Aromatherapy what are essential oils?

Guide to aromatherapy essential oils

Using the finest quality essential oils is absolutely vital in aromatherapy. Why? Because the purity of the essential oils will determine how successful the treatment or products will be.

In aromatherapy, you only receive textbook results when you use the very purest, highest quality, pure essential oils. At best, essential oils that have been adulterated will simply not deliver the health benefits that you expect. At worst, there is the risk of serious skin irritation or sensitisation due to an adverse reaction to the synthetic chemicals that have been used to adulterate, extend or 'standardise' the essential oil.

When growing plants specifically for the extraction of essential oils, the location, altitude, fertility of the soil, weather conditions and the method of cultivation all have an influence upon its oil content and quality. This is why an essential oil produced in one country can be of a higher quality than precisely the same oil produced in another. And it doesn't end there.

At the extraction stage, the skill and experience of the distillery becomes the next critical factor in the quest for excellence, since all the expertise and effort of the farmer will have been wasted if the oil is not extracted correctly.

The importance of purity with essential oils can not be over-stated, if for no other reason than maintaining the good reputation of aromatherapy. Cheaper, inferior quality essential oils deliver poor results and mean that ultimately you will have wasted your hard earned money, rather than saving any of it.

Using cheap essential oils can often be a bit of a gamble too. At best, nothing at all will happen - in other words you will not receive any benefits, but at the worst you may have an allergic reaction to the oil and experience skin irritation, sensitisation, or other undesired side effects.

Unwanted side effects are usually caused when an essential oil has been adulterated with a synthetic chemical component, or perhaps because it is entirely synthetic. Unscrupulous traders and dealers will often 'stretch' expensive oils by adding cheap synthetics to them to make the product more profitable for themselves.

This type of adulteration can cause problems for unsuspecting customers who then attempt to use these oils in aromatherapy - sometimes with disastrous results. Many people are allergic to synthetic compounds, hence the move to 'fragrance-free' cosmetics.

Of course not everyone is sensitive to synthetic or adulterated oils so the problem should not be exaggerated, but it is still unethical and dishonest for a supplier to sell an adulterated or synthetic oil under the pretence that it is a natural, pure essential oil.

After all, you are paying for something that you are not getting. Synthetic or adulterated oils contain little or no therapeutic qualities and will not produce the results that you are looking for.

What is the difference between an 'aromatherapy oil' and an 'essential oil'?

An 'aromatherapy oil' is usually a 2% dilution of an essential oil in 98% almond or grapeseed oil which is often extremely poor value for money. In reality, this 'Aromatherapy Oil' is just a massage oil presented in a 10ml bottle which looks exactly like the ones normally containing undiluted pure essential oils. You could buy exactly the same product in a 50ml (5 times as much!) bottle of massage oil from a reputable supplier for only a fraction more money!

On the other hand, an essential oil is an undiluted product that has been extracted from flowers, herbs, leaves, grasses, roots, woods, barks, spices, fruits or gum. Newcomers to aromatherapy experience a great deal of confusion over this because high street shops often sell 'aromatherapy oils' that do not inform clearly on the label precisely what is in the bottle. Therefore it is assumed to be an essential oil, when of course it is not. Very misleading, and very expensive.

When you are purchasing essential oils, as with most things in this life, you will get exactly what you pay for. Superior quality essential oils at a cheap price are simply not possible because producing them is very labour intensive.

Therefore with this in mind, you should always try to purchase your essential oils from an established, specialist supplier, who has been in business for many years and who has all the necessary expertise in sourcing good quality essential oils. A reputable supplier will also employ full analytical procedures on all their pure essential oils to establish the authenticity and quality of the oils that they purchase in bulk.

Always look for labels that state 'Pure Essential Oil', and not a more ambiguous term such as 'Essential Oil' or 'Aromatherapy Oil' which leaves the door open to adulteration, dilution and deception. Look to see if it clearly specifies what is in the bottle because cleverly labelled products can be very, very misleading, and invariably means they will be poor value for money.

Aromatherapy Stress Relief

Title: Aromatherapy Stress Relief

Author: Brad J

Article :
Aromatherapy Stress Relief

The principle of aromatherapy, as chronicled over thousands of years, lists hundreds of practical uses, as supplements for bath, massage, medicines and essential scents. How ever, another most important aspect of any aromatherapy compound is its quality to reduce emotional stress and strain. Various forms of aromatherapy compounds have been concocted for use in alleviating pain and emotional stress. Although aromatherapy should not be considered a miracle cure for serious emotional issues, the use of essential oils may assist, sometimes greatly, with particular emotional issues. Additionally, the proper use of essential oils and balms may enhance your emotional demeanor and provide support and help balance your erratic emotions during the day. The use of essential oils for emotional well-being (or stress) is what is often first visualized of when you think of the term "aromatherapy."

Essential oils are comprised of naturally occurring chemicals (derived as herbal factors), that work in synergy and harmony with one another. Because essential oils evaporate quickly due to its instability ("volatile"), their molecules are easily inhaled. The inhalation of these naturally occurring synergistic chemicals provides triggers to our brain, which effect our emotions. Inhalation of these invisible molecules also provides physical benefit which may also work in tandem to help our emotional state.

It seems that the whole mechanism as an act of mystery and surrealism; its mysterious action still defies our wisdom. Many oils are soothing for human nerves and one good example is Orange. The smell of orange helps provide emotional balance and bring on a positive self esteem. Sweet orange oil is a wonderful oil to use alone or in a blend for those bouts of winter blues that often occur in the colder, eerie times of the year. The aroma and the scent of sweet orange oil also blend nicely with many oils and have the plus point of being one of the cheaper essential oils. It is also generally regarded to be one of the safer essential oils to use.

There is word of caution too! Not all oils provide the same level of benefit for all persons. It means the beneficial effects may not be of the same degree to a particular person. Past memories associated with particular aromas can have a positive or negative effect. This is true for many people. Rose essential oil, for instance, is known for aiding during times of grief and sorry. It implies your previous encounters with the aroma of rose oil, may influence its usefulness for use, during times of present situation. Do not force yourself to use oil that elicits negative feelings or that you don't like the aroma of particular oil.

It is important, therefore, that you treat any list of essential oils used for emotional well-being as a basic launching point. Within the confines of safety and experiment, utilize those oils that bring about the purpose that you seek and explore. Aromatic oils can bring solace to your stressful life; using it with a bit of caution and intelligence can help you come out of those bitter moments.

Richmond Va European Aromatheory

About the author:

Richmond Virginia Chair Massage

Aromatherapy Essentials
Buy pure aromatherapy essential oils and accessories at great prices!

aromatherapy essential
Don't just search for aromatherapy essential, find results.

Supplements
Find nutritional supplements and vitamins at FindStuff.

Aromatherapy Hair Care and Essential Oil
We Offer Products With Essential Oils For Healthy Hair and a Healthy Lifestyle. Natural shampoos, conditioners and essential oils. Free Shipping!

Good Life with StoryGuide
Provides a selection of products for natural pain relief through aromatherapy, massage, music, magnets, relaxation, devices and aids including heat lamps and wheelchair ramps

Related News

BIOTONE Announces Balancing Blends for Aromatherapy (Centre Daily Times)

BIOTONE announces Balancing Blends, a new line of 100 percent essential oil blends that help promote optimum well being when added to a massage. With the new BIOTONE Balancing Blends, therapists now can customize each massage to meet a client's specific therapeutic needs.

BIOTONE Announces Balancing Blends for Aromatherapy (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)

SAN DIEGO----BIOTONE announces Balancing Blends, a new line of 100 percent essential oil blends that help promote optimum well being when added to a massage. With the new BIOTONE Balancing Blends, therapists now can customize each massage to meet a client's specific therapeutic needs.

Want to Relax? Try Pure Lavender Essential Oil (Carteret County News-Times)

(ARA) - It seems that lavender, or the scent of it, is everywhere - candles, hand lotions, shampoo, bath gel, air freshener, even laundry detergent. It's the most widely used and best-selling essential oil. Why is lavender so popular?

Aromatherapy

what are essential oils?

Guide to aromatherapy essential oils

Aromatherapy Stress Relief