What Are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are not what you might think of as oil. They’re not like cooking oil or motor oil. They not thick and gooey. They have a much thinner consistency. They are made by liquid or “the essence” of certain plants, usually through distillation but they can be expressed or macerated. The liquid that is extracted is then concentrated to produce essential oil.
You often see a large price difference in oil because some oil is more difficult to extract, takes a large amount of the plant to produce or the plant itself it rare. For example you can look at the price difference between, say, lavender and frankincense, and realize frankincense oil is rare and takes more effort to extract.
Are Essential Oils Snake Oil?
Good question. It depends on who you talk to.
This would be a good time to tell you that none of the health topics I’m going to talk about have been evaluated or approved by the FDA. They should not replace personal judgment nor medical treatment when indicated, nor are they intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always talk to your physician about the use of these or any other complimentary modalities.
Here are the facts:
- People have been using essential oils for thousands of years, for example frankincense and myrrh are mentioned in the New Testament.
- Many people have noticed their health and mood improve greatly with the use of essential oils.
- Modern researchers are currently studying oils like garlic, ginger, frankincense among others because there is some type of correlation between these plants and human health.
- We are learning that using over the counter medications and other stronger medications have adverse effects when used long term. Although I won’t say that is never the case when using a natural remedy it’s not as common.
So I don’t think essential oils are snake oil. Will essential oil cure cancer, Ebola or some other aggressive virus? Probably not. Can it help with chronic conditions and minor illness? I believe they can.
That being said let’s keep a few things in mind:
- Plants have these oils inside them to help them first and foremost. God put them inside the plants to help the plant. Some are used to attract pollinators and to help be anti-fungal or antibacterial to the plant.
- However, God gave us Revelation 22:2 which says–down the middle of the main street of the city, on either side of the river stood a tree of life, producing twelve kinds of fruit and yielding a fresh crop for each month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
So I personally think they were put here to help us but to also work in tune with nature, which includes the healing mechanisms inside your body.
If I start using essential oils does it mean I never have to go to the doctor again?
NO, although I think it might mean you get better news when you do go to the doctor. I really feel like at some point modern medicine will need to acknowledge natural medicine and vice versa, as some natural purists don’t want to ever see a doctor. The world is just not that black and white.
Are Essential Oils Sustainable?
Yes and No, so let me explain…
- Just like with any plant if it’s not grown locally then it has to be shipped in from some place, which is not environmentally friendly and not sustainable in an emergency.
- However, they can be stored, albeit for not as long as people think.
- Make sure you are storing in a cool, dry place
- Make sure you have a dark bottle that keeps the light out
- Don’t store them with a dropper
- They deteriorate over time.
- And in many places the plants needed to make essential oils can be grown, so in that case they would be sustainable.
Multi-Level Marketing
It’s hard to talk about essential oils these days and not have multi-level marketing come up. I’m not here to bash anyone’s business, but I do want people to be aware that when a product is sold through MLM then the price will always be higher.
I’ve found a source that I trust that is not a MLM comapany and that I’m very happy with in terms of quality. We use Spark Naturals. If you decide to order from them be sure to use the discount code AWCOW for an extra 10% off.
Again, I’m not insulting anyone, but I do have an opinion about certain business structures. You’re entitled to your opinion and I’m entitled to mine.
What is a Carrier Oil?
Essential oils are very concentrated so they are often mixed with another neutral oil. Sometimes it’s as simple as mixing them with olive oil or coconut oil. There are other carrier oils such as sweet almond oil, avocado oil, and grapeseed oil that can be used.
Are Essential Oils Better Than Other Herbal Or Natural Remedies?
It depends. Here I’m talking about tinctures and infusions. Essential oils are usually stronger, but a lot of people including myself don’t feel comfortable ingesting all forms of essential oil and you can usually ingest a tincture or infusions.
My 10 Favorite Ways To Use Essential Oil
- Peppermint–If I have a headache rub it mixed with a carrier oil on your temple. See more about how I use peppermint oil here.
- Frankincense–-I’m an old soul so I love the classic scent of frankincense, so I often use it as perfume. See more about how I use frankincense oil here.
- Myrrh–Myrrh is great for you skin so I use it in homemade salves and lotions. See more about how I use myrrh oil here.
- Lavender–This oil will do so many things but I think my favorite thing is the fresh clean scent that gives my homemade cleaners. See more about how I use lavender oil here.
- Grapefruit Oil–I love to use this oil in the diffuser. I diffuse:4 drops grapefruit 2 drops frankincense. See more about how I use grapefruit oil here.
- Tea Tree Oil/Melaleuca Oil–Since I have boys I often use this anti-fungal oil in my laundry. See more about how I use tea tree oil here.
- For Concentration–I love to diffuse equal amounts peppermint, orange and rosemary when I sit down to work.
- Ginger–This is a great oil for nausea and motion sickness.
- Insect Repellent–Spark Naturals has a blend for outdoors called Nature–Outdoor Blend. It has lemon, eucalyptus, citronella and lemongrass. I use it when I need to go out when mosquitoes are out, and I also use it on my dogs when they go out. Just mix it with witch hazel. See more about how I make insect repellent here.
- Carrot Seed Oil–I put this oil in hard lotion. See more about how I use carrot seed oil here.
Resources
The Complete Book Of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy–I love this book and if you don’t already have it they are coming out with a revised version so look for that soon.
Preparedness Planner Essential Oil Edition–this book I use to keep track of my oils.
Final Thoughts
Like anything else you need to use common sense when using essential oils. They’re not a miracle cure, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be a valuable tool for your family to use. I use Spark Naturals. If you decide to give them a try be sure to use AWCOW for an extra 10% off.
