The Fragrant Makeup

Any perfume you buy or make yourself is a chemical compound made from fragrant oils, aroma blends, fixatives and solvents which produces a pleasant or attractive smell. Women primarily use perfume in order to smell nice for work, a special event, or even to attract a mate.
The composition of any perfume starts with base perfume oils, which are natural, animal or synthetic, and are then diluted with a solvent to make them light and applicable. Perfume oils in the purest form can cause damage to skin or an allergic reaction, so the adding of solvent is necessary to make them less potent. The most prevalent solvent used in the manufacturing of perfumes is Ethanol.
Plants are the oldest source for obtaining fragrant oil compounds from flowers and blossoms parts. Other plant parts, such as leaves, twigs, roots, rhizomes, bulbs, seeds, fruit, wood, bark and lichens are also considered for use in perfume making.
Perfumes made using animal sources are normally made from Musk, which is obtained from either the Asian Musk Deer or Civets (known as Civet Musk), as well as Ambergis (a fatty compound). Some perfume makers may also use either Castoreum or Honeycomb in the production of their perfumes.
Synthetic source perfumes are produced through or-ganic synthesis of multiple chemical compounds, in which such things as Calone, Linalool, Coumarin and Terpenes are used to make synthetic fragrant oils. By using synthetic products in perfume making, you can produce scents which may not even exist in nature. In fact, this has become a very valuable element in the making of perfumes nowadays.
A perfume composition will either be used to aug-ment other products, or patented and sold as a perfume after it has been allowed to age for one year.

Unfortunately, fragrance compounds will, after time, begin to deteriorate and lose strength if stored incorrectly. It is therefore important when making your own perfume that you store them in tightly sealed containers and keep them out of light and away from heat, as well as away from oxygen and other organic substances. For best results, store con-tainers in a fridge at a temperature of between 33 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Today more than ever, perfume is popular around the world, because of its use and its application continues to grow.

For purchasing essential oils please visit http://HealWithEssentialOil.com.

Ancient Art of Extracting Oils – How Essential Oils are Produced Today

For more information about healing biblical essential oils, please visit http://HealWithOil.com.

According to Miriam Stead author of “Egyptian Life” the process of distillation using steam was not known for the extraction of essences but there were three techniques available for producing perfumes from flowers, fruits and seeds. She writes “There was effleurage the Saturation of layers of fat with perfume by steeping flowers in the fat and replacing them when their perfume was spent. In this way, the Egyptians were able to create creams and pomades.

The Original Coneheads
A popular form of pomade was the so-called cosmetic cone which was worn on top of the head. Those frequently represented in banqueting scenes worn not only by the guests but also by the servants. The cone was usually white with streaks of orange brown running from its top. The coloring represented the perfume with which the cone was impregnated. As the evening progressed the cone would melt and the scented oil run down over the wig and garment creating a pleasing scent and no doubt a sticky mess. Throughout the course of an evening it became necessary to renew the scent on the cones and the tomb scenes show servants circulating among the guests replenishing the perfumed cream.

A popular late-night comedy television show called “Saturday Night Live” use to include an skit of a family with Coneheads. I am sure the writers of this routine thought they were being original although ‘cone shape’ heads was all the rage in ancient Egypt.
The second process for creating perfume was maceration that is dipping flowers, herbs or fruits into fats or oils heated to a temperature of about 65 degrees Celsius. This technique is depicted in a number of tomb scenes. The flowers or fruits were pounded in mortars and then stirred into the oil which was kept hot on a fire. The mixture was sieved and allowed to cool. It might then be shaped into balls or cones or if liquid poured into vessels. An alternative process may have been to macerate the flowers in water, cover the vessel with a cloth impregnated with fat and boil the contents of the vessel until all the perfumes had evaporated, fixing them in the fat which was then scraped off the cloth. This technique is still used by Peoples living near the source of the Nile.
Thirdly, there was the possibility of expressing the flowers or seeds. This process was borrowed from the manufacture of wine and oil. The material to be pressed was placed in a bag with a stick attached to each end. The sticks were twisted by a group of workmen. This technique was not used often as most recipes specify either maceration or enfleurage.”

How Essential Oils Are Produced Today
Producing essential oils continues to take a lot of work. It takes sixty thousand Rose blossoms to produce one ounce of Rose oil, whereas Lavender is easier to obtain and yields approximately 7 pounds of oil from two-hundred and twenty pounds of dried flowers. The Sandalwood tree must be thirty years old and over thirty feet tall before it can be cut down for distillation. Myrrh, Frankincense, and Benzoin oils are extracted from the gum resins of their respective trees. While citrus fruits such as Orange, Lemon and Lime are squeezed from the peel of their fruits. Cinnamon essential oil comes from the bark of the tree (and leaf) and Pine oil comes from the needles and twigs. Other flowers must be picked by hand early in the morning before the sun rises and heats up, evaporating the essential oil within its petals.

Hence, you can understand the variation in pricing of various essential oils on the market. There is a variety of ways in which essential oils are extracted. The most common methods steam distillation, solvent extraction, expression, effleurage and maceration.

Steam distillation involves using steam to pull essential oils from the plant by suspending the plant material over water in a sealed container, which is then brought to the boil. The steam containing the volatile essential oil is run through a cooler, and when it condenses the liquid is collected. The essential oil appears as a thin film on top of the liquid, as water and essential oils do not mix.

The essential oil is then separated from the water by collecting in a small vial and the water into a large vat.
Solvent extraction involves using little heat, in order to preserve the oil which would otherwise be destroyed or altered during steam distillation. Plant material is dissolved in a liquid solvent of hepane, hexane, or methylene chloride as a suitable perfume solvent, which absorbs the smell, color and wax of the plant. After removing the plant material, the solvent is boiled off under a vacuum to help separate the essential oil. This can be achieved since the solvent evaporates quicker, which leaves a substance called ‘concrete.’ The concrete is mixed with alcohol to aid in filtering the waxes. The next process is to distill the alcohol away, which leaves an ‘absolute.’ The word ‘absolute’ will appear on the label of some bottled essential oils although they still contain 2-3 per cent of the solvent, therefore are not considered pure essential oil.

Citrus oils is expressed rather than distilled. Within citrus fruits such as Orange, Lemon, Lime and Grapefruit the essential oil is located in little sacs just under the surface of the rind. The oils need to be squeezed out or expressed from the peels and seeds. This is achieved by letting the fruit roll over a conveyor that has small needles coming outpiercing the little oil pockets in the citrus rind. The oil runs out and is caught and filtered.
As mentioned before effleurage is an ancient method of extracting oils that is rarely used today because of its long, complicated and expensive process. Fragrant blooms were placed upon sheets of warm animal fat (or long sheets of vegetable fat) which absorbed the essential oil. As flowers are exhausted, they are replaced with fresh blossoms. This process is repeated until the sheet of fat is saturated with fragrance and is separated with solvents leaving only the essential oil.

Macerated oils are not pure essential oils as they are ‘carrier’ oils. Plant material is gathered and chopped, then added to either sunflower or olive oil. The mixture is stirred for a while, then placed in the sunlight for several days. This process transfers all of the soluble components in the plant material including the essential oil then is carefully filtered. This process leaves a carrier oil infused with essential oil.

History of Perfumery using Essential Oils

For more information about using essential oils please visit http://HealWithEssentialOil.com.

Historical records reveal that people’s use of scents, aromas, fragrances and essential oils have been used in almost every culture for millenniums. The Egyptians used aromatics in embalming, while the Greeks attributed sweet aromas to their gods by burning incense and the Babylonians perfumed the mortar with which they built their temples. In fact, Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt drenched the sails of her ships with the most exotic fragrant essential oils so that their essences would herald her arrival along the banks of the Nile. The Hebrews scattered fresh leaves, twigs, and stems of fresh mint, marjoram and other herbs on the dirt floors of homes and synagogues. By walking on these, the fragrant essential oils would be released into the air. This practice was also common in the temple, where they sacrificed animals where the scent acted as a disinfectant as well as an air freshener.
Both the Assyrian’s and Egyptians used scented oils. Because of this, the demand for the raw materials necessary to produce both fragrances and remedies led to the discov-ery of new ways to extract scents from the plants used. Such techniques as pressing, decoction, pulverization and macera-tion were developed and mastered by both the Assyrian’s and the Egyptians. They even made attempts to produce essential oils by distillation. These methods will be discussed in the next chapter.

Slowly, the use of perfumes spread to Greece, where not only were they used in religious ceremonies, but also for personal purposes as well. When the Romans saw what the Greeks were doing, they began to use fragrances even more lavishly. There are many manuscripts that ascribed to how herbs were brought from all over the world to produce the fragrances they used.

After the Roman Empire fell, so the use of aromas for personal use declined. However, during the Middle Ages, perfumes again were used, this time only in churches in Europe for religious ceremonies and to cover the stench of disease and death which abounded at that time.

When trade with the Orient was reestablished at the beginning of the 13th Century, exotic flowers, herbs and spices became more readily available around Europe. Venice quickly became the center of the perfume trade. It was not long before perfumery soon spread to other European countries. The perfume trade then developed even further, as those returning from the crusades reintroduced perfume for personal use.

By the late 18th Century, the synthetic material for fragrances was being produced, which led to the beginning of perfumery in the modern age. Thus, with the introduction of synthetics, perfumes would no longer be exclusively used by the rich and famous. Now with synthetics readily available to produce perfumes, they could be made on a much larger scale, although natural oils were still being used to help soften the synthetics. Today, natural products still remain a very important part of the production of perfumes in modern formulations.

More and more people today are turning away from the industrial techniques of producing perfume, preferring to make it themselves. Most find it is not only easy to do, but a great source of pleasure and fun.

Stop and Smell the Roses

by Rebecca Park Totilo

For more information about biblical essential oils please visit http://HealWithOil.com.  If you would like to purchase essential oils visit http://HealWithEssentialOil.com.

Smelling the fragrance of a rose can bring healing and elevate one’s mood.  Even when the scent is too faint to notice healing is taking place.  The sense of smell facilitated through the olfactory nerve invites the fragrance into certain regions of the brain, enabling the body to process them naturally.

 

Just inhaling a fragrance will bring healing to the body because with pure therapeutic essential oils the molecules are small enough to bypass the blood-brain barrier and reach down at the cellular level to bring healing.^[1] Regular inhalation of essential oils stimulates the limbic region of the brain and encourages the natural release of the human growth hormone (HGH). ^[2]

 

With 1,000 sensors in the nose, it can identify 10,000 scents.^[3] And because the nose is wired differently that the other four senses, it carries molecules directly into the emotional center of the brain where traumatic memories are stored.  Essential oils are a vehicle by which repressed emotions can be released.^[4]

 

The Hebrew word for “smell” is reyach, and this shares the same root word for “spirit,” which is ruach.  Yahweh was moved to compassion through the sense of smell as in the account of Noah’s offering after the flood: “And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD…  and offered burnt offerings…  and the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake” (Genesis 8:20-21).

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[1] Stewart, David, Ph.D., D.N.M.  The Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple: God’s love manifest in molecules.  Care Publications.  2005.

[2] Ledoux, Dr. Joseph.  New York Medical University.

[3] Cromie, William.  “Researchers Sniff Out Secrets of Smell.”   Harvard University Gazette.

[4] Stewart, David, Ph.D., D.N.M.  Healing Oils of the Bible.  Care Publications.  2003.  Page 32-33.

Ancient Uses for Perfumes (essential oils)

For more information about therapeutic grade essential oils, please visit http://HealWithEssentialOil.com.

In ancient times, essential oils and other aromatics were used for religious rituals, as well as for the treatment of illness and other physical and spiritual needs. According to the Essential Oils Desk Reference compiled by Essence Science Publishing, “Records dating back to 4500 B.C. describes the use of balsamic substances with aromatic properties for religious rituals and medical applications. The translation of ancient papyrus found in the Temple of Edfu, located on the west bank of the Nile reveals medicinal formulas and perfume recipes used by the alchemist and high priest in blending aromatic substances for rituals performed in the temples and pyramids. As well, Hiero-glyphics on the walls of Egyptian temples depict the blend-ing of oils and describe hundreds of oil recipes. Within these writings tell of scented barks, resins of spices, and aromatic vinegars, wines and beers that were used in rituals, temples, for embalming and medicine. Thus, the Egyptians were credited as the first to discover the potential of fragrance and were considered masters in using essential oils and other aromatics in the embalming process. They created various aromatic blends for personal use, placing them in alabaster jars – a vessel specially carved and shaped for holding fragrant oils. In fact, when King Tut’s tomb was opened in 1922, 350 liters of oils were discovered in alabaster jars. Amazingly, because of the solidification of plant waxes sealing the opening of the jars, the liquefied oil was in perfect condition.
In the upper region of Egypt, a sect of Jews, called Essenes, were known for their healing arts and use of essential oils. Both Philo and Josephus writings indicated that at the period in which John the Baptist and Jesus were born, the Essenes were scattered over Palestine, numbering about four thousand souls. The Essenes or Therapeuts (used interchangeably) refer primarily to the art of healing which these devotees professed, as it was believed in those days that sanctity was closely allied to the exercise of this power, and that no cure of any sort could be imputed simply to natural causes. (Source: http://sacred-texts.com, http://bopsecrets.org)

The Holy Scriptures record over 1,035 references to aromatics, ointments, savors, fragrances, plants and incense-most implying essential oils. Twelve of the most highly-praised fragrances in the world mentioned in the Bible include: Frankincense, Myrrh, Spikenard, Hyssop, Cypress, Myrtle, Aloes, Sandalwood, Galbanum, Cinnamon, Cassia, and Onycha. Many were in the prescribed preparation of the Holy Anointing Oil and Holy Incense for Temple services, as well as for anointing and healing the sick. The people of the ancient world understood the importance of maintaining wellness and physical health, as well as the oils’ ability to enhance their spiritual state of worship, prayer, and for the purification from sin. King David alluded to this in Psalm 51:7 when he wrote, “Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” While David’s Psalm may have been speaking of a “spiritual purification” from his own sin of adultery with Bathsheba, today we know that the chemical constituents of essential oils including hyssop are able to penetrate the cell wall and transport needed oxygen and nutrients to the cell nucleus. Most essential oils can be absorbed through the skin or inhaled into the lungs where they then make their way into the bloodstream. The sense of smell affects the limbic region of the brain, which controls emotions, memory and the hypothalamus, which regulates the pituitary, which in turn balances the entire hormonal system of the body.

Making Solid Perfume – A Simple Recipe Using Essential Oils

The Simplicity of Making Solid Perfume

For more fun recipes and uses for essential oils, please visit http://HealWithOil.com. 

While filling up your little perfume containers with your favorite homemade perfume is fun, easy and exciting, you’ll find that making solid perfume is even easier.

Most of the supplies for making solid perfume can be found at a craft and health food stores. Therefore, read this list and get to the store so we can get busy making your favorite scent solid perfume.

•     A small glass bowl for mixing

•     1 saucepan

•     1 stirring stick or straw

•     A glass, stone or ceramic container for your perfume

•     Essential oil of your choice

•     Beeswax

•     Almond or jojoba oil or vitamin E

Put 1 tablespoon of almond or jojoba oil and 1-tablespoon wax in the small glass jar. Put about an inch of water in the saucepan and put the far in the water. Bring the water in the saucepan to a boil to allow the wax to melt. When it’s completed melted and liquid, remove it from the stove.

Add about 8 to 12 drops of essential oils into the mixture. Stir it with a straw or stirring stick, allowing as little as possible to stick to them so as not to waste any of your precious perfume. Make sure it’s thoroughly mixed.

Pour your liquefied wax into your glass or stone container and let it cool for at least 30 minutes. The mixture you’ve made will make about one half ounce of solid perfume. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll want to make a larger amount.

When you’re ready to use the perfume, all you have to do is rub your finger on the surface of the perfume and rub it on your neck, wrist or any place you desire. You’ll find that solid perfume is easy and fun to make, you’ll want to experiment with many different fragrances. It’s great for traveling and can be put in a small container of your choice and carried in your purse or glove compartment.

Different fragrances can be made for medicinal or special purposes. For instance, a mixture of lavender or chamomile oils makes a very relaxing scent. Applying solid perfume of cypress or cedar is great for a foot rub. You’ll find that you not only will want to have several of these unique perfume scents in your home but they make great gifts as well.

Methods of Making Perfume

Making perfume is an art that’s been around for many centuries. To many, it’s much more than an art. It’s a creation of thought, inspiration and care, resulting in some of the most beautiful fragrances imaginable.

Although there have been different methods implemented through the years, the general principle and purpose of making perfume is the same: extracting the desired scent.  In an earlier chapter we covered many methods of extracting fragrances from various plant parts.  There are actually two methods of scent extraction today: effleurage or distillation.

•     Effleurage is a process where a glass plates are filled with highly purified and odorless animal or vegetable fat, where petals of your chosen are placed. The petals of fresh flowers are pressed into the fat.  The petal will stay in the grease for a few days so the essence has a chance to disperse and leak into the compound.

After a few days, remove the petals and replace them with freshly picked ones. This process continues until the greasy compound if saturated with the essence. You’ll have to do this process a few times to get to this point. Once the saturation point has been reached, the petals are removed and the grease and fragrant oil mixture, also known as effleurage pomade, is washed with alcohol so the extract can separate from the grease.

The remaining grease is used to make soap and, once the alcohol evaporates, you have the essential oil you need for perfume. Effleurage is not only very time consuming but an expensive way of extraction as well. This process if often used for jasmine and tuberoses.

•     Distillation is a process where steam is used to capture the fragrance. The plants or flowers are put in the top part of a sill on perforated trays, with the bottom part filled with water. The water is brought to a boil, as it’s the steam that brings out the fragrances and scent-bearing components, which are transferred into an attached glass-cooling worm so it can be refrigerated and condensed.

The essential oil and water mixture is put into bottles, where the essential oils will rise to the top leaving the scented water on the bottom. While the scented water is used for toilette water and other purposes, the essential oil is made into the finest perfumes.

Although technology has provided perfume makers with state-of-the-art equipment to make their perfume quickly and efficiently, the methods are still basically the same. Once they have the desired perfume, they don’t stop there. Being chemists as well as artists of the trade, they’re able to mix them with other essential oils to create exotic and beautiful fragrances.

For more information about the use of essential oils, please visit http://HealWithOil.com.

What is Galbanum in the Holy Incense (Temple Incense)?

For more information about the biblical fragrances, please visit my website http://RATW.org or http://HealWithOil.com.

Resembling a giant fennel plant, Galbanum (Ferula galbaniflua, member of the carrot family) was used in the ancient world as incense. Native to the Middle East and grown in the Mesopotamian area and West Asia, Galbanum had to be imported in biblical times. Today it is cultivated in Iran, Turkey, Lebanon and Afghanistan.

Galbanum, also called “Mother resin,” is discharged from the roots and lower trunk of this small wild plant. It is harvested by slitting its stem a few inches above the ground, allowing the milky substance to flow out and harden. Its balsamic tears are round, yellow to brownish-yellow, translucent, and not larger than a pea. It has been valued for its complex green, woody, balsam-like fragrance. At one time it was used in pharmaceuticals, but now it is mostly used as a food flavoring and as a perfume fixative. The Egyptians imported Galbanum resin in vast amounts, as it was a most treasured incense ingredient. In addition, Egypt used it for embalming and cosmetics.

The Jewish Talmud suggests that Galbanum, a bitter, earthy gum resin from an Asiatic plant was included in the Holy Incense because “Every communal fast that does not include the sinners of Israel is not a fast.” This was because the Temple incense included spices with beautiful fragrances, but was considered incomplete without a less-than-fragrant aromatic such as Galbanum. Described by some modern Bible commentators as having a pleasant smell, Philo praises Galbanum, comparing it to air and calling it sweet smelling and says its smoke drives away serpents. 

This sharp, biting pungent resin could be equated with some of the unpleasant things we need to pray about. We are required to examine ourselves carefully as we meditate on the Holy Scriptures,

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Yeshua Ha Mashiach is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (II Corinthians 13:5) 

A genuine self-examination can be a very unpleasant experience. The Jewish Talmud say, Chelbenah alludes to complete sinners. Like a Tziporen-fingernail, they are smooth and unblemished on the inside, and only darkened on the outside.

In Hebrew, Galbanum is Chelbenah.  The Hebraic root is Cheleb, which means “the fat or the richest part” and Chalab, which means “milk.” Of the animal sacrifices in Scripture, the fat was reserved for God and burned as a soothing aroma to Him (Genesis 4:4, Leviticus 3:14-16).

 In the Greek, Galbanum is simply a borrowing of the Hebrew word, so there is no chance of error in translation from Hebrew to Greek.  It is mentioned in the Egyptian papyri and only once in the Old Testament as an ingredient of the sacred incense and once in the Apocrypha (Sirach 24:15).

Aches and Muscle Pain Essential Oil Recipe

Here is a simple recipe to use for muscle aches and pain. Gently massage into muscles to relieve pain.

What You Will Need:

2 Drops Lavender Essential Oil

2 Drops Rosemary Essential Oil

Massage Oil Base (carrier oil)

What To Do:

1. Add four drops of essential oils to 4 teaspoons of massage oil (carrier oil).
2. Massage into muscles for aches and pain.

Don’t forget to visit my website http://HealWithOil.com for more information on use of essential oils and great articles.

Quick Reference Blending Chart For Essential Oils

Quick Reference Blending Chart

Here’s a quick guide to how much essential oil to use for each application. For recipes and formulas, be sure to follow amounts listed in the directions. Caution: For children, elderly and pregnant women, please divide essential oil amount in half for body applications.

Method                                     Carrier/Amount                                Essential Oils Drops

Vaporizer                                        Full                                                          5 to 10

Humidifier                                     Full                                                           5 to 10

Steam Inhalation                          Full Bowl                                                 2 to 3

Diffuser/Nebulizer                          -                                                             10 to 25

Stove Top                                       Full Pan                                                   6 to 12

Light Ring                                         -                                                              1 to 2

Tea Lights/Burner                          -                                                              4 to 6

Vacuum Cleaner Bag/Filter                                                                         3 to 5

Room Spray                                   4 Ounces                                                  80 to 100

Household Cleaner                      8 Ounces                                                  80 to 100

Body Lotion                                   4 Ounces                                                  25

Body Oil                                         4 Ounces                                                  50

Massage Oil                                   1 Tablespoon                                          7 to 10

Shampoo                                        1 Ounces                                                   10

Conditioner                                   1 Ounce                                                     10

Chest Rub                                      1 Ounces                                                    15 to 25

Compress                                          -                                                                8 to 10

Tissue                                                -                                                                1 to 2

Mouthwash                                    1 Teaspoon                                               2 to 3

Foot Bath/Spa                              Small Tub                                                5

Bath                                                Full Tub                                                    8 to 10

Shower                                           Washcloth                                                 1 to 2

Sauna                                              1 Cup Water                                              1 to 2

Hot Tub/Jacuzzi                          Full                                                            10 to 15

For more information, please visit our website at http://HealWithOil.com.

The Ancient Art of Extracting Essential Oils & Making Perfumes & Today’s Methods

The Ancient Art of Extracting Oils & Making Perfumes
 According to Miriam Stead, author of “Egyptian Life,” the process of distillation using steam was not known for the extraction of essences, but there were three techniques available for producing perfumes from flowers, fruits and seeds. She writes, “There was enfleurage, the saturation of layers of fat with perfume by steeping flowers in the fat and replacing them when their perfume was spent.  In this way, the Egyptians were able to create creams and pomades. 

The Original Coneheads

 A popular form of pomade was the so called cosmetic cone which was worn on top of the head. They frequently represented in banqueting scenes, worn not only by the guests but also by the servants.  The cone is usually white with streaks of orange brown running from its top.  The colouring represents the perfume with which the cone was impregnated.  As the evening progressed, the cone would melt and the scented oil run down over the wig and garment, creating a pleasing scent and, no doubt, a sticky mess.  Throughout the course of an evening, it became necessary to renew the scent on the cones and the tomb scenes show servants circulating among the guests, replenishing the perfumed cream.  A popular late-night comedy television show called, “Saturday Night Live,” use to include an skit of a family with coneheads. I am sure the writers of this routine thought they were being original, although ‘cone shape’ heads was all the rage in ancient Egypt.    

 The second process for creating perfume was maceration, that is dipping flowers, herbs, or fruits into fats or oils heated to a temperature of about 65 degrees Celsius.  This technique is depicted in a number of tomb scenes.  The flowers or fruits were pounded in mortars and then stirred into the oil, which was kept hot on a fire.  The mixture was sieved and allowed to cool.  It might then be shaped into balls or cones, or, if liquid, poured into vessels.  An alternative process may have been to macerate the flowers in water, cover the vessel with a cloth impregnated with fat and boil the contents of the vessel until all the perfumes had evaporated, fixing them in the fat which was then scraped off the cloth.  This technique is still used by peoples living near the source of the Nile.

 Thirdly, there was the possibility of expressing the flowers or seeds.  This process was borrowed from the manufacture of wine and oil.  The material to be pressed was placed in a bag with a stick attached to each end.  The sticks were twisted by a group of workmen.  This technique was not used often, as most recipes specify either maceration or enfleurage.”

How Essential Oils Are Produced Today

Producing essential oils continues to take a lot of work. It takes sixty thousand rose blossoms to produce one ounce of rose oil, whereas lavender is easier to obtain and yields approximately 7 pounds of oil from two-hundred and twenty pounds of dried flowers.  The Sandalwood tree must be thirty years old and over thirty feet tall before it can be cut down for distillation.  Myrrh, frankincense, and benzoin oils are extracted from the gum resins of their respective trees. While citrus fruits such as orange, lemon and lime are squeezed from the peel of their fruits. Cinnamon essential oil come from the bark of the tree, and pine oil comes from the needles and twigs. Other flowers must be picked by hand early in the morning before the sun rises and heats up, evaporating the essential oil within its petals. Hence, you can understand the variation in pricing of various essential oils on the market.

There is a variety of ways in which essential oils are extracted.  The most common methods steam distillation, solvent extraction, expression, enfleurage and maceration.

Steam distillation involves using steam to pull essential oils from the plant by suspending the plant material over water in a sealed container, which is then brought to the boil. The steam containing the volatile essential oil is run through a cooler, when it condenses, and the liquid is collected.  The essential oil appears as a thin film on top of the liquid, as water and essential oils do not mix. The essential oil is then separated from the water by collecting in a small vial and the water into a large vat.

Solvent extraction involves using little heat, in order to preserve the oil which would otherwise be destroyed or altered during steam distillation. Plant material is dissolved in a liquid solvent of hepane, hexane, or methylene chloride as a suitable perfume solvent, which absorbs the smell, color and wax of the plant. After removing the plant material, the solvent is boiled off under a vacuum to helping to separate the essential oil.  This can be achieved since the solvent evaporates quicker, which leaves a substance called, ‘concrete.’ The concrete is mixed with alcohol to aid in filtering the waxes. The next process is to distil the alcohol away, which leaves an ‘absolute.’ The word ‘absolute’ will appear on the label of some bottled essential oils, although they still contain 2-3 per cent of the solvent, thus not considered pure essential oil.

Citrus oils is expressed rather than distilled. Within citrus fruits such as orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit, the essential oil is located in little sacs just under the surface of the rind. The oils need to be squeezed out or expressed from the peels and seeds, and this is achieved by letting the fruit roll over a conveyer that has small needles coming out, piercing the little oil pockets in the citrus rind. The oil runs out and is caught and filtered.

As mentioned before, enfleurage is an ancient method of extracting oils that is rarely used today because its long, complicated, and expensive process. Fragrant blooms were placed upon sheets of warm animal fat (or long sheets of vegetable fat), which absorbed the essential oil.  As flowers are exhausted, they are replaced with fresh blossoms. This process is repeated until the sheet of fat is saturated with fragrance and is separated with solvents, leaving only the essential oil.

Macerated oils are not pure essential oils as they are ‘carrier’ oils. Plant material is gathered and chopped, then added to either sunflower or olive oil. The mixture is stirred for a while, then placed in the sunlight for several days. This process transfers all of the soluble components in the plant material, including the essential oil, then is carefully filtered. This process leaves a carrier oil infused with essential oil.

For more information about the biblical essential oils, please visit my website http://HealWithOil.com.  I am offering a free online “Art of the Apothecary” course.  Sign up today!

The Different Ways To Use Essential Oils

For more information on biblical essential oils, visit my website http://HealWithOil.com.

There are different ways of using aromatherapy so if you think inhaling it is the only way, think again because here are a few other options.

If you have muscle aches or pains, you can get a massage using one or two essential oils. You don’t even need a full body massage to feel its profound effect because you can apply it yourself especially when you have a terrible headache or have some pain in the arms or legs.

You can even bathe yourself in aromatherapy oils. All you have to do is fill the bathtub and add in 6 to 10 drops of the essential oil of your choice. If you don’t have any oils, try bath salts that are designed to dissolve once this is mixed with water.

For those who don’t like to apply this directly to their skin, they can also add aromatherapy oil to a hot or cold compress. To do that, you have to get a bowl and fill it with water. Once this is filled, pour in some essential oils and then soak a tea towel for several minutes. After wringing out the excess water, you wrap this in another towel or a plastic wrap and then apply this over the affected area.

Some stains are hard to remove and when nothing else seems to work, perhaps some essential oil will do the trick. To do that, you simply mix the essential oil with the laundry, floor rinses, wash buckets or water misters. The result is a clean shirt and household.

Aside from keeping your clothes and house clean, aromatherapy oils can also help remove a stench even when it is coming from your shoes. To do that, you put a few drops of the oil in a pan if the smell happens to come from the kitchen and let it simmer for a few minutes. As for your shoes, you just put a few drops into the shoe.

You can even mix aromatherapy oils with some of your cosmetics. Some examples of these include body lotion, cold creams, hair rinses, perfumes and shampoo. When you do this, make sure it is 1 part essential oil to 9 or 10 parts of the base material.

Do you have a bad breath or a sore throat? An essential oil like clove or tea tree can help after gargling it for a few seconds. If you don’t like the taste, try mixing this with plain water.

Aromatherapy oils are also great for burns, minor cuts, scrapes and scratches. To use it, you mix a few drops of the oil with some warm water.  You then soak a clean cloth or a cotton pad then apply this over the affected area before putting a bandage.

There are many ways to maximize aromatherapy and how it can be used depends on the type of oil that you have. While some will make you feel calm and relaxed others will make you experience a different sensation. The nice thing about using such oils is that it is safe for you to use.

It will surely make the house clean and smelling good while at the same time make you feel good since there are no side effects unlike certain medication.

Household Uses For Essential Oils

For more information about essential oils, please visit my website http://HealWithOil.com.

Like it or not, homes can get stale with bad odors, germs, and dirt. The first products people usually turn to are strong chemical solutions. These aren’t particularly healthy, and can have unpleasant odors of their own. Perhaps a better type of product to reach for is essential oils. Essential oils can be used for many different household problems. Tea tree and lavender oils are considered to be highly effective anti-bacterial essential oils. A few drops of either can be added to water to rinse any area you want to disinfect.

These can include sinks, countertops, and bathrooms. You can make an antiseptic spray by putting the water with essential oils in it into a spray bottle. Spray it around bathrooms, kitchens, and sickrooms.

Sometimes, you don’t mind so much using the chemical cleaners. You just want a fresher, more natural smell to linger when you finish. If this is the case, you can make a rinse to use following regular cleaning. To make the rinse, add four drops of any essential oils you like to a pint of water. Then, simply rinse the area with this after you have cleaned. You can use essential oils like pine, lavender, wintergreen, rosemary, orange, or any others you like.

If you want to make the air in your home smell fresh and sweet, simmer fruit peels or any essential oils in water on the stove. Keep it at a gentle heat. The scent will permeate the whole house.

You may have seen scented toilet paper rollers for sale in your local store. You can use the same idea only make it better with essential oils. Put a few drops of essential oils on the cardboard tube that holds the toilet paper. Every time it’s spun, a fresh aroma will be released.

You can easily make a homemade carpet cleaner if you have a few essential oils. You need rosewood oil, eucalyptus oil, and lavender oil. Or, if you like, use any other combination of essential oils. You mix this with baking soda or cornstarch. Sprinkle the mixture on the carpet and vacuum fifteen minutes later. Commercial floor cleaning product makers are aware that lemon and orange oils are excellent for cleaning. There are many products out there that use them. If you have essential oils of lemon and orange, you can mix them with some hot water and soap. You will have the same thing-minus any chemicals.

Dryer sheets all seem to have the same unnatural trying-to-be-fresh smell. You can make your own equivalent of dryer sheets using essential oils. Take a small towel and put a few drops of your favorite essential oils on it. Put it in the dryer with your clothes. Tea tree essential oil helps to get rid of mold in the household. Lemon oil can be used as a disinfectant. Eucalyptus oil can be added to the laundry when you are washing bedding. This will help to control dust mites.

Essential oils have a place in the household that is both practical and aesthetic. They can make your home clean on a molecular level and pleasant to your sense of smell. The more you use essential oils, the more they will become a part of your home life.

The Art of the Apothecary

“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.”  Thomas Edison

Historical records reveal that essential oils have been used in almost every culture, especially during Biblical times.  The Egyptians used aromatics in embalming, while the Greeks attributed sweet aromas to their gods and the Babylonians perfumed the mortar with which they built their temples.  In fact, Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt drenched the sails of her ships with the most exotic fragrant essential oils so that their essences would herald her arrival along the banks of the Nile. The Hebrews scattered fresh leaves, twigs, and stems of fresh mint, marjoram and other herbs on the dirt floors of homes and synagogues.  By walking on these, the fragrant essential oils would be released into the air.  This practice was also common in the temple, where they sacrificed animals where the scent acted as a disinfectant as well as an air freshener.

In 1996, the “Biblical Archaeology Review” reported that during the excavation of the ancient city of Gilead, they unearthed the remains of a building used for the manufacture of balsam essential oil.  This oil known as the “Balm of Gilead” is noted in Jeremiah 8:22:

“Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is there no healing for the wound of my people?”

This balm of Gilead was known for it’s miraculous healing of wounds. The producing of this healing balm was so well guarded that archeologists found,

“Whoever reveals the secret of the village to the gentiles, the one whose eyes roam over the entire earth and sees what is concealed will uproot this person and his seed from the sun.”

 

The Art of the Apothecary

Apothecary, is defined as “a health professional trained in the art of preparing and dispensing drugs.”  Derived from the Greek word apotheke, it means a repository or store room and from the Hebrew word raqach, which means to perfume.  Some bible translations use the word perfumer instead of apothecary, such as “to prepare spices.”  In biblical times, the Levitical priesthood served as apothecaries as well.  One of the responsibilities for the priests included preparing the holy anointing oil and incense.  In Exodus 30:22-28, we read about the instructions the LORD gave to Moses concerning the ingredients of the holy anointing oil:

“Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.”

This highly perfumed formula prescribed by God comprised of the finest spices: flowing myrrh, sweet-smelling cinnamon, fragrant calamus cane, cassia and olive oil.  Specific instructions for its use consecrated or set apart articles for Temple worship as “holy”. This included the ark of the testimony, the holy tabernacle, and all of its furnishings.  Because of its specialness, Yahweh gave an admonition to NOT reproduce the EXACT formula, nor use it on ordinary common people.  This is something believers should respect as they explore, study and create biblical scents.

God not only gave Moses specific instructions for combining these essences for the Holy Anointing Oil, but for also combining them into a pure and Holy confection to be burned as an incense as a testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation before Yahweh.  In Exodus 30:34 – 38, it says:

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:  And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.  And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD.  Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.”

Apothecaries remained a prominent part of Israel’s culture after being taken into Babylonian captivity and upon returning to Jerusalem during the time of Nehemiah and Ezra.  In Nehemiah 3:8 it tells how they participated in the rebuilding of the city:

“Next unto him repaired Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of the goldsmiths. Next unto him also repaired Hananiah the son of one of the apothecaries, and they fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall.”

Though the term “apothecary” is not found in the New Testament, the practice of compounding and burning Holy Incense still continued.  In fact, this duty was considered such a great honor for those of the Levitical priesthood they had to cast lots for it.  Luke 1:9 tells how lot fell on Zacharias:

“According to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.  And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.  And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.”

Some may consider the duties of the apothecary and priest to be a lost art since the destruction of the 2nd Temple. However, Yeshua spoke of another temple (His body) in which believers are members of and are to be a priest unto.  1 Peter 2:5 says,

“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

Today, the Lord continues to set apart the true priests of God with the act of anointing.  As believers in the Messiah, we must now consider what those duties and responsibilities are as a priest unto Him.

For more information about the biblical essential oils, please visit my website http;//HealWithOil.com.

Frankincense Essential Oil Properties & Uses

For more information about the biblical essential oils, please visit our website http://HealWithOil.com.  If you are interested in purchasing 100% Pure Therapeutic Grade essential oils, please visit our e-store http://HealWithEssentialOil.com.  

Medicinal Properties: Expectorant, Antimicrobial, Immunity-stimulant, and Antidepressant

Traditional Uses: Frankincense is considered the holy anointing oil of the Middle East and has been used in religious ceremonies for thousands of years.  It has been used to treat every conceivable illness known to man, which caused it to be more valued more than gold in ancient times.  Researchers today have discovered that Frankincense contains sesquiterpenes, which help to stimulate the limbic region of the brain (the center of emotions), as well as the hypothalamus, pineal and the pituitary glands.  The hypothalamus is the master gland of the human body, controlling the release of many hormones including the thyroid and growth hormone.  Frankincense is being used therapeutically in European hospitals and is being studied for its ability to improve the human growth hormone production.

Other Uses: Frankincense may help with allergies, asthma, depression, ulcers, snake and insect bites, bronchitis, cancer, respiratory infections, diphtheria, headaches, hemorrhaging, herpes, high blood pressure, inflammation, stress, tonsillitis, typhoid, and warts.  Because it contains sesquiterpenes, it has the ability to go beyond the blood-brain barrier and helps to elevate the mind in overcoming stress and despair, as well as support the immunity system. It also increases the activity of leukocytes in defense of the body against infection.

Application: Diffuse or apply topically. 

Note: Frankincense contains monoterpenes which can reprogram cellular memory and promote permanent healing.

Aromachology and Aromatherapy: Do You Know The Difference?

by Marilyn Flook
http://foreverfragrant.com/

Aromachology and Aromatherapy both promote the positive effects of fragrance on mood and emotion but that may be where the similarity ends.  References in commercial writing often blur their distinctions leaving many readers confused.  Read on and learn the difference.

Aromachology is the scientific study of the effects of fragrance on human psychology and behavior.  This term was coined in 1989 by what is now the Sense of Smell Institute, a division of The Fragrance Foundation, which in turn is the non-profit, educational arm of the international fragrance industry.  Aromachology emphasizes controlled scientific study, deals only with the psychological effects of fragrance and considers both natural and synthetic odorants.  Aromachology is driven by corporate sponsorship and ultimately endeavors to identify fragrance applications that have commercial opportunity.

Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of plant essential oils to improve physical health as well as psychological health.  The term was first used in 1928 by French chemist Rene-Maurice Gattefosse to describe the healing action of aromatic plant essences but the use of herbs and plant oils dates back to antiquity.  The practice of Aromatherapy remains an integral part of folk medicine.  The pharmacology of essential oils is seldom studied scientifically as there is no commercial incentive to do so.  Aromatherapy uses only pure, natural essential oils, each with specific attributes for healing, and how they smell is secondary to their therapeutic action.

The two disciplines appear to overlap where aromatherapy uses inhalation of diffused oils to treat conditions related to mood and emotion, such as anxiety, depression, lethargy, or irritability.  But even in this circumstance, there is an important distinction.

Aromatherapy does not endorse the use of artificial fragrances which have no therapeutic value and can not affect mood beyond the psychological effects of “odor memory”.  On the other hand, researchers in Aromachology will point out that the special virtues of essential oils are not supported by a substantial body of clinical evidence.  But is there really a conflict?

The fact that our emotions are affected by fragrance is widely accepted.  Memory and emotion are often strongly associated with odor.  We have all experienced it.  A whiff of a particular odor and our minds are suddenly flooded with a memory and the emotions associated with that memory.  There is an anatomical basis for this phenomenon.  Within the human brain the primary olfactory cortex, which processes information about odors, is directly connected to the amygdala, which controls the expression and experience of emotion, and the hippocampus, which controls the consolidation of memories.  These are primitive functions that have been around since the time in early evolution when we needed to use our sense of smell for survival.  Controlled studies would suggest that our appreciation of an odor and our emotional response to it, are determined by the emotional context in which the odor was first encountered, even if the association is subtle and we are not consciously aware of it.  This is why our appreciation of odors is such a personal matter and why there are significant differences in odor preference from one culture to the next. 

Both natural and synthetic odorants can trigger a psychological response which is at the heart of Aromachology but only the appropriate essential oil will cause a specific physiological response which is the healing goal of Aromatherapy. 

Are the claims of Aromatherapy unproven?  It is true that there is little scientific research into the pharmacology of essential oils.  Lack of funding is the primary reason.  Essential oils are not patentable and so with a few exceptions there is no commercial incentive for conducting research.  On the other hand, thanks to Aromachology controlled studies have validated some of the historical claims for essential oils.  For example, it has been proven that Rosemary enhances cognitive performance, Peppermint is invigorating and Lavender is relaxing.  The practice of Aromatherapy has withstood the test of time.  Within western cultures its popularity as a complementary medicine continues to grow. 

In reality there is no conflict between Aromachology and Aromatherapy because they have different agendas and neither invalidates the other.  In the end, Aromachology may prove to be of great benefit to Aromatherapy by adding the weight of modern research to the large body of common knowledge that has supported it for hundreds of years.

 

Marilyn Flook manages the Forever Fragrant website which promotes aromatherapy and natural products.  Learn more about essential oils and practical ways to use aromatherapy.

For more information about the biblical essential oils, please visit my website http://HealWithOil.com

Aromatherapy: Essential Oils For Romance In Your Marriage

by Penny Barker

Aromatherapy consists of using different aromas to affect a person’s mood or behaviour. In the practice of aromatherapy, each essential oil is believed to possess unique specific properties that positively affect different areas of a person’s life. Some are used to soothe physical ailments, while others can increase concentration, stamina or energy, and possibly jumpstart your libido. The use of aromatherapy essential oils in sexual practices and rituals has been around for centuries and spans many cultures. It is said that the famous seductress Cleopatra indulged in the practice of aromatherapy, using the intoxicating scents of cinnamon, cardamom and rose to bewitch and entice Marc Antony.  

How to Use Aromatherapy Essential Oils
There are many ways to incorporate the benefits of aromatherapy into everyday life, and various methods of using essential oils. They can be applied to the skin, but must first be diluted with a carrier oil as they are too powerful in their undiluted form. You may prefer to inhale the oil scent by placing a few drops on a clean cloth or tissue and putting it near your nose, or you can use steam inhalation. It is also possible to put a few drops of oil diluted with a carrier oil in your bathwater. Just add your preferred scent to one ounce of carrier oil and mix well into the warm water. Aromatherapy essential oils can be added to lotions, massage oils, and shower products to help revitalize your mind and body, all the while providing you with a very sensual experience.  

Carrier oils
Aromatherapy essential oils must be “carried” onto the skin by carrier oils as they are too concentrated to be applied directly on the skin. Carrier oils are also known as base oils or vegetable oils. Some popular carrier oils include sweet almond, grapeseed, jojoba, sunflower, avocado, and olive oil.  

Scents to Raise the Libido
The use of aromatherapy essential oils can enhance almost any mood. A person’s sense of smell is tied to the area of emotion and memory in the brain; consequently, a particular pleasing scent can recreate wonderful feelings associated with a pleasurable past experience. Spicy scents can definitely make an individual feel energized, while light floral scents can put you in a sensual and relaxed mood. The aromatherapy essential oils can be placed in a diffuser to create a seductive atmosphere in the room, used to perform a sensuous massage or blended in a warm bubble bath for two! There are hundreds of scents used in the practice of aromatherapy. Here are a few essential oils known to produce positive results in the area of love and sexual relations:  

Rose – A deeply floral scent that is relaxing and known to promote compassion, love and sensuality.  

Vanilla – A subtly sweet aroma that induces feelings of security, compassion and love.  

Jasmine – A comforting scent that is warm and floral. Indian women use it in their hair to entice their husbands into love-making.  

Ginger – A woody aroma that provides feelings of warmth when used in a massage, and is known to increase endurance. Many brides of South Asia use this oil in creams on their wedding day.  

Clove – A spicy, rich and penetrating scent with warming properties which is intoxicating to the senses.  

Ylang Ylang – A very powerful scent, originally from China, which can be very enticing when mixed with other oils such as clary sage or geranium. Its floral and exotic odor can enhance stimulation.  

Bergamot - A sweet and spicy aroma that produces intense refreshing effects.  

Cedarwood – An intensely woody aroma that has soothing and strengthening properties that promotes inner strength and confidence.  

Clary Sage– A nutty, heady scent that is said to have warming effects on the body and encourages creativity and vitality.

Female Aphrodisiac website – www.female-aphrodisiac-info.com

Originally published on SearchWarp.com for Penny Barker Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Article Source: Aromatherapy: Essential Oils to Jumpstart your Libido

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Essential Oils Can Effect Your Mood Or Emotions – Know Which One To Use

Smelling the fragrance of a rose can bring healing and elevate one’s mood. Even when the scent is too faint to notice healing is taking place. The sense of smell facilitated through the olfactory nerve invites the fragrance into certain regions of the brain, enabling the body to process them naturally.

Just inhaling a fragrance will bring healing to the body be-cause with pure therapeutic essential oils the molecules are small enough to bypass the blood-brain barrier and reach down at the cellular level to bring healing. Regular inhalation of essential oils stimulates the limbic region of the brain and encourages the natural release of the human growth hormone (HGH).

With 1,000 sensors in the nose, it can identify 10,000 scents. And because the nose is wired differently that the other four senses, it carries molecules directly into the emotional center of the brain where traumatic memories are stored. Essential oils are a vehicle by which repressed emotions can be released.

The Hebrew word for “smell” is reyach, and this shares the same root word for “spirit,” which is ruach. Yahweh was moved to compassion through the sense of smell as in the account of Noah’s offering after the flood: “And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD… and offered burnt offerings… and the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake” (Genesis 8:20-21).

Essential oils make a great tool for aiding with emotions. Essential oils can be helpful with creating calm when a person is angry or hysterical or maybe you just need a lift when you are tired after a long day. Here is a quick checklist of which essential oil to use for each mood. For more information, please visit http://HealWithOil.com or to purchase pure essential oils, visit http://HealWithEssentialOil.com.

Anger – Ylang-ylang, chamomile
Anxiety – Lavender, chamomile, neroli
Clarity – Lemon, basil
Closed/wounded heart – Rose
Concentration – Rosemary, basil, peppermint
Confidence – Jasmine
Confusion – Lemon, frankincense
Courage – Black pepper, ginger, thyme
Depression – Bergamot, clary sage, rose (depression due to grief)
Grief – Rose
Grounding – Frankincense, ginger
Fear of the future – Frankincense
Inner child (drawing out/befriending) – Mandarin . very childlike oil.
Irritation – Orange, sandalwood
Jealousy – Rose, chamomile
Joy – Neroli, mandarin and any of the citrus oils
Lethargy – Rosemary, black pepper, Cedarwood
Panic – Chamomile, ylang-ylang, rose, spikenard
Peace – Chamomile, frankincense, lavender, spikenard

(ORAC) The Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity of Essential Oils Compared to Fresh Vegetables

The ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity) assay is a laboratory procedure developed in 1992 at the National Institute of Aging in Silver Springs, Maryland. It is used to measure the antioxidant capacities of many foods, juices, and oils. The higher the ORAC score, the more capable that particular food or oil is of destroying free radicals (Free radicals can cause disease and aging by changing the structure of the body’s cell walls, DNA, and protein, disrupting their important functions), thus retarding the aging process and preventing cancers and other diseases.

Foods with a high ORAC score may be able to protect cells and their components from oxidative damage. Oxygen radicals are chemicals that form naturally inside the body through the process of oxidation. Everyday functions such as digestion and physical activity produce oxygen radicals. Daily exposure to polluted air, rancid food and oxidizing radiation from the sun and electrical appliances also contribute.

An easy to understand example of oxidation is to imagine rust attacking metal. When the rust eats away at the metal, the metal starts to weaken and decay until it can no longer work. This is what happens to our body when free radicals attack it. Organs, cells and other parts of the body can be weakened by oxidation. This leads to diseases such as cancer, skin and heart diseases, senile dementia and osteoarthritis.

Studies have shown that eating foods with a high ORAC score will raise the antioxidant levels in the blood by around 10 to 25%. The ORAC figure suggested by experts is around 5,000 units per day to have a significant effect on plasma and tissue antioxidant levels. Eating eight to ten servings of brightly colored fruits and vegetables or dark greens will help achieve this level.

Here are some examples of ORAC scores:
Fruits and Vegtables Essential Oils
Carrots 210 Sandalwood (Aloes) 160
Oranges 750 Frankincense 630
Beets 840 Rose of Sharon (cistus) 3,860
Raspberries 1,220 Cinnamon 10,340
Strawberries 1,540 Spikenard 54,800
Blueberries 2,400 Myrrh 379,800
Wolfberries 25,300 Clove 1,078,700

Most essential oils score higher than most fruits and vegetables, as the two tables above suggest. In fact, essential oils have the highest ORAC scores of all substances in the world. An ounce of Clove Oil has the antioxidant capacity of 320 pounds of carrots, 28 quarts of blueberries, or 10 gallons of beet juice. The exceptionally high ORAC scores of essential oils partially explains why living with them in your daily environment – to breathe, eat, and apply to your body – can support all of your systems and contribute effectively towards long healthful living, even when used in very small quantities, and even when only inhaling them.

Article Source: Unknown (if you know the author of this article, please leave in the comments section, so we can give proper credit. We appreciate your help!)

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How To Improve Your Memory With Essential Oils

I found this informative video on youtube, and I am sure they don’t mind me passing it on to you as it is sponsored by Pillsbury .  To purchase the essential oils mentioned in this video (Sage & Rosemary) please visit our new ecommerce store http://HealWithEssentialOil.com