Aromatherapy 101

Medicinal quality essential oils are more than pure. Just because an essential oil is 100% pure doesn't mean it is meant for Aromatherapy. The truth is that purity is a relatively easy standard to meet, but the quality of pure essential oils depends on several factors. The soil. Plants grow best with an optimum pH balance and the right nutrients in the soil. The optimum soil mix is preferably attained through organic methods, but, commercially, is attained through chemical fertilizing methods. The seed. Seeds are harvested from plants. If a plant has a history of producing excellent, vigorous plants with good yield, those seeds will be preferred. Commercially produced seeds are subjected to chemical fertilizing and pesticides, if not the seeds themselves, the plants that produce them.

The distillation. Good distillation begins with good water from the earth and not from the tap. During distillation, temperature and pressure can be adjusted. High temperature and pressure are used commercially because the small loss of constituents from the heat does not outweigh the economic value of rapid distillation. Quality distillation requires a slower, lower temperature process that maintains the subtle and volatile components of the oil. The retention of the widest range of naturally occurring constituents fundamentally makes the difference between medicinal quality and commercial essential oils. The handling. After capturing the essential oil from steam distillation, commercial oils are often subjected to a standardization process. Essential oils have a worldwide market and are traded by the barrel commercially to large food and other manufacturers. These customers expect a consistent essential oil for their manufacturing process. They develop specifications for percentages of the main components that the suppliers must meet in order to make the sale. If a specification requires 42% linalol acetate in Lavender, for example, and the distillation produces 45%, then 3% is extracted and saved to be added to another batch whose linalol acetate is below 42%. Do you see how this oil is still 100% pure? Yet this standardization moves away from the natural state of the oil produced by the plant. When the oils are preserved in their natural state without standardization, they are referred to as “in-totum”. Medicinal quality essential oils are in-totum and while they may vary from batch to batch, they are presented as nature intended. The distribution. It is certainly important that no one in the chain of distribution adds any adulterants or diluents to the oils, but there are even more subtle factors that I believe can affect the quality of an essential oil. Essential oils have an uncanny intelligence to them. They have a manner of making their way into the hands of the right people. The best oils seem to engender personal growth in the people who come in contact with them. I have seen people who have a strong identity with their problems repel from the oils. Those who are ready to change are drawn to them.

Inhalation. The simplest and mildest form of application is to open the cap and smell an essential oil. Inhalation can be beneficial for its stimulating or relaxing effects, since the limbic system is directly influenced by signals from the olfactory nerves. Olfactory nerves are located in your nose and the process of smelling is referred to as “Olfaction” or the “Olfactory Process.” Diffusion is another a form of inhalation application, but can have additional benefits, such as cleansing the air in a larger environment. While there are different types of diffusers, they fall into one of two basic methods of diffusion. They either evaporate or nebulize the oil. An evaporative diffuser is normally less expensive and uses heat or air to force the evaporation of the oil into the environment. A nebulizing diffuser also uses air, but rather than forcing evaporation, the air is used to turbulently break up the oil into very fine molecules, resembling smoke, that is projected into the environment. Cutaneous. When essential oils are applied to the body, whether diluted with a carrier or applied “neat” (undiluted), it is considered a cutaneous application. This can be done by applying a drop of oil to the wrist or other pulse point, by massaging onto the feet, by full body massage, as well as by using essential oils in a bath. Among the most common reasons for cutaneous applications are pain relief and relaxation.

Perhaps the most important thing to understand in natural healing is that our immune system is intelligently designed. It works to keep us healthy, in spite of the abuse that our bodies endure from daily stress, lack of good nutrition and toxicity. In natural healthcare, It is often less vital to specifically test and diagnose an ailment, because the natural approach to healing is to strengthen the immune system by optimizing nutrition, reducing toxicity and managing stress. This simple solution is far from a "one size fits all" approach since every individual has a unique combination of nutritional, toxicity and stress factors. Essential oils can be an important facet of natural healing with their well documented history of fighting infection and reducing inflammation in harmony with, rather than fighting against, our immune system. Essential oils are not a replacement for a pharmaceutical medication. We would not say "take this instead of that"; however, if by supporting your immune system your body becomes stronger, you and your doctor can determine if your need for a particular medication may be reduced. We believe that God has blessed us with a host of beneficial botanicals whose intelligence and complexity is unmatched in a laboratory. We have personally experienced the benefits of essential oils and use them everyday.