What Are Essential Oils? Do They Work?

Essential oils are unique botanical extracts that have healing effect on mind and body. It can cure certain ailments and medical conditions. They are volatile and harmful if applied directly on the skin. They are usually applied or administered under the supervision of experts after mixing parts of it with certain carrier oils.

Essential oils usually work through the fragrance or aroma. After hundreds of years of following and believing in the allopathic treatment for any given ailment, people have become a little skeptical in believing in such concepts such as healing through essential oil. These procedures used to be a part of traditional medicines in India just like the ayurvedic treatments. Just like any traditional treatment procedure, this also requires a lot of patience, faith and certain lifestyle corrections. Let us understand how we can bring back these age old yet sustainable healing procedures back into our lives.

Where did Essential Oils originate from?

It is difficult to trace the exact origin of essential oil but there are evidences of herb based aromatic oils being vividly used to treat ailments across the cultures all over the world. Cave paintings as early as 18000 B.C.E in France, historical evidences from 4500 B.C.E in Egypt,  2697-2597 B.C.E in China, the 3000 year old Ayurveda in India, and several other evidences in Greece, Rome, Persia and Europe depicts and testifies the use of plant based aromatic oil in all the ancient civilizations on earth.

Essential Oils – As We See Them

The long lost wisdom that led to the incredible potion called the essential oils or aromatic oils came back to mankind in the recent times but as cosmetics. Now, in its new innings, these healing potions are yet to find a strong ground as medicines that can cure ailments. People have become so incredibly dependant on allopathic medicines that most of them are scared to try these alternative procedures. Whatsoever shift towards alternative medicine is happening is being noticed towards homeopathy and ayurveda.

Where To Source Essential Oils From

Being able to source authentic essential oils is actually a major concern. There are innumerable essential oils supplier in India. India happens to be one of the major natural essential oils exporters. But being able to spot a genuine one will need you to acquire in depth knowledge about essential oils. So let us understand a thing or two about essential oil that will help us identify authentic essential oil.

How Essential Oils Work

Essential oils or aromatic oils as they were called formerly, work on one of the primordial senses of human being – the sense of smell. Thus they have impact on the nerves, brain and body of the person. Each and every plant is aromatic. Rose, lavender, jasmine, tulsi, neem, aloevera – these are some of the plants that we see around us. Each has a very distinct smell that helps us to identify them even with our eyes closed. Each of these plants has a different impact on our senses. The same property of the odor or aroma when extracted from these plants it leads to very concentrated oil based aromatic potion.

Essential oils can be administered to ailing patients who can feel relief by inhaling or smelling the aroma of these oils. The active compounds in these essential oils are terpenes or hydrocarbons that are found in massive quantity in plants. These terpenes have been found to be beneficial in controlling various medical conditions such as blood pressure, cholesterol or even tumor growth. These essential oils are administered through the process of inhalation, ingestion in the form of capsules and application on skin.