What is an essential oil?
Did you know that in the olden days, alchemists considered essential oils as the “5th element”, the other four being fire, water, earth, and air? Essential oils, also referred to as ‘Essences’, derives its meaning from the Latin word ‘Essentia’ meaning the soul of a being. You might have noticed a mood change when you enter a spa. The essential oils in the air stimulate our limbic system that impacts our behaviors, emotions, and long haul memory, resulting in a mood change. Now nobody can stop you to experience that at home spa session you were dreaming of!
When and where were essential oils created?
The answer is almost unbelievable! 5000 years ago! Since the beginning of time, we all have had one thing in common - Using nature to promote healing. Be it the Egyptians, Greeks, Chinese, Romans, or the Indians.
India has an intimate connection with natural fragrances and aromas. Natural scents are found in our spices, incense sticks, sweet-smelling oils, and also in garlands used for rituals.‘Attar’ or ‘Ittar’ mentioned in the old Indian epics and Granths were made out of essential oils too!
Which essential oil is for you?
Let’s start by asking as to why you are looking for essential oils in the first place. Do you need them for air freshening, skin and hair care, medicinal purposes, or just for an at-home aromatherapy session?
Once you have identified the reason to use this miracle of an elixir, your personal preference of aroma and scent will guide you to the correct path. Extracted from the leaves and barks of various herbs and plant parts, these drops of nature will surely help you to improve the quality of life without burning a hole in your pocket.
Imagine this, you’re working from home and you have a huge scary pile of unanswered emails that are making you question your sanity (it’s okay, we know you procrastinated a little). And all you want to do is take a break from this madness, sip on a wine, and cleanse our auras. Excusez-moi mademoiselle, avez-vous besoin d’autre chose? Yes I would love some Merlot, thank you!
And oh look, there is an essential oil kept on your shelf and as soon as you use it, you are transported to orchid fields in France. With every spray, your worries drift further apart and you come closer to a more relaxed state of mind. Oo la la! We’re kidding, an essential oil can’t do that, or can it? You’ll only know when you try one!
