Reef Beauty KNOWLEDGE BASE

ABOUT ESSENTIAL OILS

©2001-2008 Andrew Thompson

What images come to mind when you hear the term "Essential Oils"?

Do you see mystical potions bubbling away in an oil burner? Or maybe an exotic smelling fragrance to spruce up your bathroom.

Chances are, that unless you’re familiar with the science of Aromatherapy, then this is the extent of your knowledge. That’s understandable, since Essential Oils have been a popular subject over recent years, especially in lifestyle magazines.

This has led to a danger though, in that the information provided is usually limited, and can (and does) lead to misuse.

Essential Oils are available over the counter at most health food stores and chemists, and the ease with which a member of the public can buy them has become a serious concern for Aromatherapists.

What most people don’t realise, is that Essential Oils are much more than the popular press makes them out to be. 

For instance, a few drops of Citrus Limon (lemon oil) dabbed on your collar before an important meeting will certainly help you concentrate.  And when added to a massage oil, it will leave your skin feeling tingly and fresh.  It is especially effective as an antiseptic when applied to the skin.  But did you know that if you then go out in the sun, your skin will burn and blister?

Other oils can make you ill, harm an unborn child, or trigger a heart attack or epileptic fit.

Aromatherapy is a science, and shouldn’t be dabbled with by the unwary. Essential Oils are powerful chemicals, many of which are used in western medicine because their ingredients are so unique that they can’t be synthesised in laboratories.

As for the mysticism that often attaches itself to Essential Oils, this is probably due to the fact that they are pure and only exist in nature.  Modern science can’t yet explain their gifts.

Essential Oils are nature’s own factory, and as their name suggests, they contain the very essence of the plant from which they come.

DISCLAIMER: Reef Beauty has made every effort to ensure this information is accurate. However, we accept no responsibility for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies in respect of the information contained in the material provided by Reef Beauty, nor is the provision of the material by Reef Beauty to be construed as any representation that there are no other materials or information available in relation to the information provided. Further, Reef Beauty accepts no responsibility to persons who may rely upon this information for whatever purpose.

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