view cart
Health
A Comprehensive List of Essential Oils and Their Properties
|
As with any form of medicine, it is important to know what properties exist with the medicine and how it should be used. If you suffer from a serious illness, always seek the advice of your health care provider before using any alternative or holistic health care. Essential oils are concentrated. It is important that they are handled with care, kept tightly closed and out of the reach of children. Do not ingest. Do not use essential oils around mucus membranes or near the eyes. If you use essential oils on the skin, make certain to dilute one to three drops of the oil in a teaspoon of a natural vegetable oil. Certain oils can be a skin irritant. Always do a skin test on the inner arm. Do not use if redness or irritation occurs. Certain essential oils can cause reaction if used on the skin and exposed to sunlight. Certain essential oils should not be used if you are pregnant. Certain essential oils should not be used by people with high blood pressure. Certain essential oils should not be used by people with epilepsy. This oil is from an uncommon citrus fruit found mainly in Italy. It is not to be confused with the plant Bergamot, or Bee Balm which is native to the United States. It has a fruity, floral scent. In aromatherapy Bergamot, a yang energy, is used as an anti-depressant and to up-lift and normalize the mental state of being. It is often used in the work place as a confidence builder. If you apply Bergamot to the skin, it is best to avoid exposure to the sun. This essential oil is derived from a plant native to the United States and France. Clary sage has a sweet, but musky, herbal aroma. Clary sage is a yang energy. Its uses in aromatherapy include relaxation and balancing. It is best to avoid this essential oil if you are pregnant. This essential oil is from the leaf of a tree that is native to Portugal, Australia and China. It is commonly used as an ingredient in cold care products such as inhalants and cough syrups, as well as muscle liniments and salves. Eucalyptus is a yin energy oil. In aromatherapy it is used to purify, invigorate and enhance concentration. Geranium, a native plant of Egypt and China, is often used in fragrances and skin care products. It is a yin energy oil and is used in aromatherapy for balance and normalizing. When you are tired this oil will help relieve that 'wiped out' feeling. It is best to avoid the use of this oil if you are pregnant. Ginger has an earthy, lemony aroma. A native of China and Guatemala, ginger has long been used for its medicinal properties. It is a yang energy oil and is used in aromatherapy for its warmth, strengthening properties and as a ground or anchor. This classic scent for perfume, skin care and hair care products is a native of France, Bulgaria and Russia. Its sweet floral fragrance is considered a yang energy. In aromatherapy Lavender is used to calm, soothe and normalize. The lemon tree which produces this essential oil is native to the United States. This yang energy oil is cold pressed from the rind of the lemon and it can take three dozen lemons to produce one half ounce of lemon essential oil. In aromatherapy lemon essential oil is used to cheer, uplift and refresh. Always dilute lemon essential oil before applying it to the skin and avoid exposure to the sun. Patchouli is a native plant of Indonesia and India. The earthy, sweet fragrance of this essential oil has the distinctive property of improving with age. It is considered a yang energy oil and is used in aromatherapy for it soothing, yet exotic and sensual properties. Rosemary, a native of Spain, Tunisia and Morocco, is a heavy, woodsy, incense-type fragrance. Rosemary, a yang energy oil, is used as an anti-depressant and for its warmth. You should avoid this essential oil if you are pregnant, suffer from high blood pressure or epilepsy. Found in Brazil, Rosewood (Bois de Rose) is treasured for its spicy, woody, floral fragrance. The oil is often used to enliven dried flowers or as an additive to soaps, lotions and massage oils. Rosewood, a yang energy, is used in aromatherapy for its gently strengthening qualities and as a calmative. Native to Indonesia, Sandalwood is mentioned in the oldest Vedic text, the Nirukta, which dates to the fifth century BC In ancient rituals it was used as a spiritually purifying oil. Sandalwood, a yang energy oil, is extensively used as a form of incense. In aromatherapy it is used to relax, to center and as a tool to heighten the sensuality of the senses. Sweet Orange is native to Brazil and the United States. It is a warm yang energy and is considered one of the most popular oils in the world. It is used in aromatherapy for its refreshing , cheering and uplifting properties. Sweet Orange is also used when one needs to focus or concentrate. It is great in a diffuser in the office. Avoid exposure to the sun if you apply it to the skin. This warm, spicy oil is from Australia. it is often used in antiseptics, skin care products and room sprays. It is also a yang energy oil and is used in aromatherapy as a cleansing, purifying and uplifting agent. Dilute before applying to the skin. Vanilla is not just for taste buds. It is a yang energy essential oil that, in ages past, was prized for its unique flavor and fragrance. In aromatherapy it is used as a calmative and it is terrific for the office when used in a diffuser to relieve stress. Found in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands, Ylang Ylang is a yin energy oil that is treasured for its floral, jasmine-like aroma. In aromatherapy Ylang Ylang is used for its euphoric, sensual and its reported aphrodisiac-like qualities. |
|
