August 25, 2015 Wiggy Saunders

5 Reasons to Start Using Essential Oils Today

Ok, first thing’s first.

By no means am I going to assure you essential oils are a newly discovered “miracle cure’.

Yes, I’m sure you’ve seen them becoming quite popular as of late. There’s a good reason for that, but they’re not a new miracle cure for a few reasons.

1. They’re not new. Essential oils have been used in cultures all around the world for thousands of years, so to call them new is quite misleading.

2. They’re not a miracle cure. Yes, they’re wonderful to help relieve tension, and they’re great for all kinds of maladies. But, anyone who tells you essential oils are the future of medicine has had too much Kool-Aid. That’s all there is to it.

I think essential oils are absolutely wonderful. They smell great and there is some encouraging research surrounding their use but not enough for any doctor to stake their reputation on them as a replacement for sound medical science.

Like I said, essential oils have been with us for hundreds upon thousands of years. They’re produced by either distilling or extracting different parts of plants (flowers, resins, peels, bark, roots, etc) into a carrier oil (vegetable oils).

Once you isolate the extract you can then use the oil topically, orally, or via vaporization into the air.

There are hundreds of varieties of essential oils and many of them have multiple uses.

I’m going to touch on 5 important ones and if you’re encouraged by what you read, I invite you to check out some of the reference websites I’ve listed at the bottom of this article.

(Each link you see in this article is a link to a scientific study supporting the claims about essential oils.)

5 Reasons to Start Using Essential Oils

1. Essential oils can promote rest and relaxation: Oils from plants like lavender and sweet orange are useful in helping achieve natural rest and relaxation. These oils can either be placed on the head, the feet, or placed in vaporizers and pushed into the air for an increased ability to both rest and relax.

2. Can Help fight disease, sickness, and infection: Oils from the tea tree (tea tree oil), lemon plant, oregano plant, peppermint plant, and more have known antiseptic qualities. You can use them topically to help prevent the overgrowth of bacteria and you can also use them in cleaning solutions to fight the overgrowth of bacteria on household surfaces. Oregano oil is actually the most potent plant-based anti-septic known to man and has even been shown to kill pathogens in the stomach with great effect. Some have even been shown to possibly fortify the immune system.

3. Can help with digestive health: Some oils work synergistically with the body’s digestive system to promote better digestive health. Rosemary for instance has been shown to help with digestion. And peppermint oil has also been shown to help smooth out the digestive process, is a general tonic for upset stomach and can reduce nausea.

4. Can help boost energy levels: There are quite a few oils that are known to give the body a boost in energy. Cardamom, cinnamon, clove, angelica, jasmine, tea tree, rosemary, sage, and citrus oils have all been shown to work together to help increase the body’s natural energy without the use of caffeine or other stimulants. This is achieved via increasing circulation and via other mechanisms associated with the Central Nervous System.

5. They’re toxin free: Unlike candles and artificial air fresheners, essential oils are 100% pure and don’t put harmful carcinogens into the air you breath. This is perhaps one of the leading reasons to begin using essential oils. Their ability to help purify the air and add light fragrances to it without the need for chemicals can greatly elevate your body’s health profile. You can place essential oils into a vaporizer where it will then dispense it with water for a perfectly diluted sensory display.

Though they are non-toxic, essential oils are quite powerful which is why I always recommended, before you apply any oil topically, you spot test it first.

If you have a reaction then mix it with another carrier oil (like sweet almond, jojoba, or coconut oil) and then apply.

There are hundreds of unique oils you can use and for many unique purposes.

To learn more about essential oils the following websites will be of great use.