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Most common oils

Chamomile
Clove
Eucalyptus
Geranium
Lavender
Lemon
Peppermint
Rosemary
Tea Tree
Thyme

Essential oils are one of the great untapped resources of the world. These extremely complex precious liquids are extracted from very specific species of plant life and are in harmony with people and planet alike.

By taking essential oils into our lives we find a way to provide our family and home with the protection and pleasure they need without polluting ourselves, or our environment, with chemicals.

There are about three hundred essential oils in general use today by professional practitioners, but the average household could fulfill all its likely needs with about ten. Modern-day research has confirmed centuries of practical use of the oils, and we now know that the ‘fragrant pharmacy’ contains, apart from its antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal qualities, essential oils which are antiseptic, antiflammatory, antineuralgic, antirheumatic, antispasmodic, antivenomous, antitoxic, antidepressant, sedative, nervine, analgesic, hypotensol, hypertensol, digestive, expectorating, deodorizing, granulation-stimulating, circulatory-stimulating, and diuretic, and much more besides. The most effective way to use essential oils is not orally, as one might think, but by external application or inhalation. The methods used include body oils, compresses, cosmetic lotions, baths (including hand and foot baths), hair rinses, inhalation (by steam, direct from the bottle or from a tissue), perfumes and room sprays.

Essential oils are the high-grade fuel of plants, and by taking them into our body we ingest the best of the goodness plants have to offer.

For effective therapeutic use it is crucial that only pure essential oils be used.

It is quite pointless buying any other product, no matter how charming its aroma may be, because reconstituted products or chemical copies of natural essences simply do not work for medicinal purposes. However, because the medicinal properties of essential oils have hitherto been of no importance to the biggest consumer of essential oils, the perfume industry, a large variety of so-called essential oil products have been devised to meet the demand of an increased market and give the uniformity that nature cannot provide.

In law, all these products come under the heading of “essential oils,” which can be confusing to the inexperienced buyer: “reconstitutions” “nature identicals” “isolates” “perfume compounds” and “aromas.”

Apart from the range of products that have been devised to take the place of essential oils in perfumery, there are essential oils which, when mixed with others, mimic the aroma of the essential oil whose name they carry.

For example, carnation oil is very expensive and so black pepper and ylang-ylang are combined to create the aroma of carnation. This is all very well if perfumery is your concern, but no good at all if the carnation oil is required for a therapeutic purpose.

Essential oils work cosmetically and as antiaging agents in several ways.

They stimulate skin cells into reproducing at a quicker rate, thus reducing the time lag between new skin growth and the elimination of old cells (and reversing the process of aging in which this time span is extended). Skin that has been treated with essential oils becomes more dynamic and stronger. Essential oils can prevent the congestion of toxins and expedite the elimination of toxic debris by improving the lymphatic flow and general condition of the lymph glands. They improve circulation, which aids oxygenation and energises the dermis by the rate nutrients are fed to it. Some can balance the rate at which sebum is produced by the sebaceous glands, thereby stabilizing a healthy skin condition. As bactericides they neutralize unwanted and unfriendly bacteria, preventing blemished conditions; and as antiinflammatories, they calm sensitive and damaged skin. Since some essential oils contain phyto-hormones they create an equilibrium within our endocrine system, which surpasses in effectiveness that produced by any other substance. Their action on the peripheral nerve endings helps to relieve the stress and tension that so often lead directly to an aging skin. Collagen and elastin are kept in good condition and there is some basis to believe also that the nutrients and proteins contained in essential oils actually work as restorative building blocks to these all important tissue fibres.

The most expensive skin preparations in the world contain essential oils and other natural ingredients as their principal active ingredients but, because the product must be able to endure a long shelf life, they contain chemical preservatives as well. All sorts of chemicals are used in commercial cosmetic preparations and some of them, such as steroids, cause serious problems. In addition, dubious animal products are often included in commercial preparations, and with the seas now being so unhealthy that whole seal populations can be wiped out, it is true to say that when you put a ‘mainstream’ store-bought product on your face you really don’t know what effect it will have.

DISCLAIMER: These pages are presented solely as a source of information and entertainment and to provide stern warnings against use where appropriate. No claims are made for the efficacy of any oil nor for any historical herbal treatment. In no way can the information provided here take the place of the standard, legal, medical practice of any country. If you have a medical problem, consult your physician first and discuss any alternatives at that time. Never, never,  self diagnose. Additionally, some of these oils should be used only by licensed professionals who have the means to process them properly into appropriate pharmaceuticals.