Everything You Need to Know About Essential Oils
Essential oils have recently received a lot of buzz in treating certain health issues, anxiety, mood swings, acne, headache, and sleep disorders.
But, do these oils really work? Absolutely!
Essential oils can have a positive impact on our health and well-being as long as we use them safely.
In this guide, you will learn about the amazing benefits.
Table of Content
- What are essential oils?
- Types of essential oils
- Uses of essential oils
- Different ways to use essential oils
- Essential oils benefits for skin
- Benefits of essential oils for sleep
- Essential oils benefits for hair
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are unique aromatic compounds extracted from concentrated plants that can sustain natural characteristics. It includes odour, scent and flavour, and smell while keeping the essence of the natural source.
The extraction of these aromatic oils is done in various ways. Two of the most renowned ways in Pakistan are distillation which includes steam and cold-pressing mechanical method.
In distillation, water or hot steam is passed through the plants to pull aromatic compounds away from the plant matter.
While cold pressing or squeezing plant matter is done in such a way as to release essential oils or juices. You can smell the fresh scent of lemon after squeezing a lemon peel to get the idea of cold pressing.
Extraction of these oils should never be done through chemical processes otherwise they won't be considered pure and organic.
Once the extraction is done, carrier oil is used to add in these aromatic compounds to produce ready to use oils.
Types Of Essential Oils
There are above 90 essential oils available in the market each with a unique smell and potential health benefits. Some of them are listed below:
- Bergamot: Cast-off to recover skin disorders such as eczema and also decrease stress
- Chamomile: enhances mood and relaxation
- Jasmine: helps with depression, childbirth, and libido
- Lavender: relieves stress and mood disorders
- Lemon: aids in digestion, mood, headaches, and more
- Peppermint: boosts energy and aids in digestion
- Rose: improves mood and reduces anxiety
- Sandalwood: calms nerves and helps with focus
- Tea Tree: fights infections and boosts immunity
- Ylang-Ylang: hands down to treat unsettled stomach, pains, and skin disorders
Uses Of Essential Oils
Many natural medicine professionals use essential oils in Aromatherapy - diffusion of oils into the air.
Other than aromatherapy, their uses are limitless. Most people use organic oils to scent their rooms, kitchens, or bathrooms or freshen up other things such as laundry.
In the cosmetics and makeup industry, they are used to make perfumes, add facial cream and shower gel scents, and are used as a source of natural antioxidants in fascinating beauty products.
Essential oils are also used by most of the people who prepare homemade cosmetics and qualitative natural products.
Many studies advocate that these aromatic oils could repel mosquitoes for up to two hours. You can increase the number of hours when you mix organic oils with vanillin.
Inhaling some organic oils can relieve nasal congestion or shortness of breath.
In addition to inhaling them, you can also massage essential oils and carrier oils into the skin together to deliver active compounds to the body.
Furthermore, they also have industrial benefits for prolonging the shelf life of foods.
Different Ways To Use Essential Oils
Three are the most common ways to apply the essential oils: Aromatic, Topical, and Internal.
1. Aromatically through smell
The aromatic use of essential oils is the most effective and easiest way if you have the applying trick then you can experience the organic aroma of natural oil.
Three of the most common ways to use essentials oil aromatically while having the fragrance essence include:
- Spreading of droplets to hands and then inhale the essence
- Then comes a diffusing of your cherished fragrance as an essential oil diffuser
- Finally, you can wear a personal fragrance using perfumes or body mist.
2. Topically over the skinÂ
It should be done with a barrier substance that could allow the oil absorption into the spotted area of the skin. Never mix water into essential oil as a barrier substance, rather opt for oil, lotion or aloe jelly.
Well, some ways to use them include:
- Applying directed areas of skin and rubbing it thoroughly.
- Adding to moisturizers or lotions as a barrier to toxicities.
- Doing a proper massage.
3. Internally ingesting
Using essential oils internally means going beyond your skin for ingesting purposes to have particular benefits over directed organs. As essential oils are safer for internal use – with no doubt – try the following ways:
- Add a glass of water into essential oil
- Take in a veggie capsule, if possible
- Or just put a drop under your tongue
Essential Oils Benefits For Skin
1. Protects from scars and acne
Essential oils are rich in natural ingredients and herbs and are well known for bringing benefits and grey solutions to keep skincare problems at bay.
It helps to reduce the scars and stretch marks that cause flaws in your beauty.
Besides this, it also helps reducing ageing signs including wrinkles and fine lines.
Finally, it helps tighten skin, repair skin pores and prevent tanning.
2. Diminishes itchiness
Itching and irritation can cause a rash on even smooth skins. You can opt for tea tree oil and get a treatment using this oil to overcome itching sensations and other redness problems.
Not only it will help to prevent acne as it suppresses the production of sebum but it also provides natural nutrients to your skin.
Tea tree oil is particularly suitable for resolving skin disorders – atopic dermatitis, for example.
3. Smoothens the skin
They tend to leave the skin feeling calm and comfortable and help restore skin disorders.
Ingredients such as lavender, orange and lemon, known for bactericidal and perfumed action and are perfect for de-stressed skincare routines.
Moreover, they also help the skin to bring the natural glow with a pleasant scent.
4. Improves skin texture
Climate change makes it difficult to fix skincare routines that can lead to skin texture changes and other disorders. Oils like bergamot and lemon help lighten the skin and improve its texture as they have citrus properties that could emit a brilliant light.
Essential Oils Benefits For Sleep
Calming and much more relaxing benefits come up with the essential oil for sleep. Let us see some of them.
1. Controls anxiety levels
Some clinical trials tested the influence of these oils for skin resistance benefits. Inhalation of the aroma can reduce anxiety, lowers the stress level, improves mood and can help to relieve the fear of postpartum depression.
2. Helps fight insomnia
Some studies have shown that essential oils contribute to preventing insomnia, improve the sleeping period and quality in young and older people.
3. Helps you relax
Essential oils are rich in liningol and lainyl acetate; both compounds have relaxing properties. These oils can be diffused in the bedroom to create a peaceful environment before going to bed. Ingesting them internally can also reassure the nervous system and promote relaxation that consequently leads to a relaxed sleep.
4. Controls heart rate
Many people know about the properties of fruits and oils such as lemon, but the essential oil has different effects. In fact, it helps to slow down the heart rate, lowering blood pressure and reducing the feeling of anxiety. It is no wonder it is also used to improve sleeping quality.
Essential Oils Benefits For Hair
- Almond oil - is best known for soothing and moisturizing the scalp.
- Cedar oil - promotes hair growth and arouses the scalp.
- Chamomile oil - adds lustre and softness to the hair and relaxes the scalp.
- Sage oil - promotes hair growth and fuels the scalp.
- Coconut oil - moisturizes hair.
- Geranium oil - strengthens hair.
- Jojoba oil - soothes the irritating scalp.
- Lavender oil - provides deep hair conditioning to maintain lustre and help manage dandruff.
- Moroccan Argan Oil - hydrates and nourishes the hair and provides antioxidants.
- Rosemary oil - stimulates roots, improves hair growth and increases scalp circulation.
- Sandalwood oil - helps dry hair and adds fragrance to it.
- Aloe vera essential oil: Treat damaged hair, dandruff, thinning of hair, and acts as a good hair mask.
Play It Safe
Just because you see the product is organic, does not mean it is free from chemicals, read the instructions on the product carefully.
If the product is USDA certified, non-GMO, and cold-pressed, then it's 100% organic and you can buy it.
At Organico, we only sell non-GMO, cold-pressed organic oils that are chemicals free and made from natural plant extracts.
Remember, that essential oils have a pungent smell and sometimes cause irritation when you rub them over your skin, so don't panic.
And, before starting any treatment consult with a certified aromatherapist or dermatologist.