Essential Oils: Essential Oils (The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Uncovering the Healing Benefits of Aromatherapy) (2 page)

Ethers
: Ethers are balancing and harmonizing to the nervous system. They also serve as antiseptics, expectorants and diuretics. Basil, Parsley, Clove, Cinnamon, Tarragon and Sassafras contain ethers as their prominent component.

Lactones
: Lactones are mucolytic and anti-inflammatory. Elecampane and Arnica are the essential oils that contain lactones as a dominant ingredient.

Individually, each essential oil is composed of over hundred chemical components, and all these cumulatively influence the physical and mental health of an individual. The variation in activity of these essential oils can be explained by the predominance of different chemical components in each oil.

While some oils may be relaxing, others may act as a sedative and yet others may behave as powerful anti-oxidants.

There is another class of essential oils termed as the ‘adaptogenic oils’. Lavender oil and lemon oil fall in this category and have the capability to adapt to the needs of your body. Overall, the mechanism of action of essential oils is pretty complex and they are known to impact the body and mind both.

Technically, most essential oils are extracted through the process of steam or hydro distillation.

Steam distillation
: In this process, the plant matter is collected together in a vat. After this, the steam is purged through it at an extremely high temperature and pressure. The heat is instrumental in releasing the oil from the plant and they collect in the steam. The steam is them made to travel through a pipe into another vat where it is cooled. Since oil floats on water, you are left with two products: the essential oil floating on the top and the water containing extremely dilute properties of the plant. (This is called hydrolat). This method is deployed for roots, twigs, leaves and petals.

Hydro distillation
: The process of steam distillation pushes steam up through the plant matter. The process of hydro distillation, on the other hand, pushes it down. The process is similar, except that this one releases a greater amount of oil.

Rectification
: A number of times you may see that the plant has gone through the process of rectification or re-distillation. This may lead you to believe that the plant has gone through the entire process again.

This is not the case. Sometimes, during the process of distillation, the oil may possess certain components that are not good for the human body and mind. These components have to be eliminated from the oil, and in order to achieve this the process of distillation is interrupted and then repeated all over again so that the offending component can be removed. This is termed as fractional distillation. An example here could be the widely used Ylang Ylang oil which undergoes five re-distillations in order to eliminate the esters from the oil. The first distillation is the most exotic one and is called Ylang extra. The further distillations are referred to as Grade 1, 2, 3, etc. and become softer.

Cohobation
: A number of times, the process of steam distillation can remove some important constituents from the oil. An example here is phenyl ethyl, which is removed from Rose oil. The reason for this is that the essential oil partly binds itself to the water vapor. In the process of cohobation, the remaining water is distilled once again. This isolates the active part which is then re-added to the essential oil.

The doubly distilled version of Rose oil is called Rose Otto and it is extremely pricey.

Expression
: This is mostly used for citrus oils. Hundreds of tiny pricks are made in the peel of the citrus fruit. A machine is used for this purpose. The fruit is then pressed very hard to release the oil.

The resultant liquid is put through a centrifuge and spun really fast to separate any extra products or contaminating water that is contained in the mixture.

Solvent extraction
: This process is used to produce a high quality product using CO2. The chemical elements go through three stages: solids, liquids and gases. However, there is a particular moment when CO2 is neither liquid nor gas. This stage is called the hypercritical stage and it is during this stage that essential oils are trapped. When pressure is released and CO2 disperses, an extremely pure absolute is left behind.

No essential oil grading system exists in aromatherapy, although it would be an extremely useful thing to have.

Essential oils are often ranked as:

A – Therapeutic grade essential oil

B – Adulterated or synthetic oil

C – Fragrance or perfume oil

D – Floral water

This sometimes confuses newcomers who begin to believe that they should be searching for Grade A or therapeutic oil. In reality, this grading system is just a tool used by some multi-level marketers to promote their own oils.

The ISO or International Standards Organization has certain regulations about essential oil quality and this can certainly help newcomers. ISO also awards companies that demonstrate transparency in their practices. Along with the quality of oil, it also considers the safety practices, potential hazards and the source of oil.

So,
how do you choose the best essential oil amongst so many brands
? 

Here are some tips that can enable you to make wise decisions while shopping for your favorite essential oils:

• You must never purchase an essential oil if you see words such as ‘perfume oil’, ‘fragrance oil’ or ‘natural identical oil’ mentioned on the bottle. This just means that what you are looking at is not pure unadulterated essential oil. It could be a combination of essential oils, a combination of an essential oil with some synthetic oil or just chemicals added to synthetic oils in order to produce fragrances similar to essential oils.
  
• No governmental body has until now graded or certified essential oils as aromatherapy grade oil’ or ‘therapeutic grade oil’. These are misleading terms often used by suppliers to falsely promote their brand.
  
• Always look at the date when the oil was extracted, the method of extraction that was used, the botanical name of the plant and the ingredients listed on the bottle.
  
• Most essential oils suppliers sell their oils up to 4 oz. capacity in dark colored glass bottles. If you notice oils at this capacity being sold in plastic or transparent glass bottles, it is a signal that you should stay away from this supplier.
  
• It is often convenient to buy larger quantities of essential oil online. And it becomes even more convenient for the suppliers to ship these oils in plastic bottles (the assumption here is that glass bottles may break during the process of shipping). Be very sure about checking with the supplier if the essential oil has been transferred into a plastic bottle only for the purpose of shipping. Also, transfer the oil into your dark colored glass bottle the moment you receive it.
  
• You may also notice large quantities of oil being sold in aluminum bottles. Don’t forget to verify that the inside of the aluminum bottle is lined.
  
• Never buy essential oils stored in bottles with rubber eyedropper bulbs as these may penetrate into the rubber bulb and in the process contaminate the oil.
  
• Always buy oils from vendors who claim to test their oils and can offer you a tester before the actual bottle. Try and test their knowledge through certain questions that you can ask regarding their oils. Check about the method of extraction of the oil, the date when it was extracted, the manner in which the plant was cultivated, dilution percentage etc. The idea is to just test the knowledge base of your vendor just so that you get confident about their ability to deliver the best pure essential oils.
  
• Buy organic essential oils if you can, they are better than the non-organic ones.
  
• It is important to be careful of the cost of the essential oil, but that should not be the only deciding factor. Quality essential oils are usually expensive since countless hours are spent in sourcing and extracting the oils. Be very sure of the quality of the oil that you are purchasing.
  

UNDERSTANDING PURITY AND QUALITY

Your adorable pure essential oil could also be poor quality oil. Well, then how do you ensure the quality of oils?

Here are some factors the quality of oils depends upon:

• The quality of the soil which nurtures the plant from which the essential oil is extracted
  
• The quantity of rainfall experienced during the nurturing period
  
• The temperature and climate of the place where the parent plant is grown
  
• The altitude at which this plant is grown
  
• The methods deployed to harvest the parent plant
  
• The methods deployed to store the plant prior to initiation of the process of extraction of oil
  
• The gap between the time when the parent plant was harvested and the time when the parent plant underwent the process of distillation
  
• The type of distillation material used for extraction of oil
  
• The parts of the plant utilized for extracting the oil
  
• The manner in which the extracted essential oil is stored
  
• Any kind of adulteration made to the oil
  

Essential oils can be adulterated in a number of ways. Some of these are listed below:

• Blending a high quality essential oil with a low quality essential oil and falsely marketing it as a pure or unadulterated version
  
• Blending a high quality essential oil with a low quality oil of similar species
  
• Addition of synthetics to strengthen the aroma of the essential oil
  
• Addition of natural or synthetic constituents to an essential oil
  
• Diluting the essential oil with a vegetable oil or carrier oil and not disclosing the percentage of dilution
  

Do you want to understand if your essential oil has been diluted with vegetable oil
?

You may take a few drops of this oil on a tissue and wait for it to dry. A circular oily ring visible on the tissue a few minutes after the essential oil evaporates is an indication of your oil being diluted in vegetable oil.

USAGE GUIDELINES FOR ESSENTIAL OILS

Here are some Do’s and Don’ts about essential oils:

Do’s
:

• Educate yourself
  : You must do all that you can in order to educate yourself regarding the use of essential oils. Try and acquaint yourself with shopping guides regarding essential oils and also develop an understanding of all the safety instructions related to them.
  
• Shop wisely
  : You should always shop from trusted shops or suppliers. Sometimes, suppliers claim that their essential oils are undiluted and pure. This may, however, not be the case. You should therefore do your own research for the brand providing the highest quality of a particular essential oil since this varies from one brand to another.
  
• Read all relevant information
  : This must include the botanical name of the oil, the country of origin, the method of extraction and even the method of farming. This way, you will be able to establish whether the oil is organic or not.
  
• Store appropriately
  : Store your oils in dark colored glass bottles (cobalt blue or amber) and in a cool and a dark place. You can use wooden boxes or wooden floppy disk holders also to store these bottles.
  
• Safety comes first
  : Always study all safety precautions before beginning to use a particular oil.
  
• Enjoy yourself
  ! Now that you have decided to embrace aromatherapy and essential oils, you must make a conscious effort to enjoy the experience. Pamper yourself to your favorite indulgences and let these oils work their magic.
  

Don’ts
:

• Don’t confuse essential oils with perfume oils
  : These are two different things. Perfume oils do not offer the same advantages as essential oils.
  
• Don’t compromise on the packaging
  : Some manufacturers sell essential oils with rubber glass marker tubes. The concentration of the essential oils can convert these rubber tubes into gummy structures, which in turn spoils the oils.
  
• Don’t ever compare apples to oranges
  : Some common plants used to create essential oils are Eucalyptus, Anise, Bay and Cedarwood. However, a number of essential oils can be obtained from the various varieties available for each of these plants. And all these may be priced differently. It would be a good idea to look at the botanical names for the plants used in the extraction of these essential oils. An example here could be the ‘Bay essential oil’. The essential oil from Pimenta racemosa is used to prepare this oil. Similarly, this oil is also prepared from the plant, Laurus nobilis.
  
• Do not purchase your oils from craft shows or street fair
  : These may be low on quality and you may never be able to find the same seller again! Most reputed manufacturers do not sell their oils in one-time events or shows.
  

And now
some safety guidelines that you must follow while working with essential oils
:

• Always use essential oils in their diluted form. Undiluted essential oils can lead to severe reactions and allergies.
  
• Use a skin patch test to check the sensitization reaction of any essential oil. This can be performed by placing two drops of diluted essential oil on the inside of your elbow and covering it with a bandage. You must be very careful that this area does not get wet for at least the next twenty four hours. Essential oils are considered safe for use if you do not experience any irritation. However, in case you do experience any irritation, consider removing the bandage and washing the area with soap and water. Do not use this essential oil now because your patch test has proved that you are sensitive to this oil.
  
• Each essential oil has a definite set of safety precautions associated with it. Do make sure that you familiarize yourself with the safety precautions of the oil that you are using, especially if you suffer from some specific health conditions such as asthma, allergy or even pregnancy.
  
• Essential oils are extremely powerful.  Always use the recommended smallest possible amount. If the recommended dosage is two drops, do not go overboard and use three.
  
• Never allow children to use essential oils, except when under adult supervision. The fragrant smell of essential oils typically attracts kids towards them. However, it should be noted that these oils are miraculous when used with caution and can serve as fatal when used without proper knowledge. 
  
• Never consume an essential oil internally (the only exception to this rule is a recommendation from your aroma therapist detailing the steps to use the oil).
  
• Keep these oils away from ignition or heat as all essential oils are flammable.
  
• Some essential oils are phototoxic. Do not apply these to skin that may be directly exposed to sunlight in the next twenty four to thirty six hours. These include Petitgrain, Bergamot and Citrus oils.
  
• Essential oils can sometimes react with toxins that have accumulated in the body as a result of chemicals in water, food or general environment. Immediately stop the usage of these oils in case you experience a reaction due to a build-up of toxins. Also increase your water intake when you begin your essential oil therapy.
  
• Sustained exposure to essential oils during massage sessions can lead to feelings of headaches, vomiting’s, nausea and general uneasiness. Therapists should therefore ensure proper ventilation, frequent breaks and adequate amount of water. Operating any kind of motorized equipment should be avoided post usage of certain essential oils. Examples of these are clary or sage. A week’s rest is generally advised post two weeks of essential oil usage.
  

What about accidents
?

It is extremely important to be aware of the safety precautions you would incorporate in case of an accident during the usage of an essential oil. For example, you must flush your eyes with vegetable oil or cold milk in case the essential oil gets into your eyes. Similarly, washing with vegetable oil or cream is recommended in case the oil reacts with skin.

List of some harmful oils
:

Here are some oils that are classified as hazardous oils and should not be used in aromatherapy at all:

• Ajowan (
  Trachyspermum copticum
  )
  
• Bitter Almond (
  Prunus dulcis var. amara)
  
• Arnica (
  Arnica montana)
  
• Onion (
  Allium cepa)
  
• Mugwort (
  Artemisia vulgaris)
  
• Melilotus (
  Melilotus officinalis)
  
• Mustard (
  Brassica nigra)
  
• Rue (
  Ruta graveolens
  )
  
• Sweet Birch (
  Betuala lenta)
  
• Calamus (
  Acorus calamus var angustatus)
  
• Sassafras (
  Sassafras albidum)
  
• Boldo leaf (
  Peumus boldus)
  
• Spanish Broom (
  Spartium junceum)
  
• Pennyroyal (
  Mentha pulegium)
  
• Yellow camphor (
  Cinnamomum camphora)
  
• Brown Camphor (
  Cinnamomum camphora)
  
• Thuja (
  Thuja occidentalis)
  
• Wormseed (
  Chenopodium ambrosioides var. anthelminticum)
  
• Jaborandi (
  Pilocarpus jaborandi)
  
• Wintergreen (
  Gaultheria procumbens)
  
• Wormwood (
  Artimisa absinthium)
  
• Deertongue (
  Carphephorus odoroatissimus)
  
• Garlic (
  Allium sativum)
  
• Horseradish (
  Armoracia rusticana)