Essential oils in aromatherapy are made up of tiny molecules that dissolve easily in alcohol, skin creams, and oils (fats). As the oil molecules evaporate from the skin's surface, they are inhaled, sending messages straight to the brain via the millions of sensitive cells in your nose. These inhaled molecules affect your emotions by working on the portion of your brain called the limbic system, which, coincidentally, also controls the major functions of the body, such as sleep, sex drive, hunger, and thirst.
Essential Oils
Essential oils are highly concentrated substances extracted from various parts of a plant. The oils may contain healing vitamins, antibiotics and antiseptics. Common essential oils used in aromatherapy include lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint and coconut oil. A daily oil massage has several benefits, including reducing stress, keeping skin youthful and improving immunity. Learn more about the benefits and uses for essential oils with expert advice from Sharecare.
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Debra Fulghum Bruce PhD , Healthcare, answeredEssential oils are highly concentrated substances extracted from a variety of different parts of a plant, including the flower, bark, roots, leaves, wood, resin, seeds, or the rind (in the case of citrus fruits). The oils contain healing vitamins, antibiotics, and antiseptics and represent the "life force” of the plant
Scientists agree that essential oils may perform more than one function in living plants. In some cases they seem to be a part of the plant's immune system. In other cases they may simply be end products of metabolism. Essential oils are said to be healing because they contain hundreds of organic constituents, including hormones, vitamins, and other natural elements that work on many levels. For example, essential oils can be sedative or stimulating. Some are antispasmodic, and most are antibacterial. Essential oils are 75 to 100 times more concentrated than the oils in dried herbs. -
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Dr. Devi E. Nampiaparampil, MD , Pain Medicine, answered
Helichrysum oil is an essential oil from Africa that can help relieve muscle pain, says pain management expert Dr. Devi Nampiaparampil. Find out more about Helichrysum oil by watching this video.
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Ms. Ashley Koff, RD , Nutrition & Dietetics, answeredLemons are a stress-reducing super citrus fruit. Create your own lemon essential oil using the lemon peel, which contains potent stress-reducing oils. Add a few drops of this essential oil to water and place in a spray bottle for a relaxing spritz.
Ingredients:- 1 lemon
- Cold-pressed olive oil
1. Grate the outside of the lemon over a bowl.
2. Fill a small glass bottle halfway with the grated lemon zest. Fill the rest of the bottle with olive oil.
3. Set the bottle on a windowsill or somewhere else that gets a lot of sun. Leave it there for a few days, but shake the bottle a few times per day.
Store lemon oil in an airtight container at room temperature. -
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Dr. Michael T. Murray, ND , Naturopathic Medicine, answeredFor medicinal purposes, fish, flaxseed, evening primrose, borage, and black currant oils are the most popular. Black currant, borage, and evening primrose oil are used because they contain gamma-linolenic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid that eventually acts as a precursor of the favorable prostaglandins of the 1 series. However, flaxseed oil is not only less expensive; it may provide greater benefit due to its high concentration of linolenic acid, an omega- 3 fatty acid. The linoleic acid in flaxseed is easily converted to gamma-linolenic acid by most people. Fish oils rich in eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and other omega-3 oils are also quite popular.
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answeredSee All 2 AnswersSome popular aromatherapy oils include:
• Lavender - A few dabs of lavender oil at the base of your thumb and
neck, between the eyebrows, or along pressure points in the wrist can
ease the stress of the day and is helpful during migraine attacks.
• Eucalyptus – Use this oil to help clear nasal passages and airways if you
have a cold, flu, or allergies. Add a few drops while taking a hot shower
or add it to the medicine well of a humidifier.
• Lemongrass - Dilute this essential oil in a spray bottle and use it as a
natural insect repellent.
• Tea tree - This oil is a popular for its antimicrobial activities. Look for it
in skin products soaps, and shampoos.
[Note: Lavender and tea tree oils can behave like certain hormones such as estrogen and block the male hormone testosterone, so use them sparingly on children.]
This content originally appeared on doctoroz.com -
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered
Daily Oil Massage (Abhyanga)
We tend to think of only getting massages from a therapist on special occasions. But you can treat yourself as often as you want to a warm oil massage in your own bathroom. This daily oil massage has several benefits including reducing stress, keeping skin youthful, and improving immunity. You and your partner can also do this massage on each other on the weekends to create an easy, affordable, and health-promoting romantic experience.For the majority of people, the best oil to use is organic, cured sesame oil. But if you produce a lot of body heat, tend to get rashes easily, or are susceptible to inflammatory conditions, then organic coconut oil may be a better choice.
To purify the oil, “cure it” by warming it over low heat to about 212°F (100°C), the boiling point of water. Add just 1 or 2 drops of water to the oil in the beginning. You will know when the proper temperature has been reached when the drops of water sputter and pop. You can cure about 1 quart or liter of oil at one time. This will provide enough oil for at least 15 applications. To save time during your daily massage, transfer a 3-4 day supply of oil into a small plastic flip-top bottle (available at most drug stores). Heat the bottle in the bathroom by placing it into a cup of hot water from the sink. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes to warm up while you brush your teeth, etc.
Massage the head and neck first, then apply the oil to all parts of the body before you begin the rest of the massage. This will allow the oil to be on the body for the maximum amount of time before taking your bath or shower.
The head and scalp are the most important areas to massage, so spend the most time there. Use long, back and forth strokes on the long bones in your arms and legs; use circular motions over your joints, heart and stomach. Finally, massage the bottoms of your feet. The feet are also considered important, so proportionally spend more time on them.
The complete oil massage usually takes 10-20 minutes, but you can spend as little as 5 minutes a day doing abhyanga and still enjoy tremendous health benefits.
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Debra Fulghum Bruce PhD , Healthcare, answeredYou can use the following oils as inhalation, or with massage, self-massage, or soothing aromatherapy bath.
Lavender: Heals burns and cuts; destroys bacteria; relieves inflammation, spasms, headaches, respiratory allergies, muscle aches, nausea, menstrual cramps.
Peppermint: Alleviates digestive problems; cleans wounds; decongests the chest; relieves headache, neuralgia, and muscle pain.
Eucalyptus: Clears sinuses; has antibacterial and antiviral properties; relieves coughs.
Rosemary: Relieves pain; increases circulation; decongests the chest; reduces swelling.
Chamomile: Reduces swelling; treats allergic symptoms; relieves stress, insomnia, and depression; useful in treating digestive problems.
Thyme: Lessens laryngitis and coughs; fights skin infections; relieves pain in the joints.
Tarragon: Stimulates digestion; calms neural and digestive tracts; relieves menstrual symptoms and stress.
Everlasting: Heals scars; reduces swelling after injuries; relieves sunburn; treats pain from arthritis, muscle injuries, sprains and strains, tendonitis. -
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Daphne Oz , Health Education, answeredWhen you blend scents in aromatherapy, the essential oils combine and a new compound is formed that has slightly different properties than the individual oils. When combining oils, you want to act like a perfumer: you need to pay attention to top, middle, and base notes.
Fresh scents, such as lemon, eucalyptus, or tea tree, are top notes, which are generally fresh, light, and immediately detectable because of their high evaporation rate.
Floral oils and the softer herbs, including lavender, geranium, chamomile, and peppermint, make up most of the middle notes, the heart of the mixture, and are detectable after the top note, when smelling the scent for the first time.
Wood oils such as frankincense and sandalwood form the base notes, which are rich, heavy odors that linger and emerge fully only after being exposed to the air for a prolonged time. Of course, there are a few exceptions. For instance, jasmine and rose are floral scents that fall into the base notes category.
A good blend will combine one oil from each of these three categories, usually in this proportion: three drops top note, two drops of middle note, and two drops of the base note. You can, of course, go totally wild and crazy and have two middle notes and a base note, or a top note and a base note and no middle note. Go with what your inner Coco Chanel tells you, and let your nose be your guide. -
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Daphne Oz , Health Education, answeredSee All 2 AnswersBelow is a brief list of moods and the aromatherapy essential oil scents that enhance them:
- Uplifting, energizing -- lemon, tangerine, grapefruit, strawberry
- Relaxing, soothing -- chamomile, lavender, vanilla
- Sensual -- ylang-ylang, musk, jasmine
- Decongesting -- eucalyptus, peppermint
- Most attractive to men -- pumpkin pie, vanilla, cinnamon
- Most attractive to women -- licorice, vanilla, lavender