Natural oils are also referred to as essential oils. They are processed through distillation or mechanical pressing. These oils are derived from plants and usually will retain their natural scent even after a long time. The benefits of essential oils are endless for skin care and wellness.
Keep reading to learn all the gems we researched!
We will learn
- Different ways to use natural oils for skin.
- Which oil to use when?
- How to make and store. DIY methods.
This blog is all about natural oils for the skin
The use of oils in Aromatherapy
Different parts of the plants are used to make oil, it is extracted from the flowers, barks, stems, leaves, roots, fruits, and other parts of the plant by distillation, mechanical pressing, and more.
According to the Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, essential oils have gained their importance in therapeutic, cosmetic, aromatic, fragrant, and spiritual use. There are also various methods by which they are administered for inhalation, massage, or simple applications on the skin surface. These oils have well-proven antibacterial, antibiotic, and antiviral properties.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy according to Google is the use of essential oils from plants for well-being. Aromatherapy works on the mind, body, and spirit, plant chemicals are antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory along with being an
- Immune booster
- hormonal,
- glandular, emotional, circulatory booster
- has a calming effect,
- memory and alertness enhancer,
Today many people use essential oils at home, on social media, business places for many different reasons, we all know essential oils have their benefits but sometimes the name essential oil is abused and many take profit from an oil that isn’t even truly an essential oil.
If a person is claiming to make pure essential oils, they should know the plants used, the part of the plant used as well as how it was processed. Putting mint leaves in olive oil is simply not authentic essential oil – mint oil.
Cosmetic aromatherapy
This type of aromatherapy caters to the skin, body, face, and hair. Products used for various effects involve cleansing, moisturizing, drying, and toning. For rejuvenation and revitalization drop 3-4 drops of essential oil in your bath or in your lotion/body wash to enjoy skin calming, rejuvenation, and cleansing.
Massage aromatherapy
There are large amounts of essential oils that can create a calming, renewing, and relaxing effect from the healing touch of massage. Some common oils are grapeseed oil and jojoba, however, there are some that appeal to the senses and recreate a wonderful experience, these include peppermint, lavender, and eucalyptus.
Psycho aromatherapy
This is when natural oils are used to stimulate the mind and give the pleasure of relaxation, invigoration, or a pleasant memory. This usually happens through inhalation. This needs to be done in the presence of a person who knows and understands this type of practice on an advanced level.
Different ways to extract fragrances for aromatherapy
Candles- Burning the right candle can take you to many different places in your mind, if it’s a cold day burning a pinewood or cranberry candle gives you a warm, cozy feeling. If it’s a spring day, uplifting your mood with honeysuckle candles, rose-scented or flowery scents give you a cheerful feeling inside.
Incense- incense can lift the mood or even calm you, but be sure to supervise incense while burning.
Herbal sachets- these are great for baths, the herbs will work wonders for your skin and the different scents can create unimaginable mental experiences.
Diffusers- Perfect night or day, whether it’s hot or cold.
How to know your scent
According to the Journal of Tropical Biomedicine. Just about any part of the plant can be used to make oil –fruit peel, bark, leaves entire plant, roots, and flowers.
Take a look below and determine the type of scents that speak to you and get a better understanding of what your special scent is, based on what you truly enjoy smelling.
If you are like me and are obsessed with flowers then maybe you want to invest in flower oils such as Jasmine, Rose, neroli, and ylang-ylang.
If you enjoy Fruity scents then invest in essential oils such as tangerine oils, lemon oil, Bergamot oil, etc, this will have a positive effect on your mood.
Part of the plants used to make oil in aromatherapy
There are so many different essential oils today. Just about any herb and fruit is being used to create oils.
Essential Oils Uses and Benefits– (According to the Journal of Tropical Biomedicine)
Sage -Differentiated by its leaves. Purple, large hairy leaves are mostly used to make sage oil –
Benefits
- Great for women as a tonic (contact an herbalist for directions on how to use it when ingesting )
- Used for womb and uterus-associated problems
- Regulate the menstrual periods,
- Ease tension and muscle cramps
- Used for Aphrodisiac activity.
- Great for dry and oily skin
- Great for acne, wrinkles, and cellulite
- Antimicrobial
Lemon oil– comes from lemon peel
Benefits
- Antiseptic,
- Astringent
- Detoxifying properties,
- Blemishes associated with oily skin
- Brightens and rejuvenates dull skin
- Boost the immune system
- Control nausea and vomiting
- Mood elevator
Peppermint oil– Derive from peppermint and spearmint leaves
Benefits
- Relieve pain spasms
- Relieve arthritic problems
- Antiinflammatory,
- Anti-infectious
- Antimicrobial
- Antiseptic
- Antifungal
- Decongestant
- Relieves irritable bowel syndrome
- Relieves itchiness
- Relieve bacterial and fungal infections
- Clears Sinus and lung congestion
Tea Tree oil- derives from purple flowers and needle-like leaves
Benefits
- Antibacterial
- Antifungal
- Immune booster
- Antiviral
- Anti-inflammatory
- Insecticidal
- Great for cold sores, burns, insect bites, dandruff, and oily skin.
- Great for vaginitis, cystitis, and pruritus treatment. Cold, fever, flu, and chickenpox
Rosemary oil -Derives from Small pale blue flowers
Benefits
- Relieves symptoms of indigestion and constipation
- liver and gall-bladder tonic
- Regularizes the blood pressure
- Excellent skin tonic
- Soothing effect on menstrual cramps,
- Hair growth
- Scalp stimulant encouraging hair growth and treatment for dandruff and greasy hair
CHAMOMILE
Benefits
- Calms fever
- Relieves Inflammation
- Relieves muscle spasms
- Relieves menstrual disorders
- Relieves insomnia
- Relieves ulcers
- calms wounds
- Calms gastrointestinal issues
Lavender oil– Derives from the flowers
Benefits–
- Great absorbing properties from the skin during massage
- Assist with Sleep
- Improve the feeling of well-being
- Support mental alertness
- Suppress aggression and anxiety
- Antibacterial
- Antifungal properties against many species of bacteria
- Treatment of burns, stress, headaches,
- Promotion of new cell growth, skin problems, painful muscles
- Boosting an immune system
DIY Natural oils for skin at home
Distillation is a popular way to make oils at home, also it’s crucial to know when to harvest flowers, for eg lavender should be harvested when half of its flowers are opened, and Rosemary should be harvested when in full bloom. This way the fragrances are at their best quality.
According to V. Jeniffer 2019 here’s how to achieve making oils at home.
- Using a Crockpot: Place a large handful of gently dried plant material into a large crock pot, and fill the pot with distilled water to within an inch of the top. Cook on low for 24-36 hours, then shut it off and leave the top of the crock pot open. Cover with a piece of cheesecloth and let it sit somewhere out of direct sunlight for a week. After a week, you can carefully remove any oils that have collected on the top of the water, and transfer them into an amber or blue glass jar. Allow the jar to remain open for another week, covered by the cloth, to evaporate any remaining water. Seal the jar or bottle tightly and store for no more than 12 months.
- How to Make Essential Oils on the Stovetop: You can also use a regular pot on the stovetop to do the same thing, but place the plant material into a porous mesh bag before adding it to boiling water. Simmer the plant material for at least 24 hours, adding more water as needed. Strain or remove the oil that collects on the surface of the water and follow the instructions for evaporating excess water as you did with the crockpot method.
References
abar Ali, Naser Ali Al-Wabel, Saiba Shams, Aftab Ahamad, Shah Alam Khan, Firoz Anwar,
Essential oils used in aromatherapy: A systemic review,
Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2221169115001033
Essential oils at home- (V.Jeniffer 2019) https://www.iamcountryside.com/self-reliance/make-essential-oils-at-home/
