Essential Oils Products
July 30, 2010
- Bergamot Bio
- Breathe Free
- Cellu-Tome
- Chamomile, Roman
- Cinnamon
- Citrus Fresh Diffuser Kit
- Clary Sage
- Clove Bud Bio
- Deep Relief
- Eucalyptus Bio
- Frankincense
- Geranium
- Grapefruit, Pink Bio
- Guardian
- Helichrysum
- Jasmine
- Lavender Fine
- Lemon Bio
- Mandarin, Red
- Marjoram, Sweet
- Massage Oil
- Myrrh
- Nebulizing Diffuser
- Nebulizing Maintenance Kit
- Neroli
- Oregano, Wild
- Patchouli
- Peppermint
- Pine Needle
- Rose Bulgaria
- Rosemary
- Sandalwood
- Thyme Linalol Bio
- Ylang Ylang
What is Aromatherapy?
June 9, 2010
Aromatherapy is a holistic, therapeutic use of essential aromatic plant oils to maintain and promote physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. Essential oils may be used in massage, added to a warm bath, used to moisten a compress that is applied to the affected part of the body, added to a vaporizer for inhalation, diffused throughout a room – and some can even be taken orally.
Four Ways to Take Oils
There are four basic ways essential oils can enter the body:
- Through the lungs
- Through the skin
- Through the digestive tract
- Through the absorbent tissues of our body orifices.
Three Schools of Aromatherapy
The German school emphasizes inhalation as the best way to receive the benefits of essential oils. Inhalation puts oil molecules directly into the blood stream through the alveoli of the lungs as well as directly to the brain through the olfactory nerves which connect to the central brain.
The British school was influenced by aromatherapists from the fragrance industry whose interest was in relaxation, massage, and emotional aspects. They also rely on scientific research on animals using oils that are often only perfume or food grade, and usually applying only certain compounds which have been isolated from the whole oil. This has lead to a host of invalid applications of scientific data and unnecessary warnings based on non-therapeutic grade oils.
The English emphasize massage with neutral carrier oils containing only 2 to 5% essential oils as the best practice of aromatherapy. In the English school, skin is the primary organ of absorption for essential oils applied diluted in low concentrations.
The French emphasize taking essential oils orally, but in practice they utilize all four methods of administration, including oils applied neat (undiluted) on the skin. In reality, all four ways are valid, each with their advantages and disadvantages.
The French school emphasizes that aromatherapy is safe and can be practiced, with common sense, by anyone. Throughout his life, Dr. Jean Valnet, M.D., strongly advocated the practice of aromatherapy by anyone (with minimum training) as being safe and effective.
This has led to hundreds of thousands of ordinary, untrained people successfully using therapeutic grade oils on themselves, friends, and relatives throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as Japan and Australia. Click here for more information on how you can learn to effectively use essential oils for yourself and your family.
References
Publishing, E. S. (2007). Essential Oils Desk Reference, Fourth Edition. Essential Sciences Publishing.
Stewart, D. P. (2005). The Chemistry of Essential Oils, God’s Love Manifest in Molecules. Care Publications.
Twelve Rules for Safety with Essential Oils
June 8, 2010
Essential oils are very easy to use, but there are a few things to keep in mind with regard to safety (after all, they ARE very potent chemical compounds):
- Keep them out of the reach of children.
- Keep a bottle of vegetable oil on hand. Vegetable oil will dilute an essential oil, slowing down its rate of absorption and reducing any discomfort or skin irritation (some oils are hot).
- Do a patch test on the inside of your wrist to see if you would react to a particular oil. It is generally safe to apply essential oils to the soles of your feet, even for those with sensitive skin.
- If you’re pregnant, you should consult with your health care professional before using essential oils. There are oils with hormonal qualities that should be avoided during pregnancy.
- Essential Oils rich in phenols should be used with caution when applying to the skin. Sensitive areas such as the throat and face should be avoided, as well as the tender skin of young children.
- Keep essential oils away from the eye area … even the vapors from the oils can cause irritation.
- Essential Oils may be applied on or around the ears, but don’t pour them directly into the ears.
- People with epilepsy, high blood pressure, or who are prone to convulsions should consult a health care professional before using essential oils. Hyssop, Fennel, and Wild Tansy oils should be avoided in these cases.
- The FDA has designated most commonly used essential oils as being “Generally Regarded as Safe” (GRAS) for oral usage. Before ingesting oils with this designation, dilute one drop to a few drops with honey, milk, rice milk, olive oil, or other lipid dissolving liquid. They can also be ingested by putting a few drops of the essential oil into an empty gel cap mixed with olive oil. (Empty gelcaps can be purchased at the health food store, or pharmacy).
- When using essential oils in bathwater, be sure to add a dispersant, like a gel or liquid soap, to avoid concentrated droplets that can sometimes irritate your skin. Young Living makes a great Bath and Shower Gel Base for this purpose.
- Some essential oils are phototoxic when applied to the skin. That means you must steer clear of direct sunlight and tanning beds for at least 12 hours, or you could wind up with a bad sunburn.
- Keep essential oils in tightly closed glass bottles, away from light and heat. Normal room temperatures are cool enough. In this way, they will maintain their balanced chemical composition and potency indefinitely.
For more information on essential oils click here.
References
Stewart, D. P. (2005). The Chemistry of Essential Oils, God’s Love Manifest in Molecules. Care Publications.
What Effects do Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils Have on People?
June 7, 2010
As Cleansers …
It is the same for people as with the plants themselves … they carry oxygen into the cells and carry waste products out. In fact, essential oils are one of nature’s best body cleansers. They can cleanse our cells receptor sites of pharmaceutical drugs, petrochemicals, and other disruptors of intercellular communication. They help to remove and flush out heavy metals and other toxins through the liver, colon, sweat, lungs and kidneys, as well as increase our ability to absorb vitamins and other nutrients.
As Hormones …
They can act as neurotransmitters, peptides, steroids, hormones, enzymes, vitamins and other message-carrying molecules which intelligently assist our bodily functions and help to restore or maintain wellness.
As Balancers …
Essential oils always work toward restoring and maintaining balance and homeostasis. This means that the same oil can work in different directions depending on the needs of the person. Oregano oil will kill hostile microbes while nurturing those that are friendly. Angelica can stimulate a uterus to contract or to relax depending on the need. Myrtle oil is an adaptigen that can stimulate an increase or a decrease in thyroid activity depending on a person’s condition. Drugs are incapable of such intelligent discriminations and act only in preprogrammed directions, like robots, whether beneficial or not.
Click here for more information.
References
Publishing, E. S. (2007). Essential Oils Desk Reference, Fourth Edition. Essential Sciences Publishing.
Stewart, D. P. (2005). The Chemistry of Essential Oils, God’s Love Manifest in Molecules. Care Publications.
What Are AFNOR and ISO Certifications?
June 6, 2010
One of the most reliable indicators of essential oil quality is the AFNOR (Association of French Normalization Organization Regulation) certification. Dr. Herve’ Casabianca – who holds a doctors degree in organic chemistry – worked with many of the finest European scientists and doctors in creating AFNOR for the purpose of regulating the standards for therapeutic grade oils. The International Standards Organization in Switzerland (ISO) also has set standards adopted from AFNOR.
By using these standards, oils can be checked to see if they have the proper balance of chemical constituents. If some constituents are too high or too low, the oils cannot be certified as having met AFNOR standards.
Currently, there is no government agency in the United States responsible for certifying the quality of essential oils. The only recognized indication for quality in an essential oil is if it meets AFNOR or ISO standards. Therapeutic effects can only be achieved using essential oils which meet the AFNOR standards.
All of the essential oils sold through this website have AFNOR certification. Click here for more information about essential oils.
References
Publishing, E. S. (2007). Essential Oils Desk Reference, Fourth Edition. Essential Sciences Publishing.
Stewart, D. P. (2005). The Chemistry of Essential Oils, God’s Love Manifest in Molecules. Care Publications.
Fraud in the Labeling of Essential Oils?
June 5, 2010
I believe knowledge is power, so in addition to understanding what is involved in saving the therapeutic elements of essential oils (see What Are Essential Oils), you should also know that labeling fraud is rampant. There are currently no standards in North America set by any government agency (see What Are AFNOR and ISO Certifications) to keep this in check. So in order to really be sure you’re getting therapeutic grade oils, you need to know your grower, your distiller, your packager, and your distributor, because anywhere along the line oils can be compromised.
What Are Some Fraudulent Practices?
Just so you know, a common fraudulent practice is to take a decent grade oil and dilute it 90% to 95% with an odorless, colorless solvent (usually an inexpensive petrochemical) so that what was a pound of good oil becomes ten or twenty pounds of diluted oil to be sold as if it were the original substance, and they often carry labels saying “Genuine” or “100% Pure”. When you see a $10 to $20 full ounce bottle of fluid labeled as “Frankincense”, you can be sure it has been diluted. You can’t gather the resins from the Arabian and Somalian deserts, transport them to France or England to be distilled, and then import them to North America (or any other country) for that price and maintain quality and purity.
Another indication of this fraudulent practice is that, mysteriously, for every pound of frankincense distilled in the world, more than a dozen pounds are eventually sold! And this practice isn’t just used with frankincense!
People Can Become Discouraged Due to These Fraudulent Practices
Sadly, when these cut, synthetic and adulterated oils cause rashes, burns, or other irritations, people become discouraged and conclude that essential oils don’t have much value.
Even the “anointing oils” commonly found in Christian book stores are not true, therapeutic grade oils. When only the common names (i.e. Frankincense and Myrrh) are used, and the latin names (i.e. Boswellia carteri and Commiphora myrrha) are missing from the label, that is a clear warning that the contents are probably not genuine.
Also, finding oils for sale in clear white glass bottles is another clue that the contents are not real essential oils, even though the label may say so. Essential Oils exposed to light will polymerize and lose their fragrance and their healing properties. These oils are not suitable for use in healing applications. Genuine essential oils must be stored in light proof containers or dark glass, like amber or blue.
So. These are some things to look out for, and why it is imperative to know your source! Click here for more information on essential oils.
References
Publishing, E. S. (2007). Essential Oils Desk Reference, Fourth Edition. Essential Sciences Publishing.
Stewart, D. P. (2005). The Chemistry of Essential Oils, God’s Love Manifest in Molecules. Care Publications.
How is Herbology Different from Conventional Medicine?
April 30, 2010
The philosophical difference between herbalists and many conventional physicians is profound – in some ways you might even say they’re polar opposites.
The primary focus of many conventional physicians is to attack the disease with strong chemicals – drugs – that are difficult (if not impossible) for the body to process. If that doesn’t work, the removal of organs is another option. This philosophy ignores the unique makeup of the individual, seldom addresses the underlying cause, only seeking to suppress the symptom(s), and creates unwanted side effects that can be as bad (or worse) as the condition(s) being treated.
In contrast, the herbalist takes a holistic approach, focusing on the whole person – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual – regardless of the illness or condition. In other words, it is the person who is attended to – not the illness. The goal of the herbalist is to stimulate the innate healing power within us all, with the use of such interventions as herbs, essential oils, diet and lifestyle.
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