What
is it that makes oils ‘essential’? Well, this is due to the fact
that the ‘essence’ of a plant is extracted and turned into an
oil, this oil carries the scent of the plant. The oils have been made
over the years from a number of different varieties of plants and the
oil produced is often used for medicinal purposes.
It
is still controversial whether such essential oils actually are
beneficial or not in medical use but one unquestionable fact which
cannot be denied is that their scents are far greater for you than
any artificial ones.
Theseessential oils have become more and more popular as time has gone on.
A significant increase in their use has been found within everyday
items such as perfumes and household cleaning products.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy
is not yet recognized as a registered and significant form of
treatment within the medical world. However a large number of medical
professionals will agree that the use of aromatherapy greatly assists
with the healing process of patients. This is due to the fact that
these scented oils can greatly affect our moods. This is because they
pass through the body’s greatest sense, its sense of smell.
An
example of how smells can affect ones mood is that within a work
environment. If whilst working there was a strong smell which was
unpleasant, how would this affect your work? However, if there was a
nice scent such as a pine forest fragrance, I am sure that your
productivity would go through the roof.
Even
people who doubt the medical power of aromatherapy strongly agree
that the fragrances given off by the essential oils greatly affect
ones mood.
How
Are Essential Oils Made?
The
plants are exposed to steam which breaks down their compounds. The
steam then passes through a number of coils on a device and turns
back into its liquid form. The essential oil is then created.
Other
oils such as many citrus based ones (Produced from plants such as the
orange and lemon plant) are made by pressing the plant. This enables
a greater quantity of oil to be produced. This means that this is
much more cost effective. This is why such oils are commonly used in
household cleaning products and why the majority of these cleaning
products are citrus scented.
Essential
Oils For Insect Repellant
A
wide range of insect repellants are now being created through the use
of essential oils. This is because some insects can be repelled
through the use of some scents such as lavender and eucalyptus.
Oils
can also be easily applied direct onto the skin which can prevent
bites from these bugs. The issue with this is that citrus based oils
can actually act as a sun attractor which can cause issues to those
who are sensitive to sunlight or those who are fair skinned.
