Essential oils are a product of one particular plant or herb. In ancient times, people would chew a plant known to give relief for certain ailments. They might have ingested a leaf, flowers or root of a plant.
As an example we can use roses. For centuries parts of the rose, such as the petals or the hip of the rose, which is the base of the flower…were eaten to help with digestion, constipation and other lower intestinal issues. Once it was discovered that plants and herbs could be pressed to release their potent oils, the use of essential oils started.
Some of these natural product oils can also kill nasty pathogens (bacteria, viruses) on surfaces, even though you should not ingest them.
The oil of plants and herbs can be absorbed through the skin and enter the body through the olfactory sense by inhaling it.
The caution with essential oils is not to overuse them and to dilute them in another oil made from almond or another carrier oil, first as they can be too irritating and powerful for the skin.
Using essential oils in the right quantity and timing, may lead to better physical and mental health.
Scientific research into the benefits of essential oils is going slower than it could, maybe because of far greater funding by pharmaceutical companies into patent drugs that are profitable. Many natural products for health are not patented or particularly profitable.
But, while we wait for medical research to catch up, let’s come to the understanding that we have been using essential oils in North America for a long time. One widely-known doctor-recommended essential oil is in Vicks VapoRub.
Many adults will remember their parents rubbing this essential oil into their chests when they were sick or putting a dab under the nose. Vicks VapoRub is made with peppermint, eucalyptus and camphor.
These ingredients give it the unique scent that is quite pungent to the nose. Vicks is made to help break up congestion and allow people to clear the nose and throat so that breathing is not as difficult during an upper respiratory illness.
There are indeed essential oils that have been proven by scientific means to work as described. One scientist suffered a major burn and decided to put his hand in a large vat of lavender oil. He found that the pain was reduced and the scarring that should have occurred, did not.
Do not try this yourself, as essential oils can be very irritating to the skin without proper dilution in a benign thinner oil like fractionated coconut, almond, or jojoba oil. Can be 10-12 drops of an essential oil into a larger quantity of the carrier oil. Check out this video if you are not sure.
You can apply these to the skin with a small roller bottle.
Example: Peppermint Oil
Research on peppermint essential oil shows how multifunctional it is. Peppermint has been proven to be an aid to digestion. In the area of IBS, which is irritable bowel syndrome…doctors have tested peppermint oil capsules in people with IBS.
The peppermint has been shown to help reduce the painful spasms of the bowels during an IBS flare-up.
Peppermint essential oil is also used to alleviate sore muscles by rubbing the cream into the affected area. Many massage therapists are university trained and work directly with the sports team associated with the university.
For massage therapy, some experts find that essential oils can improve effects of the massage treatment. Sports massage therapists not only treat athletes for muscle pain but many other ailments. They may use essential oils like peppermint oil to help reduce stress, manage sleep for better performance or nausea before or during a high pressure game.
Trust is hard to come by as information on the web can sometimes be misleading. One medical research facility that many people put their trust in, is the Mayo Clinic. Their website is frequently searched by people before even consulting their family doctor.
The Mayo clinic does mention that studies are lagging in essential oils, however many of these oils have been proven to be beneficial. The Mayo clinic advises that more and more hospitals are incorporating natural solutions like chamomile tea for helping with sleep. They have also found that many of their cancer patients going through chemo and the associated nausea, benefit from the use of peppermint or lavender for relief in addition to ginger.
Example – Lavender Oil
Lavender is another essential oil that is versatile. English lavender oil is an old time therapy that has worked for many people. There are a number of ways to use lavender as a sleep aid. Taking a warm bath before you sleep, is relaxing just by itself. However, when you add some drops of English lavender in your bath water, you increase the chance that you will have a very deep sleep.
For relaxation purposes, combining essential oils like lavender with calming classical music in the background can really help you unwind.
Inhaling English lavender while you sleep, is a method many people employ. You can purchase small sachets with lavender. These sachets will fit under your pillow and release the scent during the night.
Final Thoughts
Of course, if you are a person who is highly sensitive to environmental odors, including natural essential oils, be careful. Just because something is natural does not mean you will tolerate it.
There are many other essential oils to discover. Items like thyme oil, rosemary oil, cinnamon bark oil, clove oil, eucalyptus oil, and/or tea tree oil, for instance, and even lavender oil, may be effective antifungal, antibacterial, and/or antiviral natural materials for external use on surfaces (NOT for internal intake).
Important note – These essential oils may vary in terms of which pathogens they kill best. No data are yet available on whether or not any of them can kill COVID-19.
Yes there is still work to be done in research but the integrative medical community is starting to move forward and help their patients with a variety of natural health solutions. Essential oils might have a useful place in your self-care plan.
Check out one of many sets of aromatherapy essential oils here.
References
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28296357/?from_term=essential+oil+antiviral&from_pos=1
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28758221/?from_term=essential+oil&from_pos=1
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24779581/?from_term=essential+oil+antiviral&from_pos=2
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31582666/?from_term=essential+oil&from_pos=3
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31234166/?from_term=essential+oil&from_pos=5
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21922934/?from_term=essential+oil&from_page=2&from_pos=5
