As technology evolves, the preferred choice of therapy for certain ailments also changes with time. However, more people now seek comfort in naturally occurring materials for relief rather than synthetic pharmaceuticals.
One of the most sourced groups of plant materials that have been a reliable remedy to some health challenges is essential oils. In present times, their use has peaked due to their diverse application in medicine, especially in aromatherapy.
What Are Essential Oils?
They are extracted from plant materials by distillation or other mechanical processes. These plant extracts contain many phytochemicals in varying degrees, which constitute the plant’s active component. They are concentrated compounds of phytochemicals of the plant used to produce the oil.
Now, essential oils, since they are derived from plants in their pure forms, are densely concentrated, as a thousand plants can be used to produce a small pint of essential oil. For this reason, they are very active, and as little as a drop of oil has many benefits and risks. Therefore, though they have few side effects, essential oils should be used with great care.
It is necessary to have the goal in mind when you use any therapy technique as a remedy. The goal is to improve health, not deteriorate further due to negligence. That can be fully avoided if instructions are strictly adhered to when these treatment methods are used. With essential oils, one has to be utterly careful not to cause more harm in achieving wellness.
The Benefits of Using Essential Oils
Many benefits have been recognized, and more are being uncovered daily as the use of these oils gains popularity with people. The first benefit, an umbrella for others, is its use in aromatherapy. Aromatherapy involves using their aroma to provide relief and boost the mood of the patient. In addition, they generally improve the patient’s health, and they possess great antimicrobial properties.
A great advantage of these oils is their multi-use. Take tea tree oil, for instance, which is used to relieve microbial infections and works wonders when used to improve beauty. A drop of tea tree oil added to water in a regular bathtub or even clawfoot tubs before bathing can improve skin and hair conditions in a short time.
Other ones are recognized with some benefits which superimpose each other. These benefits are further discussed below.
1. Improving Mood and Brain Function
Research has proven that inhaling the aroma of these ones can improve mood, relieve stress, and help with depression. However, many people will be surprised how essential oils do this because by logical thinking, just inhaling they should have no curative effect or even alter psychological humor.
The olfactory lobe of the brain is close to the center of emotions. They are all located close in the forebrain, so smell can sink a person into a foul mood or take one out of it. Basil and lemon oils are one of the chiefly used essential oils explored to help with this purpose. They are used to relieve stress, depression, and heighten focus.
Lavender oil has also been proven to improve relaxation and insomnia. Bergamot, geranium, ylang-ylang, chamomile, rose flower, tea tree, and other ones contain molecules that help relieve stress when inhaled. A few drops of them can be put in bath water, especially in clawfoot bathtubs, so inhaling the oil will be done simultaneously as it takes action on the skin.
2. Improving Sexual Function
Natural plant materials are now thought to enhance sexual function and increase the sexual activity of people who consume them, with lesser side effects to contend with when used. Jasmine essential oil has been described primarily as an aphrodisiac. Inhaling the odor of jasmine leaves has been known to increase alertness and stimulate the flow of blood to penile tissues, which is essential to achieving and sustaining erections.
Though no work has been done to explain how it works, jasmine oil is one of the most recommended ones by herbalists when the sexual function needs to be improved. Sandalwood and a few oils are also believed to have aphrodisiac properties.
3. Relieve Pain and Fatigue
Essential oils improve health as they act as analgesics and relieve joints and muscles. Some may work by improving blood circulation, which is efficacious in relieving joint pains. When applied to the skin, clove essential oil acts as a very potent analgesic oil and is used to relieve toothache.
Black pepper one is used to relieve pains and generally improve blood circulation. It also improves joint movement, so it is used to massage joints and relieve arthritic pains. Lemongrass oil is muscle soothing, while basil and lavender oils are a bit effective against headaches. Thyme and yarrow oils help with muscle fatigue and joint pains. Being an enjoyable spice, rosemary possesses many other essential benefits such as relieving pains. These oils are included in massage oils to prevent spasms and improve circulation, relieving fatigue.
One of the most effective ways to relieve these pains is to add a few drops of these oils into your bathwater. The architecture of modern bathrooms makes these easier via the provision of bathtubs for a more lasting and soothing effect. In addition, clawfoot bathtubs are generally easier to clean, so getting oil stains off shouldn’t be a problem when your bathroom has a clawfoot bathtub.
4. Correcting Skin and Hair Disorders
The primary identified uses of essential oils and their formulations solve skin and hair conditions. Tea tree oil is one of the most effective topical treatments against superficial skin infections, ringworms, and Candida infections. It is used in shampoos to improve hair growth and treat hair scalp.
- Rosemary oil enhances skin outlook and hastens cell multiplication, which is necessary for hair growth and thickness. Its effect on hastening proliferation of cells makes it a great option for healthier skin.
- Lemongrass oil solves the problem of dandruff in hair. Including the oil in shampoos gets rid of dandruff.
- Ylang-ylang increases hair texture by improving the production of sebum. When used on the skin, it hastens the production of sebum, so it is used to treat dry and flaky skin conditions.
- Some essential oils are used to correct alopecia. Peppermint, thyme, cedarwood, and Lavender oils enhance hair growth and boost the number of hair follicles, reducing the occurrences of hair loss. This quality makes these oils useful in the treatment of alopecia. In addition, chamomile oil is employed in treating psoriasis and fungal skin infections like eczema.
5. Antimicrobial and Antiseptic Properties
Tea tree is one of the most frequently used essential oils and is globally recognized to remedy mild disease conditions. Tea tree oil has an antimicrobial effect against several microbes, especially those concerned with bacterial and fungal infections.
On the other hand, lavender oil has antiseptic properties, used on minor cuts and burns to prevent further disease. Clove oil is more active due to its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. It is employed in treating small wounds.
6. Relief From Respiratory Congestions
For congested respiratory sinuses and pathways, aromatherapy is the most effective method to decongest respiratory routes. Eucalyptus, the most used essential oil for this purpose, helps decongest airways when the patient has a cold or flu. It is combined with peppermint for this purpose.
Peppermint, bergamot, and lemon oil have been identified to improve digestion and solve issues with the digestive tract when coated tablets containing the oil are ingested as directed by a physician.
Apart from inhaling or directly applying the oils on your skin to maximize their effects, steam-bathing with the oils also assists in potentiating the actions of these essential oils, with the rightly fashioned clawfoot tubs tailored for you.
Some exceptional tubs to try include acrylic clawfoot tubs, fiberglass, and vintage clawfoot bathtubs, which are great suggestions to try out if you need to use essential oils in your bathwater to prevent stains or damages to your bathroom designs. With these tubs, taking off oil stains is easier.
Conclusion
Essential oils retain their position as one of the most used natural products out there, with more advantages and use discovered daily. The benefits of essential oils are inexhaustible, and most of them cannot be captured in this article. Therefore, this article emphasizes the main uses of essential oils. Stay sleek!
