When I ask someone if they are familiar with essential oils, I often get a response that is generally about aromatherapy. They think about something that they can be used in their home or workplace to make it smell nice and gain a little bit of benefit from. But what are they really and is that all they do?

So, what is “essential oil”? Essential oils are the aromatic compounds that are found in plants. They are used as a holistic natural approach to health. The oils are used from different parts of the plant such as the leaves, bark, stems, roots, resin, seeds and flowers. In other words, the oils in the plants that you can smell. Have you ever picked flowers or tore a leaf and then happened to have smelled your hands afterward? Or peeled an orange or cut a pepper and your hands smell like that. That smell comes from the oils that have rubbed off onto your hands.

These oils are made up of many compounds and science has found that they have many healing benefits. Every oil has its ailments that it can help with. Sometimes when blended with another oil it works together to help with something else. The other nice thing is that oils in a similar classification will have similar properties and if one isn’t working another may work better, or better yet, blend them together to make it stronger.

There are 8 classifications with overarching properties:

• citrus oils are uplifting and detoxifying,
• floral oils are calming and harmonizing,
• spice oils are warming and protecting,
• herb oils are cleansing and activating,
• root oils are centering and calming,
• leaf oils are invigorating and soothing,
• wood oils are grounding and renewing,
• resin oils are restoring and strengthening.

You may notice that some of the classifications have similar properties and may be found blended together. They enhance and balance each other nicely to help with what you need. They work relatively quickly and can be multitasking.

If you would like to discuss which oils would be a good fit for you or your family contact me and let’s talk.

The Essential Life: a Simple Guide to Living the Wellness Lifestyle. 4th ed., Total Wellness Publishing, 2017.