Essential oils are the essence of scent and nature of plant extracts obtained from flowers, herbs, shrubs, trees, roots, spices, and grass, supplying us with the most wonderful and soothing scents for our pleasure, wellness, and comfort. They are highly concentrated chemical ingredients that should be handled with care, respect, and attention. These chemical constituents give essential oils their character, therapeutic property, and aromatic quality.
Essential oils used in two key ways -
The scent is inhaled through the nasal passages. Thousands of tiny nerve receptors sense the aromatic compounds, and information is transmitted to the brain, producing its own nerve and hormone response.
They are applied on the skin in a carrier solution such as a carrier oil, e.g., when the skin cells absorb Sweet Almond oil, it reaches the bloodstream through the walls of the blood vessels. It is carried throughout the body to be used by other cells to replenish and regenerate, enhance functions, organs, and systems, restore damage, destroy microbes, and combat infections, among other things.
In terms of therapeutic properties, some essential oils help fight infection and speed up recovery from illness, injury, and disease. And some are good for coughs, colds, and flu.
Their amazing aroma and strong therapeutic actions promote a feel-good factor that helps us be positive and optimistic, happy and contented, confident, and motivated through their antidepressant, fortifying, uplifting, and sedative properties. Essential oils elevate our spirits, improve our moods, and promote positive emotions, helping us combat stress, strain, tension, anxiety, fear, worry, grief, sadness, and depression.
Essential oils are extensively used in skin care because of their wide and varied therapeutic actions.
They are –
They are highly antiseptic, and many are either antibacterial, antiviral, or antifungal, which helps to kill harmful microbes, bacteria, fungus, and viruses fight infections, and heal the skin. This is great for cuts, wounds, bites, stings, burns, rashes, athlete’s foot, ringworm, herpes, impetigo, and ulcers.
Clean and cleanse the skin, remove dirt and debris and unclog congested pores;
Promote the formation and healing of scar tissue;
Encourage faster cell regeneration which speeds up the renewal of old skin cells and development of new skin cells, leading the healthy and young-looking skin;
Improve the skin’s function and barrier repair mechanisms;
Smooth wrinkles and fine lines, improve tone and complexion, and delay the signs of inevitable aging;
Improve muscle tone and flexibility and encourage local blood circulation, which adds strength, creates warmth, and increases the availability of vital nutrients.
Possess strong anti-inflammatory properties which help to reduce redness, soreness, inflammation, and eruptions and alleviate skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, spots, and acne;
Regulate or balance sebum production, reduce production for those with oily skin, and increase production for dry skin. This helps to create a healthy-looking complexion, well moisturized and hydrated with good tone;
Help to reduce excessive perspiration, remove bad odors and provide a wonderful deodorant.
It is important to remember that the emphasis needs to be on holistic action when addressing essential oils, i.e., concentrating on the whole mind, body, and spirit rather than just the direct skincare healing action. Today it is widely recognized that our skin is a diagnostic tool, a reflection of who we are, what we eat and drink, what we do, our habits, how we eliminate waste and toxins from our body, how our body functions as a whole, what we think about, what we believe in, how we feel, and where we live (weather, climate, and pollution).
We have discussed in our previous blog - How to take care of your skin.
If we are to consider natural skincare in its finest form, we cannot discount the all-around holistic healing benefits that essential oils offer, and let's not forget, they make our skincare products smell absolutely sensational!!
To conclude, essential oils possess strong therapeutic properties for the healing and nourishment of the skin, need to be handled with care, respect and attention following the safety & storage advice, and can be used to great effect to boost the entire system.
KEY CAUTIONS / CONTRAINDICATIONS of Essential Oils
Phototoxicity/photosensitivity - Phototoxicity, also known as photosensitivity or photo irritation, is a form of skin reaction that occurs when chemical compounds are combined with sunlight. The skin's reaction includes a serious sunburn, combined with redness, blisters, and discomfort. Phototoxicity can be caused by molecules found in certain essential oils. For e.g., Bergamot, Lime, Lemon, Grapefruit, and Mandarin.
Pregnancy – There are several oils contraindicated for pregnancy, please seek advice before use. Most aromatherapists would recommend a maximum of only 1% dilution for use in pregnancy. Myrrh, Basil, Birch, Camphor, Hyssop, Parsley Seed, Sage, Tansy, Tarragon, and Wintergreen are some essential oils that should be avoided entirely during pregnancy and lactation. We recommend books on Essential Oil Safety Guides for a thorough review of the safety of essential oils during pregnancy and lactation.
If you have intolerances or respiratory problems, such as hayfever or asthma, or if you are elderly, weak, or a child who is very young (under four years old). Such as Birch, Wintergreen, Thyme, Oregano, Cinnamon, Clove, Basil, Birch, and peppermint.
If you have any health problems, you should avoid certain oils. For example, if you have high blood pressure, stay away from Rosemary and Thyme. Please seek the advice of a professional aromatherapist.
Epilepsy – avoid Rosemary, Fennel, and Sage.
Not all essential oils are suitable for skin application.
Before using, always check the safety details.
How is Essential oil different from other fragrant liquids?
Essential Oils vs Absolutes vs Fragrance Oils vs Hydrosols vs Tinctures vs Extracts
There are several different types of fragrant oils that you can buy, and all will have a positive action as long as they are used in the right way. For the natural skincare, it is imperative to use oils called “essential oils” and avoid aromatic oils called anything else, e.g., absolutes or fragrance oils.
Essential Oils
Essential oils are extracted from plants by steam distillation, where the plant material is placed in a metal vat with water.
This vat is heated, causing the aromatic molecules to separate from the plant.
As the heat continues, the water and aromatic molecules turn to vapor and travel upwards along a metal tube that passes through a cooling chamber.
The vapor cools, returns to a liquid, and drops into another vat/container.
The cooled aromatic molecules form into a liquid oil that sits on the top of the cooled water before being siphoned off to be bottled and stored as “essential oils.”
The left water is slightly fragrant because it contains some of the qualities and properties of the aromatic molecules. As such, it also contains some of the therapeutic value. The difference is that essential oils are composed of oil-soluble plant materials and are much more highly concentrated aromatic materials with stronger therapeutic properties than aromatic water.
Hydrosols
Hydrosols are also known as hydrolats, herbal waters, floral waters, or flower waters. They can be used in place of water for their great effect while formulating face washes, mouthwashes, compresses, creams, lotions, perfumes, toners and spritzers, diffusers, and pot pouris.
They are the by-product of a distillation performed to extract the essential oil. Therefore, they are not as highly concentrated as essential oils (that offer much stronger and far-reaching therapeutic benefits). Their therapeutic action is mild, and the aromatic quality is light. Hydrosols can be used directly on the skin without dilution, which is beneficial for people with sensitivities. Still, definitive making them very useful and versatile. They rarely cause irritation or infection as they are not highly concentrated chemical compounds and, therefore, safe to use. They are not volatile because they are a water-based substance of plant material, making them inflammable, whereas essential oils contain oil-soluble ingredients. Hydrosol has a shelf life of around 4-6 weeks, especially if kept in the fridge.
Absolute Oils
Absolutes are very similar to essential oils because they are highly concentrated chemical compounds extracted from plants. Ther are exceptionally aromatic liquids that carry strong therapeutic properties. They, however, involve a complex process of extraction because they are extracted using solvent and alcohol, which are removed during the last stage of production though. As a result of this extraction process, the oil contains small amounts of the solvents used to extract the aromatic material, which can irritate the skin and body. This is the biggest disadvantage of using Absolutes since the focus of aromatherapy, and natural skincare is on the usage of natural and pure ingredients.
They are used for great effect in "extremely" low dilutions in skin applications for “therapeutic purposes,” but many therapists avoid and use them only for the "aromatic qualities".
In skincare, it is best to avoid them altogether because there is a risk associated with the toxicity that they contain.
Fragrance Oils
Fragrance oils are not essential oils and are not even a natural substance because they are synthetically created in a laboratory by scientists who have studied and identified the exact chemical composition and makeup of particular types of aromatic compounds. They then go ahead and re-create this compound to look exactly as it does in the natural substance. The result is an aromatic chemical substance that differs in fragrance from natural essential oil. It is to the trained nose distinctively synthetic, and more important carries no therapeutic value at all. They are used in perfumery for their fragrance purposes because the aroma will always be the same, whereas nature will always vary. After all, they are much cheaper than essential oils. If you are going to use fragrance oils instead of essential oils, it is important to know that they have no therapeutic action on the skin or body and only possess an action on our emotional, psychological and spiritual selves.
Tinctures
Normally, a tincture is a liquid plant herbal extract made for weeks by soaking herbs and other plant parts in alcohol. Alcohol is considered an excellent solvent as it is food grade and thus makes it easy to ingest as the chemicals that improve natural health. Other solvents that are used to make tinctures are glycerol (also called glycerine), diethyl ether, propylene glycol and vinegar. Ethanol is an excellent solvent for both acidic and basic (alkaline) elements. A glycerine-using tincture is called a glycerite.
Although many tinctures can be taken orally, you can also use them as a base for beauty products. Certain tinctures such as arnica and compound benzoin tincture are used externally. Also, tinctures based on ether and propylene glycol are not appropriate for internal use. They are used specifically in formulations such as creams and ointments.
Botanical Extracts
Roots, berries, leaves, stems, flowers, and barks of a plant are the sources of these natural ingredients. They possess antimicrobial, insecticide, or repellent properties. And substances of natural origin represent an eco-friendly alternative to skincare. These extracts don’t have a prominent aroma. They are easy to prepare and do not require a high amount of plant material during the process.
These Extracts are in powdered form, a liquid form, and CO2 extracts.
Powdered Extracts – By drying liquid extracts, powdered extracts are produced, which means that they are created by soaking the herb in a solvent that is later evaporated, often under a vacuum. What is remaining afterward is condensed plant powder. They are also obtained through the process of spray drying. Powdered extracts are very stable and do not require special storage conditions - a cool, dry place away from heat, sunlight and moisture are adequate. Powered extracts can be Fruit extracts, Phytoextracts, and Plant extracts. Some of the examples are – Lemon, Lemongrass, Mint, Rose, etc.
Liquid Extracts – These botanical extracts are either oil or water-soluble. These extracts are used in the manufacture of nutraceuticals, phytotherapy applications, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics products, Oil Soluble Extracts – Before cooking it with oil, the herb is heated with water till the water gets evaporated, leaving behind a paste, full of all the essence of the herb. That paste is again cooked with oil on a low flame to keep the properties of the herb intact. After the procedure, the oil is strained through a muslin cloth when warm and allowed to cool. Well-cooked oil should have no moisture remain. Water Soluble Extracts – After straining away the liquid's plant materials, the concentrated form of extracts is gathered. Not many plants are generally extracted using water because water is not a very effective solvent for Ex – Cucumber Extract, Green Tea Extract and Aloe Extract.
CO2 Extracts – Supercritical extracts are made at low temperature and high pressure. In this process, this extract is extracted from herbs with a gas, normally carbon dioxide. It takes it to the supercritical state and leaves only the plant's pure extract behind it. CO2 extracts possess another benefit - that they are not heat sensitive. They are more aromatic and thicker than the essential oils because they contain much more components of every essence of a natural plant. For example– Lavender CO2, Sea buckthorn Co2, and Calendula Co2. These are used in the formulation of Creams and Lotions.
Essential Oils vs Carrier Oils
Sometimes people can easily get confused between essential oils and carrier oils, but they are not the same type of oil. They come from different parts of plants, are extracted differently, possess different chemical concentrations, are used in different quantities in skincare products, carry different safety data, react differently when exposed to oxygen, and use them for different reasons. They must therefore be used very differently on the skin.
Let’s highlight some of the main differences.
Essential Oils –
Method of Extraction - Extracted by steam distillation gives a lighter but highly concentrated liquid oil which carries a powerful aroma.
Chemical concentration and usage levels - They are highly concentrated, which means they (1) are more potent so a little goes a long way and (2) can irritate. So they are used in low dilutions, i.e., 0% - 2% of your formula.
Chemical concentration and safety - They are highly concentrated chemical compounds, so they carry safety data (contraindications) which must be checked before use. They can irritate if misused.
When exposed to oxygen - They are volatile, which means they evaporate when exposed to oxygen.
Why they are used - They are used for their therapeutic action on the skin and their aromas.
Skin application - They must never be used directly on the skin and must be diluted into a carrier oil as a supporting substance instead.
Carrier Oils –
Method of Extraction - Extracted by cold pressing nuts, seeds, kernels, etc., gives a thicker and less concentrated oil with a limited aroma.
Chemical concentration and usage levels - They are not as concentrated and can therefore be used in higher quantity, e.g. up to 100% of your formula. They are more gentle of the skin.
Chemical concentration and safety - Some carrier oils carry safety data because of potential allergic reactions, e.g. nut allergy, rather than the actual concentration of the chemical compound. They are gentle and not prone to irritation unless an allergy exists.
When exposed to oxygen - They go rancid (they oxidize and go off).
Why they are used - They are used purely because of their function/ therapeutic action on the skin.
Application onto the skin - They can be used neat on the skin and don’t need to be diluted.
Health, Safety & Storage -
Essential oils are a concentrated form of organic compounds which require care, consideration, and attention to be handled. Just because they are natural does not imply that we can bathe in them. Therefore, the safety recommendations for storage and use must be respected. The basics are as follows –
Only for external use; do not swallow and avoid eye contact.
They are flammable so keep them away from naked flames and sparks.
Keep children and pets away from them.
Never apply neat to the skin. Always dilute in a carrier oil.
Ensure they are placed away from direct sunlight, heat & water, and stored in a cool, and dry place.
Make sure to keep the bottle tops tightly sealed.
Ensure the correct bottle tops go on the correct bottle; this avoids cross-contamination.
Every essential oil bears its own contraindication (safety data). Please always verify this before using it.
Take care of Clothes and work surfaces. Please use rubber gloves, an apron and pay particular attention to protecting yourself and the work surfaces.
The above-provided information is purely based on my own research and study through different sources and hope this is a useful resource for you!
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