September is here!  Some of us may be having thoughts of the Fall Season that is heading our way. 

Some may be dreaming of pumpkin spice and their first latte, holiday gatherings, and cooler temperatures.

However, most when they think of the Fall Season, they think of leaves turning brilliant colors, covering to the ground in a blanket of color and those strolls in nature and the crunching of leaves.

September also brings about our Fall Essences.

 Sandalwood Teak Essence is our featured Essence of the month! 

The name says it all.  It makes you think of trees, nature, and woodsy essences.  This is a blend of Teakwood and Sandalwood.  This calming blend of teak and sandalwood is a grounding blend.

Do you meditate?  Many meditate and many strive to find that meditative ‘state’ as often as they can.  Craving that calm, peaceful, few moments can make the world of difference for us during our day. 

We ask – “Do you meditate?” because often Sandalwood Oil is commonly used in meditation practices.  It is known for its calming properties and is an oil that has been noted to quiet the central nervous system. 

Teakwood – We asked Google how one could describe this smell to those who have not experienced it, and we love the answer we received. 

“Teakwood Fragrance Oil: The smell of the log cabin where you
camped for a long weekend.”  *Google Resource.

Calm and grounding. 

On our website under the “About Us” section is something that was written many years ago. 

“My aromatherapy and body products were created to open and heal the body’s energy centers.” 
Nicholas Cappele, Alchemist

This has never changed.  This is our why.

Sandalwood Teak Essence = Calming and Grounding.  This blend as we go into Fall and what some may experience as a busy season with holidays, gatherings, year-end goals to meet can be a great tool to use to assist you.  A blend to ‘take you away’ – meditative moments, grounding moments.

H2E Aromatherapy offers a variety of products that contain the Sandalwood Teak essence:

Body Oil Roll-On

Shampoo/Conditioner

Candles

Body Lotion

You may take advantage of our September savings of 20% off of the Sandalwood Teak Essence by entering coupon code: sandalwood

Available on H2Edesignstore.com

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Essential Oil Uses

Essential oils have many uses, such as improving the scent of a particular room or supplementing healing practices.

They accomplish this second feat because, when inhaled, the scent molecules travel from the olfactory nerve to the brain. From there, they interact with the limbic system, a region of the brain in charge of regulating memories, emotions, and sensations.

Essential oils can also be combined with a carrier oil and placed on the skin, where the body can absorb them into the bloodstream and distribute them throughout the body.

A Note on Marketing

While essential oils have seen heavy marketing recently because of their many benefits, it is important to remember where their true strengths lie. Namely, remember that they cannot cure diseases and are not a magic pill, but they can still be a helpful addition for anyone looking to follow a healthy lifestyle.

For example, essential oils cannot replace surgery or medications such as antibiotics, but they can still relieve unpleasant symptoms, making them an effective tool in your healthcare arsenal.

The Health Benefits of Essential Oils

When it comes to the health benefits of essential oils, they serve less as a treatment for various conditions and instead as a way to boost both your physical and mental health.

For instance, peppermint oil can help relieve headaches, likely from its menthol component, while has analgesic and cooling properties. Research has found that these benefits are at their greatest when the peppermint oil is applied around the head and temple.

Yet another way that essential oils can help your physical health is through nausea relief. Peppermint and ginger are the most effective in this regard, with peppermint, in particular, showing an ability to relax the muscles of your gastrointestinal tract. As for ginger, it helps to encourage the digestive process, keeping food from getting stuck in the gastrointestinal tract. These benefits can help those with nausea from chemotherapy, pregnancy, or indigestion.

Mental health can improve from essential oils, as well, because of their ability to reduce stress and calm anxiety. In fact, this is often the number one reason why someone may seek out aromatherapy. A review found that inhaling or ingesting lavender essential oil or using it in massage treatments can help lower anxiety levels, likely from its linalool and linalyl acetate compounds that have calming properties.

Side Effects of Essential Oils

Even though essential oils are natural, they are not always safe.

Some potential side effects of essential oils include:

–       rashes

–       headaches

–       asthma attacks

–       allergic reactions

To limit side effects, be sure to use them correctly, such as by inhaling them or combining them with a carrier oil before being used on the skin.

Try Essential Oils to Improve Your Health

Are you ready to supplement your life and promote overall health? Give essential oils a try and see how they can address minor aches and pains, improve your well-being, and make your medical treatments even more effective.

For all your essential oil needs, whether body oil, lotion, or general essential oils, H2E Aromatherapy has what you need.

References
Ali, B., Al-Wabel, N., Shams, S., Ahamad, A., Khan, S., & Anwar, F. (2015). Essential oils used in aromatherapy: A systemic review. Asian Pacific Journal Of Tropical Biomedicine, 5(8), 601-611. doi: 10.1016/j.apjtb.2015.05.007
 

Chumpitazi, B., Kearns, G., & Shulman, R. (2018). Review article: the physiological effects and safety of peppermint oil and its efficacy in irritable bowel syndrome and other functional disorders. Alimentary Pharmacology &Amp; Therapeutics, 47(6), 738-752. doi: 10.1111/apt.14519
 

Lete, I., & Alluέ, J. (2016). The Effectiveness of Ginger in the Prevention of Nausea and Vomiting during Pregnancy and Chemotherapy. Integrative Medicine Insights, 11, IMI.S36273. doi: 10.4137/imi.s36273
 

Donelli, D., Antonelli, M., Bellinazzi, C., Gensini, G. F., & Firenzuoli, F. (2019). Effects of lavender on anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology, 65, 153099. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phymed.2019.153099

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Essential oils infuse your living space with pleasant aromas, but they also deliver amazing health benefits. What are essential oils? How are they created? And what are their health benefits? Keep reading to find out.

What are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are the concentrated aromatic essences of plants, seeds, flowers, bark, roots, fruits, wood, and other parts of plants that have been steam distilled or cold-pressed.

They are volatile, meaning that they evaporate easily and will quickly evaporate at room temperature. The essential oil molecules are very small and need to be diluted in a carrier oil before being applied to the skin or evaporated into the atmosphere via a diffuser.

Essential oils contain many different chemical compounds, including terpenes, resins, flavonoids, chlorophyll, phenols, and a variety of other beneficial compounds.

How Essential Oils are Made and Extracted?

Techniques to create essential oils have been around for centuries, with ancient healers accessing the benefits of plants through salves, poultices, and medicinal teas. These were the only forms of medicine available for thousands of years until the pharmaceutical industry came along with other options.

As more people turn to more traditional healing methods, now is as good a time as any to understand where your aromatherapy products come from and how they are created.

Essential oils are extracted from the plant’s aromatic essence, or the oil responsible for the plant’s aroma. Plants use the oil to attract pollinators, repel predators, and inhibit competitive species from growing in the same area. Many essential oils also act as an anti-microbial system to protect the plant from disease.

Glandular structures in the plant produce the oils, which are extracted using steam distillation or cold pressing.

In steam distillation, hot steam pulls the oils from the plant and is forced through a tube where it condenses back into the water. The oils are collected as they separate from the cooling water.

Cold pressing, most often used to produce citrus oils, involves agitating the fruits of the plant with spikes or grating to puncture the oil sacs beneath the surface. The fruit is then pressed to squeeze out the oil and juice before going into a high-speed centrifuge that separates the solids and liquids so the oil can be extracted.

Benefits of Using Essential Oils

Essential oils are often marketed as a cure-all for a wide variety of ailments. However, even the highest quality products are no substitute for medical care. Instead, think of essential oils as an addition to a healthier lifestyle and a way to improve your self-care. Here are just a few of the benefits of essential oils.

Reduce Stress and Anxiety

Phytomedicine published a review [*1] of 90 randomized and nonrandomized studies in 2019 and concluded that inhaling or ingesting lavender oil can lower anxiety levels.

Headache Relief

Headaches are a massive health issue, affecting up to 75% of the population. According to this review [*2], an application of peppermint oil around the head and temple could provide some headache relief. Due to its cooling and analgesic properties, peppermint’s menthol component is believed to be most responsible for headache relief.

Nausea Relief

Peppermint and ginger essential oils are often used for nausea relief and digestive discomfort. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics published a review [*3] revealing the potential for peppermint to lower nausea-inducing inflammation and relax gastrointestinal muscles.

Other health benefits offered by essential oils include:

• Easing menstrual cramps
• Improving sleep quality
• Antimicrobial effects for disease protection
• Relief from muscle pain

Using Essential Oils at Home and Business

You can use essential oils at home or at the office for a variety of benefits, from improving productivity to creating a more welcoming, stress-free environment for your customers.

Rosemary – Promotes productivity in the office as it helps to increase concentration and focus.

Bergamot – Boosts the room’s overall mood with its delightful Earl Grey tea scent and makes an excellent environmental cleaning spray.

Lemongrass – A lemongrass-infused office environment will ensure everyone is alert and energized. The aroma is also an excellent insect deterrent, especially against fruit flies and gnats.

Clove – The heady pumpkin spice aroma of clove is peaceful and uplifting, and perfect for promoting good cheer around the holidays.

References:

[*1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31655395/

[*2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2221169115001033#bib36

[*3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5814329/

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Essential oils have been used for thousands of years, helping people destress and to support health and wellness. You will find essential oils that assist the body from everything to sore throats and headaches to getting a good night’s sleep. But, what are essential oils and how do they work?

What are Essential Oils?

Essential oils are plant extracts created by pressing or steaming parts of the plant to release the compounds responsible for the aroma.

Fortunately, extraction techniques today are a lot more advanced than the primitive processes used by ancient civilizations, and we now have access to the most potent, purest forms of oil possible. Still, several pounds of plants are often required to create just a few ounces of bottled oil. ​

The compounds released by the extraction process inherit the plant’s healing properties, and you can access them through aromatherapy.

How Does Aromatherapy Work?

Aromatherapy uses gentle heat to diffuse the oil into the atmosphere. When inhaled, the plant compounds are absorbed through your olfactory sense organs.

The scent molecules interact with the olfactory nerves directly, sending signals through to influence the amygdala or emotional center of the brain.

The skin is also able to absorb essential oils, which is why massage therapists often make extensive use of them during treatment. The oils work their way through your epidermis to provide enhanced benefits such as soothing tired muscles or a longer-lasting feeling of relaxation.

Best Essential Oils for Peace and Wellness

One of the most popular uses for essential oils is to release stress, especially after a bad day at work. An essential oil diffuser is used to gently heat the oil so it releases its compounds into the atmosphere where they can be breathed in.

The healing oils are a popular accessory to use during meditation or enjoying a relaxing soak in a warm tub.

You will often find essential oils as ingredients in healing balms and salves. It is said that a lavender healing balm used by a French chemist named Rene Maurice Gattefosse in 1910 provided the inspiration for research into aromatherapy.

After burning his hand in a laboratory accident, Rene noticed that the only remedy available to him at the time, a pure, undiluted lavender salve, provided immediate relief from pain, and also seemed to help produce healing without scars.

It wasn’t until 1937 that Gattefosse first coined the term for using plant extracts to assist with healing as aromatherapy.

There are essential oils to help with a wide range of maladies, relieve stress, and help you relax. Here are a few of our favorites.

Clove: Clove is an excellent oil to keep on standby for sore throats because its antiseptic properties can ward off a wide range of microbes. Clove is so effective as an antiseptic that it has even been the subject of an extensive study. [source]

Lavender: Lavender is a household name well-known for its soothing properties and for providing relief from burns, cuts, and stings. It’s the antioxidant properties of lavender that deliver its powerful effects.

Oregano: Research is ongoing on the healing effects of oregano essential oils. So far, studies show that it may have positive effects on changes in blood count and immune responses and anti-fungal and antibacterial properties.

Peppermint: This essential oil is one that people often use to infuse their homes and offices with its pleasing scent that never fails at creating a sense of peace and calm. Its antibiotic properties also make it an excellent choice for playing a supporting role in getting fast relief from flu and colds.

Sandalwood; Another essential oil that assists with sore throats as well as a gentle bactericide that can prevent bacteria from reproducing to dangerously invasive levels. It is also said to promote property nervous system function, which is why it’s a popular scent used by massage therapists and chiropractors.

Do you want to know more about aromatherapy and how it can help you relax and improve your health? Stop by H2E Aromatherapy for the latest information on all things aromatherapy and the highest quality essential oils for peace and wellness.

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Man has used herbs for healing since the beginning of human history.  The “Rig Veda” written more than 5,000 years ago talks of the healing powers of herbs.  The ancient ayurvedic texts describe a fairly sophisticated method used to concentrate the aromas.  At some point in time the extraction method was perfected through the process of steam distillation.

Today, potent aromatic plant substances gained through a steam distillation process are available to improve your health and mental well-being.  These are called essential oils.  Essential oils contain the most subtle, ethereal and volatile aspects of the plant.

Chemical Compositions of Essential Oils

At the beginning of the 20th century, French chemist Maurice Gattefosse analyzed the chemical composition of essential oils and wrote the first book on their pharmacology, which he called “aromatherapy.”  Since that time, numerous studies have confirmed the healing properties of essential oils.  The direct neural influence of the sense of smell on the limbic system makes aromatherapy an ideal tool to improve the emotional and other stress-related imbalances in the individual.

One of my mentors, Allison Stillman, has written a book called The Sacred Art of Anointing, which is a good read for those interested in learning both the history and current knowledge on the sacred art of healing with essential oils.

At H2E we have a variety of essential oils to aid in your healing and well being.  With more than 11 collections you are sure to find the aromatherapy and essential oils to improve your health.

Nicholas Cappele, Alchemist

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