Essential Oils

Essential oils are compounds extracted from plants. The oils capture the plant's scent and flavour, or "essence”. Unique aromatic compounds give each essential oil its characteristic essence. Essential oils are obtained through distillation (via steam and/or water) or mechanical methods, such as cold pressing. Once the aromatic chemicals have been extracted, they are combined with carrier oil to create a product that's ready for use. How the oils are made is important, as essential oils obtained through chemical processes are not considered authentic, pure oils.

Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts that retain the natural smell and flavour, or "essence," of their source. Essential oils are highly concentrated versions of natural, volatile oils. These oils are extracted from the plants by distillation, which is done by water or steam from the plant's bark, flowers, stems, leaves, and roots. Following distillation, the product is a highly concentrated extract of the plant’s volatile oils—an essential oil—with many of the beneficial properties and fragrance of the plant it was extracted from. Essential oils have been used throughout many cultures in human history, often for their positive effects on the body, mind, and spirit. Aromatherapy is the most common therapeutic application of many essential oils, where beneficial effects are imparted or achieved through the aromas of those essential oils. Historical records of essential oil use date back to the ancient Chinese and Egyptians. While the exact year the Egyptians started using aromatic herbs and aromatherapy isn’t known, evidence traces it back to around 3500 BC. The temple of Isis, located on the island of Philae, even had a sacred room for a cleansing ritual involving essential oils. The Bible has almost 200 references to essential oils, like spikenard, hyssop, rosemary, myrrh, and frankincense. The Book of Exodus has a recipe for holy anointing oil, and in the New Testament, three wise men gifted the Christ child myrrh and frankincense.
Interestingly, and maybe for these reasons, spikenard is found in our Relieve MONQ blend. Over three thousand years later, the ancient Greeks also took advantage of essential oils' benefits. For instance, Hippocrates used them in the treatment of his patients. More recently, essential oils became increasingly used in massage therapy in the 1950s and became a more significant part of holistic treatment regimes beginning in the 1970s.

Essential oils are most commonly used in the practice of aromatherapy, in which they are inhaled through various methods. Essential oils are not meant to be swallowed. The chemicals in essential oils can interact with your body in several ways. When applied to your skin, plant chemicals are absorbed. It's thought that specific application methods can improve absorption, such as using heat or applying it to different body areas. Inhaling the aromas from essential oils can stimulate areas of your limbic system, which is a part of your brain that plays a role in emotions, behaviours, sense of smell, and long-term memory.
Interestingly, the limbic system is heavily involved in forming memories. This can partly explain why familiar smells can trigger memories or emotions. The limbic system also controls several unconscious physiological functions, such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. As such, some people claim that essential oils can physically affect your body. However, this has yet to be confirmed in studies.

Essential oils can be inhaled or diluted and applied to the skin. They may stimulate your sense of smell or have medicinal effects when absorbed. Make sure they are diluted, usually with vegetable oils, creams or bath gels. Your solution should only be 1% to 5% of the essential oil. Only use them on certain parts of your body. The best places to rub essential oils are your arms and legs. Avoid placing it inside your mouth, nose or eyes. Don’t keep essential oils for more than three years. Older oils are more likely to be spoiled and may not work. They could also irritate your skin or cause an allergic reaction. Stop using them if you develop a rash, little bumps boils, or just itchy skin and don’t use essential oils on damaged skin as it could cause unwanted skin reactions. Consider age when using essential oils. Young children and older adults may be more sensitive to them. Don’t use essential oils on a baby unless your paediatrician says it’s okay. Avoid using if you are pregnant. Some essential oils may make their way into the placenta. It’s unclear if this causes any problems unless taken in toxic amounts, but to be safe, it’s best to avoid it if you’re pregnant. Don’t overdo It. More of a good thing is not always good. Even when diluted, essential oil can cause a bad reaction if you use it too much or too often.

There are more than 90 essential oils, each with its unique smell and potential health benefits. Here's a list of 10 popular essential oils and the health claims associated with them:
Peppermint: used to boost energy and aid digestion
Lavender: used to relieve stress
Sandalwood: used to calm nerves and help with focus
Bergamot: used to reduce stress and improve skin conditions like eczema
Rose: used to improve mood and reduce anxiety
Chamomile: used to improve mood and relaxation
Ylang-Ylang: used to treat headaches, nausea, and skin conditions
Tea Tree: used to fight infections and boost immunity
Jasmine: used to help with depression, childbirth, and libido
Lemon: used to aid digestion, mood, headaches, and more

The amount of plant material needed for essential oil production does drive the price up, but their durability, when properly stored, makes them an investment over time. Essential oils are stored inside dark glass bottles, kept in a cool, dry place. When this is followed, most last for years.

It has been estimated that 43% of people with stress and anxiety use some form of alternative therapy to help relieve their symptoms.

Regarding aromatherapy, initial studies have been quite positive. Many have shown that the smell of some essential oils can work alongside traditional therapy to treat anxiety and stress.
However, due to the scents of the compounds, it's hard to conduct controlled studies and rule out biases. Thus, many reviews on the stress- an’ stress- and anxiety-relieving effects have been inconclusive.

Interestingly, using essential oils during a massage may help relieve stress, although the effects may only last during the massage.

A recent review of over 201 studies found that only ten were robust enough to analyse. It also concluded that aromatherapy was ineffective at treating anxiety (15Trusted Source).

In the '90s, two small studies found that dabbing a peppermint oil and ethanol blend on participants' foreheads and temples relieved headache pain (16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source).

Recent studies have also observed reduced headache pain after applying peppermint and lavender oil to the skin (18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source).

It has been suggested that applying a mixture of chamomile and sesame oil to the temples may treat headaches and migraines. This is a traditional Persian headache remedy (20Trusted Source).

However, more high-quality studies are needed.

Smelling lavender oil has improved women's sleep quality after childbirth and in patients with heart disease (21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source).
One review examined 15 studies on essential oils and sleep. Most studies showed that smelling the oils — mostly lavender oil — positively affected sleep habits (23Trusted Source).

It has been suggested that essential oils may help fight inflammatory conditions. Some test-tube studies show they have anti-inflammatory effects (24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source).

One mouse study found that combining thyme and oregano essential oils helped induce colitis remission. Two rat studies on caraway and rosemary oils found similar results (26Trusted Source, 27Trusted Source, 28Trusted Source).

However, very few human studies have examined the effects of these oils on inflammatory diseases. Therefore, their effectiveness and safety are unknown (29Trusted Source, 30Trusted Source).

The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has renewed interest in the search for other compounds that can fight bacterial infections.

Test-tube studies have investigated essential oils, such as peppermint and tea tree oil, extensively for their antimicrobial effects, observing some positive results (31Trusted Source, 32Trusted Source, 33Trusted Source, 34Trusted Source, 35Trusted Source, 36Trusted Source, 37Trusted Source, 38Trusted Source, 39Trusted Source).

However, while these test-tube study results are interesting, they do not necessarily reflect these oils' effects on your body. They don't prove that essential oil could treat human bacterial infections.

SUMMARY: Essential oils may have some exciting health applications. However, more research is needed in humans.

Essential oils have many uses outside of aromatherapy.

Many use them to scent their homes or freshen up things like laundry.

They are also used as a natural scent in homemade cosmetics and high-quality natural products.

Moreover, it has been suggested that essential oils could provide a safe and environmentally friendly alternative to artificial mosquito repellents, such as DEET.

However, results regarding their effectiveness have been mixed.

Studies have shown that some oils, such as citronella, may repel certain mosquitoes for around 2 hours. Protection time may be extended up to 3 hours when it’s used in combination with vanillin.

Furthermore, the properties of essential oils indicate that some of them could be used industrially to extend the shelf life of foods (39Trusted Source, 40Trusted Source, 41Trusted Source, 42Trusted Source).

SUMMARY: Aromatherapy isn't the only use for essential oils. They can be used in and around the home, as a natural mosquito repellent, or industrially to make cosmetics.

Just because something is natural doesn't mean it's safe. Plants and herbal products contain many bioactive compounds that may harm your health, and essential oils are no different.

However, when inhaled or combined with a base oil for use on your skin, most essential oils are considered safe. Be sure to consider others in your environment who inhale the aroma, including pregnant women, children, and pets.

Nevertheless, they may cause some side effects, including (44Trusted Source):

- rashes

- asthma attacks

- headaches

- allergic reactions

While the most common side effect is a rash, essential oils can cause more severe reactions, and they have been associated with one case of death (45Trusted Source).

The oils most commonly associated with adverse reactions are lavender, peppermint, tea tree, and ylang-ylang.

Oils that are high in phenols, such as cinnamon, can cause skin irritation and shouldn't be used on the skin without being combined with a base oil. Meanwhile, essential oils from citrus fruits increase the skin’s reaction to sunlight, and burns can occur.

Swallowing essential oils is not recommended, as doing so could be harmful and, in some doses, fatal (46Trusted Source, 47Trusted Source).

Very few studies have examined the safety of these oils for pregnant or breastfeeding women, who are usually advised to avoid them (48Trusted Source, 49Trusted Source, 50Trusted Source, 51Trusted Source, 52Trusted Source).

SUMMARY: Essential oils are generally considered safe. However, they may cause serious side effects for some people, mainly if applied directly to the skin or ingested.

Essential oils are considered safe to inhale or apply to the skin if combined with a base oil. They should not be eaten.

However, evidence supporting many of their associated health claims is lacking, and their effectiveness is often exaggerated.

For minor health problems, using essential oils as a complementary therapy is likely harmless.

However, if you have a serious health condition or are taking medication, you should discuss its use with your healthcare practitioner.

Written by Helen West, RD (UK) on September 30, 2019