How Do Essential Oils Work?
HOW DO ESSENTIAL OILS WORK?
By: Jacquelyn A Close
What Are Essential Oils?
Essential Oils are the highly volatile compounds produced by steam-distilling or cold-pressing aromatic oils from organically produced plant materials, including herbs, spices, trees, bark, seeds, flowers, petals, stems, roots, and the entire plant. In their purest form, known as therapeutic grade, essential oils are not modified or adulterated, but retain all the rich complexity of compounds created by God. The processes used to capture the oils, including harvesting at the proper time and distilling with low heat and low pressures, allow the oils to remain as close to their original natural wholeness as is possible.
There are hundreds of plants that are known to produce aromatic compounds and essential oils. Each plant produces hundreds of complex organic compounds, and each part of the plant produces different types of organic compounds that can have a broad range of therapeutic benefits for the body. So, there are literally hundreds of essential oils that offer a wide variety of options for promoting health and wellness and addressing a multitude of conditions of dis-ease. Created by God to support our body’s natural ability to heal itself, plants and their essential oils offer living energy and life force created by intelligent design and having a seemingly innate intelligence that allows them to provide what is required to balance the body, instead of pushing it in one direction or another as happens with synthetic compounds.
Fatty-acid oils, or cooking oils, that most people are much more familiar with, have large, long-chain molecules that are not easily absorbed but instead remain on top of the skin and feel oily. Essential oils by contrast are absorbed quickly and leave no oily residue.
How Do Essential Oils Work?
Essential oils are made of tiny molecules that are easily absorbed by the skin and mucosa. They may be absorbed in a matter of seconds.
Essential oils are lipid soluble and can penetrate cell walls. Some essential oil compounds carry nutrients into the cells. Others clean receptor sites. And still other compounds in essential oils can remove detritus, or clean debris out of cells, and some facilitate the restoration of cellular communication and function. Some essential oils are even known and scientifically documented to cross the blood-brain barrier and support and restore brain health.
Dr. Jean Valnet, the French Surgeon and Medical Doctor who — along with Rene Maurice Gattefosse a PhD Chemist — pioneered much of the research into the therapeutic benefits of essential oils during the early and mid-20th Century, wrote in one of his books that:
…pathogenic microorganisms do not become resistant to essential oils as they do to modern day synthetic drugs. The body cannot become “habituated” in the pejorative sense of the word–i.e., no longer able to derive any benefit–to the oils anymore than it can become habituated to pure mountain air or personal hygiene. The results remain the same; they do not lessen over any length of time. And, unlike many of today’s most popular antiseptic chemicals, essential oils do not harm human tissue. (Valnet, MD, 1980)
Most everyone is already using essential oils in their daily lives. Toothpastes and mouthwashes contain essential oils, as do some personal care products and perfumes. There are even some baked goods that are made with essential oils. Unfortunately, essential oils used for most commercial purposes are almost always standardized, meaning they are brought to a standard required to assure the same flavor or smell every single time. Plants and the chemical compounds they contain vary from year to year owing to changes in sunlight, temperature, rainfall, and changes in soil composition. Commercial products are unwilling to accept this variance, therefore, standardization is common and is accomplished by removing certain constituents, or adding synthetics to facilitate a continuity in taste or fragrance. Essential oils may be altered in any number of ways and they may also be distilled and processed with high heat and high pressures, all of which result in fracturing and damage to the essential oil. Poor processing and adulteration quite often damage the living energy in an oil and may even destroy it entirely, and therefore the intelligence associated with that living energy.
How Are Oils Used?
Essential oils enter the body in three ways. They can be:
- Applied to the skin
- Inhaled
- Ingested
Most essential oils sold in health food stores and over the counter come with a warning not to ingest them. This is for a very good reason. Most are not pure, therapeutic grade essential oils. In fact, I have only found 2 companies in the world that demand that the oils not be standardized and remain unaltered in any way other than the distillation or cold-press processing. These are the only truly therapeutic grade essential oils.
Essential oils have a half-life of 2-6 hours in the body depending on the viscosity, or thickness, of the oil applied. More viscous oils, such as Myrrh (Commipihora myrrha) and Sandalwood (Santalum album) have a longer half-life in the body, usually 5-6 hours. Oils such as lemon (Citrus limon) and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus radiata and other eucalypti) have a 2-3 hour half-life in the body. Rose oil (Rosa damascena) and Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica) have a half-life of about 3-4 hours. This means that the oils are used by the body and discarded. They do not bio-accumulate in tissues and are not known to create any long-term negative effects. Because the oils are used and any remaining compounds released from the body through the excretion channels, oils may be applied topically every 2-6 hours depending on the oil and the needs and sensitivity of the individual using them.
How does skin application work?
Essential oils can be applied topically to the skin. Because our skin is somewhat permeable, the active compounds in essential oils are readily absorbed, in much the same way as hormone replacement creams, pain patches, and nicotine patches.
Factors That Increase Skin Absorption
Massaging an area prior to or after applying an essential oil will increase circulation to that area, thereby causing an increase in the absorption rate for the essential oils. Heat will likewise increase circulation and thus enhance absorption.
It is also postulated by some researchers that essential oils may be more readily absorbed from locations that have greater concentrations of sweat glands and hair follicles (Battaglia, 2003).
How Does One Inhale Essential Oils?
The easiest way to enjoy essential oils is to inhale them right from the bottle. This will provide some therapeutic benefit and is known and proven to aid in behavior modification.
You can also use a cold-air diffuser to dispense a micro-fine mist of essential oils into the air. This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy the many benefits of essential oils. They smell wonderful. They provide an uplifting feeling. And they have many well-documented antibacterial, antiseptic, antiviral and a number of other benefits according to the many resources and scientific papers completed during the past 20 years. (Essential Oil Desk Reference, 2001-2010, and Reference Guide to Essential Oils, Higley, 1999-2010.)
How Do Essential Oils Interact with the Limbic System (Emotional Brain)
The olfactory system includes all physical organs or cells relating to, or contributing to, the sense of smell. When we inhale through the nose, airborne molecules interact with the olfactory organs and, almost immediately, the brain. Interestingly, the sense of smell is wired directly to the Amygdala, a small organ in the brain that is part of the Limbic System and is associated with memory. According to science, the Amygdala is only stimulated by the sense of smell.
During inhalation, odor molecules travel through the nose and affect the brain through a variety of receptors, however, the sense of smell is wired into the brain very different than are the other 4 senses. All the other senses are routed directly to the thinking brain that makes assessments and judgments, and correlates past experiences. The sense of smell is wired directly to the emotional brain through the Amygdala, which as was said before, is only stimulated by the sense of smell. So, we have an emotional reaction to a smell before we ever think anything about that smell. When the Amygdala is activated by the sense of the smell, it calls forth a memory that includes the smell, the corresponding site, and time, and often sounds, and this reaction is immediate. If you have ever had the experience of smelling fresh baked bread or cinnamon rolls and been immediately transported to a time in the past in your grandmother’s kitchen, then you have experienced how this works.
Molecules inhaled through the nose or mouth are also carried to the lungs and interact with the respiratory system. Thus, inhaled essential oils can affect the body through several systems and pathways.
As mentioned, when we inhale essential oils, odor molecules travel through the nose and affect the brain through a variety of receptor sites, including the limbic system, which has a direct connection to the parts of the brain that control heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels, and hormone balance (Higley & Higley, 1998). This relationship helps explain why smells often trigger emotions. Knowing this, we can hypothesize how inhalation of essential oils can have some very profound physiological and psychological effects!
“Smell is a potent wizard that transports us across thousands of miles and all the years we have lived.” Helen Keller
How Do People Ingest Essential Oils?
First and Most Important: I only know of 2 companies in the world whose oils are safe enough to ingest. My preference, due to the large number and quality of oils and blends available is the company called Young Living Essential Oils. I have been using and ingesting Young Living essential oils since 1999 and recommend them highly.
So, how do you ingest an essential oil?
- You can ingest an essential oil by putting a tiny drop on your hand and licking it.
- You can put a drop under your tongue.
- You can drop a little onto your tongue or straight into your mouth.
- You can put essential oils in “00” (double-aught) veggie capsules and take them like you would any gel-cap or food supplement.
The ingestion of essential oils is not common practice in the US. In France, it is more common. There are several reasons for caution, including the following:
- Most companies do not offer pure, safe, true, therapeutic grade essential oils. Even those who say therapeutic grade on their label often have a prohibition against ingesting their oils. Young Living is the exception to this. In fact, I only know of one Young Living oil that cannot be ingested, Jasmine oil. This is due to the type of distillation process required to extract the oil from the delicate flowers of this plant.
- When essential oils are standardized and adulterated with synthetics, this can remove the buffers that would normally balance the body and destroy the life force and intelligence that can assist in bringing the body back to health. Synthetic adulteration is rampant in the industry, and synthetics not only bio-accumulate, they can be toxic to the liver and/or the kidneys. It is of utmost importance that you know the company that grows, distills, bottles and sells your essential oils can be trusted to maintain the highest quality of essential oils if they are to be ingested. Gary Young has said for years, if you can’t eat it, don’t wear it. He is dedicated to preserving and maintaining the highest quality essential oils in the world.
- One drop of an essential oil is extremely powerful. One drop of Peppermint oil (Mentha piperita) will make about 30 cups of Peppermint tea. If you are not familiar with essential oils and take too much you can potentially create a situation where the essential oils are clearing and transporting large reservoirs of toxins that have been stored in tissues into your system too quickly. This can pose a potential health risk.
- Less is often better when it comes to essential oils. However, Daniel Penoel, MD, says when you are dealing with illness and disease, it is best to become an “Aromatic Warrior” and use the full battery of oils in large doses to promote a quick return to balance and health. For this reason, it is best to have a quality reference book or a well-trained individual to assist you in the use of therapeutic grade essential oils.
The Best Antioxidants
A little known fact about essential oils is that they are the world’s best, most powerful antioxidants. You have probably heard about antioxidants for years, and probably know that they eliminate free radicals in the body, slowing the aging process and potentially preventing cancer. Well, science has proven that essential oils are a great source of antioxidants.
For example, Young Living’s Clove oil (according to the laboratory that developed the ORAC scale) has the highest know antioxidant capacity of any substance ever tested. The antioxidant capacity of a single ounce of clove oil can only be equaled by consuming 450 pounds of carrots, or 120 quarts of blueberries, or 48 gallons of beet juice. Personally, I prefer to enjoy the ounce of Clove oil ingested in veggie-capsules.
Is There Any Scientific Evidence Supporting the Use of Essential Oils for Health and Wellness?
Essential oils have been studied for their therapeutic benefits since time immemorial. Records dating back to 5,000 BC include the use of oils for health and anointing. Essential oils were almost forgotten during the 1800s, and until Rene Maurice Gattefosse, a French Chemist, rediscovered their benefits in the early 1920s. Although there is a substantial body of scientific papers evaluating the benefits of essential oils in Europe, nothing was published in English until 1977. Since that time, western science has generated thousands of scientific papers on the benefits and effectiveness of essential oils. However, these precious drops of life force continue to remain relatively unknown, except to those who have been abandoned by or, for other reasons, have ventured away from western allopathic medicine.
Aromatherapy and Behavior
Considerable evidence exists that fragrant compounds, including essential oils, have a profound effect on our mind and behavior. Animal studies have found that hyper-excited mice, stimulated through the consumption of caffeine, were calmed when small amounts of lavender, sandalwood, and other oils were sprayed into their cages.
Aromatherapy and Sleep
In a study reported in the British Medical Journal, Lancet, elderly patients slept “like babies” when lavender was diffused into their bedrooms at night. These patients had complained of difficulty falling asleep and had to take sleeping pills to get sleep prior to the use of Lavender essential oil.
Aromatherapy for Postpartum Discomfort
In a double blind study, 635 women applied lavender oil to their perineal area (part of the body between the vagina and the rectum) after child birth. The women reported a distinct improvement between the third and fifth day. (The discomfort is the worst during this time for patients in the control group.)
Aromatherapy and Stress
In a study conducted at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York, patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 63 percent reported they were less claustrophobic after inhaling vanilla. While there was no change in their heart rate, it was postulated that the aroma reduced their anxiety, possibly due to pleasant memories evoked by the vanilla scent.
In another study, 122 patients in an intensive care unit reported feeling much better when lavender oil was added to massage (compared to when they were simply given a massage or allowed to rest.)
Aromatherapy and Brain Function
In Japan, studies have reported increased accuracy and fewer mistakes by office workers when they lemon essential oil was being diffused in the workplace.
On this website:
http://www.wlnaturalhealth.com/aromatherapy-articles/aromatherapy-research.htm
there is an Aromatherapy Resource Guide listing places where you find research studies and much more.
High Frequency
One last point. Another way essential oils work is through their high frequency.
Recently, scientists have been learning more about the relationship between the frequency of the body and the quality of one’s health.
When the body is in poor health – resulting from anything ranging from a cold to cancer — the body registers a lower frequency. When the body is healthy, the body registers a higher frequency. Studies show that the human body’s frequency can be adversely affected by certain foods, and positively affected by activities such as prayer and the use of essential oils.
If you would like information on how you can purchase pure, therapeutic grade essential oils, please contact me toll free at 1-877-756-6753. Leave your name and number, so that I can return your call.
References
Battaglia, S., (2003). The complete guide to aromatherapy. Brisbane, Queensland, Australia: The International Centre of Aromatherapy.
Essential Oil Desk Reference, Essential Science Publishing, 2001-2010.
Higley, Connie and Alan, Reference Guide to Essential Oils, 1999-2010.
Higley, C., Leatham, P. & Higley, A. (1998). Aromatherapy A-Z. Hay House.
Penoel, Daniel, MD, Natural Home Health Care Using Essential Oils, Osmobiose Publishing, 1998.
Price, S. (1999). Aromatherapy for health professionals. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
Schnaubelt, K. (1999). Medical aromatherapy: Healing with essential oils. Berkeley, CA: Frog, Ltd.
Stewart, David, Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple, CARE Publication, 2005.
Valnet, J. (1980). “The Practice of Aromatherapy”. Healing Arts, Rochester, VT
