Essential Oils history and facts

Since remote times, essential oils have been known and used by different cultures and fortunately, today we can still enjoy its many benefits.

Cultures like ancient Greece and Egyptian produced essential oils at that times and both were conscious about their therapeutic, aesthetic and culinary properties.

According to some records from the 17th and 18th centuries, when pests, cholera and epidemics appeared, perfumers of that time were the people less affected by these diseases, because they used to work with pure essential oils in their day to day. As a matter of fact, the antiseptic properties of essential oils were demonstrated thanks to these unfortunate events.

Later, in the contemporary era, at the beginning of the 20th century, the French chemical engineer Rene Maurice Gattefosse, in 1937, elaborated “Aromatherapy”, the first treatise that talks about the therapeutic benefits of essential oils.

Due to the strong passion that he felt for millenary traditions, which he called “The forgotten technology”, positioned him as the founder of aromatherapy.

In fact, modern aromatherapy reborn thanks to lavender essential oil, when Gattefossé burned his hand and used this essential oil to heal himself.

Gattefosse was completely clear about the healing and antiseptic properties of these pure oils, and he also knew that they were superior to synthetic equivalents available at the time.

His French colleague, Dr. Valnet, contributed to the investigation giving his own testimony, since when performing surgeries during the Second World War, he used essential oils, especially considering that medical supplies were extremely scarce for the time.

Oils were a great help for injured healing.

At present, France and Great Britain are pioneers in the training of health professionals and therapists in the field of aromatherapy.

Mainly therapies with essential oils include ailments and conditions such as viral infections, respiratory infections, insomnia and depression, among many others.

How are Essential Oils obtained from nature?

Essential oils can appear throughout the plant or in one or several parts of it. They are in the roots, wood, resin, leaves, flowers, fruits or berries.

Most essential oils are obtained through the process of steam distillation and cold pressure (also called extraction).

Before meeting the stream distillation technique, the extraction process was used for centuries.

However, the cold pressure process is the optimal way to obtain a liquid that represents the pure essence of the plant and that will make us enjoy its properties 100%.

It is also possible to synthesize them and get as result essential oils artificially. This is a common practice to reduce production costs and earn cheaper sale prices for the consumer. Synthesized oils unlike pure essential oils have no therapeutic property, so they are useless in any disorder or disease.

Anyways, it is always advisable to get as much information as possible about the manufacturers of essential oils before buying.

How to use Essential Oils?

There are several ways in which essential oils can be used on a day-to-day basis. However, the most important, is that in all these different ways of application, we will get the benefits of the therapeutic properties of essential oils.

Essential oils can be used in the following ways:

Air freshening
Bathing
Compresses
In facial creams and body lotions
Floral waters
Foot and hand baths
Hair care
Jacuzzis
Massage
Saunas
Showers
Sitz bath
Steam inhalations
Vaporization / Diffusing

How are Essential Oils applied?

Air freshening

We can easily and cost effectively freshen the air in any room, and choose from a variety of fragrances available, there are literally hundreds of oils to choose from.

Our room will not only smell great by pure natural oils extracted from botanical material, but we will also benefit from the therapeutic effects intrinsic to the oils.

To use essential oils as an air freshener simply do the following Air freshening with essential oils:

Take a clean plastic spray bottle (used for spraying plants) and half fill it with clean water. You may wish to use filtered or bottled water, to ensure that no contaminants are in the water.
Add 8 – 10 drops of a refreshing and uplifting essential oil to the water and shake well.
When you need to perk up a room, shake the bottle and give the room a couple of quick sprays, but make sure not to spray near polished furniture, as the essential oils can damage the polished surface.
Store the bottle in a dark cool area.

Remove cigarette smoke spray

Mix and use a combination of 3 drops rosemary essential oil, 3 drops tea tree oil and 5 drops of eucalyptus in the water spray method explained above.

Remove cooking smell spray Air freshening with essential oils

Mix and use a combination of 3 drops peppermint essential oil, 3 drops lavender and 4 drops clary sage in the water spray method explained above.

Bathing

You can have a nice time in your warm bath environment with water at about 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit (21 to 27 degrees Celsius) while listening to your favorite music. Add a total of about 6 – 7 drops of any, or a mixture of the following oils:

Peppermint
Petitgrain
Rosemary
Fennel
Clary sage
Black pepper
Jasmine

Relaxing bath

The bathwater should be around 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (35 to 38 degrees Celsius) and you could add some bubble bath to create the sensation of being touched when getting into the water. Instead of a harsh electric light, the softer light of a couple of candles will also make the world look a lot better.

Ensure that the oils are mixed in the water, and not floating on the bubbles, since this could irritate your skin.

If you could surround yourself with your favorite singer it will help greatly to cheer you up, but stay away from too sentimental or sad songs, since you need to center yourself. Your bath may take about twenty minutes. Also, a good idea is unplug your phone.

When the bathwater is ready add a total of about 6 – 7 drops of any, or a mixture of the following oils:

Soothe the painful muscles

To help relax the muscles, try to keep the bathwater a little cooler than you normally would. Between 98 and 99 degrees Fahrenheit (around 37 degrees Celsius) is a good alternative. Then, when you are inside the bathtub, add a little hot water to raise the temperature and make it a bit warmer.

It is not necessary to lower the lighting. However, to avoid needing to get out of the bathtub just when your muscles are relaxing, maybe disconnecting the phone is a great idea.

When the bathwater is prepared add a total of about 6 – 7 drops of any, or a mixture of the following oils:

Basil
Neroli
Black pepper
Rosemary
Ginger
Marjoram

Romantic evening bathing

Depending on the day you had, decide if a cooler bath will make you relax, or increase the temperature if you feel you need a warmer bath.

To get yourself in the mood, set the stage with a couple of candles and light soft sensuous music. If your partner can join you in the bath, and the bath is big enough, it might be an idea to have a shared bath.

When the bathwater is ready, add a total of about 6 – 7 drops of any, or a mixture of the following oils:

To make the bath even more romantic you could scatter a couple of rose petals on the water.

Deep sleep Bathing

When you want to do nothing else than simply have a good bath, and crawl into bed, it might be a good idea to have a quick shower to wash and take care of the hygiene, and then get into your relaxing bath for at least ten minutes.

Here you may want to get the water temperature between 98 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit (37 to 41 degrees Celsius) in which you can stay for about 15 minutes.

When the bathwater is ready add a total of about 6 – 7 drops of any, or a mixture of the following oils:

Please take note that some of these baths described above may be too hot for you, since it may increase your blood pressure. If in doubt, please consult your licensed medical practitioner.

Adding essential oils to your bath

Since essential oils can irritate the skin and mucus membranes, you can first dilute the essential oil in a suitable carrier oil (or a little bit of shampoo) before adding it to your bath.

Bathing with essential oils must be one of the most relaxing ways to attend to your ablutions, and adding soft candlelight to soothe your frayed nerves at the end of a busy day, is a great way to unwind.

You would normally add about 7 drops of essential oils to a bath, but as stated above, if you have a sensitive skin, or have not tried a particular oil, rather first mix the essential oil to a carrier oil or a small amount of shampoo and then add it to your bath.

If you have a sensitive skin, it might also be a good idea to first do a skin patch test to determine if you are allergic to the oil or not.

Although essential oils give off a wonderful aroma when we add them in a bath while the water is running, they evaporate at a very high rate, for this reason it is better to add the oils after filling the tub and then, mix them by hand.

For children between the ages of 4 and 12, as well as for elderly people, only add 4 drops of oil per bath.

For children between 1 and 4, as well as for pregnant women, add only 2 drops of oil per bath.

Children under 1 year should have no more than 1 drop of oil per bath.

Compresses

This treatment entails the folding of a piece of material, bandage or small towel, into a pad wetting it and applying it to the areas to be treated.

Two types of compresses can be used, cold or hot, and each of them has a specific place in the treatment of muscular pain, sprains, increasing circulation as well as reducing pain and congestion of the internal organs, and relieve lymphatic and fluid congestion.

Hot compresses are used to treat old injuries, muscle pain, rheumatic pain, menstrual cramps, boils, and toothache.

Cold compresses are used for recent sprains, bruising, swelling and inflammation, fever and headaches. It can also be used as a pep-up when feeling tired.

Making a hot compress

To make a hot compress, take about 20 oz. (600 ml.) of hot water, as warm as you can comfortably stand it, and add about 4 drops of your selected essential oil to it.

Then place your folded piece of material, bandage or small towel, on top of the water and let it soak it up. Next wring out the excess water and place it over the area to be treated.

Cover the warm compress with either cling wrap or a plastic bag, and another towel on top to keep it in place. You may bandage the compress lightly if applied to an awkward place where it keeps slipping of.

Leave on, and replace with a new compress as soon as it has cooled to body temperature.

Making a cold compress

A cold compress is made exactly the same as the hot compress, but ice or refrigerated water is used instead of the hot water, and the compress is replaced when it has heated up to body temperature.

Please note that all serious illnesses must be referred to your licensed medical practitioner.

Sitz bath

Sitz baths are used specially to treat problems in the pelvic and genital areas, although most hydrotherapy people would recommend it as a general tonic as well.

A sitz bath or hip bath, is normally undertaken in a custom built bath, but can also be taken in a normal bathtub.

The addition of suitable essential oils can further enhance the experience of a sitz bath, but be sure to mix the oil well into the water before immersion. The last, is to prevent form irritating mucous membranes.

Tea tree oil is a popular oil to be added to a sitz bath, since it has some great properties for internal infectious diseases such as Cervical Dysplasia and Human Papillomavirus.

On the other hand, lemongrass essential oil can support the treatment of cervical cancer cell lines.

However, any oil can be added to assist with the particular condition to be treated.

When taking a sitz bath, the lower abdominal and genital area is submerged, but the upper part of the body and the legs raised out of the water. This particular type of bath is used to help increase blood flow to the pelvic area.

Hot sitz bath

A hot sitz bath is taken in warm water of 95 – 105º F (35 – 41º C), with the water level not higher than your navel.

Beneficial for:

Hemorrhoids (hemorrhoids, piles)
Muscular problems
Infectious diseases such as HPV
Cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer
Painful testicles
Discomfort and pain in the ovaries
Uterine cramps
Prostate problems

Cold sitz bath

In a cold sitz bath, water of only a few inches deep is used and should not be colder than 68º F (20º C).

Beneficial for:

Constipation
Impotence
Inflammation
Vaginal discharge

Hot and cold sitz bath

You can also take alternate hot/cold sitz baths, where you will stay in the hot bath for 3-4 minutes and then have a cold sitz bath. When finishing a cold/hot session, finish off with your pelvic area in the cold bath.

Beneficial for:

Abdominal disorders
Congestion
Headaches
Neuralgia
Swollen ankles

A sitz bath is usually taken for about 20-30 minutes, and water is normally added to maintain the temperature.

Some people prefer to take cold sitz baths using ice water, but the length of such a cold sitz bath in ice water must not be done for longer than 60 seconds (1 minute).

Foot and Hand Baths

Foot and hand baths are great for helping to relieve rheumatic pains and aches, excessive perspiration, revive tired and burning feet (and a tired body) and a great way to pamper your hard-working, and often forgotten feet and hands.

Hair care

If you wish to give essential oils a try to help you with your hair loss, then you could look at oils such as: cypress, lavender or rosemary essential oil.

Of the above we would recommend that you consider using Rosemary essential oil, since it has been used as a trusted compound in hair care for a long time. It, or any of the above can be added to shampoo or can be blended (2 drops to 15 ml carrier oil, such as jojoba, argan or castor oil) and used as a compound to do a scalp massage.

In the world of essential oils and aromatherapy the following are used to help with dandruff: cedarwood, lavender, patchouli, rosemary and tea tree oil.

These oils can be used as a scalp massage (in the dilution described above) or mixed with your shampoo. However, if you are having problems with oily hair, rather look at using tea tree oil, and with dry hair, rosemary.

Adding essential oil to shampoo

When you use essential oils in shampoos, you will need to dilute it to a suitable level as not to cause any irritation to the eyes or that you might be allergic to, since shampoos do have the habit of sometimes getting into your eyes.

A good addition for hair care is normally rosemary essential oil. Do not use a new essential oil in a shampoo that you have not tested, rather, first do a skin patch test to determine if you are allergic to the oil or not.

Age	Amount of Shampoo	Amount of Essential Oil
65 years +	100 ml	10 drops
12 – 65 years	100 ml	20 drops
4 – 12 years	100 ml	10 drops
1 – 4 years	100 ml	2 drops
Under 1 year	100 ml	Not recommended
Pregnant	100 ml	5 drops

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Topical administration

Some oils can be applied to the skin directly (previously blended with a carrier oil like coconut oil, apricot kernel oil, jojoba oil, rose hip oil and many more) because nourish, moisture and help us in various problems such as scarring, skin conditions or wound disinfection.

Other oils such as tea tree oil, for example, which is great to eliminate acne, must be applied with a cotton swab tipping on the affected area. For delicate skin, this type of oils must be blended with a carrier oil before to apply, since they are too strong and irritating.

Even though they are oils, these are not greasy at all and evaporate quickly releasing its content aroma. For this reason, it is necessary to blend them with carrier oils to make the application more efficient, as is in the case of massaging.

Massage therapy

Massage is an ancient form of treatment that can be found in Chinese medicinal texts from 4,000 years ago.

The systematic manipulation of the soft tissue, otherwise known as massage, does not only help relieve sore muscles and help you to relax, but includes a host of other health benefits.

Massage therapy (with or without the inclusion of essential oils) is recommended for a variety of ailments and problems and some studies have found it to be beneficial for a selection of problems. However, when we add the appropriate oil for our condition to the massage routine, we will be optimizing the benefits of the therapy.

The following are the most common ailments that can be alleviated through massage therapy :

Treatment of pain
Nausea
Muscle spasms
Soft-tissue problems
Anxiety
Depression
Insomnia
Emotional stress
Helping premature infants gain weight
Promotes relaxation in elderly patients
Improves the immune system
Asthma
Eating disorders
Hypertension
Recovering from surgery

Massage therapy is not a substitute for conventional medicine, but does provide excellent complementary back-up.

Diluting essential oils for massage

When you use essential oils for a massage, you will need to dilute with a suitable carrier oil, since essential oils are too concentrated to use undiluted on the skin.

Age	Amount of Carrier Oil	Amount of Essential Oil
65 years +	20 ml	5 drops
12 – 65 years	20 ml	10 drops
6 – 12 years	20 ml	7 drops
4 – 6 years	20 ml	5 drops
1 – 4 years	20 ml	2 drops
Under 1 year	20 ml	1 drop
Pregnant	20 ml	1 drop

Creams, lotions and skincare products

You can enjoy a large variety of creams and serums that can be made at home, or you can also add the essential oils benefits directly to your favorite skincare products.

Actually, some essential oils are widely used as the main ingredient in the elaboration of cosmetics and skincare products.

It is very important to keep in mind that when we use natural products, we must be constant and patient, in order to enjoy their long-term benefits. It usually happens that some people expect any cream or lotion to show overnight effects, which is far from reality. So, if we are constant, on average we should start seeing results after 40-60 days, period in which, our skin cells are naturally renewed.

Essential oils have several therapeutic properties that add extra qualities to any cream. On the other hand, some of them have superb specialized properties to help with skin conditions. Anyway, if you have never used essential oils, and are prone to allergic reactions, please do a skin patch test with any new ingredient you use.

Some oils to consider for facial creams and serums would include: German Chamomile, Carrot Seed, Clary sage, Fennel, Frankincense, Geranium, Hyssop, Lavender, Myrrh, Neroli, Palmarosa, Rose, Rosemary and Yarrow.

It is very important that you check the comedogenic level of the carrier oil (s) that you will use in the preparation of your homemade serum. So, if your skin is prone to acne, you will avoid clogging your pores.

Application through the airways

Through a diffuser or adding a few drops into hot water to inhale the steam.

This method is especially common in aromatherapy and focused on curing conditions such as nasal congestion, throat infections, mild depression, insomnia, mood decay, etc.

Airways technique is one of the safest way to make use of essential oils.

Steam inhalation with essential oil

Steam inhalation with essential oils is an amazing way to help treat some ailments, especially those of the upper respiratory tract, nose and sinuses.

It is important to keep in mind that this treatment should not be used by anybody suffering from asthma.

This type of treatment can be effective when you are suffering from a cold, wheezing chest, sinus discomfort etc. However, if you have a medical problem, please contact your licensed medical practitioner.

Below you will find some conditions, with the corresponding essential oils that may be helpful.

The oils can be used as a single oil or blended with other oils, it all depends on personal preference, and what works better for your particular problem.

Breathing difficulties: Cedarwood, Eucalyptus and Pine.

Bronchitis: Basil, Benzoin, Cedarwood, Clove, Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Pine, Sandalwood, Rosemary, Tea tree oil and Thyme.

Colds: Laurel, Black pepper, Clove, Ginger, Myrrh, Orange, Pine, Rosemary and Tea tree.

Coughing: Benzoin, Black pepper, Cardamom, Cedarwood, Frankincense, Peppermint, Rosemary and Cypress.

Sinus: Basil, Rosemary, Tea tree, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Peppermint and Marjoram.

To perform steam inhalation add hot water into a bowl and 3 drops of the essential oil that you have selected. Place your face about 12 inches (30 cm) in front and above the bowl, and cover your head with a towel in such a way that the sides are totally closed.

Keep your eyes closed and inhale deeply through your nose for 1 – 2 minutes.

If you feel that the treatment is getting too much for you, raise the towel so that fresh air is brought into the area and breathe through your mouth a couple of times and then resume the treatment.

If at any time you feel uncomfortable, discontinue the treatment.

When using this treatment with children or elderly people make sure that they do not burn themselves by getting too close to the bowl, or that the steaming water is uncomfortable for them.

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Essential Oils and Vibrational Healing

Vaporizing essential oils

This method involves vaporizing the oils into the air that we breathe by using different types of devices.

With essential oil vaporization, you get both, the benefit of a fragrant smelling room, plus the therapeutic properties of essential oils.

The most common way of vaporizing a room, is adding the essential oils to a diffuser.

Vapor therapy can also be as simple as dropping some essential oil into a handkerchief and smelling it at interval or inhale directly from the bottle when necessary.

Vaporizing the essential oils forces the molecules to become airborne, in that way, we can benefit through our limbic system by means of the olfactory bulb.

In addition, we can inhale these molecules to our lungs, where they are also absorbed by the body, which will obtain all the therapeutic benefits.

Some of the benefits through vaporization are:

Respiratory tract problems
Treating throat infections
Eliminating catarrhal conditions
Relieving mental and physical fatigue
Reducing tension and anxiety
Calming the nervous system

Essential oils in burners, light-bulb rings, vaporizers and diffusers

When you use essential oils in a burner, light-bulb ring, vaporizer or diffuser, the general amount to add in the device is about 6 drops at a time. However, the amount would depend on various factors as the type of burner, vaporizer or diffuser used; size of the room; age of the inhabitants of the room, as well as the type of oil used; all this will help determine the amount of essential oil to be apply.

No matter what type of vaporizer is used, it is important to kept in mind that the oil should be floated on water, to prevent it from burning.

Also, when using oils in the rooms of elderly people or children, it is advisable to reduce the amount of oil placed in the burner, vaporizer or diffuser.

By intake

Some oils are non-toxic and can be used as an additive for food, but this is not recommended, since some people can be allergic without knowing to any of the plants where the oils come from.

So it requires being very careful before ingesting an essential oil. In these cases it is always better to consult a doctor.

What health conditions can be treated with Essential Oils?

Thanks to the interest of the scientific community in studying the therapeutic properties that nature gives us, every so often, fortunately, more discoveries appear about health problems that can be treated with essential oils.

Actually, the most known and recurrent are:

Abdominal pain
Abscess
Acne
Addictions
Anal fissures
Athlete’s foot
Bad breath
Bedsores
Bleeding
Bleeding gums
Blepharitis
Blisters
Boils
Breathing difficulty
Bronchitis
Bruises
Burns
Carbuncles
Catarrh
Chapped lips
Chilblains
Circulation
Cold sores
Colds
Conjunctivitis
Constipation
Coughs
Cuts
Diarrhea
Diverticulosis
Dysmenorrhoea
Ear infections
Fainting
Fever
Flu
Frostbite
Gingivitis
Grazes
Halitosis
Hay fever
Headaches
Heart palpitations
Heartburn
Hiccups
High blood pressure
Influenza
Insect bites
Insomnia
Jetlag
Laryngitis
Leg cramps
Lumbago
Mouth ulcers
Nausea
Neuralgia
Nosebleed
Pneumonia
Shock
Sinusitis
Sore throat
Splinter
Sty
Swollen ankles
Toothache
Varicose veins
Wounds

Side effects and warnings of Essential Oils

Never forget that most essential oils are particularly concentrated and must be diluted in a carrier oil such as almond oil, coconut oil, rosehip oil, apricot oil, olive oil, etc.

There are some essential oils highly toxic when ingested, used in large quantities or too often. So before application or consumption, we must know well or do a little research about the oil that we are going to use.

It is not advisable to use any essential oils in infants, young children or pregnant women.

Avoid to use essential oils in pets without first consulting the veterinarian.

In the event of topical application of citrus oil, it is recommended to wait at least 72 hours before sun exposure, in order to avoid photo toxicity.

As a result, essential oils side effects as we can see, are multiple. Other examples include headache, malaise, drowsiness, allergies or dermal irritations.

For this reason it is highly advisable to perform a test by applying a small amount of oil to the skin and wait a few hours to monitor the reaction.

You should never apply essential oils in eyes, mucous membranes or sensitive areas of the body.

Who should not use Essential Oils?

Individuals more at risk for developing side effects or who should avoid essential oil use, include:

pregnant or breast-feeding women
patients with immune or inflammatory conditions, especially involving the skin
people with pigment or photosensitive disorders
persons with allergies to common essential oil compounds, such as alcohols and aldehydes
infants and young boys

Since we have learned a little more about essential oils, their benefits and precautions when using, bellow you will find a list with the most popular essential oils: