Essential Aromatic Oils
Essential oils are the subtle, aromatic and volatile liquids extracted from the flowers, seeds, leaves, stems, bark and roots of herbs, bushes, shrubs and trees, through distillation.
According to ancient Egytian hieroglyphics and Chinese manuscripts, priests and physicians were using essential oils thousands of years before Christ to heal the sick. They are the oldest form of medicine and cosmetic known to man and were considered more valuable than gold.
There are 188 references to oils in the Bible. Some of the precious oils which have been used since antiquity for anointing and healing the sick are frankincense, myrhh, galbanum, hyssop, cassia, cinnamon and spikenard.
Clinical research now shows that frankincense oil and many others contains very high immune stimulating properties. Science is only now beginning to investigate the incredible healing substances found in essential oils.
How It Works
The tissues that assimilate the negative ion energy of chee from air during breathing are located in the lining of the nasal cavities and sinuses, which is why inhalation must always be through the nose in breathing exercises, Though skin and lungs also absorb small amounts of chee, when it comes to detecting and extracting the bionic energy carried in air, ‘the nose knows best’. For example, the nose is sensitive enough to catch the scent of a rose all the way across a garden and distinguish its bouquet from a carnation. That’s because scent is chee and has bioactive properties when whiffed through the nose’s sensitive olfactory terminals.
The bioactive energy of scent and the nose’s ability to absorb it for therapeutic benefits are proven by the efficacy of aromatherapy, which has been used for millennia throughout the Orient to cure disease. Medieval Arab physicians noted the potent medicinal properties of scents when they observed that perfumeries and incense makers rarely suffered the ravages of cholera and other plagues which regularly swept through the Middle East.
Aromatherapy uses the essential oils of certain fragrant plants to cure specific ailments by exposing aromas in volatile form to the olfactory nerves in the nose, which are directly linked to the brain and the energy meridians. These essential oils are secreted in plants by special glands in the roots, stems, leaves and flowers. Botanists compare these secretions to the hormones secreted in animals.
The Yellow Emperor’s Classic states, ‘essence transforms into energy’. In other words, when the essential oils of aromatic plants are permitted to evaporate into the air, they release their energy as fragrance, and this energy is absorbed by the olfactory nerves when a waft of fragrance enters the nose.
Aromatherapy works only with scents derived from natural living sources, such as flowers, seeds and roots. Synthetic scents have ‘smell’ but no energy, and any sensitive nose can readily tell the difference. In 160, the French medical journal L’Hopital published an article on aromatherapy by Dr. J. Valent, in which he explains this mechanism as follows:
Carried by the bloodstream, the ionized plant aroma impregnates every corner of the body, powerfully revitalized the polarized and discharged cells, replenishes electronic shortages by recharging the bioelectromagnetic batteries, and disperses cellular residue by dissolving the viscous and diseased substances of body fluids. It oxidizes poisonous metabolic waste products, increases energy balance, frees the mechanism of organic oxidation and self-regulation, and reaches the lungs and kidneys, whence it is excreted or exhaled without trace.
That’s a fancy way of saying that natural aromas carry a potent, concentrated charge of active bioelectrical energy which enters the body through the lining of the nose and quickly exerts powerful therapeutic effects on all cells and tissues. An obvious example of this is smelling salts; a mere whiff of this powerful aromatic agent instantly revives the faint by jolting the brain with a strong pulse of bioenergy absorbed directly through the nose.
Thus we begin to realize the importance of the nose in correct breathing and energy balance.
Young Living Essential Oils
Young Living Essential Oils has a wide variety of personal care products. All are made from plants, trees, flowers and roots. The materials are purchased from organic growers when ever possible. The oils are the highest quality and gather from around the world.
Young Living offers Shampoos, bath oils, mouth rinse, digestive aids, nutritional supplements and estrogen products, to name a few.
Essential Oils have been used for thousands of years for relief from pain, stress and to speed healing.
RE-DISCOVERED
In 1920, a French cosmetic chemist named Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, Ph.D., while working in his laboratory, had an accident that resulted in third degree thermal burn of his hand and forearm. He plunged his arm into a vat of lavender oil, thinking that it was water. To his surprise, the burning slowly decreased and then stopped within a few moments. Over a period of time, with the continual application of lavender oil, the burn healed completely without a trace of a scar.
As a chemist, Dr. Gattefosse analyzed the essential oil of lavender and discovered that it contained many substances referred to as chemical constituents. As a result of this, he determined that essential oils contained tremendous healing properties.
He shared his experience with his colleague and friend, Dr. Jean Valnet, a medical doctor in Paris, France. During World War II, while serving as a medical physician in the French Army at the China Wall, treating war victims, Dr. Valnet ran out of antibiotics, so he decided to try using essential oils. To his amazement, they had a powerful effect in reducing and even stopping the infection, and he was able to save many of the soldiers who otherwise might have died even with antibiotics.
Dr. Valnet had two students who did their internship with him who were responsible for expanding his work. Dr. Paul Belaiche and Dr. Jean Claude Lapraz. They discovered that essential oils contain antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and antiseptic properties as well as being powerful oxygenators with the ability to act as carrying agents in the delivery of nutrients INTO the cells of the body.
NOTE: One of the causes of disease in both plants and the human body is the inability of nutrients to penetrate the cell wall. Unless there is an adequate delivery agent to assist the cell to receive needed nutrients, the cell becomes deprived of nutrition, its wall thickens, preventing delivery of nutrients. This causes cell deterioration, leading to cell mutation, creating a host for bacteria and disease. If your food supplement program has seemingly hit a “wall of limitation,” it may be for the above reason.
One of the many incredible aspects of the oils is their amazing ability to penetrate and carry nutrients through the cell wall to the cell nucleus. They literally “fly” through the thickest cell walls. This is so due to the oxygenating molecules found in the oils which transport the nutrients, then delivers them through the cell for feeding the nucleus. The oils are nature’s most effective catalyst and delivery agent for feeding cells.
How Essential Oils Work
“Aromatherapy” is a phrase coined by Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, Ph.D., in 1920, who was a French cosmetic chemist. While working in his laboratory, he had an accident that resulted in a third degree thermal burn of his hand and forearm. He plunged his arm into a vat of lavender oil, thinking that it was water. To his surprise, the burning slowly decreased and then stopped within a few moments. Over a period of time, with the continual application of lavender oil, the burn healed completely without a trace of a scar. As a chemist, he analyzed the essential oil of lavender and discovered that it contained many substances referred to as chemical constituents or chemical properties. As a result of this, Dr. Gattefosse determined that essential oils contained tremendous healing properties.
Dr. Gattefosse shared his experience with his colleague and friend, Dr. Jean Valent, a medical doctor in Paris, France. During World War II, while serving as a medical physician in the French Army at the China Wall, treating war victims, Dr. Valent ran out of antibiotics, so he decided to try using essential oils. To his amazement, they had a powerful effect in reducing and even stopping the infection, and he was able to save many of the soldiers who otherwise might have died even with antibiotics.
Dr. Valent had two students who did their internship with him who were responsible for expanding his work, Dr. Paul Belaiche and Dr. Jean Claude Lapraz. They discovered that essential oils contain antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal and antiseptic properties as well as being powerful oxygenators with the ability to act as carrying agents in the delivery of nutrients into the cells.
For example, if you take a geranium plant and tear the leaf or the stem, a clear liquid will appear. This liquid is a very subtle and volatile essence that exudes from the damaged tissues of the leaf. So it is with the human body. With a cut or scrape, we see the flow of blood from that opening in the skin.
One significant difference between the blood and the plant liquid is the color. In the resin or oil being released from the plant, we find trace elements of nutrients, hormones, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, antibodies, and antifungal, antibacterial, anti-infectious, antiseptic, and immune-stimulating properties. Another key agent found present in that resin is OXYGEN. Oxygen molecules are part of the chemical elements of the resin, such as alcohols, phenols, esters, sesquiterpenes, terpinols, etc., which together create an essential oil.
The plant releases the oil in order to clean the break, kill bacteria and start the regeneration process. When blood is released because of broken skin, it is for the same purpose: to clean the wound, kill the bacteria, prevent infection, and begin the healing and regeneration process. A simple comparison of the plant and the human body shows us a precise similarity, as both the oil and the blood are the transporters of the fundamental nutrients necessary to feed and nurture the cells.
Furthermore, the essential oil has the ability in its chemical structure to penetrate the cell wall and transport oxygen and nutrients inside the cell, thus increasing cellular oxygen and giving more support to the immune system. Research has shown that with their immune-stimulating properties, essential oils enhance and support the building of the immune system, whether they are inhaled or rubbed on the body topically. Even those who contract a cold or the flu recover 70 percent faster using essential oils.
It has been said that when essential oils are diffused in the home, they have the ability to increase the atmospheric oxygen, as they release oxygenating molecules into the atmosphere. Oils increase ozone and negative ions in the home, which inhibit bacteria growth. This prevents and destroys existing odors from mold, cigarettes, animals, etc. Essential oils have the electrical magnetic attraction to fracture the molecular chain of chemicals and take them out of the air, rendering them non-toxic to the body. Scientists in European countries have found that essential oils will bond to metallics and chemicals and carry them out of the body, working as natural chelators, inhibiting these toxic substances from staying in the tissues. Essential oils remove dust particles out of the air and, when diffused in the home, can be the greatest air filtration system. These are all wonderful attributes of essential oils.
Essential oils can be extracted from plants, trees, seeds, flowers, petals, stems, roots, bark, or even the whole plant. Today, about 200 different types of oils are being distilled with several thousand chemical constituents and aromatic molecules that have been identified and registered. These aromatic Substances and compounds within the oils will alter and change based on weather conditions, climate, temperatures, and distillation factors. Today, 98 percent of essential oils are used in the perfume and cosmetic industry. In 1991, only 1/2 percent was used for Aromatherapy. In 1993, 2 1/2 percent were produced for Aromatherapy or for therapeutic and medicinal application.
Essential oils are recognized as being the greatest substances for increasing cellular oxygen through their normal function. When applied to the body by rubbing on the feet, essential oils will travel throughout the body and affect every cell, including the hair, within 20 minutes. They may have a lasting effect for as long as five months from only one application. The oils do not build up and store in the body because they are very subtle and volatile and have a high evaporation rate. Because of their chemical structure, they are metabolized like other nutrients in the cells.
One of the causes of disease in both the plant and the human body is the inability of nutrients to penetrate the cell wall, causing cell deterioration, leading to cell mutation, creating a host for bacteria and disease.
The integral part of the nose responsible for odor detection is the olfactory, consisting of two membranes, one on each side of the mucous membrane covering the bony extension of the nose. The olfactory membranes are very tiny and are well protected by the casing of the nose. They contain about 800 million nerve endings for processing and detecting odors. These nerve endings are triggered from a signal from the genes along the inside passage of the nose. The olfactory hair-like nerves receive the micro-fine, vaporized oil particles, carrying them along the axon of the nerve fibers, connecting them with the synapse of the secondary neurons in the olfactory bulb. The impulses carried to the limbic system and the olfactory sensory center at the base of the brain, pass between the pituitary and pineal gland and then to the amygdala, which is the memory center for fear and trauma. The impulses then travel to the gustatory center where the sensation of taste is perceived.
Only in 1989 was it discovered that the amygdala plays a major role in storing and releasing emotional trauma, and only odor or fragrance stimulalation has a profound affect in triggering a response with this gland. Dr. Joseph Ledoux, of the New York Medical University, feels that this could be major break-through in releasing emotional trauma.
People who have turbinate problems, such as a deviated septum, polyps, or who have had nose surgery, may have a very difficult or impossible time detecting the complete odor. The same holds true for people who have worn a lot of make-up, perfume and cologne or used hair sprays, hair colorings, perms and other products with synthetic odors. Many olfactory hairs respond to only one kind of odor molecule, and simultaneously others will respond to several different kinds of odors. This tells us that not all of the receptors are stimulated at the same time in the presence of odorous vapors.
The olfactory nerves are very much like other nerves and organs in the body. They also respond to electrical signals and impulses that form coded messages that are dispatched to various areas of the body. This may be why some oil inhalation will increase endorphin, neurotransmitter and antibody production.
Fragrance is one of man’s greatest enjoyments, bringing back memories of past experience and creating a feeling of security, grounding and well-being.”
Through fragrance a variety of special feelings are transmitted…relaxation, stimulation, happiness, and achievement. A leading neurologist in America explains “of all the senses, smell has the greatest impact on human emotions.”
Smell receptors in the nostrils are directly linked to the limbic system. Smell is the only sense that bypasses mental judgement and interpretation and goes straight to the center of emotions. This makes smell the most effective way to influence emotion.
A study at the University of Cincinatti revealed that scent in the office significantly boosted alertness and productivity in computer operators. This supports the earlier findings of Japanese researchers who found that fragrance significantly reduced errors among workers by as much as 54%!
Similar results have been obtained in many other studies. Clearly, Aroma Therapy can not only make you work environment more pleasant, but it can increase employee productivity and profits!
Chemistry
“Essential oils are chemically very diverse in their effect and cause different actions, unlike synthetic chemicals, which have basically one action. For example, lavender has been used for burns, insect bites, headaches, PMS, insomnia, stress, etc. Plants in nature are chemical factories. They take in the elements of the sun and earth, light and darkness, individually to receive the energy, converting them into molecules, carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Essential oils are made up of chemical groups and individual chemistry elements. Oxygen, as the key element in essential oils, plays an extremely important role along with other chemical elements.
Essential oils play a major role in their effect on blood circulation, not only in the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues but also in assisting in the disposal of toxic waste from the tissues.
Various constituents in essential oils have been adequately validated to increase the oxygen intake of the cells as well as their ability to utilize oxygen from other sources. Essential oils have many different chemical components in their various molecular structures. No two oils are alike in their affect on the body. Some constituents, such as aldehydes, are anti-infectious, sedative and calming to the nervous system. They are found predominantly in lavender and chamomile oils. Eugenol is antiseptic and stimulating and is found in cinnamon and clove oil. Ketones, found in lavender, hyssop and patchouly oil, stimulate cell regeneration, liquefy mucous and are helpful with dry asthma, colds and the flu. Phenols are antiseptic and kill bacteria and viruses and are found in oregano and thyme oil. Sesquiterpenes, which are predominant in frankincense and sandalwood, are anti-inflammatory and work as liver and gland stimulants. They were found in 1994 to go beyond the brain blood barrier, increasing oxygen around the pineal and pituitary glands.
Imagine how long the list would be if we were able to list all the constituents and just a few of their major activities. Because of the incredible complexity and hundreds of different chemical constituents within one single oil, it becomes very clear that the value of essential oils is equally as immense.
In 1985, Dr. Jean C. Lapraz said he couldn’t find bacteria or viruses that could live in the presence of the essential oils of cinnamon or oregano. He found many other oils displaying the same qualities. This is very significant when we are faced with life-threatening viruses that are drug resistant. In our world today, we see incredible microbial mutations that are starting to create a panic in various parts of the world.
The immune system is an important area we want to examine and understand, especially with the tremendous weakness and continual degeneration caused by the chemicals we ingest, our polluted water and air, our denatured food and our hectic lifestyles. I saw a tremendous need in this area, so I created an oil formula called ImmuPower to help give us some support and protection. This formula contains the oils of ravensara, oregano, thyme, mountain savory, clove, and black cumin, which are all antiviral and antifungal. Oregano, frankincense, clove and cistus are immune stimulators. Frankincense and clove are antitumoral and anticancerous. The action of the oils in this formula have all been documented by medical doctors and scientists in Europe and published in Dr. Penoel’s medical text on Aromatherapy.”
Copyright 1996 Dr. Gary Young, N.D.
History
According to the translation of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and Chinese manuscripts, priests and physicians were using extracted oils from plants for healing thousands of years before Christ. These essential oils are the earliest known medicines, pre-dating the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by some 6,000 years or more.
Highly revered, the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt routinely exchanged Blue Lotus Oil with the kings of India for slaves, gold and other precious goods. And so it is, essential oils were at one time in history considered more valuable than gold.
When King Tut’s tomb was opened in 1922, 350 liters of oil were discovered in alabaster jars. Plant waxes had solidified in a thickened residue around the inside of the container opening, leaving the liquefied oil in excellent condition.
In 1817 the Ebers Papyrus was discovered, which was over 870 feet long and was referred to as a medicinal scroll. It dated back to 1500 B.C. and mentioned over 800 different formulations of herbal prescriptions and remedies. Other scrolls indicated that the Egyptians had a very high success rate in treating 81 different diseases. Many mixtures contained myrrh and honey. Myrrh is recognized today for its ability to help with infections of the skin and throat and to regenerate skin tissue. Myrrh was also used for embalming because of its effectiveness in preventing bacterial growth.
The Egyptians were the first to discover the potential of fragrance. They created various fragrances used for the individual’s personal benefit as well as in rituals and ceremonies performed in the temples and pyramids. According to records dating back to 4500 B.C., they were also using balsamic substances with aromatic properties in religious rituals and for medicines.
The Egyptian high priests understood the value of fragrances for opening the subconscious mind and elevating their ability to communicate with their spirit world.
The ancient Egyptians and Babylonians believed that in order to reach a realm of higher spirituality, they had to be clean and beautiful. They practiced fumigation as a means for disbursing oils to purify the air around them, which they believed would protect them from evil spirits. The Egyptians were a vain people consumed with their looks and beauty. They discovered oils and the aromatic uses of oils for medicinal purposes long before the actual plant was studied and used in its herbal application and incorporated into the field of medicine.
The Romans also played an important role in the history of essential oils. They were very much into fumigating and diffusing oils in their temples and political buildings as well as bathing in hot tubs scented with oils followed by a fragrant massage with their favorite oils.
Anciently, the Arabian people began to study the chemistry of the aromatic properties that resulted in a refined development of distillation. This was first implemented in the extraction of rose oil and rose water, which were very popular in the Middle East at that time. Various expeditions brought aromatic plants from one country to another. Kings would barter and buy land, gold, slaves and women with the oils that they had extracted even with their crude methods. Thus, oils were more valuable than gold.
The European community did not process or produce essential oils until the 12th century. Although Medieval Europeans lost touch with personal cleanliness, which helped bring on the great plagues of the 13th and 14th centuries, essential oils were still known and talked about in relationship to the thieves who robbed the bodies of the dead and were not infected. These robbers, known as spice traders and perfumers, bathed in such oils as pine, frankincense, balsam, clove, cinnamon and rosemary.
Throughout the Old Testament and up to the time of Christ, there are numerous references to the value of oils. Perhaps during the Dark Ages and the burning of the libraries in Alexandria and other places, much of this knowledge was lost; and only through the cosmetic and perfume industry did this valuable science start to resurface.”
Anchored in Scripture:
There are 188 references to these oils (or the plant they are derived from) in the Bible. Some precious oils, such as frankincense, myrrh, galbanum, rosemary, hyssop, cassia, cinnamon and spikenard were used for anointing and healing of the sick. There were three wise men (magi) who brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to the Christ child. Clinical research now shows that frankincense and myrrh are two of the most powerful immune-stimulating substances available, containing very high amounts of immune- stimulating properties. Perhaps the three wise men were wise in ways beyond our knowledge.
Recent excavation of the ancient city called Gilead, has unearthed the remains of a fortress like building used for the manufacture of balsam oil. This “balm of Gilead” noted in Jeremiah 8:22, had long been famous in antiquity for its nearly miraculous properties to HEAL WOUNDS. In fact, the balsam oil of Gilead was so famous that the conquering Roman emperor Titus (79-81 A.D.), after conquering Gilead, displayed branches from Gilead’s balsam trees in his triumphal march through Rome.
So precious was this oil to the commerce of Gilead, the exact manufacturing process was kept a closely guarded secret. So much so, archaeologists uncovered an inscription carved into the floor of a local synagogue that reads, “Whoever reveals the secret of the village to the gentiles, the one whose eyes roam over the entire earth and see’s what is concealed will uproot this person and his seed from under the sun.” (see Biblical Archaeology Review, Sep/Oct 1996 issue).
It should be noted when Joseph’s brothers tried to sell him to a caravan of Ishmaelites passing by, Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, purchased in Gilead, on their way to Egypt. (Gen. 37:25)
The Plagues of Europe:
Essential oils were not produced in Europe until the 12th century. Although Medieval Europeans lost touch with personal cleanliness, which helped bring on the great plagues of the 13th and 14th centuries, essential oils are still known and talked about in relationship to the thieves who robbed the bodies of the dead and were not infected. These robbers, known as spice traders and perfumers, bathed in such oils as pine, frankincense, balsam, clove, cinnamon and rosemary. Imagine the knowledge and trust they must have had in the oils, that they were willing to expose themselves to an otherwise certain death.
Throughout early history, the ancients knew the value of essential oils. What happened to the information about these oils? Perhaps during the Dark Ages and the burning of the libraries in Alexandria and other places, much of this knowledge was lost. It has only been through the cosmetic and perfume industry that this valuable science has started to re-surface.
Young Living Essential Oils