Essential Oils - What’s the Big Deal?

Why Use Essential Oils?

Essential oils have been used for centuries for medicinal and health purposes. The particles in essential oils comes from distilling or extracting different parts of the plants, including flowers, bark, roots, peels, leaves, and resin. Benefits are vast ranging from aromatherapy to beauty care, medicinal purposes, and cleaning products.

A pilot study published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice found that the use of aromatherapy as a complementary therapy helped to reduce anxiety and depression in postpartum women. Women between zero and 18 months postpartum were divided into either a treatment group that inhaled a blend of rose and lavender oils or a control group that didn’t receive any type of aromatherapy.

After four weeks, data indicated that the women using aromatherapy had significant improvements in anxiety and depression symptoms compared to those in the control group.

Another study included patients in a coronary unit in Turkey where they studied the sleep quality and levels of anxiety in the patients. The control group were given lavender inhalation therapy for 15 days while in ICU. After the treatment time there was a significant reduction in stress and increased quality of sleep.

There is a great deal of research that supports the theory that aromatherapy may be a safe practice to help manage a plethora of ailments. Feel free to continue the research on your own so that you may better understand how it works. I have always believed that we hold power when we continue to learn and inform ourselves.

I Am Illuminating uses essential oils with the vast majority of our products. Occasionally with some of our seasonal body soaps we may use fragrance oils instead. Fragrance oils are synthetic. They’re created with a mix of aroma chemicals and natural ingredients like essential oils, extracts, and resins.

Here is a list of the essential oils we use, and their beneficial properties MAY include:

Bergamot – reduce emotional stress and anxiety

Blue Tansy – decreases anxiety and stress

Cedarwood - anti-inflammatory, helpful for skin conditions, reduce anxiety, increase sleep quality

Clary Sage – balance hormones

Frankincense – boost immunity, anti-inflammatory, reduce anxiety

Geranium – balance hormones

Green Tea – promotes healthy skin

Lavender – reduce headaches, increase sleep quality

Lemon – boot immunity

Orange Sweet – reduce anxiety

Patchouli – reduces depression, anti-inflammatory

Peppermint – boost immunity

Rose Absolute - decreases anxiety and depressive symptoms, increase sleep quality, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial, may relieve menstrual cramps

Vanilla - balances hormones, reduces anxiety, stress, and insomnia

Ylang Ylang – reduce anxiety, increase sleep quality

Disclaimer

Use essential oils with knowledge and caution. Before using essential oils,  please learn about warnings for usage (including dosages, usage frequency and application methods) either through the many available resources or consult with a doctor.

Not all essential oils are suitable for use by diffusion or application on the skin or to be taken internally.

Keep away from children, eyes, mucous membranes, open flames & treasured surfaces. If you are receiving treatment for any condition, check with your health-care professional before attempting to self-treat with essential oils.

All information presented is provided as a guideline and we do not warrant its accuracy. Information provided is based on research and data that we believe to be reliable at this time. Statements regarding health conditions are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Should you have any questions or concerns, please consult with a trusted healthcare professional before taking or using any essential oils. Each person is different, and the way you react to a particular product may be significantly different from other people.

Please remember when reading anything on this website/blog that we are not a doctor nor a trained healthcare professional. The information that we are providing is meant for informational purposes only and you should not rely only on the information provided on this website if you have a serious health issue. In case of a serious injury or other issue, please consult a trained professional.

We are not a licensed physician and cannot diagnose or prescribe medications for you. This disclaimer acts as the explicit waiver of any liability of I Am Illuminating, DBA, The Virtuous Circle, LLC. and it’s directors, staff, and volunteers. Information on this website/blog has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and products referred to are not intended to or guaranteed to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.