"Getting Started With Essential Oils"

By Colleen K. Dodt

Herbs and essential oils have been an intimate part of my life for 15 years. Being involved with aromatic plants on a daily basis has instilled in me an insatiable quest for knowledge about the aromatic substances that give flowers and herbs their marvelous scents.

Stop and Smell the Flowers...Herbs, Fruits, Bark, Roots, Resins and spices!

Aroma what? I define aromatherapy as the use of pure, high quality, essential oils to enhance the quality of life in body, mind and spirit. Aromatherapy has enjoyed a surge in popularity like never before in history. Although our herbal ancestors knew something in those herbs helped dispel gloom and filth of ancient life, it is only now, through modern sience, that we know why.

Herbs and essential oils have been employed by men, and most surely by women, for centuries. Before the advent of pre-packaged health and beauty products, herbs and essential oils were a way of life. Plants were grown, harvested and made into the freshest and finest of traditional necessities. Recently folks have begun to revive the old ways, and this has led to research that validates the timeless advantage we can obtain by having herbs and essential oils in our lives. Having a properly scented environment is one of life's greatest pleasures. Natural fragrances reach depths and sweetness that synthetic imitations pale in comparison to. The next time you cut into a fresh lemon, or sniff that freshly ground coffee, try to feel the scent. We are really led by our noses, and are just beginning to realize and celebrate this fact.

Pure essential oils are extracted in various ways from herbs, fruits, spices, flowers, roots and the barks and wood fibers of trees. Some methods of extraction include distillation, expression and enfleurage. These oils are highly concentrated, and must always be used cautiously. Few are used undiluted, for any reason by the non-professional.

Proper dilution is very important. A 2% ratio is generally used. Carrier oils such as sweet almond and jojoba are combined with essential oils to create hair, nail and body oils as well as oils used for massage. Pure essential oils can be diluted with pure grain alcohol to make natural and delightful perfumes. Pure essential oil added to the tub will turn a bath into an experience that is soothing to both body and spirit.

Added to lotions and creams these essential oils protect delicate skin. Diluted with water in a simmer pot they purify as well as lend an air of elegance to our environment. The uses of pure essential oils are diverse. The key to using them satisfactorily is building a working knowledge of each individual essential oil. Obtaining a few good books on aromatherapy and pure essential oils is a good start. Read about the oils and their properties and decide which ones are best suited for you. This will also help you consider which base or carrier oils can best suit your needs. Use caution here too by inspecting the inside of the text. Several aromatherapy books have undergone facelifts with totally new covers. Students and clients call and tell me they have a new book and find often it is the same one already in their library, only with a new cover. Buyer beware, buyer be educated.

Experiment with blending the oils, but remember to be cautious. Combine only small amounts of them at a time, then carefully record your results. Essential oils can mar some plastic surfaces unless they are well diluted. Always use dark glass bottles and fill them with your wonderful new creations. Make gifts of them to family and friends, and invite their opinions of your aromatic endeavors. The term aromatherapy has no legal, ethical formal use in most places it is being used today. Many companies are just using the word to sell any scented product they care to push. There are on the other hand some very conscientious suppliers who are serious about providing good quality oils, bases and associated products. Buyer beware, be educated. I have consistently found that the best protection a consumer has with buying any product is to go shopping with an informed and educated eye, or nose, in this case. Go out and sample products and you will be amazed at the quickness with which you begin to detect the often subtle (in the case of synthetics, often blatant) difference of aromatherapy oils and products. You will usually not find most quality aromatherapy products in big name stores in slick looking packaging. There is an herbal and aromatic craze that will probably get worse before it gets better. Aromatherapy supplies can be costly and one wants to put them to best use possible and not leave them lying around to lose potency. Blending for ones self or working with someone with a background in aromatherapy can help you avoid being dissapointed. I have picked up or been given pre-packaged products that were totally rancid. Learning about pure essential oils can be approached in the manner I suggest one learn herb gardening. Work with one or two herbs at a time. Get to know them well and move on to a few more. I feel too little attention is given to the precious plants that produce these wonderful gifts from nature's pantry. I've seldom heard an aromatherapy presenter or supplier give the much deserved thankfulness to the plants themselves. The essential oils aren't from little brown bottles. Their production is very involved from farmer or harvester, to your hands. When one takes into consideration just what it takes to produce those precious drops, one can better respect their price and their power. Learn the properties, applications, and cautions before embarking on their usage. Also be aware that your dealer or shop owner may actually believe that they are offering a pure essential oil because their supplier told them they were. It is your responsibility to know which oils are synthetic and which are pure. Many shops have both pure and synthetic aromatic chemicals to totally confuse you. Buyer beware, buyer be educated. Begin to explore aromatherapy for yourself, and remember to always take the time to stop and smell the roses, jasmine, lavender, lemon...etc!

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