How and Where to Buy Essential Oils – Quality Testing & Adulteration Analysis

Essential oils are readily available from many health food and aromatherapy stores, via mail-order, and via companies that have Web sites. Although readily available, the quality of essential oils from one vendor to another can vary drastically whether you buy them locally or not. Additionally, the price charged is not necessarily an indication of the quality of the vendor’s oils.

It is vital to use only high-quality pure essential oils for optimum results. It is most unfortunate that many essential oils available on the market today are of poor quality and, therefore, cannot help alleviate health problems. Essential oil traders supply mostly to the perfume and food industries who are more concerned with the fragrance or flavour of an oil rather than its therapeutic effects.

These industries must always have essential oils with the same chemical formulae if they are to produce the same aroma and taste consistently, so they find it necessary to ‘adulterate’ oils to replicate aromas and flavours. Price is also a major consideration. Factors such as the weather, bad harvests, the variety of the plant, the composition of the soil, the time and the method of cultivation and extraction can affect the composition of essential oils greatly and this creates difficulties for the perfume and the food industries who seek standardisation.

Suppliers of essential oils will often adulterate their oils by adding synthetic ingredients, alcohols, vegetable oil, cheap chemical constituents or low-cost essential oils. They may even substitute an entire essential oil with a cheaper, similar oil for commercial gain (e.g. lavendin may be sold as lavender).

Essential oils used in aromatherapy must, of course, be as pure, natural and ‘whole’ as possible if they are to have the desired therapeutic effects. Synthetic materials which simulate the aroma and appearance of an essential oil cannot have the same therapeutic properties as an essential oil and should not be used in therapy.

Synthetic chemicals also carry the risk of harmful and unpleasant side effects, as do synthetic drugs. It is totally impossible to duplicate an essential oil in its entirety in the laboratory. Vital constituents and trace elements will inevitably be missing. It is the total of the components of an essential oil working together which produces a healing effect.

If oils are referred to as ‘nature identical’ this implies that the oil is synthetic and produced in the laboratory and is, therefore, unsuitable for aromatherapy. Synthetic oils also do not possess the ‘vital force’ or ‘life force’ of essential oils which comes from living plants. Chemicals also do not contain the ‘vibration’ of natural living plants.

Since most aromatherapy suppliers buy essential oils from importers who supply the perfume and food industries it is important to seek a supplier who deals mainly with essential oils intended only for therapeutic use.

Aromatherapy During Pregnancy
Aromatherapy may be used successfully throughout the forty weeks of pregnancy to treat a wide range of conditions. Although no one can guarantee a healthy, normal baby, the risks can be substantially reduced if the mother takes good care of herself and follows a healthy diet and…

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Today more than ever we are turning into a health conscious society. We watch what we eat and drink with a scrutinizing eye. Many of us are doing some sort of exercise routine in order to stay fit and increase our energy levels. No matter what level of athletic ability you have, therapeutic grade essential oils will aid in relieving sore and strained muscles, help tone your muscles, give them greater definition, and even help to increase performance! So if your routine consist of mall walking or you are a professional athlete you owe it to yourself to experience the benefits of using essential oils before and after your workout or game.

Sports Creams. There are hundreds of creams and lotions on the market designed to ease your muscle aches and pains, strains and sprains. Most of these creams do a pretty good job of reducing the aches and pains and easing your sore muscles. However, are you aware that many of these products contain aluminum. Not only are you getting some relief from your pain, you are also getting a dose of aluminum. Did you know it is thought that aluminum may be a leading cause of Alzheimer’s disease. So in your attempt to get healthy you may very well be making yourself sick.

Pre Workout. Before you start your exercise routine blend a massage oil using 10 drops of Eucalyptus, 10 drops of Rosemary and 10 drops of Thyme diluted in 2 tablespoons of the carrier oil of your choice. Rub this blend over your feet, ankles, calves, thighs, buttocks, lower back and arms. This formula is excellent for the lungs and respiratory system. It is also helpful for the structure of the muscular and skeletal frames.If you desire to build yourself up, make up another blend of essential oils using 15 drops of Eucalyptus and 15 drops of Rosemary diluted in 2 tablespoons of your carrier oil. This blend should be applied every day for 2 weeks as an all over body rub after your shower following your workout.

Performance Enhancement. All athletes strive to reach their peak performance each and every week. Rather than risking your career on performance enhancing drugs or steroids consider this formula. Use 5 drops of Bergamot and 5 drops of Basil blended in your favorite carrier oil. The aroma from this blend has a great effect on the psyche so breath deeply as you massage this blend all over your body. This essential oil blend strengthens the muscular system and keeps motion of the body flowing so that peak performance becomes easier. This blend should be reserved for game day so as to not diminish the effects. Another way of keeping your body in peak physical condition is by using the following essential oils. Eucalyptus, Birch, Wintergreen, Tea Tree, and Rosemary. Physiotherapist and sports therapist choose these oils more than any others.

Over Worked Muscles. We have all been there and done that. In our attempts to improve our physical well being we occasionally push ourselves a little to far. The no pain no gain mentality comes into play. On these occasions prepare a hot bath using 3 drops of Marjoram and 2 drops of Lemon essential oil and soak for as long as possible. Following your bath massage your muscles with this essential oil blend. Use 5 drops of Eucalyptus, 5 drops of Peppermint and 5 drops of Ginger diluted in 1 tablespoon of your carrier oil. This will cause your muscles to relax and have you feeling better in no time. It is important to note that your carrier oil should be a vegetable oil base and not a mineral oil base.

In Conclusion. As a health conscious society we need to be aware of what we put on our bodies as well as what we put into them. Many of the over the counter products available may actually be hurting us in the long run. The natural approach using essential oils will not only fend off the cramping, it will also give your muscles better tone and definition along with a natural performance enhancing edge! Remember to use only pure therapeutic grade essential oils for optimum results.

Visit www.amberoils.com for all your essential oils and aromatherapy product needs.

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Aromatherapy Massage Information

Aromatherapy is the utilize of essential oils pured from plants to advance a heathy balanced and healthy lifestyle. Massage, bathing, vaporisation and inhalation are the usual ways of use. Aromatherapy massage treatments can be very efficient in relaxing and healing the body, mind and spirit. Aromatherapy massage is massage therapy but with greatly concentrated plant oils, called essential oils, added to the massage oil or lotion. Aromatherapy Massage is generally slow, gentle, rhythmic movements effleurage. Massage therapy has been shown to be greatty beneficial.

Aromatherapy massage provokes the blood circulation, expanding the supply of nutrients and oxygen to cells. In aromatherapy massage, essential oils are generally mixed with a carrier oil like sweet almond, apricot kernel, or grapeseed oil. Massage provoke lymphatic flow, helping tissue drainage and improving the immune system. Long, flowing combinative strokes, called effleurage, normally have these effects. Self-massage meaningfully improved symptoms and wellbeing in people with lymphedema. Massage therapy has long been accepted as an important part of athletic training. Most serious athletes receive daily somatic work.

The massage technique helps muscles melt into deep relaxation, relieves water retention, mind and spirit, stimulates the lymphatic system, improves the immune response, and assists the body to naturally release toxins. Aromatherapy massage is particularly suited to conditions involving stress or improving emotionally-related conditions. It is preventative therapy, valuable in keeping people healthy. The therapeutic power of touch combined with the healing and balancing properties of essential oils is by far the most effective method to use essential oils.

When you massage your body , you can use several common oils involve eucalyptus, frankincense, lavender, sandalwood ,tea tree, peppermint:and rose. Aromatherapy massage is not suggested for certain people include infectious skin disease, rash, or open wounds. Pregnant women should check with their doctor first if they are considering getting a massage. Massage in pregnant women should be done by massage therapists who are certified in pregnancy massage. Aromatherapy massage should not be done rightly over bruises, inflamed skin, unhealed wounds, tumors, abdominal hernia, or areas of recent fractures.

By: Juliet Cohen

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Aromatherapy massage is the fusion of aromatherapy and massage. Together these two ancient methods combine to treat the mind, body and soul.

Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of essential oils. It is the ancient science of healing, relaxing and energizing the body by the use of plants and their parts. The word aromatherapy is derived from two words aroma which means smell and therapy which stands for healing.

Essential oils are the basis of aromatherapyy the roots, barks, flowers, fruits, seeds and nuts are used for the distillation of oils. Each essential oil is an aromatic essence, distilled from a single botanical source. Essential oils are highly concentrated and should not be used directly. These oils can be blended together and this blend is called synergy. The synergy is more potent than the individual oils. Since these oils are so potent in their concentrated form they are mixed with simple oils called carrier oils like sweet almond, apricot kernel, or grape seed oil.

Essential oils can have many different effects on the body, mind and spirit. They can be sedative or stimulating, analgesic and antispasmodic and antibacterial. They enter through our olfactory system and affect the nervous system, thus improving mood and relaxing or energizing us. This helps is alleviating stress and speeds up healing.

There are many different ways of using essential oils therapeutically – in baths, inhalations, compresses, creams or lotions, massage.

Massage

Massage therapy is also an ancient form of alternative medicine. It can affect the autonomic nervous system, and calms the mind, reducing the stress in the body. Massage stimulates the blood circulation, increasing the supply of nutrients and oxygen to cells. It also stimulates lymphatic flow, improving tissue drainage and in the immune system.

Hippocrates said: "The Physician must be experienced in many things, but assuredly in rubbing . . . for rubbing can bind a joint that is too loose, and loosen a joint that is too rigid."

Depending on your need a synergy blend is created with the carrier oil. There are a lot of combinations that are specially made for specific diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, stress, sports injury, migraines, insomnia etc.

History of Aromatherapy Massage: Aromatherapy Massage is the brain child of Marguerite Maury, ne Knig of Austria. Marguerite trained as a nurse and surgical assistant. Her interest in aromatherapy began with the book of Dr Chabenes, Les Grandes Possibilits par les Matires Odoriferantes. Marguerite met and married a French doctor in the early thirties, and continued her research into essential oils

She developed her particular method of using the "Individual Prescription" blending several essential oils, for each patient, after an in-depth consultation and examination. She also pioneered the use of massage to administer the essential oils, partly perhaps because she was not a medical doctor, and therefore not qualified to prescribe internal use of the oils.

Basic Oils

There are a variety of essential oils that can be blended to create a perfect one for your needs, a few of them are

Lavender

• most basic of oils
• relaxation, calming, balancing
• antibiotic, antiseptic, antidepressant, sedative, detoxifier
• use on burns

Rosemary

• stimulant for mental and physical body
• antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, adrenal stimulant
• muscular strains and sprains, headaches, fatigue, congestion, prevents scar tissue formation

Bergamot

• refreshing, uplifting,
• antiseptic, antidepressant, antispasmodic, analgesic, sedative, expectorant, deodorizer
• can be slightly irritating to skin

Peppermint

• digestive aid, headaches, fatigue
• anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antispasmodic, expectorant, stimulant, vasoconstrictor
• cooling

Tea Tree

• antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiseptic
• treatment of infections, ringworm, sunburn, acne, athlete’s foot, gum disease
• caution when applying full strength

Geranium

• eases stress
• antidepressant, adrenal and hormone balancer, detoxifier, sedative, antiseptic
• good for PMS and female disorders

Clary Sage

• antidepressant, antiseptic, astringent, aphrodisiac, sedative, tonic
• relieves PMS, soothing, relaxing

Ashish Bhattacharya is an exponent of oriental and alternative medicine. Armed with a degree in East Asian Therapies from China, he has worked in an Luxury Spa resorts Mauritius, and is an expert in Relaxing Spa Therapies

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3 Must Have Essential Oils In Your Medicine Cabinet

Today, we’re constantly bombarded with so many choices for medications. From TV commercials to drug stores, we’re left deciding upon medications for pain, diarrhea, nausea, upset stomachs, colds and flu and so on.
How do you know which products are best? And why the heck do we need so many?
We can surely waste a lot of time in the drug store searching for the perfect remedy. Reading label after label and hoping we don’t suffer any funky side effects.
Wouldn’t it be great to be able to use natural medicine for almost all of your health concerns without the fear of side effects? Well you can. The solution is therapeutic grade essential oils.
Essential oils have been used as medicine for thousands of years. And today, the rediscovery of true, medicinal aromatherapy is affecting thousands of people in profound ways.
I feel so fortunate to have access to the healing power of essential oils. I’d be a mess without them!
Please remember not to stop any prescription medications that you are taking. You need these for your health. Always check with your primary doctor before you stop or lower your dose.
For fevers: Rub 3 drops of Peppermint essential oil on each foot. This has worked for me and many people I know, and it’s especially good for children. For children under 2, dilute 1 part essential oil with 10 parts organic vegetable oil. Peppermint essential oil is also great for upset stomachs, headaches, stuffy noses, indigestion, improving concentration and healing insect bites. One bottle of peppermint essential oil could easily replace at least 6 different medications in your medicine cabinet.
To combat allergies: Use 1 drop of lavender essential oil on your cheek bones and below your nose. This will help clear your sinuses. Lavender essential oil is a natural antihistamine. Lavender essential oil is most know for it’s relaxing properties. But it can also cleanse wounds and cuts, heal sun burned skin and prevent scars. One bottle of Lavender essential oil can easily replace numerous medications.
To alleviate joint aches and pains: Use 3 drops of PanAway, an essential oil blend, and massage it on your sore areas. I’ve used this blend many times with much success for my aching back! This miraculous blend contains; wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum), clove (Syzygium aromaticum) and peppermint (Mentha piperita.) I love to use PanAway after I exercise when my muscles are their sorest! Having one bottle of PanAway on hand, I’ve been able to replace drug store muscle creams and anti-inflammatory pills.
Therapeutic grade essential oils can give you the same results as common medications. What they won’t give you is the wacky side effects. A word to the wise, always use therapeutic grade essential oils when your dealing with your health and healing needs. A low quality essential oil will not offer you any therapeutic value. (c) 2008 Christa McCourt

By: Christa McCourt

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Before you buy essential oils online, please visit Christa’s website and sign up for her free weekly newsletter about the benefits of therapeutic grade essential oils for health, healing and organic living.

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How Aromatherapy Is Beneficial For Health

Aromatherapy is the use of aromatic plant oils, including essential oils, for psychological and physical wellbeing. Aroma therapists blend therapeutic essential oils especially for each individual and suggest methods of use such as topical application, massage, inhalation or water immersion to stimulate the desired responses.

The different smells (aromas), and the chemical constituents of the oils, can produce different emotional and physiological reactions. Essential oils can be massaged into the skin, added to bath water or vaporised in an oil burner.

On the mental side of things, the oil is thought to benefit the emotional well being of the person. By diffusing the oil throughout the room or by sniffing the oil from a tissue or cloth a person can help to improve their spirits. It is also thought to aid concentration too. The oil has a distinctive smell that acts as a relaxing agent that can help to relieve stress, anxiety and even depression. A massage using lemongrass essential oil can be very therapeutic and calming for a tired body with aching muscles.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia, as is evident from the name itself, is benign in nature and a common condition among a large majority of men, usually after they cross the age of forty. Malignancy in prostate grows slowly and is contained within the gland in most cases. However, in many cases it can spread outside the gland too.

Regular treatments can bring about a dramatic improvement in general health and well-being and Aromatherapy can be used for common stress related disorders, such as – anxiety, depression headaches, and insomnia. It is also useful for aches and pains, respiratory problems, PMS and menstrual disorders.

Where there are more serious problems, then it is used with the co-operation of the doctor. It can help both the young and the elderly. Where there is an imbalance within the body, such as the endocrine system, which controls the supply of hormones, or the immune system, which fights infection, the use of specific oils can help to create homeostasis within the body.

Massage has a stimulating effect on the skin, improving its elasticity and improving the capillary circulation to the skin, so increasing the nutrition to the skin’s tissues. It has a great influence on the autonomic nervous system through its soothing effect on the nerve endings in the skin and thus calming and relaxing the whole body.

Using aromatherapy essential health oil wellness in baths is a simple, effective and pleasant way to relax and receive the therapeutic effects. Water itself has therapeutic value; some people are quick to point out. The powers of water can be enhanced with the addition of aromatherapy essential health oil wellness. To use, add 6 to 10 drops of aromatherapy essential health oil wellness, or a blend of several oil types, to the surface of the water which has already been run. Add no other substance, such as foam or bath oil.

Eucalyptus leaf oils are best known for their antiseptic and decongestant properties. They are often used in aromatherapy for alleviating the effects of colds, flu, catarrh and sinus conditions. In addition, they also seem to be reasonably effective in repelling insects.

By: Peter Hutch

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Antibiotics? I Think Not

Have you noticed that doctors are now being much more reluctant to give you a prescription for antibiotics unless it’s proven that you are indeed suffering from a bacterial infection? Well, I wish I could say better late than never, but in the case of antibiotics, we’re far too late.

Antibiotics were once touted as a modern miracle and they did indeed save lives, once upon a time. The problem has been that they have been so widely overused and not just for bacterial infections, but for every single thing doctors didn’t know how to treat. In fact, even if the illness was viral, we were routinely given a prescription for antibiotics so we would happily go home and feel as though the doctor helped us get well.

The truth is, we would’ve been far better off NOT getting those antibiotics for every single illness we encountered. Our immune systems would’ve been much more helped if we’d stayed home and rested, drank lots of fluids, and boosted our immune system with natural herbal and homeopathic remedies and whole food supplements.

The reason is, since antibiotics have been so widely overused, superbugs have emerged that are leaving us vulnerable with no recourse – UNLESS your immune system is strong because you and your pets have been eating natural diets, using whole food and natural supplements, and exercising, so that your body is protected naturally.

By relying so heavily upon antibiotics to be our cure-all, along with steroids (a subsequent article will elaborate on this horrible drug) we’ve compromised our and our pets immune systems and left them wide open and susceptible to these superbugs that are continuing to emerge all the time.

"Our society has been conditioned with quick-fix and band-aid medicine. We know from experience that this, often times, only gives temporary relief and in fact can generate a rebound effect of symptoms or undesirable side effects. Complimentary medicine, in particular Homeopathy and Herbs, can play a very large part in the successful rearing of our animals. Homeopathy and Herbs are essentially, natural healing processes, providing remedies to assist the patient to regain health by stimulating the body’s natural forces of recovery. They concentrate on treating the patient, rather than the disease." Marina Zacharias, author of Healthy Breeding with Herbs and Homeopathy. http://www.naturalrearing.com

The good news is there are alternatives we can use that will give us healthy, strong pets that can resist these superbugs. First, by using a homeopathic or holistic veterinarian, you can talk to them about what your options are for helping keep your pet at their optimal health. Each animal is as different as each of us. If you care for your pets in a holistic way, meaning for the entire animal rather than waiting to treat a specific ailment, you will already be ahead of the game.

By feeding food natural to your pet’s species, such as a raw food diet for cats and dogs, and incorporating whole food supplements, prebiotics and probiotics, you won’t need to concern yourselves about antibiotics and their detrimental side effects.

Something that is also happening is not just superbugs that can be transmitted from animals to humans, but one I know of that can only be transmitted from HUMANS to ANIMALS, and this superbug is called MRSA. While it isn’t as evident in the USA, it is rapidly becoming a problem in the UK. It is a superbug, bacterial infection that has developed as a result of overusing antibiotics. I have a dear new friend who lost her companion and friend, Bella, a beautiful Samoyed dog, to this dreaded bacteria. http://thebellamossfoundation.com

Jesse Dallas, author of Are Antibiotics Making Your Pet Sick? writes "The body should have 80% friendly bacteria and about 20% bad bacteria inside the intestinal tract. After the use of antibiotics, the body will have no more than 20% friendly bacteria and 80% bad bacteria if not more.

-Most illness, disease and problems begin in the intestinal tract. Thus, antibiotics create the potential for serious illness to begin.

-You may not be giving your pet antibiotics, but if it has ever eaten foods with preservatives, you have been giving your pet what I call ‘hidden antibiotics’. The job of preservatives is to control bacteria and once your pet eats food with preservatives, it will ultimately have an effect inside the intestinal tract too and kill the friendly bacteria.

-You should expect it will take at the least 1 year to recolonize the intestinal tract with friendly bacteria after the use of antibiotics.

-Recolonize the intestinal tract with friendly bacteria by using supplements and feeding natural foods." http://www.pet-grub.com

Now is the time to be proactive and change this. By not remaining apathetic, but by taking action in your life and the lives of your pets, we can and will make a difference.

One more thing that is giving us much hope and one that has me jumping for joy are therapeutic grade essential oils. In 1985 Dr. Jean Claude Lapraz, MD did a study using the therapeutic grade essential oils Oregano and Cinnamon in testing their "antibiotic" like qualities. What he found was that not one single bacteria or virus can live in the presence of these oils!

That is the direction I’ve taken for myself, family and pets and I hope you’ll consider doing the same.

Originally published for the Holistic Pet Care topic on Suite101.com

By: Kim Bloomer

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About the Author:

Kim Bloomer is a natural pet care educator helping pet owners learn to care for their pets through natural, holistic means.Disease prevention is her goal to help pet owners lower their pet care costs and extend the lives of their pets. Visit her website Aspenbloom Pet Care & Supply and her dog’s blogs barkin’ about natural pet care from a canine perspective Bark ‘N’ Blog and A Dog’s View
Look for Kim’s dog Shadrach’s new line of beautiful, custom made, hand-tooled leather collars, leashes and journals for large breed dogs and essential oils on her website.

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