Get a quick overview of the fundamentals, including how essential oils are made, how they work, and the most common ways to use them.
Essential oils are concentrated, volatile chemicals derived from the roots, leaves, stems, fruits, or flowers of plants. They capture the plant’s aroma and can provide a wide range of health and wellness benefits, when used safely and correctly.
To create essential oils, large quantities of harvested plant materials go through steam distillation, cold pressing, CO2 extraction, or a solvent extraction process to release their chemical compounds.
To give you an idea of just how potent and concentrated essential oils are …
Understanding the incredible potency of essential oils is the first step in considering how to use them safely and effectively. Our mantra is less is more. A little bit goes a long way!
It can be a stretch at first to consider that just by smelling something or putting it on your skin, an array of mental and physical benefits can occur. First, remember that when you interact with essential oils, you are doing much more than smelling a flower or drinking a cup of herbal tea. You are harnessing the power of all the chemical components that plant has to offer in a concentrated form.
Essential oils contain a wide variety of chemicals developed by plants throughout their evolution. These chemicals help plants survive in a wide range of habitats, attract pollinators, ward off pests, and perform other useful functions. These naturally-produced chemical compounds are the basis of each essential oil’s therapeutic benefits. Each essential oil contains chemical components at various levels and combinations, but a lot can be learned by understanding common properties found in chemical families.
Learn about chemical familiesWhen inhaled, essential oils interact with our olfactory system (the source of our sense of smell) and quickly stimulate the brain. In addition, when we inhale essential oils, molecules travel to our lungs and enter our bodies through our respiratory systems.
Another way that inhaled essential oils can affect our system is through receptors that impact the limbic system, which controls our heartbeat, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress, levels, hormones, and emotions.
In other words, simply breathing in these concentrated, naturally occurring chemicals can impact our systems quickly and in multiple ways.
When you put essential oils on your skin, they enter your system by absorption. Your skin is semi-permeable, allowing active chemicals to travel into your body. This is how topical medicines work.
Because essential oils are so potent, we recommend that you always dilute them with a carrier product before putting them on your skin.
Because essential oils are so potent, we recommend that you always dilute them with a carrier product before putting them on your skin.
You can’t get too far into essential oils without also understanding aromatherapy. It's the art and science of using naturally extracted aromatic essences from plants to balance, harmonize, and promote the health of the mind, body, and spirit. The National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) offers more information and in-depth definitions.
Aromatherapy has been practiced since ancient times and has its own deep body of knowledge and terminology. We’ve created an aromatherapy and essential oil glossary to help you get familiar with some terms that are helpful to know.
Aromatherapy glossaryEssential oils have a wealth of benefits on their own and can be combined with other oils to expand their abilities and address a wide variety of health and wellness needs.
Some well-known uses include:
It’s important to note that while essential oils offer many helpful benefits, they should be seen as complementary treatments along with medical care.
Essential oils absorb through your skin and into your system, providing a wide range of benefits.
Inhalers are small metal or plastic tubes that look a bit like chapstick with a cotton wick inside.
You can add essential oils to the cotton wicks, then put the lid back on to keep the scent contained. Inhalers are a great way to enjoy personal aromatherapy on the go, anywhere.Diffusers turn drops of essential oil added to water into a fine mist that can add a lovely aroma to your space, help purify the air, and help you absorb the benefits of essential oils through inhalation. We recommend using an ultrasonic diffuser that emits a cool mist and won’t affect the properties of your essential oils so you can experience their full benefits.
Many essential oils have germ-busting properties, making them fantastic replacements for harsh chemical cleansers.
Creating your own essential oil soaps and scrubs can add extra peace and healing to your bath or shower. Just make sure your essential oils are properly diluted before using them on your skin!
Our products are 100% pure and completely natural. They are organically grown and free from additives of any kind. We take the extra step of testing each batch to guarantee its purity and share the test results on our website so you can see all of the details.
To support your health and wellness, we only select products that have the ideal chemistry for maximum therapeutic benefit. Our recommendations are guided by expert aromatherapists based on the latest research and science.
We keep the earth in mind during each step of our process, making sustainable choices from plant to package. Our small scale producers follow organic practices and all of our materials are selected for sustainability, including plant-based inks and biodegradable shipping materials.