Blogs Ingredients Fuss About Essential Oils (Part I)
| Fuss About Essential Oils (Part I) |
| Tuesday, 17 July 2007 00:00 |
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What are essential oils anyway? Essential oils are plant extracts that are usually obtained by distillation. Abundant plant matter are needed to come up with a very small amount of oil, and that is why their prices are sky-high. These oils are very potent and should be used with much caution. Direct contact on your skin can cause reactions, so they are always to be mixed with a base oil before applying them. Essential oils do affect our mind, body, and psyche. They maintain, heal, and regenerate the skin and are also antiseptic, fungicidal, bacteriostatic, and antibacterial (meaning, they kill germs or prevent further growth of bacteria and viruses). These potent oils also stimulate our mind and emotions through our sense of smell. Here is a descriptive list of some common or familiar essential oils. I am taking them from a book called "Aromatherapy Handbook for Beauty, Hair, and Skin Care" by Erich Keller. Basil (Ocinum basilicum) This clear, thin liquid oil is derived through distillation from the blooming tips of the herb...Basil is antiseptic and tones and clears the skin, increasing its resilience and sleekness. It can be used as a skin cleanser or toner in facial care, or added to oils and creams to the bath to stimulate the metabolism of greasy, tired, limp, and colorless skin...The fragrance of basil is penetratingly sweet, spicy, and similar to anise. Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) The greenish, thin oil of bergamot is obtained by pressing out the peel of a green bitter orange...An all-purpose oil for cosmetics, it can be used by every skin type and for many functional disturbances. It is antiseptic, slightly astringent, deodorizing, healing for wounds, and generally beneficial for the skin. It also helps in cases of dandruff, seborrhea, acne, herpes (lip blister and genital herpes), shingles, eczema, excessive perspiration (armpits), and unpleasant body odor...Bergamot goes well with all bath oils, toners, deodorants, and perfumes. Its scent is fresh, sparkling, sweet, and clear. Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica, Juniperus virginiana, Juniperus mexicana) Cedarwood oil is derived through distillation from the wood waste and sawdust of cedarwood...The oil is thin and clear. Cedarwood is a general skin care oil that is antiseptic, astringent, soothing, and removes excess water. It is used in natural hair care products particularly for the treatment of greasy hair, dandruff and psoriasis, and for the treatment of acne, infections, rashes, eczema, dermatitis, and itching skin. It gently stimulates the skin. Because of its light wood, sweet-and-sour, and leather-like scent, it is often used in men's cosmetics and the corresponding perfumes...It also serves as protection against insects. Chamomile, Roman (Anthemis nobilis) A healing plant that has been known for thousands of years, its essential oil is distilled from the blossoms and the whole plant. The oil is yellowish, thin, and relatively expensive. Its effect is antiseptic, vasoconstricting, healing and beneficial for skin and hair. Roman chamomile is used for sensitive, dry, reddened, or itchy skin, infected wounds, abscesses, acne, and rashes. It accelerates the healing of wounds and helps skin allergies when added to a cream or oil. Broken veins are said to be treated successfully with chamomile oil. It also makes raw, chapped hands smooth and supple...Its relaxing fragrance is moderately sweet-sour and spicy-green. Citronella (Cymbopogon nardus) This oil is derived from a reed-shaped grass...It is mainly used in the manufacture of soaps, facial toners, and perfumes. Because of its cost, the cosmetic industry prefers to use melissa oil with its similar fragrance. Citronella is fungicidal, antibacterial, and generally refreshing. It is an important component in all insect repellent preparations. It can be used for skin fungus and infections, as well as to add a refreshing aroma to bath water, perfumes, and homemade soaps...The scent is weakly sweet, forest-flowery, and rose-like or camphor-like. Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea) This essential oil is derived through distillation from the blossoms of the herb...It yields a thin light to yellowish liquid. Clary Sage has an estrogen-like and deodorizing effect. Its scent is euphoriant, relaxing, and aphrodisiac. It is similar to sage oil but has a milder effect. Clary sage is used for hydrated, infected, and normal skin, for hair care and dandruff, where it hastens the sloughing off of flakes by vitalizing the scalp. Its sweet smell is like hay and bergamot. Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) ...A thin, clear oil is derived through distillaiton from the leaves, twigs, and cones. It smooths and tautens the skin, is astringent, deodorizing, vasoconstricting, and styptic. It reduces the amount of perspiration, which is why cypress oil can be used in a foot bath or special lotion to successfully treat sweaty feet. The oil is also suitable for the care of greasy, hydrated, slack, tired, and sluggish skin and for the treatment of varicose veins. Cypress oil repels insects and has a fresh, lemony, and spicy scent... Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) This thin, clear to greenish-colored oil is obtained from the leaves and small twigs of the eucalyptus tree. Eucalyptus oil is generally known for its strong, antiseptic, and healing effect on infections of the respiratory system...Abscesses can also be treated with the oil. Finally, it can serve as an insect repellent. Eucalyptus has a slight estrogen-like effect on the body. Its fragrance is fresh and pungent. (to be continued) |
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