Essential Oils for Everyday Use

Before factories made medicines that we use today, people used to rely on natural remedies that were derived from plants. Essential oils are incredibly powerful healing oils that plants can offer. They can be made from the leaves, roots, flowers and bark of plants. They were used by ancient Egyptians, Roman and Greek physicians. By the time the 20th century rolled around many people stopped using these wonderful oils and resorted to other means of healing manufactured by drug companies. However, many people are resorting back to the ways of the old and going back to basics.

Pure essential oils are highly concentrated compounds that have been pressed or distilled from plants. Unlike "fixed oils" like vegetable cooking oils, they do not have a fatty or oily component. They are called "essential" because they carry a very distinctive fragrance or "essence" of the plant or plant part from which they are made. These oils are used for aromatherapy, and also for scenting soaps, candles, and other products. Examples of my favorite types of essential oils are orange, lavender, peppermint and cinnamon. They are even used for adding flavors to candies, toothpaste and for adding a great scent to many household cleaners.

• Promote relaxation and relieve stress
• Anti-inflammatory
• Antiseptics
• Cost effective

• Essential oils aren't oils at all. They are concentrated organic elements with potent medicinal qualities.
• Fragrance oils are not essential oils.
• Essential oils are highly concentrated, a single drop may contain the power of several plants
• If you are pregnant, skip essential oils altogether throughout the entire first trimester.
• Keep out of reach of children
• Conduct a patch test prior to using an unfamiliar oil
• If you are allergic to a plant, you are also allergic to it's essential oil
• Heat and sunlight destroy essential oils over time, store them in a cool dark place, preferably in dark colored bottles
• Essential oils generally retain potency for five years or longer

Aromatherapy has a positive effect on the psyche and spirit working in concert with the limbic system but it also aids in physical healing, this occurs in two ways:

1. Minuscule essential oil molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream via the lungs when inhaled.
2. These tiny molecules can be absorbed directly into the bloodstream vi the skin when added to bathwater, used in body care products, or applied during a massage.

When essential oils are physically applied to the body, healing essential oils help keep undesirable bacteria and viruses at bay while stimulating the immune system; they also have a powerful detoxifying effect associated with increased lymph and blood flow.

Because of its ability to positively influence emotions, aromatherapy can help mitigate the downward cycle of depression and malaise that often accompanies illness, exhaustion, and periods of prolonged physical or mental stress.

Science has proven time and again that emotional state has the power to change the body's chemistry and that such changes in chemistry directly affect the immune system. By using aromatherapy to keep negative states of being such as stress, tension, and sleeplessness at bay, you can give your overall health a boost. Because of its ability to positively influence the body and mind, aromatherapy is an exceptional form of prevention.

Not all plants and their essential oils are beneficial to humans. Many of them are poisonous to our species. Read on to be certain which essential oils to avoid:

• Bitter Almond-contains cyanide
• Boldo-causes convulsions
• Cade Oil Crude-carcinogenic
• Camphor-may be inhaled; can cause toxicity if ingested
• Cassia-irritates mucus membrane and can cause sever skin rash
• Costus Root-sensitizer
• Elecampane-sensitizer
• Fig Leaf Absolute-sensitizer
• Horseradish-irritates mucus membranes, eyes, and skin
• Jaborandi Leaf-toxic
• Mustard-irritates mucus membranes, eyes, and skin; toxic
• Nightshade-toxic
• Non-distilled Pery Balsam-sensitizer
• Pennyroyal-causes acute liver and lung damage; abortifacient
• Rue-abortifacient, irritant, neurotoxin, toxic
• Sassafras-carcinogenic, can be lethal
• Savin-abortifacient, sensitizer, skin,irritant, toxic
• Southernwood-toxic
• Stinging Nettle-toxic
• Stryax gum-sensitizer
• Tansy-contains high levels of the poison thujone; causes convulsion, uterine bleeding, organ failure, respiratory arrest and death
• Tea Absolute- sensitizer
• THuja-abortifacient, neurotoxin, poison
• Verbena-sensitizer
• Wormseed-causes liver and kidney toxicity; neurotoxin
• Wormwood-contains the poison thujone; abortifacient, causes convulsions, leads to unpleasant hallucinations, neurotoxin