New Delhi: Essential oils are compounds taken from plants in the form of their aroma and flavour, or essence. Each essential oil's distinctive essence is derived from particular aromatic components. They can be extracted mechanically, such as by cold pressing, or by distillation (using steam and/or water). After the aromatic compounds have been extracted, they are mixed with carrier oil to produce a finished product that is ready for use.
The method of oil production is crucial since essential oils obtained by chemical methods are not regarded as genuine essential oils.
Essential oils should not be ingested and the molecules can have a variety of effects on your body. Certain plant compounds are absorbed when they are applied to your skin. It is believed that some application techniques, such as providing heat to various body parts, can enhance absorption. However, there is a dearth of studies in this area.
Health Benefits Of Essential Oils:
Essential oils can be used in aromatherapy, a kind of complementary medicine that uses smell to improve your health or applied topically to the skin. Studies have shown that essential oils may help to boost mood, improve job performance through reduced stress and increased attentiveness, improve sleep, kill bacteria, funguses and viruses, reduce anxiety and pain etc.
Listed below are some of the health benefits of essential oils:
1. Helps to reduce stress:
There is some evidence to suggest that certain essential oils may have a calming effect and could potentially help to reduce stress. Some of the essential oils that are commonly used for this purpose include lavender, chamomile, bergamot, and frankincense.
2. Treatment of fungal infections:
Early investigations on the antibacterial properties of tea tree oil, which have long been commended in traditional medicine, have shown promising findings. Athlete's foot, oral thrush, and candida infections have all been treated with the oil.
3. Helps to boost energy:
You can increase your energy levels by using essential oils. Certain oils can really boost the amount of oxygen going to your brain and have stimulating effects. You feel refreshed, focused, and energised after following this routine.
4. Aids in sleeping:
The calming scent of lavender oil is known to promote better sleep. Researchers put this assertion to the test on elderly dementia patients. They discovered that applying the essential oil to towels placed around their pillows greatly lengthened their sleep periods and allowed them to sleep in longer in the morning.
5. Boosts skin and hair health:
A natural and efficient option to maintain your personal care regimens without having to use products created with chemicals and hydrogenated oils is to utilise essential oils on your skin, in hair and beauty products. Essential oils can thicken hair, protect skin from sun damage, alleviate acne, soothe irritated skin, and minimise the effects of ageing.