Essential oils in aromatherapy
Essential oils are the
heart and soul of aromatherapy. Whether they are candles, light
fixtures, potpourri, or cloth, essential oils provide the scent
that aromatherapy uses to ease pain and relax the body.
Essential oils come from plants. These oils are extracted
from the various parts of the plants including the bark, the
branches, the leaves, roots, the fruits, the buds, the resin,
the twigs and even its fruit peels. That is how abundant these
oils are in the environment. This is perhaps why potpourri,
which come from dried parts of trees, have scents of their
own.
Some plants have essential oils only in one part. Examples of
these are the rose and the jasmine whose essential oils can be
found in their leaves. Some have essential oils in various
parts. Some even have different oils in different parts. An
example of this is the orange tree which can produce different
oils from its different parts.
Because they are naturally extracted, a real natural oil
will be very concentrated. You only need a drop in order to
fill up the room with the aromatic scent. However, there are
pseudo-essential oils that are made from a combination of
essential oils and fragrant oils. Fragrant oils are oils that
are synthetically-made through chemicals. These are produced by
copying the scents of different essential oils. In fact,
fragrant oils are the basis for a lot of colognes and perfumes
on the market.
Although essential oils and synthetic fragrant oils have the
same scent, thanks to science. Each kind elicit different
reactions from people. Chemicals from the fragrant oils are
often irritating when concentrated. Some can even elicit a
slight headache. Essential oils on the other hand can ease
muscle pains and relieve stress as well promote wellbeing. This
has been proven in so many studies. Essential oils are also
naturally concentrated and just a few drops is enough to fill
up a large room.
One thing to remember though when buying essential oils for
aromatherapy is to make sure that you have the quality oils in
your hands. You see, although they are all natural, some have
better effects on people. Among the factors that affect the
quality of the essential oil is the plant source, the method of
harvest and the method of extraction. How it is made and what
chemicals are put into it before or after the harvest can also
affect its quality. For instance, spraying pesticides can lower
the quality.
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