Essential Oils: The Basic Principles

“It doesn’t get much greener than essential oils: when used correctly, they are among Mother Nature’s most potent remedies.” – Amy Lee Mercree

Introduction | What Are Essential Oils? | Essential Oil Families | Single vs. Blends | Applications | Benefits | Precautions | Final Thoughts | Takeaway Points | References | Disclaimer

Introduction

Essential oils have gained a lot of attention in recent decades. People cultivating a holistic approach to life and health tend to favor essential oils over traditional medications and treatments for some of their ailments. Such alternative ideas for our wellness are well-founded in science. Aromatherapy, which is one of the application forms of essential oils, is regarded as a fully established branch of medicine. More than 17,000 articles on aromatherapy have appeared in high-level scientific journals worldwide. This type of natural holistic care is becoming increasingly popular among families who strive to take their health back into their own hands.

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are obtained from natural oils present in plants. They are highly concentrated and acquired through a process called distillation. The extraction of essential oils can be performed on all parts of the plant, including flowers, leaves, stems, bark, seeds, and roots. Such essence is very potent and possesses all the properties of the plant it was distilled from. Each essential oil has a unique and strong fragrance and, very often, therapeutic abilities that are associated with that particular plant.

The 8 families of Essential Oils

Essential oils can be categorized into eight different groups based on their scent attributes:

• citrus family: To this group belong such essential oils as lemon EO, orange EO, grapefruit EO, bergamot EO, lime EO, and more. All of them possess a light, fresh, and vibrant fragrance.

• floral family: To this group belong such essential oils as geranium EO, jasmine EO, rose EO, rosewood EO, Roman chamomile EO, and more. These essences share a floral, subtle, and often sweet fragrance.

• herbaceous family: To this group belong such essential oils as Melissa EO, rosemary EO, tea tree EO, thyme EO, oregano EO, and more. These essential oils correspond with culinary herbs and their particular fragrances.

• woody/earthy family: To this group belong such essential oils as sandalwood EO, cedarwood EO, rosewood EO, pine EO, vetiver EO, valerian EO, and more. Their fragrances are masculine and musky and bring to mind the floor of the forest.

• resinous/musky family: To this group belong such essential oils as myrrh EO, frankincense EO, elemi EO, Peru balsam EO, and benzoin EO. They have characteristic deep and rich scents that are very long-lasting.

• camphoraceous family: To this group belong such essential oils as camphor EO, eucalyptus EO, laurel leaf EO, and more. They are associated with upper-respiratory tract congestion due to their strong scents.

• minty family: To this group belong such essential oils as peppermint EO, spearmint EO, and wintergreen EO. These essences have strong minty scents.

• spicy family: To this group belong such essential oils as cinnamon EO, ginger EO, cardamom EO, cumin EO, black pepper EO, coriander EO, and more. These essential oils have intense, oriental aromas.

Essential oils are classified according to their scent so that they can be blended to create more sophisticated fragrances. Finding your favorite blend becomes so much easier once you know which aromas go well together and which don't.

Single Essential Oils vs Blends

The manufacturers of essential oils sell both single essences and pre-made blended essences. A single essential oil is a great option if you like a particular plant or its fragrance and properties. If you have in your possession several of these single aromas, then you can blend them according to your preferences. It allows you to compose your bouquet of scents. Pre-made blends, on the other hand, have been put together to serve certain purposes, such as cleansing blends, massage blends, protective blends, digestive blends or relaxing blends just to mention a few. Their advantage is that they are ready to be used at any moment. On the downside, you have no control over what is used to create such a composition, and therefore some of the scents and notes may not belong to your favorites. Additionally, such blends should not be further blended with other essential oils. Ultimately, the choice is yours, and the knowledge about the differences between pre-made blended oils and single oils is very useful in determining what your needs are.

Essential Oils and their Applications

There are three ways to incorporate essential oils into your life. These application forms include:

• Aromatherapy relies on the inhalation of aromatic substances in the air, which impact our body and mind. It requires either a diffuser where the oil can be mixed with water or the oil can be directly applied to a cloth or piece of clothing and inhaled.

• Topical application refers to the absorption of oil through the skin. To rub or massage essential oils into the skin, a carrier oil is necessary. Carrier oils dilute essential oils and make their application smoother and safer.

• Ingestion refers to the internal use of essential oils. They can be either mixed with a glass of water and drunk, swallowed in a veggie capsule, or put under the tongue.

Be cautious: essential oils, similar to any plant extract, have the potential to trigger allergic reactions. It is best to first test our body's response to the oil of our choice to eliminate the possibility of adverse effects. Additionally, some of the essences, such as the spicy essential oils, can cause skin irritation as well as digestive issues if taken in excess. Avoid contact with the eyes, ears, mouth, and genital areas. When using aromatherapy, make sure to let some fresh air into your space to balance the strong scent of EO.

The Benefits of Essential Oils

There are as many benefits to essential oils as there are essences. Each plant extract has its own properties and impacts our body and mind in different ways. Here are some of the most common advantages of essential oils:

• anti-inflammatory properties of rosemary[1], lavender[2] and clove[3],

• antimicrobial effects of thyme[4][5], basil[5], oregano[5], clove[6],

• antioxidant properties of rosemary[7], thyme[8] and grapefruit[9],

• reduced anxiety with the use of lavender[10] and roman chamomile[10],

• pain-relief with the use of lavender[11], clary sage[11] and marjoram[11],

• improved sleep quality and sleep duration by lavender[12][13], roman chamomile[13],

• better immune function with the use of eucalyptus[14] and ginger[14].

The above-presented examples are only a small part of all the benefits essential oils have to offer. In the section on essential oils on this website, you will be able to find a whole list of essences and filter them according to their properties.

What should I watch out for?

Essential oils, like any natural remedy out there, are not bulletproof and certainly can pose risks to some of us. Do these risks outweigh the benefits of essential oils? No, they don't. However, it is good to know how they can impact our bodies and what side effects[16] they might cause. Here are a few examples:

• allergies: If you have a history of allergies to pollen or other plant-derived constituents, make sure to test your reaction to the essence of your choice first. It will help you avoid a range of unpleasant side effects such as redness, hives, itching, stomach upset, and others.

• skin irritations: They can be caused by either an allergic response to essential oils or if you do not dilute your EO well enough. It is especially important in the spicy family of EOs because our skin tends to be the most sensitive to them.

• influence hormones[15]: There is some concern that certain essential oils impact our endocrine system and disrupt hormone production. Even though there are very few studies confirming that phenomenon[16], it is advised that people suffering from hormone-sensitive conditions should consult a doctor before using any of the EOs.

• impact pets: Cats and dogs have a very sensitive sense of smell, and since essential oils have rather strong scents, we need to be mindful of how irritating and unpleasant our favorite aromatherapy, cleaning supplies, or body lotion can be to them.

Final Thoughts

If you want to live a healthy, clean, and environmentally friendly life, essential oils are a great choice. EO can be used as remedies for various ailments; they can be added to skin and body care products, and they will do well as constituents of cleaning supplies. Moreover, they can be used in cooking and baking if necessary. You can blend them to achieve your favorite fragrances and compose your body spray or perfume. They will benefit your life and health if you learn how to use them correctly. They are very potent and efficient, and they will last a long time. It is recommended to choose essences from manufacturers [such as doTerra] who guarantee the highest quality to obtain maximum effects.

Takeaway Points

• Essential oils are highly concentrated and potent plant extracts.

• They need to be diluted in water or carrier oil.

• EOs have many therapeutic effects on the body and mind.

• They are available as single essential oils or blends.

• They can cause allergic reactions and skin irritations.

References

This article contains 16 citations:

[1] Borges RS, Ortiz BLS, Pereira ACM, Keita H, Carvalho JCT. Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil: A review of its phytochemistry, anti-inflammatory activity, and mechanisms of action involved. J Ethnopharmacol. 2019;229:29-45.

[2] Silva GL, Luft C, Lunardelli A, et al. Antioxidant, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of lavender essential oil. An Acad Bras Cienc. 2015;87(2 Suppl):1397-1408.

[3] Han X, Parker TL. Anti-inflammatory activity of clove (Eugenia caryophyllata) essential oil in human dermal fibroblasts. Pharm Biol. 2017;55(1):1619-1622.

[4] Borugă O, Jianu C, Mişcă C, Goleţ I, Gruia AT, Horhat FG. Thymus vulgaris essential oil: chemical composition and antimicrobial activity. J Med Life. 2014;7 Spec No. 3(Spec Iss 3):56-60.

[5] Sakkas H, Papadopoulou C. Antimicrobial Activity of Basil, Oregano, and Thyme Essential Oils. J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2017;27(3):429-438.

[6] Radünz M, da Trindade MLM, Camargo TM, et al. Antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of unencapsulated and encapsulated clove (Syzygium aromaticum, L.) essential oil. Food Chem. 2019;276:180-186.

[7] Rašković A, Milanović I, Pavlović N, Ćebović T, Vukmirović S, Mikov M. Antioxidant activity of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) essential oil and its hepatoprotective potential. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2014;14:225. Published 2014 Jul 7.

[8] Aldosary SK, El-Rahman SNA, Al-Jameel SS, Alromihi NM. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Thymus vulgaris essential oil contained and synthesized thymus (Vulgaris) silver nanoparticles. Braz J Biol. 2021;83:e244675. Published 2021 Sep 22.

[9] Deng W, Liu K, Cao S, Sun J, Zhong B, Chun J. Chemical Composition, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, and Antiproliferative Properties of Grapefruit Essential Oil Prepared by Molecular Distillation. Molecules. 2020;25(1):217. Published 2020 Jan 5.

[10] Zamanifar S, Bagheri-Saveh MI, Nezakati A, Mohammadi R, Seidi J. The Effect of Music Therapy and Aromatherapy with Chamomile-Lavender Essential Oil on the Anxiety of Clinical Nurses: A Randomized and Double-Blind Clinical Trial. J Med Life. 2020;13(1):87-93.

[11] Ou MC, Hsu TF, Lai AC, Lin YT, Lin CC. Pain relief assessment by aromatic essential oil massage on outpatients with primary dysmenorrhea: a randomized, double-blind clinical trial. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2012;38(5):817-822.

[12] Nasiri Lari Z, Hajimonfarednejad M, Riasatian M, et al. Efficacy of inhaled Lavandula angustifolia Mill. Essential oil on sleep quality, quality of life and metabolic control in patients with diabetes mellitus type II and insomnia. J Ethnopharmacol. 2020;251:112560.

[13] Rafii F, Ameri F, Haghani H, Ghobadi A. The effect of aromatherapy massage with lavender and chamomile oil on anxiety and sleep quality of patients with burns. Burns. 2020;46(1):164-171.

[14] Peterfalvi A, Miko E, Nagy T, et al. Much More Than a Pleasant Scent: A Review on Essential Oils Supporting the Immune System. Molecules. 2019;24(24):4530. Published 2019 Dec 11.

[15] Shinohara K, Doi H, Kumagai C, Sawano E, Tarumi W. Effects of essential oil exposure on salivary estrogen concentration in perimenopausal women. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2017;37(8):567-572.

[16] Ramsey JT, Shropshire BC, Nagy TR, Chambers KD, Li Y, Korach KS. Essential Oils and Health. Yale J Biol Med. 2020;93(2):291-305. Published 2020 Jun 29.

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