I love essential oils, always have. It's the strong scent that you get from true essential oils that I've always enjoyed, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realised that it’s not just that I like the scent or want to make my room smell nice, it’s the other effects that they have on me too.
Through using various products with essential oils and blends I began to gravitate to specific ones which I knew helped me sleep or relax if I knew I had something anxiety triggering coming up. Ones to wake me up or help me focus, ones that helped with headaches… I always seemed to find I was drawn to a particular scent and then when I thought about it in more detail realised that this was what I needed at the time. The menthols and eucalyptus smell more appealing when I needed to clear my head or had the beginnings of a cold starting. Lavender, chamomile, citrus scents when I wanted to relax or sleep well were the most appealing. This got me interested enough that I wanted to learn more, and I thought I would share some of what I have learnt so far with you. (I assumed that if you clicked this link you were probably interested too…)
What are essential oils?
In short, essential oils are the natural oils which are extracted from a part of a plant and are in their purest form. The oils are usually highly fragranced (some may be more subtle) and can be extracted from any part of the plant, flower, leaf, roots etc. The oils are usually extracted by steam distillation, carbon dioxide extraction or cold pressing, there are more historically used methods, but these are the most used ones at present.
Another method is Solvent Extraction. This is mainly used for delicate flower oils like jasmine and rose where it takes a large amount of the flower / petals to create a very small amount. Technically, this method does not create essential oils, it produces what is referred to as ‘absolutes’ which are highly concentrated and pungent. As it involves the use of harsh chemicals and residues as well so are not as safe to use on the skin and need much more dilution. Not all plants are able to be extracted to essential oil form, another that you see labelled incorrectly as an essential oil is vanilla, this is more likely to be an absolute or fragrance oil with other chemicals or ingredients in the mix.
If you want to buy and experiment with essential oils, do some research and try to find the therapeutic grade oils. Cheaper versions may not be a pure essential oil.
How do they work?
The sciency bit (will do my best here, stay with me...) The aromatic molecules from the essential oils can be inhaled. Our olfactory system picks up the scent and the olfactory nerve sends this information to the limbic system, which is the part of the brain that influences the nervous and hormonal systems in the body and is also connected to memory and emotion. When essential oils interact with the emotional brain or limbic system they can have quite an impact on us physically. It is connected to the parts of our brain that control heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, hormone balance and stress levels. Smell is our only sense that behaves in this way.
We have all heard about and experienced the link between smell and memory. Certain smells take you back to places, people or events, even unexpected ones that you have buried in the depths of your memory somewhere and had forgotten existed. Rose and Lavender take me back to grandma’s house when I was small, it was the little funny shaped soaps she always had in the bathroom that for some reason had no purpose other than to look and smell nice. The bluebell fragrance oil I am testing takes me back to being a kid and walking through the woods near my house with my dog. The carpet of bluebells always looked stunning, but I never recalled a smell until I opened this fragrance. A certain perfume takes me back to sitting with my mother-in-law and a certain type of cleaning spray conjures images of being in hospital after my little one was born. Aniseed immediately takes me to sambuca… enough said… This also goes to show personal experiences and memories influence how we feel about certain smells, and emotions linked to those memories will play a part in determining how we react to those smells. So what is relaxing to one person, may have the opposite effect on another. Many find aniseed has a positive effect on their stomach or digestion… I most certainly do not.
Essential oils can also be applied through the skin, they are absorbed into the bloodstream and when we apply them to the skin there is a certain level of inhalation of them too so double whammy. Although essential oils are highly concentrated and as a general rule will need to be diluted in a carrier oil or base before being applied to the skin. Please be careful and follow instructions when using as they can cause some serious problems if used incorrectly. Read my blog post on 'Using Essential Oils' to find out more about different ways to use essential oils and how to store and apply essential oils safely.
I thought I would share with you my top five essential oils. These all smell great on their own or blended with others. Most of these are the more commonly used in aromatherapy treatments because of their wide array of properties and benefits.
1. Eucalyptus
This had to be number 1, my all-time favourite. Discovered in a steam room on a spa day – I don’t do well with heat, but I could have stayed in that room for hours (probably wouldn’t have done me much good if I had). It has a sweet, menthol like scent which is known to help improve focus and concentration. It is also a very strong scent and a little goes a long way. Eucalyptus is a powerful antiseptic; it has anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties and is a great decongestant. A few drops in the bath clears your head amazingly. It can also be used to ease migraines and makes a good insect repellent. Just to name a few… It does bond well with the wax; carrier oils and bases I use due to its pungency.
2. Ylang-Ylang
Meaning ‘flower of flowers’ and the oil is distilled from the flower itself. Another strong one which seems to work well with my bases and carrier oils. It has an exotic, oriental floral scent with a sweetness that I liken to a sherberty sort of smell. Known for its uplifting and arousing effects, it has been used throughout history as an aphrodisiac and to lower inhibitions. This could be in part due to its antidepressant and sedative properties and it is often used to help with anxiety, high blood pressure and to help regulate and calm. I just really like the smell…
3. Jasmine
Another relaxing and uplifting oil, this ‘fragrant flower’ has a heady and exotic floral scent. The flowers are too delicate to steam distil so a solvent extraction method is used to create an absolute (technically not an essential oil). This is a highly concentrated form, and it takes an incredibly large yield of jasmine flowers to create a small amount. This is why it appears to be so expensive compared to other essential oils. The aroma from this oil has a powerful uplifting effect, relieving tension and stress, as well as increasing alertness. As with the previous oil on this list, it has long been used for its aphrodisiac properties for both men and women. This can be found in the ingredients for many of the ‘at the spa’ fragrance range on our website.
4. Peppermint
Another well-known, refreshing, clean scent. It is most known for its positive effects on the digestive system, long used to help with nausea, IBS, colic, indigestion and travel sickness to name a few. Also well known for its antiseptic and decongestant properties being used to fight cold and flu, fever, sinusitis, and to help with certain respiratory complaints. Peppermint is also an analgesic and an anaesthetic, making it ideal to use to ease headaches, migraine, and inflammation or pain. It is also anti-spasmodic which helps with cramps and menstrual discomfort. The menthol aroma of peppermint is a stimulant and can be used to combat fatigue and shock. Not for using too close to bedtime!
5. Lavender
A well-known, clean, light, floral scent with so many applications it would be almost impossible to list them all. This is your basic aromatherapy all-rounder and a must have for any medicine cabinet. Such a versatile oil to use, I cannot stress the necessity of having this in the house enough. Probably best known for its relaxing and calming properties and its ability to promote restful sleep and act as an anti-depressant. It is also used in soothing and healing skin treatments and widely used for its regenerative abilities in skin care and bath soaks. Lavender is analgesic, (a pain killer) and is great for using to soothe headaches, migraine and muscular aches and pains. It also works as a decongestant and helps with respiratory problems and allergies. What surprised me on my quest for knowledge was to find out that lavender is also highly antiseptic and is a fantastic addition to a first aid kit. It is one of the few essential oils that can be used neat on a small area. Most need to be diluted with a carrier oil or base but lavender can be applied neat directly onto minor cuts, burns, bites and stings. Being clumsy in the kitchen and prone to bity insects, I can attest to the soothing properties of this and I now always have a small roller ball bottle of lavender essential oil in the medicine box. I also like to dilute it in coconut oil (extra kind to the skin!)
Some of the products in my Busy Little Bluebird fragrance range are made with a single essential oil fragrance, some are blends and other fragrance products are fragrance oils. Fragrance oils are synthetic but the fragrance oils I use are derived from essential oils and natural ingredients. I do have one of my own blends in the mix at the minute (Sweetheart Blend) and am working on more.
As always I hope someone finds this vaguely interesting or helpful. Please ask questions or share your thoughts below! :)
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