when the plant has been injured, to prevent water loss from foliage when the climate is hot or dry or to attract bees and other insects that aid in pollination. Essential oils are a key component of the immune system of plants.
Essential oils are stored by plants in oil and resin ducts, hollow spaces and cells. They can be found in the leaves and stems of plants, flowers, fruits, and in the skin of fruits, herbs, grasses, and trees (in wood, twigs, bark, needles, and resins).
With few exceptions, essential oils are extracted from plant materials through cold pressing or distillation. Cold pressing is used to remove citrus oils from the peel of citrus fruits such as grapefruit, orange,
lemon, lime, and tangerine. Distillation is used to produce most other oils.
When an essential oil is distilled, each plant has unique requirements in terms of how the plant should be handled. These include when to harvest, time between harvesting and distillation, distillation equipment, temperature, pressure, and when to stop distillation in order to avoid exposing the essential oil to excessive heat, thus destroying vital constituents or medicinal properties.
Thousands of tons of essential oils are used each year by the flavor and fragrance industry. They are inferior in quality to the essential oils used in medical aromatherapy, and cannot be used for therapeutic purposes.
The market for therapeutic essential oils is considerably smaller than the flavor and fragrance market. A small number of independent distillers produce essential oils for use in medical aromatherapy.
While commercial oils in the flavor and fragrance industry are routinely blended and redistilled for consistency, essential oils used in medical aromatherapy should remain unaltered from their natural state. Therapeutic essential oils-with very few exceptions-should be raw, free from any added substances, unaltered, and genuine. They should also be single-species essential oils, which means that the oil in the bottle contains only the distillation of a single plant species.
There are some 30 different species of lavender and each has different chemical constituents and medicinal characteristics. On the open market, their quality and price can vary greatly, and certain ones are only used in the flavor and fragrance industry. If the distillations from these different plant species of
lavender are mixed together and sold under the generic name
"Lavender Oil," it becomes difficult to know with certainty what medicinal effect, if any, this mixture will have. In contrast, the therapeutic qualities of a single species such as Lavandula vera are predictable because the oil's characteristics are fully documented and well understood.
When purchasing medicinal essential oils, insist on purchasing the species that produces the best medicinal results. There may be a considerable difference in price between True
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and Lavandin (L.
hybrida), but this difference is meaningless if the less costly essential oil has few therapeutic properties.
Essential oils used for medicinal purposes should be free from all man-made chemicals including
contamints such as herbicides and pesticides. While some companies are conscientious about correctly labeling their products, others are not. The secret to obtaining essential oils of good quality is to locate a reliable source, such as
Technology is allowing us to identify many more of the components that remain to
be discovered. There are those who would argue there are only minor differences between essential oils and reconstituted oils, but who
can duplicate the quality of natural essences with all the unknown healing
properties! There is more to an essential oil than its aroma. Essential oils
are the high-grade fuel of plants, and by applying them to our body we receive the best the plants have to offer. They are so flexible
and delightful to use it is easy to incorporate them into every lifestyle.
For effective therapeutic use it is critical that only pure essential oils be
used. The physical nature of essential oils allows them to penetrate human tissue quickly. This is what gives aromatherapy its effectiveness.
It is quite pointless buying low grade or chemically diluted essential oils, no matter how pleasant it smells, because reconstituted products
or chemical copies of natural essences simply do not work all that well for
medicinal purposes. There are essential oils which, when mixed together, mimic the aroma of a more expensive oil.
For example, carnation oil is very expensive and so black pepper and ylang ylang are combined
to create the aroma of carnation. Unscrupulous suppliers will dilute a pure
essential oil in a carrier base and pass that off as pure natural essence.
They are easier to spot than other dilutions because the base oil is oily, while essential oils for the most part are not. It is a good idea to
know your supplier and his sources of essential oils.
Essential oils are wonderful to use but we need to learn to respect them and their abilities. Since the oils are cleansing the body and
removing toxins from the cells it is important to cleanse the liver at least twice
a year.
A favorite way to use the essential oils is on the bottom of the feet,
on the wrists, and behind the ears this way you can benefit the whole body in a very quick application.
Diffusing the oils is another way to enjoy their full benefits. The essential
oils not only remove dust particles out of the air but also are a great air
filtration system. Use them "neat" (pure/undiluted) in a diffuser to either
purify the air or set a specific mood in the home.
Use the Purify, Spice Trader, or Seasons Greetings when there is sickness in the family. These oils keep the airborne bacteria and viruses in check.
When your home is filled with children diffuse Citrivescents or Serenity to keep the mood happy and calm. These oils also work well to calm
a stressful day.
When studying diffuse Clove 'n' Limes or Focus.
When wanting a more romantic mood there are several oils to choose from such as Heart's Desire,
Rosalinda, Passion, or Native Spirit.
Until you purchased a diffuser use ten drops of essential oils in a two ounce spray bottle, fill with water, shake and spray around the
room. This is also a
good way to use the oils when traveling, to purify the hotel room, keep the driver alert, or calm the children.
As you use the oils you'll wonder how you ever tolerated the chemical
substitutes.
There are specific Vita Flex points related to certain areas of the body on the feet where you may want to apply the oils.
(See Vita Flex Chart in Bevonne Birch's book
"Your Guide to Essential Oils, Minerals, and Nutrition")
The Energy Centers (or Chakras) are another area to apply the oils.
The main energy centers are located:
Top of the head,
Center of forehead,
Throat area,
Center of chest,
Just above the naval,
Lower abdomen, and
Base of the spine (coccyx).
There are also powerful energy centers in the palm of each hand and on the sole of each foot.
Guidelines to Using Essential Oils
Keep essential oils, absolutes, synergies and blends out of reach of children.
Do not, unless otherwise advised by an expert, apply neat essential oils onto the skin. When using the essential oils for the first time it is
best to use only two or three diluted oils until you see how your body is going
to respond. Too many essential oils may encourage the cells to detoxify causing diarrhea.
Never assume that an essential oil will have the same properties as
credited to the whole plant from which it is obtained. Some essential oils can be up to 100,000 times stronger than the dried herb.
Essential oils should always be used diluted over a large body area.
Reduce the chance of acquiring a sensitivity reaction from constant use of same
oil(s) over several years by varying choices. This gives the body a break from
constant use. Regulate the frequency when using essential oils. If used daily over a two-week period, give a week's grace
before recommencing treatment.
If any kind of skin rash is observed when using a particular essential oil, stop using it immediately and try another oil.
Dilute the essential oils in massage base or carrier oil (cold pressed
vegetable oil, jojoba or fractionated coconut oil) before using them.
Some oils are hot and may irritate the skin.
The general rule for diluting the oils: six drops of the "neat" (pure)
essential oil to ¼ oz of massage base. Generally using more essential oils
than this is wasting them.
Never use mineral oil or baby oil (they are toxic to the body) as a massage
base. Mineral oil is a petro-chemical, refined from gasoline, very hard for the skin and the essential oils may fight against it. It also tends to rob
your vitamin supply.
If an essential oil feels hot when applied to the skin, use carrier oil to
dilute it. Keep applying more carrier oil until the burning stops. It is good
to always have a small bottle of carrier oil in your kit to use if an essential
oil is hot when applied. Never use water to dilute a hot essential oil because it will only make the oil hotter on the skin.
Essential oils do not dissolve in water. They must be diluted with some type of carrier oil or vegetable oil. Some of the hot essential oils are
birch, cinnamon, clove, oregano, peppermint and thyme. Remember everyone is
different and what is not hot to one person may be very hot for another.
I've noticed that when a person's pH is acidic the oils seem to be hotter for
them.
Essential Oils must be kept out of the eyes!
If they get into the eyes do not use water to wash them out; use a pure
vegetable oil. Do not handle contact lenses or rub eyes with essential oil on your fingers. Oil with high phenol content like oregano,
cinnamon, clove, thyme, lemongrass, or bergamot may damage contacts and
irritates eyes.
If you want to use a little essential oil in the ears put it on a cotton swab to apply. Do not drop oils directly into the ears no matter what!
Essential oils need not be taken internally for good results.
In one test a Japanese researcher found inhaling the essential oils was more effective than digesting them. However, if you do like to use
some oils internally always dilute them with an oil-soluble liquid like honey,
olive oil, or soymilk. I like to use the oils in cooking. It's important to remember one drop goes a long way. I find it best to mix 6 drops in ¼
oz of olive oil and then add a few drops to taste.
Essential oils maintain their shelf life much longer if kept in bottles that
keep the UV rays out, kept out of direct sunlight, and away form heat above 90 degrees. Keep the caps tightly closed when not in use.
It is also advisable to keep them off electrical appliances since this may change the frequency of the oils. To bring the higher frequency back
to the oil, be in a positive balanced frame of mind (have a high frequency
yourself), put the bottle of oil between your hands and roll it back and forth for about 30 seconds, keeping your thoughts positive and strong.
If people who are negative have handled your oils you will want to rebalance the oils. Generally, you should be the only one to handle your oils.
Some essential oils contain constituents that may be photo toxic causing a rash or darker pigmentation when exposed to sunlight or UV rays for
three to four days after using. These oils are angelica, bergamot, lemon, lime,
grapefruit, tangerine, mandarin, and orange.
It's interesting to note that people often suffer from "civilization
illnesses" because they are so used to synthetic aromas that they find the purity
and potency of genuine essential oils not particularly attractive. It is best
to introduce them to essential oils with a gentle massage using essential oils
whose fragrances are widely accepted such as lavender or mandarin.
Other oils that harmonize with a basic blend of mandarin or lavender are Roman chamomile, spikenard or clary sage.
