What are Essential Oils?

Today I’d like to talk to you about essential oils. Those of you who know me personally know that within the past six months I've started using, and more recently, selling essential oils. You may have heard me talking about them, but didn't really know what they were. My goal today is to clear that up for you. I’m going to use a FAQ format.

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are the aromatic compounds found in plants. So what? That doesn't really tell you much, does it? Have you ever smelled an orange when you peel into it? Of course you have. If so, you have experienced essential oils! There is more to an orange than its delicious taste and scent. When you breathe in this aroma, it actually has a physiological effect on your body! Orange is a mood elevator. It reduces anxiety, fear, and nervousness, and can help with sluggish digestion and insomnia.

Oranges

Does this mean that an orange scented candle would have the same effects? The answer is no. Although it might smell nice, it MOST LIKELY contains only synthetic fragrances which NOT ONLY DO NOT have medicinal uses, but are actually very harmful. I discussed fragrances briefly HERE when I shared a deodorant recipe.

Many plants have properties that are known to have medicinal value. Perhaps you remember your grandmother using various “potions” for things like fever or bee stings. Maybe she kept some herbs and used them to make a tea for an upset stomach. Maybe she had a black salve that she would put on a splinter. All these things seem so foreign to us today, because in just a couple of generations we have lost the knowledge (and wisdom) that our ancestors possessed. Although modern medicine has a place, and has helped many, it is not the only way! For thousands of years people used PLANTS as their medicine! It is no secret that ginger and peppermint can be used to alleviate digestive discomfort ranging from nausea to heartburn, to diarrhea, to constipation. Basil can be used for muscle spasms. Birch can be used for muscle aches. Clary sage is great for women with hormone issues or hot flashes. Cypress is good for arthritis. Eucalyptus may help asthma sufferers. Geranium is great for dry skin. If you have morning sickness, Ginger is an excellent choice. The list goes on, and on, and on!

Ginger

In fact, essential oils have been around for THOUSANDS of years. It is documented that in ancient Egypt, grave robbers sometimes would break into the pyramids and steal the essential oils and leave the gold. Say what??? I can't say for sure. I wasn't there, but that's what they say. If you've read the Biblical account of the birth of Christ, you've read that the wise men brought frankincense and myrrh along with gold to the Savior. Frankincense and myrrh are actually essential oils. Thirty-six of the 39 books of the Old Testament and 10 of the 27 books of the New Testament mention essential oils or the plants that produce them. These were the medicine provided by God.

Frankincense

Do they REALLY work?

YES! They REALLY do! I understand being skeptical. I do. It seems crazy. How can one drop of a liquid that looks like water and smells like spaghetti sauce take away muscle pain? Here’s my best answer. God created our bodies. He created them to heal themselves. If you've ever had a broken bone, you've seen this play out. As long as it is not displaced, it will heal itself! Its not medicine or even the cast that heals a broken bone. Your body does that on its own! That is how our Creator designed it. He also gave us, in nature, everything we need to take care of our sick bodies. If you get a rash or poison ivy, chances are, there is something IN YOUR OWN YARD that you could use to help your body heal itself. It's like you are helping your body by giving it the raw materials it needs to do the repairs, but it is the body that is doing the work. Many oils are antibacterial, anti-fungal, and/or anti-viral. Frankincense and Oregano can effectively kill MRSA. It usually takes high powered antibiotics to kill it and then you have to deal with the side effects of the antibiotics including yeast infections, which are common, plus it disrupts the natural flora in your gut which sets you up for digestive problems down the road. 

Mint

Did you know that much of pharmaceutical research is the study of these plants with medicinal properties? Scientists determine which compounds in the plants are effective in fighting diseases, and they synthetically produce that compound in a lab. The problem is that they only use one or a few of the compounds, not the hundreds that are present in the plants. They are LESS effective with MORE side effects. You see, in order to get a patent on their new drug, they have to make it ‘different’ in some way. Unfortunately for them, they can’t patent a lavender plant. (well, Monsanto has figured out a way to patent life, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.) Long story short, they synthesize one of these compounds, get a patent on it, and make zillions of dollars (give or take). Who cares if there is a list of 'possible' side effects three pages long? Not them. They are busy spending all that hard earned money and developing the next big thing. I'm sorry if I sound cynical, but the truth is, I am. America spends more money on healthcare (more like symptom management in my opinion) than any other nation in the world, but ranks 33rd on Bloomberg's list of healthiest countries. As a nation, we need to wake up and realize that what we are doing is NOT working! 

Lavender

I'm sensitive to fragrances. Can I still use essential oils?

The answer is most likely yes. I've read a good bit about this as I know several people, including myself, who are sensitive to fragrances. When a person is sensitive to fragrances  99% of the time they are reacting to the synthetic ingredients in the fragrances. I know one person who, if she goes into a bath and body store, will get a nose bleed. I didn't believe it until I saw it happen. I know others who get migraines. I don't get migraines, but I do get headaches and often feel sick after being exposed to perfumes. HERE is where I talked about all the dangerous chemicals in fragrances.

Most people are able to tolerate essential oils just fine. In fact, they can use them to TREAT the headache they got from the synthetic fragrances. If smelling a rose doesn't give you a headache, rose essential oil would not cause one. If you don't have a reaction to the freshly peeled orange I mentioned earlier, you would do fine with Wild Orange essential oil.

There are some people who have allergies to certain plants, but can still use the essential oils, because they don't contain the proteins that our bodies react to. An example of this is if you were allergic to cilantro, you MIGHT be able to use cilantro essential oil. In some cases that is not true though, so you may have to put it to the test.

Sometimes with 'allergies' it may not be an allergy to a SPECIFIC tree or plant, but just the high amounts of pollen can be irritating. Allergies to essential oils are virtually unheard of. Some with extremely sensitive skin might need to use extra caution in diluting, but should be able to use most oils without a problem. Some oils are considered 'hot' and should ALWAYS be diluted, even if you don't have sensitive skin. Cinnamon is an example of a hot oil.

How do you use them?

There are three different ways essential oils can be used.

1.      Topically- Simply mix a drop of the EO in a carrier oil such as coconut or olive oil and rub it on your neck, chest, feet, or stomach depending on the desired effect. It quickly absorbs into your skin and is circulated throughout your body within a few minutes. Often with acute issues the oils can work within minutes. Other times it takes longer or multiple applications. You can apply most oils as often as needed.

2.      Aromatically- To use an EO this way, you can put a drop of the oil in the palm of your hand, rub your hands together and cup them over your nose and inhale. In the case of peppermint or wintergreen you can feel your chest and entire respiratory tract open up immediately. It is very invigorating. EOs can also be diffused in a diffuser which allows exposure to the oil over a longer period of time. People often use one beside their bed at night with their favorite restful oil such as lavender, or use a blend like On Guard to build their immune system.

3.      Internally- This is somewhat controversial. Not everyone agrees that it is safe to ingest oils, so please do your own research on this. If you are considering taking an oil internally it is IMPERATIVE that you use ONLY the very best oils available. Cheaper oils are likely not 100% pure (even if the label says 100% pure it can actually contain other additives and still be within the FDA guidelines) I have used a few oils internally, but am still very cautious about this. Even though the oils are SAFE, they are POWERFUL and should be treated with respect.

Clary Sage

Why would I bother with essential oils when I can just go to the doctor and get a prescription?

There are two MAIN reasons:

1.      In the long run, it is more cost efficient. As I said earlier, doctor’s visits aren’t cheap. Although the cost of the EOs is an investment up front, the cost per use is only pennies.

2.      It’s safer. You DO need to be careful with EOs. Not all oils are safe for children or pregnant women (but most of them are) and you don’t want to over use them. They do not have the negative side effects associated with pharmaceutical drugs. Again, make sure you are using only HIGH QUALITY oils where the company used third party testing to verify purity.

In 2009 more people died from prescription drugs than from traffic accidents. If you are interested in learning more about this, I recommend THIS article. Some articles I've read cite as many as 750,000 people dying EVERY YEAR from PROPERLY PRESCRIBED prescription drugs. This is not people who are abusing drugs or accidental overdoses. This is people who die from the drugs or complications from PROPERLY PRESCRIBED drugs. I know I said that twice, but I wanted to make sure you saw it. It is truly mind boggling. I've been accused of believing everything I read online. It is NOT true. I do my best to get back to the original sources of these seemingly outlandish claims and often they really are true! Believe me, I wish it wasn't true. It is inconvenient to go against the flow, but once you KNOW something you can't pretend you don't, especially when the health and well-being of your most beloved ones is at stake. 

Are they expensive?

Yes, and no. I say yes because I know that most us work hard for our money and there is often not much month left at the end of the paycheck. There never seems to be enough for all the things we “need” or want. When you are talking about making an investment of a couple hundred dollars (or more) that causes a lot of people to think twice. Especially if you have to pay tuition for dance class or buy new soccer shoes, or for some reason last year’s jeans don’t seem to fit your kids anymore, and there is another youth retreat at church, and your husband needs another car, and you need tires for yours, and someone you love needs your help, and the dishwasher is making a funny sound. I get it. TRUST ME, I get it.

But there is a flip side to the coin. It is also expensive to run to the doctor every time you get a sore throat. I remember ten years ago when everyone had insurance with a co-pay. If you were “lucky” yours was $10. If you weren't, it was $25. Then for prescriptions you paid like $10 for brand name or $5 for generic. I HOPE YOU still have insurance like that, but nobody I know does. We all have high deductible policies. That means the first several thousand dollars are paid out of pocket and then insurance will graciously step in and start paying 80% for the rest of the calendar year. For us, an office visit costs $86, and our pediatrician almost always does blood work, which is another $50, and then, if they figure out the problem, they prescribe something that might cost another $50. It is VERY realistic to say that one doctor visit for us will cost $150. Needless to say, we don’t run to the doctor every time someone in my house sneezes or has a funny colored BM. In our circle, people often complain about the price of organic produce. My husband and I have a saying. "You're going to pay the FARMER or pay the DOCTOR. Either way, you ARE going to pay, and we'd rather pay the FARMER!" Don't get me wrong. I don't hate doctors and I think you should PAY them when you go to them... but the point is this. You can either pay money up front to PREVENT illness, or you can pay it on the other side for TREATMENT. The fact is, you will either take measures to keep your body healthy or pay to fix it. The only way to get out of paying is to grow your own organic produce, which is a completely valid option, one that we are experimenting with. So far that hasn't been cheap either. The concept of paying the farmer vs. the doctor holds true wit essential oils. You can either pay up front to have natural 'medicine' that your family can use for headaches, backaches, and stomaches, or you can wait until you get a headache, backache, or stomachache and run to the doctor or pharmacy. We all make that choice. 

Now that I've told you everything you already know about how expensive it is to go to the doctor, I’ll tell you what you can do about it. Spend some time reading about which essential oils can be used to help with those common illnesses and invest in them BEFORE you need them! It is not going to do you one bit of good if you KNOW that peppermint is great to use on an upset stomach and that lavender essential oil can help you sleep and/or treat allergies if you don’t have them on hand when you need them.

There is another way to look at it. A 15ml bottle of essential oil will have about 280 drops. This varies a little as some oils are thicker than others, but that’s a good average. Because we've been talking about peppermint, I’ll use it as an example. A drop of peppermint, if you are a preferred member, is .07. That is seven cents! One drop is all you need if you are using it to relieve a headache, an upset stomach, or a sore throat. Maybe not one drop TOTAL, but one drop at a time. You might use it three or four times in a day. I’m pretty sure even the store brand of acetaminophen is more expensive than that.

If you are interested in purchasing some oils to have on hand for these common types of ailments, I highly recommend thes ten common, versatile oils that will address most of the ‘normal’ health issues a family might deal with.

They are:

Frankincense- One of the most precious essential oils of the ancient world. It can be used to help calm stress and tension. It is an immune system builder. It helps with pain. It is used for so many things it could have an entire series of blog posts devoted entirely to it. The saying goes, “When in doubt, use frankincense.”

Lavender- is often used on skin irritations including cuts and scratches, as well as bruises. It is known to be very relaxing and is often used for insomnia or on children who don’t sleep well at night.

Lemon- is wonderful to clean with. It is a natural disinfectant, neutralizes odors, and is an antioxidant and detoxifier.

Peppermint- can be used for respiratory issues. It can be also be used for headaches and stress. It is invigorating, so it makes a great afternoon pick-me-up.

Melaleuca- is used for first aid. It can be used daily for acne (so can lavender). It is anti-fungal and can be used on toenails or other fungal infections.

Oregano- is useful for immune support. You can use it as a preventative to keep from getting sick, or use when you are to aid in a faster recovery.

Pain Blend- is a blend of oils that is used for pain. It is good for sore muscles and joint pain. Some also find relief from headaches with this blend.

Respiratory blend. It is applied topically to the chest or feet for all kinds of respiratory problems including allergies, congestion, sinus issues.

Digestive blend. You can use it for nausea, motion sickness, diarrhea, constipation, heartburn and indigestion. Apply it directly to the chest or stomach.

Protective blend- is a blend of oils used to protect AGAINST illness. It is recommended to apply to feet daily for immune support.

It is possible to replace everything in your medicine cabinet with essential oils or other natural, healthy products. Start with one thing at at time, and when you look back a year from now you will be amazed at how many small things you have done to start making better, more informed, choices for your family.

Where can I purchase essential oils?

Contact me for more information on the oils I use. I'd love to share  how to find the purest, most potent oils available on the market today.

Lemon

Where can I learn more?

I highly recommend a good reference book. There are many available, but the BEST one I have found is this one. It lists each essential oil and gives information about what it can be used for and how to use them. The second half of the book lists symptoms that you look up alphabetically and it gives lists of oils in order of effectiveness to deal with that particular issue.

I hope you have found this post useful. There is so much information available about oils and, like a lot of other things, it can feel like the more you read, the less you know. 

Please share your experiences with essential oils in the comments. Also, if you have questions, leave them in the comments and we will answer them.

Kristy~