Essential Oils: The Secret to Healing?
While essential oils are not essential to our daily lives, are they a magical solution to healing and relaxation? Essential oils are a special type of oil, usually made from a plant or flower, that contains the essence or smell of that plant or flower. Due to the strength of the scent, essential oils are often used in aromatherapy. Whether in a grocery store, at the spa, or in general conversation, many have either heard about or seen essential oils before. Common smells include but are not limited to: lavender, rose, rosemary, peppermint, or frankincense (Cleveland Clinic, 2021). These essential oils and many others have been used in the past as part of healing remedies, traditional ceremonies, part of relaxation, and much more.
Essential oils are either made naturally through plants or synthetically through chemicals. The former are generally claimed to be more “pure” and have better and more potent effects. The process of extracting essential oils is very intensive and requires many plants if made naturally. For example, it takes around 250 pounds of lavender flowers to make one pound of essential oil. Natural essential oils are obtained through distillation or mechanically pressing the oils out. Distillation is the process in which a mixture boils a specific substance and collects it separately by rapidly cooling the collected vapor into liquid. Once the aromatic chemicals have been extracted, they are combined with a carrier oil to create a product that’s ready for use (Healthline, 2019). Essential oils are made of many complex substances, such as phenols, alcohols, aldehydes, and esters (NAHA, 2015). Some of these complex substances help give the essential oil its characteristics, such as being soluble in alcohol, ether, and fixed oils but not in water. Essential oils are also usually liquids at room temperature and colorless too (MDPI, 2016).
In natural essential oils, the chemicals come from inside the plants, usually located in the cytoplasm of different organs in the plant. These organs are mostly the secretory hairs or trichomes, epidermal cells, internal secretory cells, and secretory pockets. These natural oils generally have a low molecular weight and are made up of very complex organic compounds. Some oils contain as many as 300 compounds. These complex compounds are considered to be from many chemical classes, such as “alcohols, oxides, aldehydes, ketones, esters, amines, amides, phenols, heterocycles, and mainly terpenes. Alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones offer a wide variety of aromatic notes, such as fruity ((E)-nerolidol), floral (Linalool), citrus (Limonene), herbal (γ-selinene)” (MDPI, 2016).
Once obtained, essential oils have many purposes, mainly for relaxation and healing using aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is the process of healing through the use of aromas or smells. Studies show that breathing in the scents from essential oils can stimulate the limbic system, a part of the brain that plays a role in emotions, behaviors, sense of smell, and long-term memory (Healthline, 2019). The limbic system's involvement with smell and memory can be the reason why sometimes smelling strong scents can invoke memories from your childhood. Studies have also shown that essential oils used though aroma therapy may help with boosting mood, improving sleep, reducing stress, anxiety, and headaches (Cleveland Clinic, 2021).
Essential Oils have been used throughout history as a home remedy for sicknesses and used in spas and saunas for relaxation. The history of essential oils spreads far and wide, with some even going back to ancient Persian remedies. Although there is not 100% certainty throughout the scientific community around the effectiveness of the oils, their long history and overall use seem to imply that they can be used for these applications and do work to some extent. There are many different types of essential oils, and each has its own properties. Still, perhaps there is more to them than what meets the eye, and one day we may learn more about essential oils that could revolutionize the world.
References
Cleveland Clinic. (2021, December 14). 11 essential oils: Their benefits and how to use them. Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/essential-oils-101-do-they-work-how-do-you-use-them
Dhifi, W., Bellili, S., Jazi, S., Bahloul, N., & Mnif, W. (2016). Essential oils’ chemical characterization and investigation of some biological activities: A critical review. Medicines, 3(4), 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines3040025
Exploring Aromatherapy | NAHA. (2015). Naha.org. https://naha.org/explore-aromatherapy/about-aromatherapy/what-are-essential-oils//
West, H. (2019, September 30). What Are Essential Oils and Do They Work? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-are-essential-oils