Essential Oils - What are they?

I have been reading about essential oils and it seems the more I read, the more essential oils I uncover, and the more information I find. This has opened up a whole new world to me. I have never heard of essential oils before but now I am intrigued and want to know more and more. But my head is spinning from all this information, so I have to concentrate on the basics.

First, what are essential oils?

Essential oils are the natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. If you squeeze the peel of a ripe orange, the residue in your hand is full of essential oils. In fact, orange oil is widely produced by pressing the rind of the orange. Essential oils are non water-based phytochemicals made up of volatile organic compounds. Essential oils are very clean, almost crisp, to the touch and are immediately absorbed by the skin. Essential oils have been used throughout history in many cultures for their medicinal and therapeutic benefits.


The Egyptians were some of the first people to use aromatic essential oils extensively in medical practice, beauty treatment, food preparation, and in religious ceremony. Frankincense, sandalwood, myrrh and cinnamon were considered very valuable cargo along caravan trade routes and were sometimes exchanged for gold. The Greeks used essential oils in their practices of therapeutic massage and aromatherapy. The Romans also used aromatic oils to promote health and personal hygiene. Influenced by the Greeks and Romans, as well as Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic use of aromatic herbs, the Persians began to refine distillation methods for extracting essential oils from aromatic plants. Essential oil extracts were used throughout the dark ages in Europe for their anti-bacterial and fragrant properties.

In modern times, the powerful healing properties of essential oils were rediscovered in 1937 by a French chemist, Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, who healed a badly burnt hand with pure lavender oil. A French contemporary, Dr. Jean Valnet, used therapeutic-grade essential oils to successfully treat injured soldiers during World War II. Dr. Valnet went on to become a world leader in the development of aromatherapy practices. The modern use of essential oils has continued to grow rapidly as health scientists and medical practitioners continue to research and validate the numerous health and wellness benefits of therapeutic-grade essential oils.

Well, I don't know about you, but I'm sold on essential oils. I have been looking for natural products, and these are just about as natural as you can get. So I have ordered a set of different essential oils and once I have tried them out, I will post a blog to report my findings.

Essential Oils - Tea Tree Oil

My supervisor, Mrs. Tammy Meyer, was telling me today that she has found a great little oil that has helped her in numerous ways. She was speaking of tea tree oil. So I told her I would have to research this essential oil and see what information I could find. Once I started looking, I found a great deal of information about all kinds of essential oils.

But to begin with, I focused on tea tree oil. This is what I found. Tea tree oil is good for a variety of ailments, including but not limited to: acne, athlete's foot, candida, chicken pox, cold sores, colds, corns, cuts, flu, insect bites, itching, migraine, oily skin, ringworm, sinusitis, sores, spots,  and warts.

Wow! That is a wide variety of ailments that one little essential oil can help.

I found a list of uses for tea tree oil at this website: http://bodyecology.com/articles/tea_tree_skin_miracle.php

And here is an excerpt from the website:
Dana Young, founder of TRUessence Essential Oils, suggests that you can use tea tree oil in the following ways:
■Directly on your skin in the area affected. For cuts and sores, add 1-2 drops to targeted areas.
■Mixed with a carrier oil. Mix 3 - 5 drops with a carrier oil and apply to skin after a bath or shower.You can make your own Body Ecology friendly carrier oil by using a lightly scented oil like almond oil that is unrefined and organic.
■A household cleaner. Add to water and vinegar for a non-toxic household cleaner.
■Treatment for lice and dandruff. Rinse your hair with warm water and 2 drops of tea tree oil to control lice and dandruff.
■Healing bath. Add 6 drops to your bath water for a soothing soak.

■Diffused. Using an essential oil diffuser, tea tree oil may be diffused into the air, creating a medicinal antiseptic.

As with every product, there are some safety concerns with tea tree oil. I found these listed at: http://altmedicine.about.com/od/herbsupplementguide/a/TeaTreeOil.htm. Tea Tree Oil should never be taken internally. And one study shows that it might alter hormone levels. So use in moderation and never drink it, ever!

Benefits of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

As I have said before in a previous post, our little beagle, Bailey, is precious to us. She is a wonderful addition to our family. But our little beagle gets sick regularly. I have made numerous visits to the vet over the past 3 years. Now I am not rich by any means and all these vet bills were putting a huge dent in my finances. So I began trying to find some way to help her without breaking the bank. While doing research for a home remedy to my little dog's stomach problems, I became aware that organic apple cider vinegar has many benefits. All the websites related to apple cider vinegar list many different benefits and uses for humans and for animals. So I thought I would try out one of the remedies for Bailey. I began adding 1/2 tsp to her food each day and for the past 3 weeks she has not had any more stomach problems. There might be something to this apple cider vinegar after all.

Organic apple cider vinegar can be found just about anywhere. I found it at Publix for $4.29 for a 16 oz bottle. You can also find it on amazon.com. Here is a link:  http://www.amazon.com/Bragg-Apple-Cider-Vinegar-liquid/dp/B001AIWAAE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344950006&sr=8-1&keywords=organic+apple+cider+vinegar+with+mother


More of the benefits of apple cider vinegar for dogs include:
1. After bathing your dog, rinse with a solution of half water and half apple cider vinegar. It will make the dog's coat feel softer and have a healthy shine. Also the apple cider vinegar will reduce itchy skin and will help repel fleas.
2. If your dog has brown tear stains under his eyes, adding apple cider vinegar to their food will reduce or even eliminate the tear stains.
3. ACV is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and antiseptic. It helps prevent bacterial and viral growth in the digestive tract. In addition, it does not upset the balance of the friendly bacteria inside the GI tract. As a result, apple cider vinegar boosts the immune system. It improves stamina, increases resistance to diseases, prevents common infections, and is therefore helpful for dogs with weakened immune systems.
4. ACV can help prevent bladder stones, kidney infections and urinary tract infections when added to the dog's food or water.
5. ACV breaks down calcium deposits in a dog's joints and will help reduce pain from arthritis and joint problems.
Here is a very good website that has a lot of information regarding apple cider vinegar for dogs:
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/15_01/features/Pet-Uses-Of-Apple-Cider-Vinegar_20435-1.html

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Apple cider vinegar also has many health benefits for humans. The potassium in ACV can help prevent brittle teeth, hair loss and runny noses. The pectin can help regulate blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol. The calcium in ACV helps build strong bones and teeth. The acetic acid slows the digestion of starch which helps lower the rise in glucose that commonly occurs after meals. Apple cider vinegar can also help humans with their skin problems. (just like for dogs) And it can also help with joint pain. (just like for dogs) ACV also helps breakdown fats so that your body will use them instead of store them for later.

Apple cider vinegar can also be used as a natural hair care product. Rinsing with ACV will help balance the PH of your hair and will remove the build-up that occurs from the use of too many styling products. The acids and enzymes in ACV is a good remedy for anyone with dandruff, itchy scalp, or hair loss.

Of course, I need to mention that Web MD is not so impressed with the benefits of apple cider vinegar and does not endorse its use. Web MD does state that studies have shown that ACV may help lower glucose levels for people with diabetes. Other studies have shown that ACV might help lower cholesterol. But Web MD is quick to point out that all studies are preliminary and not proven. This is the link to the Web MD article:  http://www.webmd.com/diet/apple-cider-vinegar. You can read it for yourself and form your own opinion as to whether you feel apple cider vinegar would be beneficial to you.