Essential oils have been getting quite popular in recent years but they have actually been around for thousands of years. In the past, people used essential oils for many reasons, from spiritual purposes to medication. Essential oils have a wide range of uses, and here are some essential oils basics you should know. This article looks at the use of essential oils for beginners and how essential oils can benefit users.

Essential Oils for Beginners – Defining Essential Oils

What Are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are the product of compounds found in the petal, root, rind, leaf or bark of a plant and which retain the scent of the plant they come from. There are eight compounds in essential oils: alcohols, acids, aldehydes, ketones, esters, phenols, sesqui, and turpines.

These oils are volatile, aromatic, and derived dirесtlу frоm various plants and other botanicals through a distillation рrосеѕѕ. The distillation process is uѕuаllу conducted with water or ѕtеаm and mаkеѕ use оf the реtаlѕ, lеаvеѕ, bаrk, ѕtеm, аnd еvеn rооtѕ of vаriоuѕ рlаntѕ.

Most oils are clear in appearance, but some contain an amber tint. In their purest form, essential oils are extremely concentrated and are not safe for human use before undergoing a dilution process.

Health Benefits of Essential Oils

Essential oils are more potent than herbs and are well-known for their anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antiviral properties.

They are used for a wide variety of purposes, from diffusing them for their fragrance to applying and inhaling them in order to reap their health benefits.

People have given anecdotal evidence of health problems that have been solved through the use of essential oils – from healing skin problems to reducing seasonal allergies and deterring insects. For many ailments, there are one or more oils that can help deal with the issue. There has been much anecdotal evidence of their benefits, as well as testing that shows them to be an effective way to deal with a myriad of issues.

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How to Administer Essential Oils

• Essential oils are administered in three different ways. First, a person can inhale them aromatically. This can be done by using a diffuser and putting several drops of the particular essential oil into water or just sniffing the oil directly from the bottle.
• The second way is to apply them topically. There are a few essential oils that can be applied directly to the skin, but a general rule if you are unsure is to first put a few drops into a carrier oil before applying. This can be anything from olive oil to coconut oil, as well as any other natural, pure carrier oil you have around the house.
• The third way to use oils is by ingesting them. Not all oils can be ingested, and one must be careful to take them in a way that is safe. If you are ingesting an oil, or even applying it topically, you must be sure to find essential oils that are pure and organic. Because they are highly concentrated, a little goes a long way and they should be used sparingly.

Uses of Essential Oils

Essential oils are used for a variety of purposes, from the maintenance of general health and well-being to first aid and adding natural scent to homemade body products. You can use essential oils in the diffuser to help you to get to sleep or stay alert. You can use them to help calm frazzled nerves and to give your immune system a boost when needed.

The oils are useful when added to everything from DIY cleaning supplies to DIY skin products.

They can be carried in your purse in order to help sanitize surfaces when out and about and can help clean cuts and used in other minor accidents.

You can use essential oils as bug repellent and to help heal sunburned skin.

There is no end to the ways they can be used – alone, in combination, and when added to other bases.

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How to Store Essential Oils

Mоѕt еѕѕеntiаl оilѕ аrе stored in dark glаѕѕ bottles аnd, mаnу timеѕ, in tеmреrаturе controlled environments in оrdеr tо рrоtесt the oils frоm sunlight and tеmреrаturе changes that will аdvеrѕеlу аffесt thеm. They can penetrate our cell membranes and can enter our bloodstreams within 30 seconds of application.

Conclusion

Essential oils (EOs) continue to receive rave reviews for their multiple benefits for humans. They are a beneficial addition to your cabinet. They have many uses for a variety of purposes and can help you out in a pinch. Start with a few, and add more as you become familiar with using them on a daily basis.

Since they are a natural part of mother earth, people tend to gravitate towards their healing powers instinctively.

References:

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/essential-oils-beginners-guide

https://media.doterra.com/us/en/ebooks/essential-oils-for-beginners.pdf