Another long week at work finally comes to an end. You come home and ultimately make it upstairs after sitting in the car for half an hour. You drop all of your stuff at the door and head for the bathroom. The steam from the shower rises and the aroma of the eucalyptus hits your nose and you instantly feel encompassed in a warm, hug. You then head to the bedroom ready to lay down after a long day and mist your pillow with lavender to help release the stresses of the week and to help you wind down for a good night’s sleep. Sounds amazing, doesn't it?
I became interested in essential oils a couple of years ago when I started using them at work for stress relief and uplifting my energy throughout the long days. I would keep a bottle of peppermint oil at my monitor in order to help keep me focused and alert and lavender to keep me calm while verifying hundreds of prescriptions, giving vaccinations, and running around the pharmacy like a mad woman, ESPECIALLY flu season, whew! I needed those natural pick me ups which led me to further study these phenomenal plants and their gifts to us. So what exactly are these dynamic compounds that effect our moods through scent? Let's talk about it.
What Are Essential Oils?
The tremendously aromatic scents you smell when you sniff a flower are the essences of the plant. While still in the specialized glands or cells of the plant, this substance is referred to as the essence, but when extracted from the plant, it is now an essential oil. Essential oils are highly concentrated and should be handled with care. Did you know that it takes approximately 50 roses to create ONE drop of oil? Learning this helped me to truly appreciate the work that goes into creating essential oils as well as respecting the plant that gives us these oils to savor. They were no longer just oils in a bottle, but powerful allies that helped to enhance our well-being in many different ways.
How Do They Help Us?
The scent of plants enters into the brain (more specifically, the hypothalamus) via the olfactory nerve which gives rise to a chemical response. The response, however, depends on which plant you choose to indulge in. Our hypothalamus is involved in controlling emotions such as pleasure and rage, and the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin! No wonder we are affected in a positive way by these wondrous, aromatic plants. It’s easy to incorporate essential oils into your life and start improving your well-being, so let me start with these 3 ways!
INHALATION
Inhaling essential oils is the most common way to appreciate the various effects of different plants and can occur in many ways such as diffusing, inhalers, or mists. Diffusing can be accomplished using a diffuser, or can be as simple as using a tissue with the oils dropped onto it or placing the oils in steaming water! If your desired effect is concentration, you could use a few drops of Lemon or Bergamot. If you want to relax on your day off, you could use drops of Lavender, Sandalwood, or Frankincense. If you’re congested, you can use a homemade inhaler with eucalyptus or tea tree or even drop these in your shower. The possibilities are endless!
COSMETIC
Essential oils are not limited to inhalation although this is a common practice. They can be applied topically as well, after proper dilution of course. Whether you want to create a massage oil, body butter, or facial toner, they got you covered! As far as scents go, you can experiment with different oils to create the exact blend that you want. Research indicates that OR2AT4, a human olfactory receptor, is present in the epidermis of skin and hair follicles which aids in wound healing and hair growth depending on the oil used! Madagascar has reported use of Tamanu oil to help the appearance of skin by promoting repair of skin on deep levels, like scar improvement. Wild carrot oil has been shown to aid in muscle cramps and pain. There are many ways to use essential oils topically and I will introduce more of them very soon!
AROUND THE HOUSE
Shower gel, linen sprays, remedies for bug bites and stings are all products that can be made with essential oils! Obviously this list is not all inclusive, it’s just a glimpse into the many possibilities. You can even use them in cooking! We encounter plenty of toxins on a daily basis just by doing regular things. We can lessen the burden of harsh chemicals by using essential oils throughout the home and in the process we can uplift our mood or the opposite, relax and chill.
As you can see, herbs can be used as medicine as well as fragrant therapeutic tools to support our well-being. Scents can be used to increase confidence, focus, and relaxation, while topical use can help ease pain and digestion! I’ll dive more into the specific essential oils soon, but in the meantime in between time, discover the many uses! Thank you for reading!
Much love.
References:
Koyama, Sachiko, and Thomas Heinbockel. “The Effects of Essential Oils and Terpenes in Relation to Their Routes of Intake and Application.” International journal of molecular sciences vol. 21,5 1558. 25 Feb. 2020, doi:10.3390/ijms21051558
Hiller-Sturmhöfel, S, and A Bartke. “The endocrine system: an overview.” Alcohol health and research world vol. 22,3 (1998): 153-64.
Butje, Andrea. The Heart of Aromatherapy: an Easy-to-Use Guide for Essential Oils. Hay House, Inc., 2017.