Actions and Application of Essential Oils in Different Systems of the Body
Just as with other plant-derived remedies, the therapeutic potential of essential oils has yet to be realized in full. While numerous medicinal herbs have been used since ancient times, most were utilized to provide biological active compounds to create the foundation for most modern drugs, including cocaine and quinine. Just the same, there is much to be learned about their exact medical specialization.
In general, modern research has asserted traditional beliefs regarding the therapeutic applications of specific plants; however, in the passing of time, the terminology has changed. For instance, the herb Basil was once identified as a plant that “protects against evil,” or is “good for the heart,” due to its scent that “takes away sorrow.” Today, Basil is regarded as an excellent antidepressant, prophylactic, and nerve tonic.
Just like herbal cures, essential oils have a wide field of activities and applications. For instance, lemon balm is able to energize or rejuvenate specific systems of the body. Other herbs and oils can cause relaxation or sedation.
In the next section, you will gain a better understanding of how essential oils work, as well as their areas of activity, through an overall presentation of the human body’s systems. You will learn how essential oils act and how they are applied in each body system.
For The Skin
More often than not, skin problems are manifestations of a more serious health condition such as hormonal imbalance, toxin build-up, emotional or nervous problems. When it comes to the skin, the versatility of essential oils is specifically valuable, because they have the ability to fight skin problems on various levels. Given that they are soluble in water, alcohol, and oil, essential oils provide the ideal ingredients for general skin care, cosmetics, and the treatment of particular skin diseases.
In this light, the following essential oils activities are specifically beneficial:
Antiseptics
Essential oils with antiseptic properties include Sage, Thyme, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Clove, and Lemon. They are beneficial for insect bites, cuts, and spots, among others.
Anti-inflammatory Oils
Essential oils with anti-inflammatory properties include Lavender, German Chamomile, Yarrow, and Roman Chamomile. They are beneficial for eczema, bumps, bruises, and infected wounds, among others.
Fungicidal Oils
Essential oils with antifungal properties include Tea Tree, Patchouli, Lavender, Sweet Marjoram, and Myrrh. They are beneficial for candida, athlete’s foot, and ringworm, among others.
Granulation Stimulating or Healing (Cicatrizing) Oils
Essential oils with healing properties include Chamomile, Lavender, Frankincense, Neroli, Geranium, and Rose. They are beneficial for cuts, burns, stretch marks, and scars, among others.
Deodorants
Essential oils with deodorizing properties include Lavender, Juniper, Bergamot, Cypress, Lemongrass, Spanish Sage, and Thyme. They are beneficial for cleaning wounds, excessive perspiration, etc.
Insect Repellents and Parasiticides
Essential oils with parasiticidal properties include Garlic, Citronella, Clove, Atlas Cedarwood, Spike Lavender, Geranium, Eucalyptus, and Camphor.
The Circulatory System, Joints and Muscles
Since the skin and the mucosa absorb the essential oils into the bloodstream, they affect the circulation in general. Essential oils with a warming or rubefacient effect influence the internal organs as well as cause better local blood circulation. These essential oils cause a glow and warmth to the skin’s surface. Thus, they can provide a numbing or analgesic effect, specifically to relieve pain. These oils can also alleviate local inflammation by creating free mediators in the body that cause the expansion of blood vessels. Consequently, the blood is able to flow more quickly and freely. In addition, the expansion of the blood vessels reduces swelling.
Essential oils such as Hyssop have a regulating or balancing effect on the circulatory system in general, thus reducing the levels of blood pressure once it becomes exceedingly high; or stimulating the circulatory system once it becomes sluggish.
Hypotensives
Essential oils with hypotensive properties include Lemon, Sweet Marjoram, Lavender, and Ylang Ylang. They are beneficial for palpitations, high blood pressure, and stress, among others.
Rubefacients
Essential oils for external redness and swelling include Sweet Marjoram, Black Pepper, Camphor, Rosemary, and Juniper. They are beneficial for muscular stiffness, lumbago, rheumatism of joints, and sciatica, among others.
Antitoxic or Depurative Agents
Essential oils with antitoxic properties include White Birch, Grapefruit, Fennel, Lemon, and Juniper. They are beneficial for skin eruptions, arthritis, congestion, and gout, among others.
Lymphatic Stimulants
Essential oils with lymphatic properties include Lime, Mandarin, etc. They are beneficial for obesity, cellulitis, and water retention, among others.
Circulatory Tonics
Essential oils with restorative properties include Lemon, Yarro, and Cypress. They are beneficial for inflammations, swellings, and varicose veins, among others.
For The Respiratory System
Infections in the lungs, nose, and throat respond extremely well to essential oil treatments. For instance, inhalation is an effective way of using essential oil properties. This is because as the properties of the essential oils reach the bronchi, the lungs will exhale them directly, causing an increased bronchial secretion or a protective reaction that is useful for most respiratory problems.
Through inhalations, the essential oil properties that are responsible for treatment are absorbed into the blood faster than through oral ingestion. Moreover, a number of essential oils that are absorbed from the stomach are excreted through the lungs and only a minimal part is excreted through urine.
Expectorants
Essential oils with expectorant properties include Fennel, Eucalyptus, Sandalwood, Pine, Myrrh, and Thyme. They are beneficial for sinusitis, catarrh, coughs, and bronchitis, among others.
Antispasmodics
Essential oils with spasmolytic properties include Cajeput, Hyssop, Chamomile, Cypress, Bergamot, and Atlas Cedarwood. They are beneficial for dry cough, colic, whooping cough, and asthma, among others.
Balsamic Agents
Essential oils with balsamic properties include Myrrh, Benzoin, Tolu Balsam, Frankincense, and Peru Balsam. They are beneficial for colds, congestion, chills, etc.
Antiseptics
Essential oils with antiseptic properties include Borneol, Thyme, Tea Tree, Sage, Cajeput, Hyssop, Eucalyptus, and Cajeput. They are beneficial for flu, sore throat, colds, gingivitis, and tonsillitis, among others.
For The Digestive System
While most experts in herbal medicine do not recommend essential oils to be taken orally, they can be applied externally and cause specific changes in the processes of the digestive system. However, although herbal medicine offers various remedies for a wide range of liver, stomach, and gall bladder complaints using plants such as dandelion, meadowsweet, and chamomile, their efficiency depends on a compounding of aromatic mix such as mucilage, tannins, and bitters that are not found in volatile oils alone. Thus, the external use of essential oils in digestive system problems, although effective, is quite limited compared to the internal ingestion of herbal remedies.
Antispasmodics
Essential oils with antispasmodic properties include Cinnamon, Chamomile, Aniseed, Caraway, Lemon Balm, Fennel, Peppermint, and Orange. They are beneficial for indigestion, spasm, pain, etc.
Carminatives and Gastrics
Essential oils with carminative and gastric properties include Mandarin, Angelica, Peppermint, Basil, Chamomile, and Fennel. They are beneficial for nausea, flatulent dyspepsia, and aerophagia, among others.
Cholagogues
Essential oils with cholagogue properties include Borneol, Caraway, Peppermint, and Lavender. They are beneficial for stimulating the gall bladder and increased flow of bile.
Hepatics
Essential oils with hepatic properties include Rosemary, Lemon, Peppermint, and Lime. They are beneficial for jaundice, liver congestion, etc.
Aperitifs
Essential oils with aperitif properties include Garlic, Orange, Aniseed, Ginger, and Angelica. They are beneficial for anorexia and loss of appetite, among others.
For The Immune System
Nearly all essential oils have bactericidal properties, and can prevent infections by inhibiting the action or growth of microorganisms. Some essential oils also promote the production of white blood cells, which can help prevent and treat infectious illnesses. They were used against plagues in the Middle Ages. Today, these aromatic herbs and oils have built up a good reputation in treating infections, including typhoid and malaria, specifically in the tropics.
Bactericidal and Prophylactic (Antiviral) Agents
Essential oils with antiviral properties include Rosemary, Tea Tree, Clove, Cajeput, Lavender, Bergamot, Basil, Eucalyptus, Niaouli, and Camphor. They are beneficial for colds, influenza, etc.
Febrifuge Agents
Essential oils with antipyretic properties include Tea Tree, Angelica, Eucalyptus, Basil, Lemon, Peppermint, Sage, and Thyme.
Sudorifics and Diaphoretics
Essential oils with sudorific properties include Chamomile, Rosemary, Hyssop, and Thyme. They are beneficial for eliminating toxins, promoting sweating, etc.
The Nervous System
Research indicates that most essential oils have properties that conform to the traditional views of herbal medicine. These include Bergamot, Sweet Marjoram, Chamomile, Lavender, and Sandalwood. Researchers found that these essential oils have a sedative effect on the central nervous system. In addition, some, including Peppermint, Jasmine, Clove, Basil, Neroli, and Ylang Ylang, have a stimulating effect on the nervous system and cause a relaxing, soothing effect in terms of emotional aspect. Essential oils including Lemon, Lemon Balm, and Bergamot can have a sedating effect on the nervous system and cause a sense of rejuvenation to the “spirit.”
Some essential oils are also regarded as “adaptogens,” which have a normalizing or balancing effect on the body systems. These include Rosewood and Geranium, which can either stimulate or sedate, depending on the individual and situation.
Sedatives
Essential oils with sedative properties include Lemon, Lemon Balm, Chamomile, Sandalwood, Sweet Marjoram, Hops, Lavender, Bergamot, and Valerian. They are beneficial for stress, nervous tension, insomnia, etc.
Stimulants
Essential oils with stimulating properties include Rosemary, Basil, Angelica, Jasmine, Neroli, Ylang Ylang, and Peppermint. They are beneficial for nervous fatigue, convalescence, and lack of strength.
Nerve Tonics (Nervines)
Essential oils with nervine properties include Chamomile, Clary Sage, Lavender, Rosemary, Juniper, and Marjoram.
For The Mind
The mind is probably the most discussed yet the least understood activity area of essential oils. Aromatic oils are used to influence both the states of the mind and the emotions. This is why essential oils are used as incense for rituals and religious purposes. At Toho University, Japan and Warwick University, England, various studies were conducted to put traditional beliefs and applications of essential oils into a scientific setting. These studies found two types of reaction to odors, which were named “hard-wired” response and “soft-wired” response. The “hard-wired” response is deep-rooted prior to birth, making it solely instinctual. For instance, a sexual signal or the scent of a mother’s skin may be considered as a “hard-wired” response. The “soft-wired” response is acquired or learned after birth. The fragrance of honeysuckle that is similar to a childhood garden may be considered as a “soft-wired” response.
The manner of classification becomes harder when it comes to the emotional or psychological responses to the scent of a specific essential oil. Consideration should be given to each individual’s temperament with a given situation instead of predicting a set of responses.
In 1991, the Psychology of Perfumery Conference asserted that psychological effects differ from one individual to another, even if pharmacological effects are the same. The effect of a scent or odor on an individual may depend on various factors.
These include the amount of scent applied; the manner and situation in which the scent was applied; the individual to whom the scent was applied (sex, age, personality); the mood the individual was in before the scent was applied; the previous associations the individual may have with the scent; and the individual’s inability to smell certain odors.
Essential oils begin to show their versatility once an individual’s needs are considered. For instance, the rose, a flower, is commonly associated with love, beauty, and spiritual levels. As an essential oil, however, the rose is associated with a long tradition of application for physical conditions like regulating the female cycle, skin problems, purifying the blood, and promoting the circulation. When an individual smells a rose, all these associations are confirmed; thus, the fragrance affects the individual’s mind and body at the same time. This effect is based on the individual’s personal experience.
For Internal Use
If you are trying to find exact information about the internal use of essential oils, chances are you are having a difficult time.
In general, herbal medicine experts do not suggest the internal use of essential oils. For one, essential oils are often confused with fragrance oils, which are synthetic and inappropriate for ingestion. On the other hand, there are instances wherein essential oils are taken internally; however, this should be done under the supervision of a health care practitioner or herbal medicine expert.
Internal use of essential oils provides a number of benefits that mere inhalation cannot. They can be used to flavor food products. Take for example, candy canes. Children and adults alike enjoy the flavor. Chances are, candy canes are flavored with a small amount of Peppermint essential oil to suit the atmosphere of the holidays.
Yet, the internal use of essential oils for culinary or therapeutic purposes necessitates more mastery or control than most novices have. Given that essential oils are highly concentrated, it is risky to take them internally without the supervision of a trained or educated practitioner.
Essential oils, in spite of being cold pressed or steam distilled, should not be taken internally or ingested without a proper understanding of their usage as well as risks. Some of the essential oils that are cold pressed or steam distilled include Orange, Allspice, Black Pepper, Clove, Ginger, Fennel, Cinnamon, Rosemary, Basil, Grapefruit, Lemon, and some other botanicals.
