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by Pallas Hutchison
Disclaimer: This post is meant for educational purposes only. It is not meant to treat or diagnosis any condition and is not intended as a replacement for diagnosis by a licensed medical professional. The recommended method of use varies depending on the essential oil and desired result. There are numerous books and website that tout claims of miraculous cures. The purpose of essential oils is to support the body's natural healing processes. Although different sources often suggest different uses for the same oil, there are three primary ways to use essential oils: inhalation, ingestion, and topical application. Of the three, ingestion is the least common. Ingestion Capsules for creating essential oil supplements may be found online. Also, many companies that sell essential oils also carry juice blends that include essential oils. Most of the classes that I've taken on essential oils say that ingestion is not recommended, although that may be more to do with liability than actual safety; however, I am not qualified to contradict my teachers. Most of my knowledge in this area is from reading books and taking the occasional workshop. The only experience I have with ingesting essential oils is adding a few drops of lemon or grapefruit to bottled water. Citrus's bright flavor uplifts, making the water pleasing to the palate. Lemon is purported to increase alertness and focus; grapefruit supports a healthy body image and self-acceptance. Beyond that, you'll have to look elsewhere for internal remedies. Inhalation Inhalation is the most common method of use for essential oils. Oils can be put in a diffuser to fill a room, mixed into a spray/mist, used in a steam treatment, or dropped onto a tissue for more concentrated effects. Using essential oils in a bath combines inhalation and topical application; however, for optimal dispersion, essential oils need to be mixed with salt prior to adding them to the bathwater. Also, heat changes the molecular structure, potentially reducing the healing benefits. A warm bath with essential oils may have more health benefits than one with that's scalding hot. There is debate over how long aromatherapy should be used at a given time. The sense of smell fatigues quickly. After prolonged exposure to a scent, it becomes relegated to the background which allows the olfactory system to detect different scents or changes. With a cigarette smoker, for example, the smell of tobacco and nicotine is so familiar to them that they are often unaware of its lingering, pungent odor; however, that same smell can be highly offensive to a non-smoker. Once an essential oil becomes "white noise" to the nose, the healing properties may not be as effective. There is no set time-frame on olfactory fatigue, however, coffee grounds have been used to successfully refresh the olfactory receptors, a similar concept to eating pineapple between meal courses to cleanse the palate. An example from personal experience, my youngest daughter has seasonal allergies that we treat with essential oils and local honey. We diffuse a 1:1 blend of lemon and eucalyptus in her room overnight when the pollen is affecting her. This blend supports respiratory health, helping to open her airways and allowing her to breath easily throughout the night. In the morning, she gets a small spoonful of local honey. By local, I mean from within a 50-mile radius of our home. Her body learns how to process the pollen, reducing the histamine reaction. Each year, her allergies have lessened in severity and she has none of the side effects from over-the-counter allergy medicine. Topical Application The topical application of essential oils is more common than most people realize. Most massage oils have essential oils added to enhance the massage experience. Hair products and skin care use essential oils. Bath salts and healing salves often contain essential oils as well as herbs. Essential oils can even be found in lip balm and pet products. There is a pattern with this use; the essential oils are mixed with something prior to being applied to the body. There are three reasons essential oils get diluted: safety, absorption and cost effectiveness.
Going back to the science for a minute, remember that essential oils are concentrated plant material. The higher the concentration, the more potent the oil. Most books recommend a dilution ranging from 3-5% and some even recommend as low as 1% for children or for sensitive skin. To calculate dilution, there is math and measuring involved. The simplest is a 1% dilution: add 1 drop of essential oil for each teaspoon of carrier (oil or lotion). An example of a topical application is a simple compress. Take a clean dry washcloth and run it under hot water, wringing it out once it's thoroughly saturated so that it doesn't drip. Fold into thirds, creating a thick rectangular pad. Add 3-5 drops of an essential oil or blend and place over eyes or along the base of the skull. Essential oils provide a natural way to detoxify the body and home. They promote well being on physical, mental and emotional levels. Experimenting with them can also be fun. There are dozens of oils available with endless blending combinations. Please let me know if you have any questions. We carry a limited amount of essential oils for retail, but we have a larger selection for massage. We're happy to let you try them and order the ones you like. Would you like to learn more about a specific oil? Do you want to learn how to make your own products? Let us know in the comment section! Here is a great resource to get your started: An Introductory Guide to Essential Oils Resources:
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 by Pallas Hutchison
Disclaimer: This post is meant for educational purposes only. It is not meant to treat or diagnosis any condition and is not intended as a replacement for diagnosis by a licensed medical professional. The reason essential oils work lies in their molecular structure. The specific chemical make up of each oil varies, as does the healing properties and suggested uses. The primary components are terpenes and phenylpropane derivatives. Various forms of terpenes and higher homologues (molecules based on terpenes) are the active ingredients in essential oils. Isoprenes consist of five carbon atoms and are the building blocks of terpenes. Terpenes, chains of isoprenes, form complex molecules similar to hormones in the body, making the impact on the body understandable. Phenylpropane, as a byproduct of amino acid metabolism, is crucial to protein production. This figure compares perillyl alcohol to limonene. Limonene is found in many citrus essential oils and common food items. "Perillyl alcohol stands out as effective against human pancreatic cancer, colon, liver to reduce vein graft intimal hyperplasia, as chemopreventive against colon carcinogenesis, prostate and lung cancer." (Brudnak) Other chemical components of essential oils include alcohols, esters, phenols, aldehydes, ketones and oxides. These chemicals are oxygen-based, which creates a positive/negative charge when bonded with the carbon-based terpenes. The charge, or polarization, makes it more reactive. The chemical compounds are affected by the distillation process as well as plant quality, causing the potency and exact chemical make-up to vary from batch to batch. The quality of the oil deserves some research prior to making any purchases; inferior quality oils, especially those diluted with a carrier oil, won't have the same constituents and will go rancid over time. Some oils, such as ylang ylang, are available in three grades, varying in quality depending on when they are removed from the distillation process. The oil removed in the beginning is marked "extra" and has the highest concentration and quality, which the price will reflect. Grades 1, 2 & 3 get progressively lower in quality and cost as they are removed later in the distillation process. The biggest difference between pharmaceuticals and essential oils for healing are the side effects, or lack of. Synthetic medications come with a host of warnings, side effects and contraindications. Essential oils are natural substances that, when used properly, enhance and support the body with significantly less dangerous side effects. Existing conditions should be considered, as well as any medications. Some oils are caustic and may irritate the skin if applied 'neat' or undiluted. For example, citrus oils increase photo-sensitivity and should therefore not be applied prior to an out-door excursion. Resources:
by Pallas Hutchison
Disclaimer: This post is meant for educational purposes only. It is not meant to treat or diagnosis any condition and is not intended as a replacement for diagnosis by a licensed medical professional. Essential oils are the oldest known form of medicine and cosmetics. The belief that oils have healing properties goes back thousands of years. Chinese manuscripts note the use of essential oils by both priests and alchemists. Egyptian pharaohs were entombed with jars of essential oils as symbols of status and wealth. The Christian bible states that the wise men bore Frankincense and Myrrh, highly prized essential oils, as gifts to the baby Jesus. The Greek form of "Christ" and the Hebrew word for "messiah" literally translate to mean "anointed." The word anoint, from the Latin inunctus, means 'to smear with oil' and is often used in conjunction with spiritual rites to set someone apart as sacred or to evoke an altered state of consciousness. These very different cultures and religions, spread across the globe, all have ancient references to essential oils. (2) Despite centuries of use, essential oils lost favor in western culture. In the early Middle Ages, all forms of herbal medicine became dangerous to practice, especially for women. The church and university scholars claimed herbal medicine to be witchcraft. Female healers were considered mentally and physically inferior, according to Aristotle's writings, and a commercial threat to the university-trained physicians. Practitioners were tried for witchcraft and heresy. Meanwhile, western medicine continued to develop alternate forms of treatment, replacing essential oils in mainstream use. As pharmaceuticals rose in popularity, essential oils further receded from use until they were mostly forgotten by the mainstream healthcare consumer. (1) Essential oils were rediscovered in 1910 by a French chemist. Rene Gattefosse burned his hand badly and immediately immersed the burn in a vat of lavender essential oil. He attributed the resultant healing and lack of scarring to the oil, and so began his fascination. Gattefosse studied the effects of essential oils and wrote a book which brought them back to the public's attention in 1937. The term "aromatherapy" came from the English translation of his book. The use of oils for healing purposes has since regained both credibility and popularity. (3) Resources 1. HISTORY of ESSENTIAL OILS by Dennis William Hauck 2. Women Healers and the Medieval church by Jani Farrell Roberts 3. RENE-MAURICE GATTEFOSSE 3/5/2015 0 Comments Flashback to 2014January 9th: Video Update! Check out our Facebook page to see our first video update! January 21st: Continuing Education Spring semester at Cape Cod Community College has begun. Pallas is back to the grind. Chemistry should help her learn and be able to explain not just how essential oils can benefit your health but why they impact the body the way they do! Elementary Statistics could help if she decides to contribute to the research side of massage therapy - however math has never been her strong suit. February : Valentine's Day Special! We'll be running a Limelight deal for new clients to try us out (link will be posted when it goes live). Existing clients are invited to enjoy our in-house special of 10% off all gift certificates from Feb 1st-Feb 14th and 10% off all couple's massage sessions booked during the entire month! We used a mushy name generator to create a fun promo code. Which do you like best: smoochiepoof, snuggyboo, or wuddlykins? Connect with us on Facebook to vote! April : New Space Coming This Fall! We've signed a lease for a new, bigger space beginning November 1st and there is a lot to do between now and then to get it ready. Let the renovations begin! October 1st: New Staff & New Services! We've added Reiki to our list of services and two new staff members: Catherine & Deb. Bios and photos coming soon. October 31st: The Renovations New paint, fresh tiles in the bathroom and back doorway, remove built ins, install built in... Lots of work but in the end, everyone had fun and the resulting space feels welcoming. November 1st: Grand Opening with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Several clients, family members, friends and even the Dennis Chamber of Commerce came out to help us celebrate our new location. The weather didn't hold out for us but we did have fun. Champagne, hot cocoa, chair massage and gigantic scissors - what's not to love? Window decals and a handing sign out front are coming soon!  September: Continuing Education
Because the Massage Institute is a vocational school, Pallas's prior anatomy courses don't count towards her degree nor do they fulfill prerequisites. Anatomy & Physiology 1 is required for Nutrition so she's got a semester of anatomy review, along with Human Communication (more like public speaking) so this semester is not as much fun. December 6th : WDMA Holiday Stroll Nicole has banded our neighboring merchants together and organized a fun, family-friendly event. The weather didn't hold out for us but the few who braved the elements enjoyed great entertainment and free goodies. |
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