History

Essential oils have been used for 1000s of years. When they are extracted, they are much more potent than the original herb. In ancient Egypt 5000 B.C.E. they extracted oils with animal fats, and the sun. They also had an ancient scroll that described many uses for essential oils. In 1922, when king tuts tome was opened, they found lots of essential oils that were in perfect condition. In Pakistan 4000 B.C.E. they began to have oil refinements. In ancient Arabia 1000 B.C.E. frankincense oil was prized, and used widely. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, saved Athens from a plague by propagating the city with these oils.

Science

Essential oils can be steam distilled, and CO2 extracted. Steam distillation is the process of passing steam through the plant material, and the plant gets volatized, condensed, and collected. With CO2 extraction, the gas is put under extreme pressure to transform the gas into liquid. Then the liquid CO2 can extract the essential oils form the plants. All essential oils have antiviral, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, and antiseptic properties. These is do to compounds called terpenes. There are three types of terpenes, mono, sesqui, and triterpenes.

Methods

Diffusion-

Diffusing essential oils is the most common way to use them. This consists of oils being vaporized, and inhaled through the air. There are two types of diffusers. An ultrasonic diffuser uses water along with the essential oils. This dilutes the oil, and makes it last linger. Nebulizer diffusers use pure essential oils, and are more powerful. The oils don’t usually last as long.

Topical-

Oils can also be applied to the skin. Most oils are going to need to be diluted. This means that you apply a carrier oil along with the essential oil, so it doesn’t burn your skin. Carrier oils consist of a fatty oil, like jojoba, coconut, and almond oil. There are sources that say to do certain ratios of dilution, but really, do what works for you. A 3-1 ratio of carrier oil- to essential oil is a good start.

Internal-

Depending on who you talk to, you can take them internally. Just add them to water, or you can also take them in capsules. Listen to your body, and see if this approach works for you. Some say not to do this because they are too powerful, but people do use this, and get good results.

Sourcing

Essential oils are not regulated, so you don’t want to buy them at a regular store. often times there are no essential oils in the bottle, and it’s only synthetic fragrance. When this happens, you lose all the therapeutic benefits, and have toxic effects. You want to buy them at a whole food store, but even then, what I mentioned above could happen. So, really focus on the brand themselves. Look for integrity, and good practices. The companies I recommend are young living, and essential oil wizardry. I can vouch for these companies because I used them for a long time. They both have sustainable practices, and excellent processing. All their oils are authentic, organic, and carefully selected. There aren’t really labels you can look for because again, it’s not regulated.