How Do Essential Oils Work?
Scientific studies have also shown that essential oils contain chemical components that can exert specific effects on the mind and body. Their chemistry is complex, but generally includes alcohols, esters, ketones, aldehydes, and terpenes. The effect of these chemical components are summarized in the accompanying table.
Name of the chemical component |
Properties of the chemical component |
Essential oils that contain the chemical |
Aldehydes |
anti-inflammatory,calming, sedative and anti-viral. |
Characteristic lemon-like smell, such as lemon grass, lemon balm, citronella, eucalyptus |
Alcohols |
bactericidal (kills bacteria), stimulant, energizing, vitalizing, antiviral, diuretic. Our pancreas produce 32 kinds of alcohol for use in human metabolism. |
Rose, petitgrain, rosewood, peppermint, myrtle, tea tree, sandalwood, patchouli, and ginger |
Phenols |
strongly bactericidal, tonic, stimulates immune system, invigorating, warming. Can produce slight liver toxicity if taken high doses for extended periods of time. Used in lip balms and cough drops. |
Clove, cinnamon, thyme, oregano, savory, cumin. |
Cetone (Ketones) |
wound healing, mucolytic (eases the secretion of mucous), stimulates new cell growth. used as a nail polish. |
Camphor, rosemary, sage, eucalyptus globulus and hyssop |
Terpenes |
Very stimulating, potential skin irritants, anti-viral properties. |
Lemon, orange, bergamot, black pepper, pine oils, nut meg and angelica. |
Sesquiterpenes |
anti-phlogistic (moves fluids), anti-inflammatory, sedative, anti-viral, anti-carcinogenic, bacteriostatic and immune stimulant |
Blue chamomiles, immortelle, tansy, yarrow and tagetes. |
Esters |
anti-fungal, sedative, calming, spasmolytic, fungicidal, anti-inflammatory. |
Roman chamomile, lavender, clary sage, petitgrain, bergamot. |
Lactones (part of ester group) |
anti-inflammatory, mucolitic |
arnica, elecampane |
Ethers |
harmonizing to the nervous system. antiseptic, stimulant, expectorant (increases secretions), spasmolytic, and diuretic. |
Cinnamon, clove, anise, basil, tarragon, parsley, and sassafras. |
Essential oils enter the body in three ways. They can be:
- Applied to the skin
- Inhaled
- Ingested
How does skin application work?
Essential oils can be applied topically to the skin. Common examples include applying a blend that contains black pepper (Piper nigrum) or ginger (Zinziber officinalis) essential oil to reduce arthritis pain and improve flexibility, or applying German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) essential oil to treat eczema.
How does this work? Our skin is somewhat permeable. The active chemicals in essential oils are absorbed just like the ingredients in common pharmaceuticals such as hormone replacement therapy cream and nicotine patches.
Factors that Increase Skin Absorption
Some authors report that essential oils may be more readily absorbed from skin locations with greater concentrations of sweat glands and hair follicles, such as the genitals, head, soles, palms, and armpits (Battaglia, 1995).
Different factors can affect absorption of essential oils through the skin. If you massage the area first, it will increase circulation to that area, thereby causing an increase in absorption of essential oils. Heat will likewise increase circulation and thus enhance absorption.
The Olfactory System
The olfactory system includes all physical organs or cells relating to, or contributing to the sense of smell. When we inhale through the nose, airborne molecules interact with the olfactory organs and, almost immediately, the brain.
Molecules inhaled through the nose or mouth are also carried to the lungs and interact with the respiratory system. Thus, inhaled essential oils can affect the body through several systems and pathways.
Interaction with the Limbic System (Emotional Brain)
During inhalation, odour molecules travel through the nose and affect the brain through a variety of receptor sites, one of which is the limbic system, which is commonly referred to as the “emotional brain.”
The limbic system is directly connected to those parts of the brain that control heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels and hormone balance (Higley & Higley, 1998). This relationship helps explain why smells often trigger emotions. Knowing this, we can hypothesize how inhalation of essential oils can have some very profound physiological and psychological effects!
A fragrance company in Japan conducted studies to determine the effects of smell on people. They have pumped different fragrances in an area where a number of keyboard entry operators were stationed and monitored the number of mistakes made as a function of the smell in the air. The results were as follows:
 |
When exposed to lavender oil fragrance (a relaxant), the keyboard typing errors dropped 20 percent. |
|
When exposed to jasmine (an uplifting fragrance), the errors dropped 33 percent |
|
When exposed to lemon fragrance (a sharp, refreshing stimulant), the mistakes fell by a whopping 54 percent |
“Smell is a potent wizard that transports us across thousands of miles and all the years we have lived.”
Helen Keller
Which oils can be dangerous?
Below is a list of some of the traditionally accepted contraindicated oils for specific conditions. There is little scientific research to support most of these contraindications.Pregnancy Basil, cinnamon, clary sage, cypress, fennel, jasmine, juniper, marjoram, myrrh, origanum, pennyroyal, peppermint, rose, rosemary, sage, savory and thyme
Breastfeeding Mint, parsley, sage and jasmine (research has shown that jasmine inhibits milk production in lactating mothers)
High blood pressure Cypress, eucalyptus, ginger, rose, rosemary, sage and thyme
Low blood pressure Clary sage, garlic, lavender, lemon, marjoram and ylang-ylang
Epilepsy Fennel, hyssop, rosemary, sage and wormwood
Care when using machinery or driving Clary sage and vertivert
Care if drinking alcohol Clary sage
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