What are the Benefits of Essential Oils
You’ve likely heard all about essential oils, and perhaps you are wondering “what are the benefits of essential oils”. Essential oils have many benefits, and you can learn more about them below.
Many people are returning to the treatments that worked for centuries. The high cost of healthcare and medicine are prompting families to look for less expensive treatments for colds, flu, stomach aches, and other non-critical illnesses. Essential oils can still play a vital role in health care. They can be made at home for pennies, purchased at local health food stores, or ordered online. Most herbs and plants have properties that treat more than one illness. With regular use, essential oils can play an important role in keeping families healthy.
Essential Oil Benefits
The essential oils from the Angelica plant can be added to a homemade balm and used to relieve pain from arthritis and gout. This plant has properties that speed the healing of bruises and is a good treatment for psoriasis. Used as aroma therapy, this oil eases nausea and relieves stress. By adding a few drops of oil to a bowl of steaming hot water, a person can ease the symptoms of colds, bronchitis, and headaches by placing a towel over their head and breathing the vapors.
Basil is an herb commonly used in cooking. The essential oil of basil is obtained from the flowering plant and its leaves. This oil has a light scent that is fragrant and spicy. A few drops of basil essential oil can ease an upset stomach, soothe minor cuts, burns, and scrapes, as well as clear the sinuses. Basil oil can also help to regulate menstrual periods, relax the mind, and aid in concentrating on difficult tasks. This oil is often used in aromatherapy.
Essential oils are made from passion flowers, rosemary, thyme, mints, ginger, and many plants most people would consider weeds. In fact, in yards all over America, many plants are mowed under every spring and summer that would have been very beneficial in the family medicine chest. There are essential oils that treat high blood pressure, kidney stones, skin problems, lung disease, and earaches. Just about every disorder or ailment you can think of has a plant growing somewhere that is capable of treating or curing it. In fact, studies show that regular use of flax seed in the diet prohibits the growth of tumors in breast cancer patients. Flax seed oil can be taken in capsule form.
Anyone under a doctor’s care who is taking prescribed medications should consult his doctor before beginning any herbal remedy or treatment. Some essential oils can cause unwanted symptoms when mixed with prescribed medications. Pregnant women should always seek a doctor’s advice before using essential oils.
Essential oils, volatile oils extracted from the leaves and flowers of herbs and trees, are used in aromatherapy. Essential oils are usually inhaled or applied topically, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, and they should never be ingested unless a qualified health care provider recommends it. Though there has been limited research into the scientific benefits of essential oils, the National Cancer Institute says that they are generally safe for use–though as with any remedy, if you experience skin irritation, breathing problems or other problematic symptoms after using essential oils, discontinue use and call your health care provider.
What are the benefits of essential oils?
Changing Mood
Aromatherapy’s best researched benefits are its ability to affect mood, according to Discovery Health’s Alternative Health Center. Inhaling certain scents is the fastest way to change your mood. Essential oils like lavender and vanilla can help you calm down and relax, while essential oils from peppermint and rosemary plants can energize you and get you moving. These mood-altering benefits may also help treat depression for some.
Relieving Pain
Topical application of essential oils may also help ease pain for people who have chronic conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, cancer and headaches, according to the UMMC. People living with these health issues may need less pain medication when they use aromatherapy. Chamomile essential oil, in particular, seems to benefit people with cancer, and peppermint essential oil appears to have benefits for treating arthritis pain. The UMMC also notes that some women in childbirth who use aromatherapy report less pain during labor.
Soothing Skin
Many essential oils have antibacterial powers, and some have antiviral and antifungal powers, too. Lavender, for instance, can soothe itchy red skin caused by bug bites or sunburn, while tea tree oil can treat skin problems including dandruff and acne. According to the UMMC, essential oils might work as part of a care regimen for skin conditions, such as psoriasis.
Essential oils are fragrant complex chemical compounds that are found within about 10 percent of all plants. The oil is derived from the stems, bark, leaves and flower of the plant. The name refers to the fact that without essential oils, the plant wouldn’t be able to survive. Essential oils’ chemical composition makes them very beneficial in a variety of areas. Essential oils are used in aromatherapy and other ways, such as massage, for their wide range of positive physical, mental and emotional benefits.
Physical Benefits
Essential oils can be used to help fight many physical ailments. In her book “The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy,” Valerie Ann Worwood discusses the physical benefits of many different oils. According to Worwood, chamomile oil is known to fight inflammation, and clove oil can be used to relieve pain from maladies such as a toothache.
Essential oils can also help boost immune function and fight viruses. A study published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology found certain essential oils also possess antibacterial characteristics. Tea tree oil has very strong antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. It’s often used to treat ringworm, athlete’s foot and a variety of infections. Essential oils have other physical benefits, including increased circulation, reducing scaring and helping wounds heal.
Emotional Benefits
Essential oils can also affect people on an emotional level. Patricia Jacobsen, certified essential oil therapist and instructor at the College of the Botanical Arts, says essential oils can be used to reduce stress, lower anxiety and reduce sadness or anger. Geranium and cardamom are two oils used to help reduce mental stress; rosemary and marjoram reduce physical stress.
Mental Benefits
Those interested in improving mental functioning can also benefit from using essential oils. Valerie Worwood says essential oils can affect mental performance. Essential oils can improve concentration, stimulate the mind or even relax the mind. Worwood suggests using lavender, basil, grapefruit and rosemary oils to improve concentration and memory.
As you can see, essential oils offer many benefits. You can learn more about the different oils, and their uses, in our Essential Oils Uses Guide.
