“Let’s start from the very beginning, a very good place to start…”
When researching essential oils, there is a plethora of information out there! I remember being completely overwhelmed trying to sift through all of the marketing, the slogans, the claims and the research. So many people are introduced to essential oils through Pinterest or a blog talking about products you can make with essential oils–but they have no idea what they are, or how to use them. Since they are usually introduced to them as yet another product to purchase, it can make them seem pricey and like just another gimmick to buy. Because this series is focused on how you can use essential oils to save money and live healthier, I thought it wise to start at the beginning, so that later, you have a good understanding of what we are talking about.
What are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are the highly concentrated essences of plants, trees, herbs, shrubs, grasses, etc. They can be resins or liquids, and come in different colors and textures. Many people hear essential oils and think of traditional oils, like olive oil or canola oil. In reality, essential oils are very different. They are not oily like those, because they are the essence of the plant. Essential oils are like the blood of a plant. They are essential for all of the vital processes within the plant. If a plant is damaged or broken, essential oils are the plant’s immune response–oils rush to the site of the wound, to heal, protect and cover the damage. They are vital to the functioning of the plant–without them, the plant would die. Essential oils are very potent–up to 10,000 times more concentrated and powerful than the herbs and plants they are from. Carrier oils are different–these would be oils like grapeseed, coconut oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, and olive oil–and do not have the healing properties of an essential oils.
How are Essential Oils made?
Essential oils have been around for thousands of years. The Romans, Chinese, Egyptians, Greeks and more all have used essential oils for medicines, for beauty, for cooking and more. The way they are made can vary slightly from plant to plant, based on the nature of the plant itself. It also matters who produced the oil–some companies take steps to ensure their quality with a slower, safer production method, while others cut corners to produce products faster. (Knowing the source of the plant and production is key to getting a quality oil–don’t just trust what their marketing says!) While it varies from plant to plant, in general the process is one of steam distillation: the plants are picked at peak time for oils, and then placed in a large vat where steam is pushed up into them, which releases the essential oils from the plant. These oils drip down and are collected at the bottom of the vat. As you can imagine, it takes a large amount of plants to produce a small amount of oil. For example, it can take 60,000 roses to make just one ounce of rose essential oil! Like I said earlier, pure essential oils are highly concentrated!
How do they work?
This is a complicated answer with a lot of chemistry involved, but I will try to give an easy to understand answer. In plants, essential oils circulate through the plant tissues and they pass through the cell walls, carrying in nutrients and carrying out waste products. In humans, they act in a similar way–they carry oxygen to the cells, empty out the toxins and the junk, and increase our ability to use vitamins. Essential oils can also act like hormones, to help restore balance to our body’s systems. They also speed the healing process within our bodies and offer additional immune support. The chemical composition of essential oils are very similar to our cells, allowing them to pass through biological barriers and blend with our body quickly and naturally. On average, each essential oil contains over 100 medicinal components.
What is the research behind them?
Good question! I am a skeptic at heart myself, and I like cold, hard science before I jump on board. First, there is the research of thousands of years of use in ancient and modern cultures. I am one who likes to look back and what we would have used in our great-grandmother’s day, and see what worked readily back then. Then I look up the modern day research to see how it compares. The good news is, there are literally thousands of research studies that have been done or are currently being done with essential oils. You can find information about their effectiveness in those studies, and in news articles like in the New York Times. I am not one to just believe a lot of hype, and I think it is important to not believe every claim ever made about any product. I frequently look up the medical research to find what is supported through the research–and what isn’t. Because on this wide world we call the Interwebz, there is a lot of hyped up claims about all kinds of things. The good thing is that there IS a solid body of evidence that we can turn to. Here are just a few of the thousands of studies you can find on PubMed and elsewhere:
- Antibiotic activity of Lemon and Cinnamon essential oils
- Anti-inflammatory properties of Frankincense
- Lavender oil in the treatment of migraine headaches
- Peppermint Oil in the treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
I could go on, but I’ll spare you–this is just a short selection. There’s a TON of research out there, and more in the works every day!
Stay Tuned for Part Two…
Whew! Is your head spinning yet? I hope this is helping. I am going to stop here, and tomorrow we will continue with Part Two of The Basics, where I will go more into the ways to use essential oils in your day to day life. In the meantime, if you want to learn more about essential oils, here are a few other resources you can check out:
- Our Naturally Frugal Essential Oils group on Facebook, where we share questions and testimonies about our experiences
- This post talks about why I chose Young Living essential oils, and how you can order them for yourself–and save 24% when you do!
- My 14 day FREE ecourse on essential oils is full of great information to help you get started!
