Essential oils: what to look for when buying

Essential oils are true all-rounders. They come in numerous varieties and they were already used in ancient Egypt. We’ll show you what to look out for when buying.

Essential oils are substances obtained from plant components. Numerous plants form the volatile oils in small glands and use their intense scent to protect themselves from enemies or to attract insects for pollination.

Depending on the plant, production takes place in different parts of the plant. Essential oils can be obtained from the leaves (lemongrass or eucalyptus), the peel (citrus fruits), the flowers (jasmine, rose or lavender), the roots (ginger) or from the wood (sandalwood and cedarwood) of the respective plant.

The beneficial effects of essential oils have been known for thousands of years. Even the Egyptians used precious things Cedar oil as medicinal oil or for smoking. The healing effects range from relaxing to stimulating to calming and balancing. Different oils can be used, for example:

• Relieve cramps and pain,
• Inhibit inflammation,
• yours Increase concentration.

The tiny active substances in the oils get into your bloodstream in different ways. For example, when you inhale through the sensory cells of your nose, through swallowing into the gastrointestinal cells, or through simple skin contact.

Essential oils have a particularly strong effect through their smell. Your scent molecules are sent directly to your cerebrum via the limbic system transportedwhere they can have an immediate impact.

Essential oils – all-natural, natural or synthetic?

No matter which oil you want to try – to achieve an effect, you should always use high-quality and pure oils. To make bigger profits, some manufacturers use additives or blend their oils with lower quality blended oils. Unfortunately, the term “essential oil” alone does not say anything about the nature of your oil. Only the information “natural”, “natural”, “synthetic” or “nature-identical” give you information about quality and purity. You can find this as additional information on the oil bottle.

This is behind the names:

• All-natural oil: If your essential oil bears the addition “natural”, you can assume that you have a very high quality oil. Only oils that have been obtained directly from a mother plant and its respective oil-producing part may be labeled as “naturally pure”. The natural proportions and the biochemical composition of the oil are retained. Natural essential oils do not contain any additives and consist 100% of the oil from the respective parent plant. Naturally pure oils from controlled organic cultivation are better for the environment and health.
• Natural oil: Natural essential oil is made from a mixture of different all-natural oils. In contrast to natural essential oil, natural essential oil does not necessarily come from one mother plant. But you can assume that no artificial additives were used here either.
• Nature-identical oil: Some essential oils are called “nature identical”. You can hardly tell them apart from their natural relatives by smell. However, they are produced exclusively using chemical processes. The chemical composition of nature-identical oils corresponds to that of the naturally occurring plant. This is not the case with synthetic oils.
• Synthetic oil: Synthetic essential oil is completely chemically produced in the laboratory. You can recognize them by the fact that they are usually much cheaper than natural oils. Their smell is also different from oils of natural origin. In the store you can often find synthetic oils as fragrance or perfume oils.

Further quality features of essential oils

These additional points will tell you whether you are dealing with a high-quality or a mixed oil:

• Botanical name: Another indication of a high-quality oil is when the botanical name of the parent plant is noted on the label.
• Information on the manufacturing process: You should also find information about the process by which the oil was obtained. The most common method you will find here is steam distillation. In the case of citrus oils, on the other hand, the oil is obtained by cold pressing.
• sustainability: In general, always make sure that the mother plant comes from controlled organic cultivation. This is also noted on the label or the package insert. Good organic oils are available from ** Primavera or Farfalla.

Areas of application for essential oils

The areas of application of essential oils are numerous. Remember, however, that essential oils are highly concentrated substances and you should never use them neat. If undiluted, they can irritate your skin or irritate your airways. Always dilute your oil with water or other, non-essential carrier oils. Some people are allergic to certain fragrances. If you want to try a new oil, test beforehand whether you can tolerate it. To do this, apply a small amount of your oil to a small area of ​​skin and wait a few hours.

Note: Keep essential oils away from children up to two years of age or use them on wounds.

Once you have found a suitable oil, you can choose between the following application forms:

• Aromatherapy: In naturopathy, people like to work with aromatherapy. You can also simply use these at home. It is best to use an aroma lamp with a tea light. Pour a few drops of your essential oil into the bowl filled with water above the candle – and enjoy how the scent unfolds in the room. By trying it out, find out which fragrance is particularly good for you – maybe stimulating spruce needle oil, or concentration-increasing Sage oil?
• inhalation: The inhalation of essential oils is well suited for colds. Against colds and flu-like infections, simply put a few drops of oil in a saucepan with hot water and inhale the soothing steam. Essential pine needle, peppermint, tea tree, eucalyptus, thyme or lemon oil (e.g. at ** Avocado Store) are particularly effective for inhalation for colds.
• massage: Essential oils work directly on the skin cells. They are therefore ideal as an additive to massage oils. Gently massaged in, they spread warmth and relieve tension. Almond, jojoba or almond oil are suitable as carrier oils for a massage Wheat germ oil.
• Wrap: Wraps work on a very similar principle to inhalation. For coughs and colds, give a few drops of releasing ginger oil (e.g. for ** Avocado Store) to your carrier oil and soak a piece of cloth in it. Place the warm compress on your chest or back and let the healing ginger oil penetrate deep into the skin.
• Bath additive: A few drops of essential oil in hot bath water are also beneficial. Try a bath to relax after a long day Melissa oil, Ginger oil, Chamomile oil or Lavender oil (e.g. at ** Avocado Store) out.

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