Essential Oils Basics
The Basics
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are defined as aromatic, volatile liquid contained in shrubs, flowers, trees, roots, bushes, and seeds and that is usually extracted through steam distillation. They contain hundreds of different and unique chemical compounds and are highly concentrated making them much more potent than dried herbs.
How Do I Use Them?
Young Living essential oils can be used in 3 ways:
1. Aromatically (inhaling, diffusing, room spray)
2. Topically (on the skin neat or diluted)
3. Internally (capsule, sublingually and in water)
*Disclaimer: If you are not using Young Living essential oils please follow label instructions. Not all brands of essential oils are labeled for dietary consumption
Safety Tips
Neat vs. Diluted - Neat means applying directly to the skin (no carrier). Diluted means essential oil mixed with carrier oil.
Always check product labels for appropriate usage.
Water and Oil Don’t Mix - Use carrier oil to flush + dilute areas.
Keep Essential Oils Out of Sensitive Areas - Avoid applying essential oils to sensitive areas (eyes, ears, mucous membranes).
Recommendation - use less oil more frequently to achieve desired affects.
“Start low and go slow,” especially when starting out.
History
Essential oils have been around since ancient times, but in the last decade they have regained popularity and stepped back into the spotlight. Because essential oils have become so popular, more and more are being adulterated. Today you can find synthetic essential oil ingredients in soaps, cleaning agents, cosmetics, skin care, food, and flavorings, and yes even in the health and wellness industry. Once these oils are adulterated, their therapeutic biochemical structure is destroyed, leaving them only as useful as fragrance or perfume.
Young Living was created by D. Gary Young as a man committed to keeping the biochemical structure pure and authentic to its natural form because essential oils can be some of nature’s most powerful and potent therapeutic substances available. In fact, modern day medicine attempts to mimic what plants do naturally. Pretty amazing right??
Today, Young Living is the leader in the essential oil industry setting the bar for high standards with their seed to seal promise and ethical and sustainable methods for extracting, distilling and maintaining the therapeutic biochemical structure of each essential oil so you can reap the benefits.
Quality Matters
Difference In Quality
You might not now it, but essential oils are not all created equal. In fact, the video below will help you see how different the Young Living quality is so you can make the best educated choice for you and your family.
Dr. Lindsey Elmore, Pharm D, BCPS on the difference in quality of essential oils on the market.
How It Works
When essential oil aroma is inhaled, it travels up the nostrils into the olfactory bulb which then transmits impulses to other parts of the brain. One of those areas is the limbic system (controlling heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels, and hormone balance). The limbic system is also directly linked to the emotional control center of the brain. Similarly, essential oils applied topically are absorbed into the bloodstream and circulate around the body.
Why Quality Matters
The distillation process for essential oils varies greatly in this industry and it can be the difference between the best of the best to support your body in health, and the worst of the worst filled with nasty chemicals that are adding toxins to your indoor air, your lungs, and your body systems.
Want to head down the rabbit hole a bit more?? Check out www.pubmed.com and www.examine.com to do your own research and look up the studies that are out there regarding essential oils. Lavender is a great place to start and there is a great study on pubmed to look at for that. All this to say, while it is important to know where your oils come from, aromatherapy can actually help you achieve a healthier more balanced lifestyle especially when integrated into your daily routine.
