What are essential oils?

Posted by Empral Overseas on March 6th, 2020

Essential oils are compounds extracted from plants.

The oils capture the plant's scent and flavor, or "essence."

Unique aromatic compounds give each essential oil its characteristic essence.

Essential oils are obtained through distillation (via steam and/or water) or mechanical methods, such as cold pressing.

Once the aromatic chemicals have been extracted, they are combined with a carrier oil to create a product that's ready for use.

The way the oils are made is important, as essential oils obtained through chemical processes are not considered true essential oils.

How do essential oils work?

Essential oils are most commonly used in the practice of aromatharapy, in which they are inhaled through various methods.

Essential oils are not meant to be swallowed.

The chemicals in essential oils can interact with your body in several ways.

When applied to your skin, some plant chemicals are absorbed.

It's thought that certain application methods can improve absorption, such as applying with heat or to different areas of the body. However, research in this area is lacking.

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.

Interestingly, the limbic system is heavily involved in forming memories. This can partly explain why familiar smells can trigger memories or emotions.

The limbic system also plays a role in controlling several unconscious physiological functions, such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. As such, some people claim that essential oils can exert a physical effect on your body.

However, this has yet to be confirmed in studies.

Health benefits of essential oils

Despite their widespread use, little is known about the ability of essential oils to treat certain health conditions.

Here's a look at the evidence regarding some of the common health problems that essential oils and aromatherapy have been used to treat.

Stress and anxiety

It has been estimated that 43% of people who have stress and anxiety use some form of alternative therapy to help relieve their symptoms.

Regarding aromatherapy, initial studies have been quite positive. Many have shown that the smell of some essential oils can work alongside traditional therapy to treat anxiety and stress

However, due to the scents of the compounds, it's hard to conduct blinded studies and rule out biases. Thus, many reviews on the stress- and anxiety-relieving effects of essential oils have been inconclusive

Interestingly, using essential oils during a massage may help relieve stress, although the effects may only last while the massage is taking place.

A recent review of over 201 studies found that only 10 were robust enough to analyze. It also concluded that aromatherapy was ineffective at treating anxiety.

Headaches and migraines

In the '90s, two small studies found that dabbing a peppermint oil and ethanol mixture on participants' foreheads and temples relieved headache pain.

Recent studies have also observed reduced headache pain after applying peppermint and lavender oil to the skin.

What’s more, it has been suggested that applying a mixture of chamomile and sesame oil to the temples may treat headaches and migraines. This is a traditional Persian headache remedy.

However, more high-quality studies are needed.

Sleep and insomnia

Smelling lavender oil has been shown to improve the sleep quality of women after childbirth, as well as patients with heart disease.

One review examined 15 studies on essential oils and sleep. The majority of studies showed that smelling the oils — mostly lavender oil — had positive effects on sleep habits

Reducing inflammation

It has been suggested that essential oils may help fight inflammatory conditions. Some test-tube studies show that they have anti-inflammatory effects.

One mouse study found that ingesting a combination of thyme and oregano essential oils helped induce the remission of colitis. Two rat studies on caraway and rosemary oils found similar results.

However, very few human studies have examined the effects of these oils on inflammatory diseases. Therefore, their effectiveness and safety are unknown.

Antibiotic and antimicrobial

The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has renewed interest in the search for other compounds that can fight bacterial infections.

Test-tube studies have investigated essential oils, such as peppermint and tea tree oil, extensively for their antimicrobial effects, observing some positive results

However, while these test-tube study results are interesting, they do not necessarily reflect the effects that these oils have within your body. They don't prove that a particular essential oil could treat bacterial infections in humans.

How to choose the right essential oils

Many companies claim that their oils are "pure" or "medical grade." However, these terms aren't universally defined and therefore hold little weight.

Given that they’re products of an unregulated industry, the quality and composition of essential oils can vary greatly.

Keep the following tips in mind to choose only high-quality oils:

• Purity: Find an oil that contains only aromatic plant compounds, without additives or synthetic oils. Pure oils usually list the plant's botanical name (such as Lavandula officinalis) rather than terms like "essential oil of lavender."
• Quality: True essential oils are the ones that have been changed the least by the extraction process. Choose a chemical-free essential oil that has been extracted through distillation or mechanical cold pressing.
• Reputation: Purchase a brand with a reputation for producing high-quality products.

The bottom line

Essential oils are generally considered safe to inhale or apply to the skin if they've been combined with a base oil. They should not be eaten.

However, evidence supporting many of their associated health claims is lacking, and their effectiveness is often exaggerated.

For minor health problems, using essential oils as a complementary therapy is likely harmless.

However, if you have a serious health condition or are taking medication, you should discuss their use with your healthcare practitioner.

Empral Overseas is the leading essential oil manufacturer and supplier and provide each product at affordable price.

For Any kind of business query mail us- business@empral.co.in