Ultimate Essential Oil Guide
Throughout the years Essential oils have been used all over the world to cure ailments, boost the immune system, and relieve stress among other things. Using the power of medicinal plants and herbs has laid the foundation of our modern medicine today. This guide will show you how to use essential oils for your wellbeing and health and will help you get started using them to improve your day to day life.
Before I begin, I want to make sure you understand that I am not a medical professional and you should always consult a doctor for medical advice. This guide is just me sharing my personal experiences which may or may not affect you in a similar fashion.
What Are Essential oils?
To get started in essential oils it is important to understand what essential oils are and how they are made. Essential Oils are Natural Plant-Based fluids That are highly concentrated and fragrant. These oils, when used safely, can provide many benefits to your mood, health, and physical wellbeing.
How are essential oils made?
Essential oils are extracted from plant material. i.e. lavender oil is extracted from lavender plants and so on.
How essential oils are extracted?
You many have wondered how essential oils are extracted and made. understanding how they are extracted will help you in choosing which oils are best for your needs.
There are 4 common extraction methods used for extracting essential oils. They are, Steam distilling, Cold Pressing, Resin Tapping, and absolute Oil Extraction. I will attempt to explain each of these methods and why they are used for specific oils.
First let’s look at the most common Method of Essential oil extraction, that is Steam Distillation.
- Steam Distillation
Steam Distillation allows essential oils to be extracted from very delicate plant materials. Since this process is used on delicate plants it is very important to control the temperature and pressure to avoid burning the oils during the distillation process during steam distillation a water bath is placed over a heat source with the aromatic plants hanging over the water as the water is heated, the steam begins to rise through the plant material. As the steam rises, it collects oil molecules from the plants and is collected into a condensing coil. The condensing coil is warm on the inside but surrounded by a cool water bath, causing the steam to condense into floral water and essential oils.
- Cold pressing
This technique is specifically used for citrus essential oils and fatty oils citrus oils contain delicate citrus molecules broken down through steam distillation. when citrus oils are distilled by steam distillation, they become bitter and lose their aromatic properties. so citrus oil benefit greatly from cold pressing over steam distillation. personally, I do not buy citrus oils that have been steam distilled. fatty oils such as olive oil, almond oil, jojoba oil, and coconut oil are also cold-pressed directly from the plant material.
So, what is cold pressing?
Cold pressing is the simplest of the oil extraction methods. it’s where a very heavy weight is placed on top of a container full of plant material, the weight compresses the natural oils out of the plant material and the oil is collected.
- Resin Tapping
This technique is not as common as the others, and is used for only a few essential oils like frankincense, myrrh, and copaiba oil during the resin tapping process, the plants are cut externally, this allows the internal resin to seep out and be collected then the resin is steam distilled which gives rise to the essential oils
- Absolute Oil
Absolute oil extraction is the most complicated of essential oil extraction techniques because it requires use of a solvent. A solvent is a substance that helps to dissolve another substance. In the case of some essential oils the plant material is so very delicate that it would not survive an initial steam distillation. During absolute extraction a solvent is added to the plant material. The solvent helps to pull the essential oil out of the plant without compromising the integrity of the oil. Then in order to separate the solvent from the essential oil a second extraction uses steam to recover the solvent and produce the final absolute oil. The absolute oil is then collected and sent to a laboratory for testing.
Absolute oil extraction is only used for oils like jasmine and neroli essential oil and it’s important to note that a trace residue of the solvent may be left behind so ingestion of these oils is not recommended. However, the solvent that is left behind evaporates very quickly so jasmine and neroli are perfectly safe for topical applications and inhalation.
What you need to know before purchasing essential oils.
What is the difference between food grade and therapeutic grade essential oils?
A lot of people ask what the difference is between food grade and therapeutic grade essential oils. The truth is that there isn’t an official grading process used to determine this, so in reality there is really no difference. i know it sound crazy, but there is no grading standard for essential oils in the united states. The term “therapeutic grade” is nothing more than a marketing term in the essential oil industry that means absolutely nothing. So instead, when you’re deciding where to buy your essential oils, you should be looking for quality and purity. The FDA doesn’t do grading for quality of essential oils.
The FDA Does however have a list of herbs which includes some essential oils which they consider are safe for consumption, or in their terms “generally recognized as safe” GRAS for short. the reason some essential oils are listed on this list is that they can be used as flavoring for foods is small amounts. so, some companies like to use this a basis for labeling their oils as “food grade” which only means that is was listed on the GRAS list. But that is as far as it goes. This is a food grade standard for food flavoring and not as standard for taking essential oils internally for medicinal purposes. Some essential oils can be used in cooking, but like all other ways of using oils, the oil you choose to use will dictate what is safe.
Does Quality Matter?
So, you may be wondering if there is no testing, then does quality matter? Most essential oils sold today are made with the assumption that you, the user, will most likely use them as an air freshener or in a mixture of scented candles, perfumes, and cleaning products. So, the company tends to focus on the scent of the oil rather than the health benefit, meaning the company doesn’t take the steps needed to ensure the quality of the oil. Unfortunately, a lot of companies will alter the oil, add synthetic fragrances, or even synthesize the oil altogether.
Some of the big label companies don’t have their farms and just purchase oils from a plant broker that may have gotten the plants from a farm that treats its plants with pesticides or chemical-based fertilizers. Also, depending on how the oil is extracted from the plants the medicinal value of the oil can be destroyed if done improperly. Some companies add fragrances to their oils or synthesize oils, you could react to the chemicals used if using poor quality oils.
The quality of essential oils
So, how can you tell if you are getting a good quality essential oil?
Here are some things you should check for when trying to decide whether the Essential oil you are wanting to buy is a high-quality oil.
Read the labels.
It is important to read the labels of essential oils because not all essential oils are created equally. Some companies will add carrier oils or dilute the oil which will cause you to get a lesser quality of oil. Also, some companies don’t properly extract the oils, so they aren’t as pure as other brands. So, you’re probably wondering, “is there a grading system for essential oils?” you will be shocked to learn that there is no grading system in place for them. So, how do you know that you are getting the best quality? By reading the labels carefully and staying with a brand that you know is of the quality that you desire.
Here are some things to look for on the labels that typically mean that the oils are of a higher quality. It’s important for a company to give you all the information you might need to know about an essential oil before purchasing. For example, the botanical name, the country of origin, any cautions that go along with that oil, as well as batch specific GC/MS report.
- 100% pure essential oil.
This is a good sign in that you are getting a good quality product however this is not the only thing you should trust. Even an oil that is “100% pure” may not have been processed correctly and may not provide more than a pretty smell.
- Country where the oil is extracted from.
- Expiration date
- Botanical name
- Is it organic, unsprayed or wildcrafted?
Organic oils are usually an indicator that they are a higher quality. Chemicals that were used in the growing of the plants can become intensified in the essential oil. While the term “organic” can mean different things in different countries it is a good starting point when looking for a quality essential oil. But it should not be the end all your research. An organic label should be something that you look for in conjunction with other things when you are making your decision.
- Essential Oil Testing
There are two test you should look for when choosing your brand of essential oils. Companies that care about their product being pure will conduct these tests. They are the gas chromatography and mass spectrometry tests, or GC/MS. You can usually find this information quickly by going to the company’s website or requesting a batch specific report. Some companies with not provide this report but will conduct the testing to ensure they are selling quality.
- Cost
When determining a quality brand of essential oil, the costs can be a great indicator. Normally I always try to find the best price but, in this situation, the best price doesn’t mean the cheapest price. Here is something to keep in mind, it takes a lot of plants to make a few drops of oil. When you look at it in that perspective you will realize that high quality essential oils will almost never be cheap.
When looking at a company’s products you should expect to see different prices for different oils
Is the company a Part of NAHA
(National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy) or other associations? If the company is a member it means that the company abides by the ethics standards of the NAHA or whatever professional association, they are a part of.
- Smell It
A pure essential oil should have a balanced and broad fragrance and should not be overbearing. If the scent is too strong it may have synthetic chemical substitutes.
Building your first essential oil Kit
I tend to recommend to new people getting into to essential oils that they get a premade starter kit as these are usually cheaper and will allow them to see the quality of a company’s product before spending too much also most of these kits have a good mix of the basic starter oils. Here are 10 essential oils that I believe are important to have in your starter essential oil kit. These are not the only oils you will ever need but this is a good place to start.
Great Starter Kit for essential oils
- Peppermint Oil – Peppermint oil is one of the most versatile essential oils available. It can be used aromatically, topically and internally to resolve several health issues, from muscles aches and seasonal allergic reaction symptoms, to low energy and gastrointestinal complaints. It’s also frequently used to boost energy levels and enhance both skin and hair health.
- Eucalyptus Oil – Eucalyptus Oil is one of the best essential oils for boosting your immune system, it’s great for seasonal allergies, coughs, headaches and even sore throats.
- Lavender Oil – Lavender oil has many benefits which makes it a must have for your essential oil kit. Lavender oil is good for reducing anxiety, relieving emotional stress, helps with mental focus, great for skin, helps with treating burns and wounds, improves sleep, a pain reliever, helps relieve headaches and more.
- Frankincense – Frankincense is used often in aromatherapy and offers a variety of health benefits, such as, reducing pain and swelling. It’s also great for boosting the immune system.
- Tea Tree Oil – Tea Tree Oil has many uses, it is good for killing bacteria which makes it excellent for making household cleaning products, helps soothe skin irritations, fights acne, and much more
- Lemon Oil – this is a must have as it has many uses and you will not be disappointed. Lemon oil helps to relieve nausea, help with digestion, cough suppressant, boots oral health, and may even help with weight loss.
- Cedarwood Oil – helps with skin conditions, arthritis relief, bug repellent, stress relief, it promotes hair growth, it even helps to improve focus and ADHD.
- Rosemary Oil – This is a strong essential oil and it helps with things like memory and focus, hair growth and it helps to prevent hair loss, and pain reduction for sore muscles.
- Clove oil – this is one of my favorites if for nothing else other than tooth ache relief, I had a tooth emergency and clove oil gave the relief I needed to keep me sane until I got to the dentist. It also helps with skin and acne care, and even ulcer and digestive needs.
- Cinnamon Oil – the list of uses for cinnamon oil is long. But here are some of the benefits, good for skin, hair and lips, it’s a natural aphrodisiac, boost heart health, help with blood sugar levels, good for sore throats, good for fighting fungal infections,
These are good Essential oils to get started with and from here you can add to your kit.
Other items you may want to get are
- Dark colored glass bottles
- Storage box or a shelf to store your oils and tools
- Glass roller bottles
- Lip balm containers
- Glass spray bottles
- Measuring spoons
- A diffuser necklace and replacement discs
- Labels
- Glass mixing rods
- diffuser
How do you use essential oils?
Well you can use them in a few ways. The first and one of the most common was to use them is aromatically, this is accomplished by diffusing your essential oil. This requires a diffuser, water, and the essential oil that you are planning to use. Most diffusers have a guide mark or line that you fill the water to and then you add a few drops of your essential oil and let it mix the oil and water in a aromatic mist. this mist will allow you to smell the aroma and receive the benefits of the scent. Using oils aromatically may seem very simple, but it is one of the most effective way to get the benefits of an essential oil because the sense of smell is so powerful.
If you think about it, your sense of smell is the only one of your five senses where you react before you process it. For example, If you touch something, you process it in your brain, and then you react. If you see something, you process it in your brain, and then you react. If you smell something your body physically reacts before you process it in your brain. So that’s why, you can walk into a spa and you just instantly feel Zen, you feel balanced, you feel calm, you feel centered. You just sit down and you’re just like, (sigh) the weight has been lifted off your shoulders. And that’s because they’re usually diffusing some type of essential oil that’s very calming and relaxing, and your body feels that way before you process it. It’s the same as if you smell one of your mom’s favorite home-cooked meals. You smell that wonderful scent. It takes you back in time, and you start to feel that way that you did as a child.
Aromatherapy works because the sense of smell can change any environment. It can help create an atmosphere of energy. It can help create an atmosphere of positivity, focus, relaxation, centering, whatever oil supports that feeling that you’re looking for, diffuse that oil and use it aromatically, and it can help change the environment.
Let’s say you’re a teacher, diffuse some lemon oil. Lemon oil is a very focusing aroma. Diffuse some lemon in your classroom, some rosemary. It can help support an atmosphere of focusing and help support an atmosphere of order.
Another way to use essential oils if to drop a few drops into your hands, then rub it in and breathe the aroma on your hands. This is a great way to use them on the go
The next way to use essential oils is topically. Using oils topically is great for your skin or your muscles or your hair and things like that. You can apply oils directly to a blemish. Be careful. When you use essential oils topically because you don’t want to get too much at first. Everyone’s skin is different, so you should test it out to see how your skin reacts to certain oils. Everyone has a different skin make-up; they react totally different to different oils. But this is a great way to use oils, especially on those blemishes, and those not so pretty parts of your skin. Just apply it directly to those blemishes.
I Like to dilute the oil with a carrier oil or even mix it with my favorite skin moisturizer. Lavender just works great for my skin. Everyone has different oils that are their favorite. Lavender is mine, It helps soothe the appearance of uneven skin tone, it helps soothes the appearance of blemishes. Lavender is like the Swiss army knife of oils, especially when it comes to anything skin. You can apply to your skin after being outdoors, after being in the sun.
Another way to use it is with a carrier oil and massage it on your body. Some great carrier oils to use are coconut oil, and jojoba oil to name a couple. There are many more carrier oils Check out this list here.
These are just a few ways to use essential oils, for more ways check out our guides here
I hope this guide will set you on the right path as you learn more about essential oils and how to use them in your everyday life.
