Believe it or not, people have used essential oils for thousands of years.
Different cultures have used essential oils to heal wounds, soothe sunburns, relieve pain, prevent infection, and more!
But, do essential oils actually work?
In this post, we’ll review the facts around the essential oil trend and discuss potential benefits and uses.
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Essential Oils 101: Facts, Benefits, and Uses
What Are Essential Oils?
Despite the name, essential oils are not “essential” for optimal health. Rather, they are called “essential” because they contain the essence of a particular plant.
Basically, essential oils are concentrated extracts of plant sources. If you’re wondering how concentrated these oils are, then picture this: 220 pounds of lavender flowers are required to make 1 pound of lavender oil (1). That’s bananas! No wonder they can be so dang expensive, #amiright?!
The extracts can come from the plant’s flowers, roots, fruits, or leaves. Essential oils often come in small vial sized bottles with a squeezable dropper. Because they are so concentrated, you only need to use a small amount, usually ranging between 2 and 20 drops.
How to Use Essential Oils
You can use essential oils in three main ways: diffusion, topical, and household.
Diffusion
Diffusion is a way to disperse essential oil molecules into the air to reap the benefits of aromatherapy. You can do this by mixing water and 5-10 drops of essential oil into a diffuser. The diffuser will turn the water into a mist. That light scent and mist wafts and allows you to breathe in the wonderful benefits.
Topical
You can also apply essential oils to your skin. But, here’s the catch: most essential oils should not be applied directly to the skin.
Rather, you will want to use a “carrier oil” as a way to protect your skin when using essential oils topically. Common carrier oils include olive oil, jojoba, avocado oil, and grapeseed oil. But don’t worry! Using a carrier oil won’t reduce the effectiveness of the essential oil. Carrier oils actually reduce waste because just a few drops of essential oil will go a long way.
Household
You can also use essential oils to make safer household cleaning products. Many people use these oils as a natural deodorizer, dish soap, all-purpose cleaner and more!
Essential Oil Benefits
Ok, let’s answer the question that everything is thinking 😉. Are essential oils a scam? Are there any proven benefits or uses?
First of all, researchers think that essential oils work by binding to the receptors of your olfactory bulb – the part of your brain that analyzes scents and then tells your brain what to do (2). On the other hand, topical use of essential oils may have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and pain relieving benefits. They also help combat inflammation.
While many people report numerous benefits for essential oils, unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of research yet to back up many of these claims. However, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t any benefits to them! We scoured the research and found that there are three main proven benefits for essential oils.
Essential Oils for Anxiety
One of the most well-known essential oil benefits is their ability to reduce anxiety. Many specific oils have calming, hypnotic, and anti-anxiety effects.
The best essential oils for anxiety include lavender, chamomile, vetiver, and rose oil (3-6).
Essential Oils for Sleep
Sleep affects everything from your metabolism, sugar cravings, fat loss, and risk of chronic disease. But unfortunately, today’s society tends to undervalue sleep. In fact, only 1 in 3 adults get the recommended seven hours of sleep per night, and just 10 percent of adults rank sleep as a top health priority (7, 8).
Fortunately, if you have trouble getting adequate sleep, essential oils may be a helpful alternative therapy. Studies show that inhaling essential oils (usually by using a diffuser) can be an effective and safe therapy for people with mild sleep disturbances (9).
The most common and effective essential oil for sleep is lavender oil.
For Aging Skin
Most of the following oils for aging skin are known to (10):
- Even out skin tone
- Boost collagen
- Brighten your complexion
- Protect your face from environmental factors
- Reduce inflammation
Try: lemon, jojoba, pomegranate, lavender, apricot, rosemary and almond. Dive in deeper into all of these options here.
Reducing Toxic Exposure
Many household cleaners are full of dangerous ingredients that may be harmful to your health.
Luckily, some essential oils contain natural antibacterial and antifungal properties that make them a safe alternative to common household cleaners. The best essential oils for household products include lemon oil, tea tree, cinnamon, and orange oil.
Simple All-Purpose Cleaner Recipe:
For a natural all-purpose cleaner using essential oils, mix together:
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 2 cups water
- 15 drops lemon oil
- 15 drops orange oil
Mix all ingredients into a spray bottle (choose glass over plastic, if possible) and shake well. Warning: many experts recommend against using vinegar-based solutions on granite as it may erode the stone.
Are They Safe?
Even though essential oils are derived from plants, this doesn’t guarantee that every extract is safe.
Essential oils may cause rashes, allergic reactions, discomfort, and more. Plus, since oils are generally not regulated, it may be difficult to know the exact ingredients of the particular brand or oil.
Before using essential oils on your skin, try a patch test. To do this, simply mix 1-2 drops of essential oil with a carrier oil and rub into a small area of your skin. Wait 1-2 days and monitor for any reaction.
In general, most experts recommend against eating/drinking essential oils.
Finding High-Quality Essential Oils
There are lots of essential oil brands on the market. But, how can you know which one is best?
Here are a few tips to help you find high-quality essential oils:
- The bottle should list the scientific (botanical) name of the plant used.
- Choose organic varieties to avoid exposure to chemical pesticides and herbicides.
- The glass bottle should be dark amber or dark blue to preserve the essential oil’s properties.
- The company should provide transparent information about how they test their oils for purity.
Although we need more research, essential oils seem to be a safe and alternative option for helping anxiety, promoting better sleep, and reducing toxic exposure through household products.
Do you use essential oils in your home? Leave a comment below to share your experience!
References:
- https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/essential-oils/index.cfm
- https://siteman.wustl.edu/ncipdq/cdr0000441069/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6007527/
- https://nccih.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/040310.htm
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25553641
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4270653/
- https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0215-enough-sleep.html
- https://www.sleepfoundation.org/press-release/national-sleep-foundations-2018-sleep-americar-poll-shows-americans-failing
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24720812
- https://divabikini.com/essential-oils-for-aging-skin/
I use essentials oils daily! I used to be a skeptic until I purchase a blended oil that is supposed to help for breathing. I have asthma. Since I have been using the oil I have been able to get off my asthma meds. As long as I use the oil daily, I do not need none of my three meds I was using. I have since purchased many other oils that I use for various things. Some help, some do not. But I am now a firm believer in oils. Thank you for this article!
We agree! It’s hard to not be skeptical until you feel them working:)
Hi Patricia, What oil (and which brand) do you use for your asthma? Thank you
I am not sure what she uses, but we really like Dr. Axe. Here’s an article for you…
https://draxe.com/essential-oils-for-asthma-symptoms/
I love essential oils! We’ve been diffusing oils in our home and my husband hasn’t had his seasonal allergies since!! I use them to mellow out my headaches too.
HOORAY for holistic healing!!
I use essential oils daily. I especially use them for freshening the air via diffusers through my house. I also much up my own Cleaning products.
YES! Us too. We cannot sleep without spritzes of lavender and lemon essential oil cleaning sprays!
I love essential oils and use them daily. It’s true that not all EO’s are made equally and I’m super particular about the oils I buy. I find doTerra to be THE very best – while the oils can be quite pricey, once you’ve used doTerra, other brands just smell off. I diffuse everyday and ‘Breathe’ has been a lifesaver when my boys catch colds. We use Lavender at bathtime with epsom salts – and with fractionated coconut oil for bedtime massages. Lemon oil is fantastic for cleaning – – hands down the BEST way to remove a sticky residue. Frankincense and Lavender smell heavenly and soothe sun-kissed/burned skin. I spritz ‘On Guard’ or ‘Spa’ (Saje) mixed with water on my yoga mat…you can create blends for natural tick and bug repellent and SO much more.
We LOVE the ON GUARD too. Smells so lovely and helps during cold season:)
I use doTERRA essential oils every day. I have not gotten sick since I started using the oils(over a year now). I use them while studying, relaxing, cooking, and even to keep the bugs away. You have to be careful with buying oils at places like Walmart because they are most likely not pure and have harmful chemicals. doTERRA essential oils are pure and have great people who run the company.
Agreed! Quality is so important!
YAY! I’ve been a lifer for a while and supporting Chalene with her business-building work and 131 method….didn’t know she was also an EO user! Yay! I am especially happy because I feel that, similar to the big business of the diet industry, the big business of drug companies and health care, tries to keep a lid on the benefits of EO and more wellness-focused health. I am a mom and use oils daily for everything from asthma, acne, ADHD, sleep, aging skin, hormones, anxiety and everything else under the sun. Thanks for spreading the important option of EOs!
Hey Susie (Lifer)!
Thank you so much for writing! We honestly LOVE hearing from you:) And yes, agreed… big business keep gems like EOs under wraps. That’s why it’s important we moms stick together and keep going natural for ourselves and our families!
We use them daily in this home too! We love them! I was of course sceptical at first, and being a nurse, there no cure-all. But they are an addition to our care. 🙂
Yes! We totally agree. They’re a great supplement to a healthy way of life.
there is nothing better than using natural products and essential oils were always my first choice. I mainly use it regularly, not just when I need them. I prefer lavender one for sleep and Myrrh for anti-aging. Btw, great article, a really good introduction to this great product.
Thanks!
It’s interesting to learn that tropical essential oils can help relieve pain. My wife is wanting to relieve some of her back pain and she was wondering what she can use on her body to feel better in her spine. I’ll be sure to tell her that she should try to use tropical essential oils to relieve some pain.
Hope it helps!
I’d like to say thank you.
I’m not sure what else to say.
“Peace!!!”
Thanks!