Emotional Wellbeing
How essential oils can positively impact our wellbeing
Essential oils are known to have a positive impact on our emotional and physical well-being. In order to benefit from the oils in a safe manner, it is crucial to know how to use them correctly. In my practice, I regularly see damages on the skin as the oils are either applied undiluted on the skin, in the wrong dose (usually not diluted enough) or the wrong oils are applied on an already damaged skin.
Just because essential oils are natural doesn’t mean that we don’t need to be careful with them. As a matter of fact, they are highly concentrated plant extracts that want to be respected. Rose for instance is one of the most expensive essential oils, which is understandable if we consider that it takes 100kg (!) of rose petals to extract 20-30g of pure rose oil.
A convenient, fast, and, in general, relatively safe way to use essential oils is through inhalation either by diffusing the oils or using a room spray. If you have young children some common oils such as peppermint are however tabu.
The human nose is only made to smell a scent for 20 seconds, after which we notice a smell much less until it almost disappears by about 3 minutes. This is a trick by Mother Nature to protect ourselves from unpleasant odours. This also means that you don’t need to constantly have essential oils in the air. The contrary, if we smell on a bottle or spray some essential oils in the air, we actually have each time a fresh stimulation on our limbic system, which is the part in the brain in charge of feeling emotions.
Scents also have an impact on our hypothalamus (the part in the brain which regulates breathing, blood circulation, body temperature, and sexual behaviour) as well as the hippocampus which is part of the limbic system and plays a key part in our ability to have memory. Therefore, a certain scent can trigger emotions associated with an event of the past.
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is one of the most well-researched essential oils. Its properties can mostly be described as relaxing and may help with stress, anxiety, and sleep problems. Quality and origin do have an impact on its price and therapeutic benefits. China, for instance, has become an important producer of lavender and its essential oil. Whether you are buying oil from China, the Balkan region in Europe or Southern France is up to you, the consumer.
Now you have the scientific reason why smelling Panakaya products can make you feel happier! Needless to say, Panakaya is sourcing from reliable producers mainly in Germany, most of which are organic.
If you would like to learn more about how to safely use essential oils, check out our upcoming workshop: “Basics in Aromatherapy – Learn how to safely use essential oils like a naturopath”.
About Jennifer
Jennifer Eisenecker is an ex-banker, German-certified naturopath, and business owner. Knowing how limited time and mind space often are, her recommendations are practical, easy to follow, and as simple as possible.
Jennifer’s multi-disciplinary approach involves going back to basics, looking at health from a trauma-aware perspective, and achieving health by calming down the nervous system to optimize your body’s innate ability to rebalance itself. She loves herbs and natural remedies.
Sources:
Herr Prof. Dr. Frank Zufall/ Molekulare Medizin Medizinische Fakultät der Universität des Saarlandes; URL:http://physiology.uni-saarland.de/Zufall/Zufall_Research.html [4.3.2014]
https://aroma-therapie.blogspot.com/2009/05/warum-wir-riechen-was-wir-riechen.html
https://flexikon.doccheck.com/de/Hippocampus
http://www.aetherische-oele.net/aetherische-oele/lavendel.htm
https://www.spektrum.de/news/menschlicher-geruchssinn/1257702
https://www.spektrum.de/news/wie-duefte-uns-manipulieren/1347043
http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/f/M_Shattell_HealingScents_2008.pdf
