Are Essential Oils Effective?

Essential oils are fragrant oils extracted from plants' roots, leaves, or seeds by steaming or applying pressure. To produce a bottle of essential oil, it might take several pounds of the plant. Essential oils have become popular for being beneficial and effective. They have become famous for helping people with headaches and sore throats. However, the question remains, do essential oils actually work? Essential oils can make a positive impact on your health if you safely use them. Here's what you need to know about essential oils and how they can benefit your health and well-being. 

What Is Aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy is the practice of using essential oils for health benefits. Over the centuries, people have been practicing aromatherapy for therapeutic benefits. Once you dilute the oil, you can inhale it, dab it on a pillow, or apply it to the skin. When you inhale the scent, the scent molecules travel to the brain from the olfactory nerves. It then acts on the limbic system, which is responsible for emotions, moods, memory, behavior, and sense of smell. You can add essential oil to lotions and body oil and then apply it to the skin to create a soothing feel. Additionally, some skincare companies add essential oils to bathing soaps.

What Are Essential Oils Good For?

Although the effectiveness of essential oils is still under study, they have been proven to be a natural remedy for several illnesses. Research conducted by the National Library of Medicine showed no evidence proves the effectiveness of essential oil in curing any illnesses. However, some studies have indicated improvement in symptoms when a patient uses essential oils. Clinical trials have shown that essential oils can alleviate symptoms in the cases of:

• Insomnia
• Anxiety and depression
• Nausea and vomiting
• Lack of appetite
• Dry mouth
• Headache and migraines

Other than that, essential oils, particularly that from citrus trees, inhibits bacterial growth. Such is due to the antibacterial nature of citrus. When mixed with dead salt, the essential oils from citrus inhibit inflammatory agents. It also fights the common causes of food poisoning, which are Escherichia coli and staphylococcus.

Safe Ways to Use Essential Oils

With the increasing demand for essential oils, some companies produce diluted essential oil products, which might be less effective. The companies fail to label all the products' ingredients, so it might be unsafe to ingest the essential oils. The safe ways of using essential oils include:

• Body oil: Massaging your skin with body oil that contains essential oils makes it effective and less irritating.
• Aromatherapy accessories: Necklaces, bracelets, and chains made with absorbent essential oils are effective. You can wear them and smell the fragrance throughout the day.
• Aroma stick: Burning aroma sticks in the house, then inhaling the air makes essential oils effective.

Although not scientifically proven, you can use essential oils to improve your well-being. However, if you have a history of dermatitis or reaction to tropical products, it would be best to consult your doctor before using essential oil products.