Essential Oils

Cella

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Anyone use these on a regular basis? I went to an in-home party last week and it sparked my interest.

I didn't order any of their brand so far due to the higher cost of their oils, but I do have some other ones in their way that are supposed to be good for cold/flu prevention and headache reliefe...

What have you tried? Have they worked for you?

:)
 

Ari Meermans

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Hi Cella,

Yes, I use them all the time; I have a small (4'X4'X2') two-door cabinet that houses my bottles from Anise Seed Oil to Yuzu. I use EOs for making soap, shampoo, bath soaks, sinus pillows, sachets, perfumes (since I'm allergic to synthetic oils), and treating my doggies' beds, just to name a few uses. Now, I don't use them for internal therapies, so I don't know anything about that.

I would caution you about using EOs neat. There are some that you can put directly on your skin (like Lavender) but may have long-term use effects. So be careful; I'd recommend using good carrier oils (Almond oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, and my fav Jojoba oil, for instance) and barely enough EO to get the job done until you know for sure how you react to them.
 

Cella

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Oh, cool! Thanks! Yes, I remember leaning long ago not to put them directly on the skin unless they're mixed with something else. I have some grapeseed oil that I'll try, otherwise I see a lot of places sell fractioned coconut oil to go with it, too. I'll have to look into the jojoba oil.

Mostly I plan on diffusing them in the house...everything should arrive sometime this week. I'm very excited!
 

Kylabelle

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+1 to what Ari posted. (Got caught in the cross postage there. :) )

Also, be really careful to learn the source of what you're getting. Expensive oils are expensive for a reason, which is that the process of extracting or distilling the oil is time consuming and often uses literally tons of plant material for a tiny amount of oil.

Since aromatherapy has its origins in the cosmetics industry (at least in large part) there are many suppliers of scent oils who are in the habit of (what is called) "preparing the sauce" which means adding bits of this and that to an oil to make the scent more marketable or lasting.

Therapeutic oils have to be unadulterated. And then, even unadulterated oils can vary widely in quality, depending on how the process of distilling them was conducted. The chemistry of essential oils is very complex and what "comes over" in the distillate varies according to time and heat as well as quality of the original plant material.

*studied this stuff*

*was going to keep mouth shut but failed*

:D

I love working with essential oils! They are wonderful substances. Pricey as all get out, though, so I don't do so much these days as I used to.
 

Ari Meermans

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I'm excited for you. Using EOs can get as addictive as AW.

Grapeseed oil is a great carrier oil, too. I like Jojoba because it mimics the lipid layer of the skin and is great for dry skin. Even better for that is Rosehip Seed Oil because it's great for healing, as well.

I think you're going to enjoy all the experimenting. :D
 

Ari Meermans

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If either of you are interested, I can point you to my favorite high quality/reasonable prices sources. Just PM me, if you are interested.
 

Ari Meermans

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Mostly I plan on diffusing them in the house...everything should arrive sometime this week. I'm very excited!

Simple, easy, long-lasting room-freshening trick: A single cotton ball with a couple of drops of your preferred EO tucked behind blinds or drapes in a sunny window.
 

Cella

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Expensive oils are expensive for a reason, which is that the process of extracting or distilling the oil is time consuming and often uses literally tons of plant material for a tiny amount of oil.
Hi KB :hi: Oh yes, I don't mind if they're expensive because they're great, but I DO mind if they're expensive because the company has invested in tricky marketing gimmicks, so developing a discerning eye for what to look for will take some time for me, I think.

Simple, easy, long-lasting room-freshening trick: A single cotton ball with a couple of drops of your preferred EO tucked behind blinds or drapes in a sunny window.
Ha! What a good idea!

Thanks for the tip, Ari! :)
 

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Me, personally, I have an order of myrrh frankincense coming in, and it is said to be a powerful anti-microbiological agent. My immune system is probably strong compared with ancient peoples, or maybe it isn't. Either way, that's the only "essential oil" I am currently experimenting with.
 

Kylabelle

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:hi: Cella! :)

And, MrGamma, um, myrhh and frankincense are two separate oils; are you buying a blend of the two? Interesting. If so, you're likely purchasing a blend in a carrier oil, and not the pure e.o.s. Which is fine of course, and keeps you from having to dilute the oils yourself, but it's good to know what you're getting. I recall that myrhh resin (though not the e.o. distilled from it) was used in ancient times by warriors and military mercenaries as a wound healing agent. Or so I was taught. Soldiers would carry a chunk of myrhh in their personal kits.

Frankincense is one of my very favorite scents but it is so expensive I rarely have it around. If you're looking for oils that are anti-microbial and immune system stimulants (which many of them are said to be) there are less expensive ones to choose from: Tea tree, naiouli, ravensara, the various eucalyptus oils, even peppermint. Thyme oil is extremely potent and also not that pricey.

Ari, yes, thank you, going to PM you shortly! :)
 

Cella

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I love the smell of cilantro (sorry Haggis) and have seen the EO offered from various places for it. I don't know what it's good for, though....
 

Kylabelle

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Says here:
Properties: Analgesic, antioxidant, antispasmodic, aperitif, bactericidal, digestive, carminative, fungicidal, revitalizing, stimulant, stomachic
and that it contains more aldehydes than the oil from the seeds of the plant (more familiar to eo folks, coriander oil.)

That is from the Mountain Rose Herbs page on cilantro oil.

I've never used it. I have used cardamom oil though, it is wonderful! :D
 

MrGamma

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Yeah it tastes a little soapy/toxic, if it's fair to call resin that. Some bitterness as well. I'm chewing extremely small chunks, well aware that too much may clog the kidneys. Might try some of the more refined versions in the near future. There are quite a few varieties and some claim the clear resins are better. Quite a bit to decipher. Doing a herbal detox this month alongside the frankincense and myrrh. Fingers crossed.

I found this, if it's any interest to you.

http://www.hellenicgods.org/frankincense

HERODOTUS AND THE FLYING SERPENTS

In the history of Diodorus of Sicily, we find a description of dark red poisonous serpents amongst the frankincense trees (Diodorus Siculus Library of History Book III.46-47). Herodotus, who is called "the father of history," also describes these creatures:

"The frankincense they procure by means of the bum styrax, which the Greeks obtain from the Phœnicians; this they burn, and thereby obtain the spice. For the trees which bear the frankincense are guarded by winged serpents, small in size, and of varied colours, whereof vast numbers hang about every tree. They are of the same kind as the serpents that invade Egypt; and there is nothing but the smoke of the styrax (ed.Storax)which will drive them from the trees." (Herodotus Histories Book III.107, trans. George Rawlinson, 1858-1860; found here in the 1997 Everyman's Library/Knopf edition on p.176)

But Herodotus has also been called "the father of lies" because some of his history is fantastic and scholars have found inconsistencies of dating etc. His description of the flying serpents is an unforgettable narrative and indeed the details do not sound credible, but, amazingly, the story is based on fact. Carpet vipers (echis) infest the mountains of Dhofar into the present time. These snakes coil up and strike high, almost as though they were flying. They are also said to leap onto victims from samur trees. The bite is quite toxic and there is no known antidote.


You know, makes me think it has anti-venom, immune system boosting properties, similar to lavender, but I can't even find a sprinkling of a rumor, let alone a scientific paper.

http://chakra4online.com/blog/what-you-didnt-know-about-lavender

Lavender also has anti-venom properties when applied to stings and bites from poisonous insects and spiders. I like to use the more concentrated essential oil for this purpose, but a strong tea, compress, or poultice is also very effective. When it comes to venomous stings and bites, Lavender essential oil is a vital part of my tool kit.

Perhaps there is a rhyme and a reason somewhere?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_of_Asclepius

In Greek mythology, the Rod of Asclepius (⚕;[1] sometimes also spelled Asklepios or Aesculapius), also known as the asklepian,[2] is a serpent-entwined rod wielded by the Greek god Asclepius, a deity associated with healing and medicine. The symbol has continued to be used in modern times, where it is associated with medicine and health care, yet frequently confused with the staff of the god Hermes, the caduceus. Theories have been proposed about the Greek origin of the symbol and its implications.


Here is someone trying to sell the oil, which I have read is indeed toxic, as an anti-venom, immuno stimulant, however there doesn't seem to be anything concrete.

https://squareup.com/market/kineticwise/frankincense
 
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Cath

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Another essential oil fan here. I make all my own lotions and face creams using bases and EOs. Ari, I'd love a good source for high quality oils here in the US.

My skin is weird and doesn't take well to jojoba, so I use a good quality grapeseed oil as my base. It goes rancid fairly quickly, though, so you may want to mix very small quantities or keep your oils in the fridge.

MrGamma, I'd be really concerned about ingesting frankincense. You might want to find a qualified medical practitioner to advise on that.
 
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Cella

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Wow! Great info, guys--thanks so much for sharing! :)
 

Ken

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I didn't order any of their brand so far due to the higher cost of their oils,

Definitely shop around. You may be able to get it cheaper. Amazon.com has just about everything. So you might even be able to get what you want there. (I bought metal washers of sorts for bolts the other week.)
 

Ari Meermans

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Guys, the internet is a wide (and wild) and wonderful place, but be very careful about the "information" you find. Please, just never put any unknown-to-you substance in your mouths until you've researched it to hell and back and have at least five thoroughly vetted expert opinions. Just please.

Super cheap linen spray and no recipe needed; iow, use yer nose: Fill a spray bottle with REALLY cheap vodka, add a few drops of the EO of your choice (I'm partial to Lavender for this), shake well, and use.
 

Kylabelle

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What Ari said.

MrGamma, if you're putting tiny chunks of resin in your mouth, those are not essential oils. Essential oils of myrhh and frankincense would be distilled from resins and are always liquid, though some are fairly thick liquid. Patchouli and vetiver can get way too turgid for those little orifice reducers on the bottles, for instance. Same with myrhh, though frankincense remains liquid and doesn't thicken. Not sure why!

Ken, true that, you can get (almost) anything on Amazon. :D But I still wouldn't shop for EOs there. Though it might be an interesting place to do some initial research into one supplier or another, you could usually find that kind of information easier in other ways.
 

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Good points Kyla and Ari. Lots of research is the way to go with stuff of this sort.
Better safe than sorry.

I guess I was sorta figuring that if you knew of a good brand of some EO via research then you could find it on Amazon and get it at a good price. But with EOs I have totally no experience. So I am definitely not a good source of info on the subject ;-)
 

pkbax

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+1 to what Ari posted. (Got caught in the cross postage there. :) )

Also, be really careful to learn the source of what you're getting. Expensive oils are expensive for a reason, which is that the process of extracting or distilling the oil is time consuming and often uses literally tons of plant material for a tiny amount of oil.

Since aromatherapy has its origins in the cosmetics industry (at least in large part) there are many suppliers of scent oils who are in the habit of (what is called) "preparing the sauce" which means adding bits of this and that to an oil to make the scent more marketable or lasting.

Therapeutic oils have to be unadulterated. And then, even unadulterated oils can vary widely in quality, depending on how the process of distilling them was conducted. The chemistry of essential oils is very complex and what "comes over" in the distillate varies according to time and heat as well as quality of the original plant material.

*studied this stuff*

*was going to keep mouth shut but failed*

:D

I love working with essential oils! They are wonderful substances. Pricey as all get out, though, so I don't do so much these days as I used to.

Sometimes just the strain of the plant or the conditions under which it was grown can make a difference as well. Some companies will get so particular that they make sure the chemical composition is an exact match to their specs even if they grow the plants themselves.

ALWAYS look at the bottle. If it is therapeutic grade and safe to ingest (often mixed with water or juice), it'll have an FDA food label on it. (This might be inside a flap, but it should be there if safe consume.) Many will say they are for external use only. If they are "hot" oils (for example peppermint) that should not be used on the skin neat, they should give the minimum dilution with a carrier oil. When trying new ones, as already noted, use a carrier until you know how you react. You can also try them on the soles of your feet (a reflexology chart is helpful here). That's an area where it will adsorb quickly but is usually less sensitive.

Also one caution - some people note that have reactions and think the oil is not working, when it could be a detox reaction or they tried using it too strong the first time. (FYI - therapeutic grade will not have any allergens in it so there cannot be a true allergic reaction to it, but some adulerated oils might have allergens. Another reason to know what you are buying.)


Hi KB :hi: Oh yes, I don't mind if they're expensive because they're great, but I DO mind if they're expensive because the company has invested in tricky marketing gimmicks, so developing a discerning eye for what to look for will take some time for me, I think.

As Kyla noted, some are more expensive than others just because of how much plant material is needed to produce them.


Enjoy your experimenting!
 

juniper

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Super cheap linen spray and no recipe needed; iow, use yer nose: Fill a spray bottle with REALLY cheap vodka, add a few drops of the EO of your choice (I'm partial to Lavender for this), shake well, and use.

Hmmm - what does the vodka do in this mixture?

PMing you for source list. Thx.
 

Kylabelle

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The vodka is just the carrier for the EO. You have to shake it up each time you use it, remember, because the oil is not miscible with the alcohol, only in temporary suspension.

I'd just use rubbing alcohol, but no doubt Ari has a good reason to use vodka instead.

Ari?
 

Ari Meermans

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Vodka dries just as fast, "throws" the fragrance very well, and most important to me, does not have an odor. You're not going to get that alcohol after-smell.
 

Kylabelle

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Good points. Plus, you can drink any leftover vodka.

In appropriate moderation, of course.

:D