You have probably heard of ethereal oils, also known as essential oils. But you might not yet know that they provide more than just a fresh scent. And how you can use them all might also be new to you.
I would love to explain it all to you in this article.
What are essential oils?
Essential oils are an extraction from a plant, herb, fruit, tree, etc., via steam distillation. This creates hot steam that extracts volatile aromatic compounds from plants (leaves, flowers, bark). After the steam has condensed, the oil that remains on top of the water is separated. Citrus oils are often made via cold pressing. You can often see on the essential oil bottle whether an oil is 100% pure or not.
There are several ways in which essential oil is produced:
- Steam distillation (most common): Plant material is placed in a boiler through which hot steam is passed. The steam breaks down the plant cells, carries the fragrant substances with it, and is then cooled, causing the oil and water (hydrolat) to separate.
- Cold pressing (Citrus): Peels of, for example, orange or lemon are mechanically pressed to release the oil, without heating.
- CO₂ extraction (modern technique): Carbon dioxide is used under high pressure and low temperature to extract oils, resulting in high quality.
- Solvent extraction: Used for delicate flowers (rose, jasmine) where a solvent (such as hexane) extracts the fragrances.
- Enfleurage (traditional): An old technique where flowers are placed in fat to absorb the scent.
A considerable amount of plant material is required to produce these concentrated oils; for example, one liter of oil can sometimes require 100 to 10,000 kilos of material.
Why do we use essential oil?
Most people use essential oils because they smell good. But they have much more to offer than just a nice scent. Each oil has its own qualities and occasions for which it can be used.
I will list the most commonly used ones below:
- Lavender
- Rosemary
- Tea Tree
- Geranium
- Peppermint
- Eucalyptus
- Bergamot
Lavender
Lavender essential oil is mainly used to calm down. Lavender has the properties of soothing your nervous system, allowing you to relax better and therefore find rest more easily.
It is the perfect ally against stress and tension. In addition, the oil can also help against headaches and helps process emotional stress.
It calms and reduces anxiety and restlessness.
Lavender is therefore ideal to put in a diffuser or on a scent stone in your bedroom to help you sleep better and lie awake less. It is also a good idea to use it during your meditations to reach a deeper state of calm.
You can perfectly combine the essential oil with other oils. Together they reinforce each other, allowing them to tackle other problems, such as migraines. In the webshop, you can find a migraine bundle that suppresses your migraine attack. It is important that as soon as you feel a migraine coming on, you put all the drops in your diffuser and stay surrounded by the scents all day. You will notice the pain fading away yourself.
Other oils in the migraine bundle are Rosemary, Tea tree, Geranium, Peppermint, and Eucalyptus.
Keywords: rest, anti-stress, better sleep, relaxation
Rosemary
If you often have trouble concentrating or have a cluttered mind, then you need Rosemary. The fresh, herbaceous scent helps stimulate your mind and make it clearer. It strengthens your focus and increases your mental energy.
Students who need to study for exams or professionals working under high pressure who need to focus well can benefit greatly from Rosemary. It ensures you are mentally sharp and strengthens your focus.
In addition, Rosemary also works well for anyone who has memory problems, feels mental chaos, or is easily overstimulated.
Keywords: focus, mental sharpness, concentration
Tea tree
Tea tree is perfect if you struggle with skin problems, energetic pollution, and a lack of protection. It is a cleansing essential oil that can clean both fungi and energy. It is therefore perfect to use in body lotions, foot creams, but also to protect yourself against energy vampires.
Tea tree works directly on physical and energetic levels and brings a powerful purifying energy. The scent has strong antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal effects and is therefore ideal for your skincare (acne, pimples, fungal infections, and small wounds).
It also cleanses the room of bacteria and is therefore ideal during cold season.
It is also a perfect oil for highly sensitive people because it helps you create an energetic boundary.
Keywords: cleansing, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, purifying
Geranium
The main characteristics of Geranium are emotional balance and harmony. This floral scent provides support when you have emotional fluctuations, experience hormonal imbalance, and feel feelings of restlessness. Geranium restores harmony and emotional stability.
This scent is ideal if you suffer from PMS, menopause, or other hormonal fluctuations. It helps regulate your emotions. If you often feel overwhelmed by certain situations, Geranium is a great help.
Note! Geranium has a very strong smell, so you only need very little of the oil to experience the effect.
Keywords: emotional balance, harmony, hormonal balance, anti-stress
Peppermint
Peppermint brings immediate freshness. Its fresh scent immediately clears your head. Thanks to its fresh scent, Peppermint ensures you get more focus and relieves your sinuses. It acts immediately on your nervous system and provides powerful refreshing energy.
In addition, Peppermint helps relieve headaches and mental fatigue. Furthermore, Peppermint also helps against nausea, digestive problems, and bloating.
So if you often suffer from headaches, migraines, mental fatigue, or concentration problems, you should definitely get Peppermint essential oil.
It is a perfect oil to have in your medicine cabinet.
Keywords: refreshing, analgesic, focus, clarifying
Eucalyptus
If you have a cold, suffer a lot from your airways, or have difficulty breathing, then Eucalyptus is the friend that will help you out. This oil works as an air purifier and helps neutralize bacteria and viruses, making it ideal during cold season.
Eucalyptus provides relief for headaches or painful sinuses and brings a sense of lightness and space.
In addition, Eucalyptus provides energy and clears your head again.
Keywords: relieves headaches, against airway problems, mental refreshment, energy booster
Bergamot
The scent of Bergamot helps you take a more positive outlook on life. It ensures a good mood and has an uplifting effect.
If you struggle with melancholy, depressive feelings, or emotional heaviness, then using Bergamot essential oil helps. It is an ideal oil for highly sensitive persons who quickly get overwhelmed by negative emotions.
Bergamot helps you strengthen your self-confidence and brings more lightness and joy into your life.
Keywords: emotional balance, self-confidence, HSP, optimism, joy
How do you use essential oil?
Essential oils are most often used in an aroma diffuser, but there are also other ways to experience the benefits of the oils. I will list them for you below:
Diffuser
A diffuser is an electrical device that you fill with water. You can add different types of essential oil to it. Do not use too many drops of your essential oil. Start with 2 drops (or 1 if the oil smells very strong) and add a drop if desired according to your own feeling.
A diffuser works best for larger rooms such as the living room, hallway, or office. Keep in mind that the whole room will be filled with the scent. If you do not want that and would rather keep it concentrated to yourself, such as at work or in the bedroom, then it is better to use a scent stone or aroma cylinder.
Currently, there are no diffusers for sale in our webshop, but if you have specific preferences, you can always let me know and I can specifically expand my range.
Scent stone
A scent stone is a porous stone onto which you can put a few drops of essential oil. Start with 1 drop and increase the concentration if desired. The oil slowly absorbs into the stone and spreads its scent.
A scent stone is ideal to put on your desk, next to your bed on your nightstand, or to place in the restroom.
Aroma hanger
An aroma hanger is ideal to hang from your rearview mirror in the car. You can fill the bottle with 6 ml of your preferred oil. The scent slowly spreads through the car.
The bottle is also ideal to put on your desk with, for example, the Electro-stress essential oil to protect yourself against radiation from computers.
Aroma cylinder
An aroma cylinder is similar to a scent stone. It is a small cone with a hollow top in which you can drip the essential oil. Ideal to put on your desk or next to your bed. You do not need electricity, so the cylinder can be placed anywhere.
Massage oil
Essential oil often works very powerfully physically too. To feel a more powerful effect, you can add a few drops of essential oil to a neutral massage oil, such as jojoba oil. Do not use too many drops and use the correct essential oil specifically aimed at the problems you wish to address.
For example, use tea tree oil in a foot cream if you suffer from fungal infections.
Be careful! Never use essential oil undiluted on your skin! This can cause skin irritation.
Essential oil in the bath
You can also add essential oil to your bath to enjoy the positive effects. Choose the right essential oil based on your needs and start with 1 or 2 drops. If desired, you can add a few drops, but do not use more than 10 drops in your bath.
For children between 3 and 12 years old, you may use a maximum of 5 to 10 drops, and for babies and children under 3 years old, use a maximum of 1 drop.
Where can I find essential oil?
You can find all the oils mentioned here in the collection “Essential oils”. In this collection, you can also find our scent diffusers and several other blended oils such as “Electro-stress”, “Tension roller” and “Amber”.
Are you looking for an aroma diffuser? Send me a message and I'll be happy to provide you with the options.
Frequently asked questions about essential oils
How many drops of essential oil in a diffuser?
Always start with 2 drops of essential oil in your diffuser. If the scent is very strong (such as with Geranium), use only 1 drop. You can add an extra drop based on your own preference, but don't overdo it – less is often more with home aromatherapy.
Can you use essential oil on the skin?
Never use essential oil pure on your skin! This can lead to skin irritation. Always dilute a few drops in a neutral carrier oil such as jojoba oil, almond oil, or coconut oil. For massage, use about 3-5 drops of essential oil per 10 ml of carrier oil. Peppermint oil is the only exception. You can apply that to the area where you feel pain, e.g., the forehead to feel immediate relief.
Are essential oils safe for children?
Yes, but with caution. For children between 3 and 12 years old, use a maximum of 5 to 10 drops in the bath and lower concentrations in diffusers. For babies and children under 3, use a maximum of 1 drop and it is best to consult a specialist first. Some oils, such as peppermint, are not suitable for young children.
What is the difference between essential oil and perfume oil?
Essential oils are 100% natural extracts from plants via steam distillation or cold pressing, with therapeutic properties. Perfume oils are synthetic or mixed with chemical substances and only have a scent, without the natural wellness benefits of pure essential oils. Always check the label to see if an oil is 100% pure.
How is the best way to store essential oils?
Store essential oils in a cool, dark place in a tightly closed bottle, preferably made of dark glass. Avoid direct sunlight and heat. When stored properly, most essential oils have a shelf life of 1 to 3 years. Citrus oils have a shorter shelf life of about 6 months to 1 year.
0 comments