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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Is your body and mind feeling out of balance and not in sync with the Universe?  Trying different meditation techniques can help you.  Mantra Meditation is a technique used to bring your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual body in tune with the universal vibration.

A mantra is a word or words you can choose to repeat as you exhale during meditation.  An example is: OM, which is symbolic of the universal energy that courses through all living matter. When saying the word (pronounced – ahh-ohh-mm) a vibration will be felt through your whole head causing a relaxation response. As you continue, a deep sense of relaxation occurs throughout your entire body and mind.

There are many mantras to explore and I recommend doing your own research to learn the meanings and origins of different mantras, and to see what resonates with you for your meditation practice.

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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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One of my goals is to inspire each of us to create a safe place to explore ways to awaken the divine energy that resides in us all.  Once your sacred space has been created, the next logical step is to explore your journey of growth and awakening.  This path of exploration will be unique to you.

What will Meditation Do for Me?

Many people ask, “what’s up’ with meditation? What can it really do for me? Meditation is a way that anyone can use to help cope with stress, anxiety, and medical problems through thought, contemplation, and reflection.  Meditation encompasses a variety of practices that are somewhat different, but all of which share the basic principles of consideration and quiet thought.  Buddhist, Chakra Taoist, Transcendental, Zen and prayer are just a few examples of various types of meditation.  Some methods require stillness in the body, while others allow total freedom in movement.  Regardless of the path that you choose, they all utilize contemplation and reflection to quiet the mind and free it from stress.  

Responses from Stress

In this world of chaos, negativity and fear, most of us are unaware of just how much stress we hold on to.  When our bodies are exposed to a sudden threat we respond with hormones that are released from the adrenal glands as our pulse races, the blood pressure increases, our breath becomes faster and the blood rushes to our muscles.  We have inherited this survival response from our ancestors.  With the constant barrage of negative energy we encounter on a daily basis and our inability to control these situations, the same ancient response is triggered, but without the primal release of being able to act on the perceived “threat.”  As a result, we end up in a permanent loop of stress.

Benefits of Meditation

Meditation is a practice that brings about both physical and psychological benefits.  Relaxation and decreased physical stress are the obvious benefits, but meditation can also improve moods, memory, decrease depression and have amazing effects on the psyche.  A regular meditation practice, even for as little as ten minutes a day, will bring the following benefits:

• Reduced stress and tension
• Help in keeping blood pressure normal
• Enhanced energy, strength, and vigor
• Reduced anxiety, as it lowers the levels of blood lactate
• Increased serotonin, which influences moods and behavior. (Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression)
• Increased concentration and a strengthened mind
• A state of deep relaxation and general well-being.

If you do not have a regular meditation practice, you may find meditation support through online classes and at meditation centers within your local area.  For accessories, candles and aromatherapy products to enhance your practice, visit our online marketplace or contact us directly.

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This composition was originally created for a straight A law student who froze in the courtroom test and was suffering from anxiety and depression after working with her for a month she had the confidence to retake the exam & passed! 

Shop our online marketplace to experience the tranquility of the Zen Collection!

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