What are Essential Oils?
What are essential oils? Believe it or not most of us have experienced the incredible power of essential oils with out even realizing it. From the energizing aroma of a freshly squeezed lemon to the calming influence of a lavender bouquet, essential oils are all around us.
Where Do Essential Oils Come From?
What are essential oils?
An essential oil is a powerful and complex substance. Also known as nature’s living energy, essential oils are the natural, aromatic volatile liquids found in shrubs, flowers, trees, roots, bushes, and seeds.
The distinctive components in essential oils are what defend plants against insects, environmental conditions, and disease. Essential oils are what plants need to grow, live, evolve, and adapt to its surroundings.
Essential oils are extracted from aromatic plant sources via steam distillation, and are highly concentrated and far more potent than dry herbs.
They are created and stored in special plant structures such as secretory glands, glands, glandular hairs, and resin ducts in a process similar to photosynthesis.
They are what provide plants their characteristic aromatic odors. Their oxygenating molecules transport nutrients and a myriad of chemical constituents to the cells, aiding in growth, and stimulating healing.
What are they to plants? Essential Oils are as vital and essential to plants as blood is to humans.
Because of three primary elements, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, which are common in humans and plants, and their protein like structure similar to human cells therapeutic grade oils, are highly compatible with human cells. Our shared chemistry makes therapeutic grade oils the most compatible with our human biochemistry.
Research has shown they are able to easily penetrate our cell walls and deliver nutrients and oxygenating molecules. Research also shows, that it only takes five minutes for essential oils to be absorbed into the skin and a mere twenty-one minutes for it to penetrate every cell in our body.
Therapeutic-grade essential oils offer natural and holistic solutions to many of today's needs. The tiny molecules easily pass through cell walls and membranes, delivering therapeutic benefits directly where they are needed and throughout the entire body, especially when applied on the feet.
Essential oils have been used around the world for centuries. These therapeutic grade oils and other aromatics have been used in religious rituals, to support health, and for other physical and spiritual needs. There are more than 200 references to aromatics, incense, and ointments throughout the Bible.
What are Essential Oils to The Ancients?
What was it that they knew about essential oils that people today are only beginning to rediscover?
The reintroduction of therapeutic grade oils into modern culture first began during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Since that time essential oils have been used traditionally to support the body in health, for spiritually, to balance mood, lift spirits, and support emotional balance.
Dr. Jean C. Lapraz
What Are Essential Oils Made Of?
Essential oils containing many chemical constituents. What are essential oils chemical constituents?
Here are a few of the main chemical constituents found in essential oils:
- Alcohols
- Aldehydes
- Esters
- Ethers
- Ketones
- Phenols
- Terpenes
Each of these can be broken down into numerous smaller units. Each constituent has its own action, or effects. A single essential oil may have several actions.
Essential oils are not simple substances. They are mosaics of hundreds, or even thousands, of different natural chemicals. The average essential oil may contain anywhere from 80 to 200 chemical constituents.
Many contain even more in minute quantities, yet they all contribute to the oil's therapeutic effects.
What Are Essential Oils?
Incredibly Powerful Antioxidants!!!
You may have been hearing a lot about antioxidants and how they fight free radicals and help slow down aging.
An antioxidant is a substance that acts to slow down or prevent the oxidation of another chemical. When the cells in our body use oxygen, they produce by-products called free radicals, which can cause damage. But the human body comes with an amazing system of checks and balances.
Antioxidants balance out the damage of the free radicals. Antioxidants act as "free radical scavengers."
You may also be inundated with supplements and antioxidant drinks that claim to have extremely high antioxidant levels. While their levels may be high in comparison to normal foods or supplements, they pale in comparison to certain essential oils.
Clove oil, for example, is a highly antioxidant oil. Clove oil is the highest-scoring single ingredient ever tested for its antioxidant capacity on the ORAC scale. Many essential oils are the highest antioxidants on earth.
The powerful antioxidants in essential oils create unfriendly environments for damaging free radicals.
What Are Essential Oil's Benefits?
Essential oils work holistically, benefiting you on the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual levels. And they work systemically to improve many aspects at once.
Many may be safely taken internally as dietary supplements. Therapeutic-grade, steam distilled essential oils that are designated Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) or certified as Food Additives (FA) by the FDA may be safely taken internally as dietary supplements.
In fact, some oils such as valerian, lemon, grapefruit, orange and tangerine are more effective taken orally.
More potent oils, like cinnamon, oregano, lemongrass and thyme may require dilution with vegetable oil so they don't 'burn' i.e., heat the skin like a hot chili pepper does.
All in all, you can't beat the wonderful benefits of essential oils.
Synthetic chemicals, in contrast, usually have only one action and often disrupt the body's natural balance or homeostasis.
Essential oils are safe, good for the whole body on multiple levels, and free of side effects!
What Essential Oils Are We Talking About?
Let’s be clear that we are only talking about Young Living Essential Oils here, not cheap imitations. Today, far too many essential oils on the market are completely or partially synthetic.
They are created in a laboratory by chemists who have figured out how to recreate the main constituents and fragrances of the most popular oils in the laboratory with chemicals.
These synthetic oils totally lack therapeutic benefits and may even carry risks of chemical toxicity. They may cause irritations and allergies.
Chemicals are easily absorbed through the skin due to its permeability. Once absorbed, they can become trapped in the fatty subdermal layers where they can leach into the blood stream.
The truth is, it is impossible to manufacture all the molecules and isomers contained in naturally grown essential oil, in a laboratory. The only way to get the benefits of essential oils is by using Young Living Therapeutic Grade essential oils.
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- Aromatherapy and Essential Oils
- There are many ways to experience the benefits of aromatherapy and essential oils. The three basic uses or applications are topical. . .
- What Are Essential Oils
- What are essential oils? Believe it or not most of us have experienced the incredible power of essential oils with out even realizing it.
- How To Use Essential Oils
- How to use essential oils depends on the essential oil and you. There are 3 general methods of applying essential oils to the body.
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- An essential oil diffuser is a perfect way to improve your home, work, or living environment. They provide more than fragrance. They support whole body health, including the respiratory system.
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- Essential Oil Safety is a guide for the whole family, including infants, children, and pets. Follow these simple “safety guidelines” to enjoy the health benefits of therapeutic aromatherapy.
- Essential Oils for Children
- Using Essential Oils for Children is a safe and beautiful way to care for your children's health, naturally. Come join us and learn how we use them on our babies and children.
- How to Buy Essential Oils
- There are two ways to buy essential oils from Young Living. Let’s see which method best fits you and you lifestyle.
- Young Living Video's
- A collection of Young Living Video's describing the benefits of Young Living Essential Oils, including company, products, business building, science, etc.
- Young Living Essential Oils
- Young Living Essential Oils offers the purest essential oils, essential oil blends, and essential oil enhanced products to safely and naturally boost and maintain your family’s health.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. In strict accordance with FDA regulations the information and products on this website are not intended to treat, cure, prevent, mitigate or diagnose any illness or disease.
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