Essential oils are a popular addition to self care and are an easy addition to self care at home. There are many companies offering essential oils and many ideas of how to use them. In this blog I offer my thoughts around essential oils to help you decide if it is a good option to try or expand on. I am not an expert on this subject but I will offer ways to find an expert if you have more interest and questions.
Where essential oils come from
Essential oils are compounds extracted from plants from a distillation, mechanical or chemical process. The extraction process is key to the quality of the oil and how pure it is.
( i.e. a chemical process would alter the compounds and not be considered pure ) Each plant has its own unique characteristic compounds that capture the plants “essence” which makes each oil helpful for different situations.
Why and how do they work?
Essential oils are most commonly used in the practice of aromatherapy, in which they are inhaled through various methods such as candles or a diffuser. 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, behaviors, sense of smell, and long-term memory. Consider how a particular smell triggers a memory or how a particular smell might make you feel relaxed and happy or even the opposite, agitated. I consider this an indirect effect on the central nervous system.
Another use is the application of essential oils to the skin. Essential oils are first mixed and diluted with a carrier such as lotion, body oil, or baking soda. When essential oils are applied to the skin some of the plant chemicals are absorbed. We want the chemical properties of the plant to help us but it is important to “test” application first to watch for possible allergies.
Ways to use essential oils
Essential oils have become popular and mainstream. It seems most stores have aromatherapy in lotions, cleaning products, and might even sell oils and diffusers. But it can be difficult to know the quality of the oils and other ingredients. For the best results with essential oils I recommend looking at essential oil businesses that offer consultation and explanation of ingredients. A consultation with a representative would be extremely important if you suffer from plant based allergies, are dealing with a hormone based condition or currently taking a lot of medications.
Each business has slightly different product lines in skin care, oil blends for aromatherapy, cleaning products, and muscle tension creams. One large reputable company is doTerra, https://www.doterra.com, and I love their roll-on and creams for muscle tension. If you are looking for a smaller company local to Minnesota, Essence One has fresh quality oil blends, all natural skin care products, and all natural cleaning products. Click over to https://essenceone.life/ to browse and read more about their products and request a consultation.
Essential oils can be a simple addition to self care in a small or big way and they can be easily added to daily life in many different ways. I do feel good quality essential oils can make a positive impact to a person’s comfort, mood, and stress level. If you use essential oils I would love to hear about your experiences with essential oils and how it has benefited your self care and health.
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