How Do Essential Oils Work?

Essential oils are basically concentrated plant material essence used widely in aromatherapy. They are extracted primarily from botanical matter. Therefore, any fragrance containing musk don’t count. Often, these oils are confused with fragrance oils (synthetic oils) that are primarily chemical recreations made from coal tar. Though these oils could smell like their botanical equivalents, they have a different chemical structure and won’t have identical therapeutic effects. Basically, they are used as perfumes.

Typically, essential oils get extracted through steam distillation. Plant material is steam-treated that ‘processes’ the plant, breaks it down and gives out the oil. The essential essence-containing steam is cooled, with the oil segregated from water and purified. Some essential oils could be extracted via pressing, like how grapes are pressed for their juice. When twisting a piece of orange or lemon rind, the rind yields some oily liquid that has a strong smell of the fruit. The oil is fruit oil and can be extracted easily via a press.

How do essential oils work? Essential oils basically work by harnessing a human’s sense of smell. Quite a few also work topically. While some essential oils, like tea tree and lavender, can be safely applied onto the skin directly, the majority are heavily concentrated and should be diluted using carrier oils. A carrier oil is a massage oil usually made from seeds and nuts, such as grapeseed, apricot kernel, and jojoba.

Occasionally, these essential oils could be ingested. However, this method is unsafe and certainly not recommended. The chemicals present in the oil could interact with the human body in multiple ways. It’s believed certain application methods could enhance absorption, such as using heat or applying the oil to different body areas.

These oils’ aromatherapeutic effects could be administered in multiple ways, based on the oil being used and the desired and likely outcome. Skin absorption is a common and widely practiced method. In this technique, carrier oil and essential oil are mixed together and the diluted blend is then applied to the skin. The skin then absorbs the oil’s active ingredient and ushers it into the bloodstream.

Inhaling steam that contains vaporized oils is effective at treating respiratory complaints. Also, it is among the most popular methods when it comes to using essential oils to achieve emotion-stabilizing and mood-enhancing effects. Some drops of the oil in a glass bowl filled with water above a tealight candle is probably everything you require for infusing your atmosphere with a pleasant fragrance that could invigorate or calm you based on the type of oil you pick.