Essential oils are increasingly recognized for their benefits on well-being and health. But how to use them? Find our expert articles to advise and guide you in their use.
Essential oils have always been recognized for their benefits on well-being and health. But how to use them? Find our expert articles to advise and guide you in their use.
What are essential oils?
Essential oils are concentrated liquid extracts obtained by steam distillation of aromatic plants, flower, leaf, wood, root, bark, fruit, etc. An essential oil is therefore defined as the distilled essence of the plant designated on its label. The essential oil is made up of around a hundred molecules that are particularly active on the human metabolism.
How to Select High Quality Essential Oils ?
Its name: It must be identified by two Latin names. The first name designates the genus and the second the species: Thymus vulgaris = Common thyme.
The oil-producing organ: Quality essential oils must be chemotyped, in other words, the plant organ must appear on the bottle.
Geographical origin: The label must also include the biotype, the terroir, but also the country of origin of the plant.
The method of cultivation: The method of extraction allowing to preserve the activity of the components can also appear there.
Who can use an essential oil?
Children and babies have “their essential oils” and “their dosages” all to them: do not treat them with those recommended for adults. They will instead use aromatic hydrosols. Pregnant women, apart from the formulas specially dedicated to them, refrain from taking any essential oil on your own. For the rest, you can benefit from the benefits of these oils.
How is an essential oil used?
Whether in the field of cosmetics, by the cutaneous, respiratory, oral, anal, vaginal or balneotherapy route, essential oils can be used as long as the different dilutions are respected. Some of them have contraindications. Organic and Natural Essential oils should never be used pure. They should always be diluted and by drops.
Illustrious since antiquity, peppermint was first described in England in 1696 and subsequently cultivated in Germany and then in the Netherlands around 1750. Traces of its cultivation date back nearly 4,000 years . In Edfu, Egypt, hieroglyphs found on the walls of a temple indeed allow us to consider that the Egyptians used mint to make a number … Read more
About 3000 years ago, in the ancient Egypt of the pharaohs, the marjoram was dedicated to the god Osiris . Renowned then as a digestive antiseptic , it was also renowned for its action in colds. Dioscorides also recognized in it properties against headaches . This plant is native to Cyprus and Turkey and is otherwise known as garden marjoram, spreading throughout the Mediterranean basin. Cultivated … Read more
As a general rule, essential oils are not recommended for children under the age of 6. However, for younger children, we recommend using hydrolats, vegetable oils or oily macerates to treat everyday ailments. Top 3 essential oils that can be used for my child over the age of 6 Marjoram, neroli and chamomile are three … Read more
The fruit of the mandarin tree is generally highly prized, especially at Chinese New Year, when it represents abundance and good fortune. Its fragrant peel is particularly appreciated in cooking, adding a delectable aroma to savoury dishes.In traditional medicine, the dried peel is generally used to regulate vitality, stimulate digestion, relieve abdominal cramps and reduce … Read more
The leaves of the lemon bedew are simple, lanceolate and have numerous milky-white flowers arranged in panicles, forming the design of a lucky charm. This tropical shrub has small fruits that look almost like pepper berries. That’s why it’s known as “mountain pepper”. Litsea citrata, also known as exotic verbena, is widely used in perfumes … Read more
Pistachio mastic, botanical name Pistacia lentiscus, belongs to the Anacardiaceae family. Its essential oil is obtained from the leafy branches. Frankincense is a type of resin with a strong odour derived from the sap of the Pistachio Mastic. In ancient times, this natural resin was used as chewing gum. Today, in Iran, it is still … Read more
Lemongrass, whose botanical name is Cymbopogon flexuosus, belongs to the Poceae family (Gramineae). Its essential oil-producing organs are its herb (aerial part) and its rhizomes. Its mode of action is based on Geranial or citral a (or trans-citral) and Neral or citral b(cis-citral), which are isomers. They are anti-cancer, sedative and anti-viral. Lemongrass, the emblematic … Read more
Lavandin is the result of hybridisation (natural at first) between the two species Lavandula vera and Lavandula latifolia, and its aromatic profile is close to that of Lavandula vera (but with 6-8% camphor ). This hybridisation gave rise to four varieties of lavandin in Provence: Super, Grosso, Sumian and Abrial. Nowadays, lavandin is much more … Read more
True lavender, whose botanical name is Lavandula angustifolia, belongs to the Lamiaceae family. Its essential oil is obtained by distillation of the flowers. A little history Ancient texts say thatlavender was burnt in the rooms where the sick stayed. In ancient times, it was also used to perfume the water in Roman thermal baths , … Read more
Spike lavender, whose botanical name is Lavandula latifolia spica, belongs to the Lamiaceae family. Its essential oil is obtained by distilling its flowers (flowering tops). Botanical description Spike lavender is a larger sub-shrub than fine lavender, reaching up to 75 cm in height. It is made up of straight, numerous branches, usually branched, bearing long, … Read more
The noble laurel, whose botanical name is Laurus nobilis, belongs to the Lauraceae family. Its essential oil is produced from its leaves (young leaves) and fruiting branches. History of Noble Laurel This tree has been venerated since ancient times by the Greeks and Romans. They adorned their emperor’s head with a laurel wreath. Dedicated to … Read more
Immortelle, whose botanical name is Helichrysum italicum, belongs to the Asteraceae family. Its essential oil is obtained by distilling its aerial flowering parts. Immortelle is found in Corsica in the taxon“ssp italicum” for coastal, scrubland and scree plantations. The taxon“ssp serotinum“, which is more continental, is practically non-existent in Corsica. Helichrysum italicum subsp. italicum is … Read more
Ginger is one of the most esteemed spices and drugs, and cultivated since ancient times in the Philippines. Its use is already mentioned in the oldest Chinese and Sanskrit writings . It was not lost on the ancient Greeks and Romans. The botanical name Zingiber comes from the Sanskrit word shringavera , which means “shaped like a deer antler”, referring to the shape of the … Read more
The clove tree, whose botanical name is Eugenia caryophyllus, belongs to the Myrtaceae family. Its essential oil is obtained by distilling the air-dried flower buds known as “cloves”, and the pedicels known as “claws”. History of Clove Grown for a long time on the Moluccan islands, the clove tree is part of Ayurvedic medicine (1500 … Read more
Geranium, whose botanical name is Pelargonium graveolens, belongs to the Geraniaceae family. Its essential oil is obtained by distilling its leaves. History of the Geranium The rose Geranium is an aromatic perennial bushy plant with a branched habit. Its name comes from the Greek “perlagos” meaning “stork”, as its fruit is reminiscent of a stork’s … Read more
Juniper, whose botanical name is Juniperus communis L., belongs to the Cupressaceae family. The essential oil comes from the fruiting cones or “Juniper berries”. Juniper essential oil, from a tree with a rich history, has been considered a panacea for centuries. Its origins date back to prehistoric times, when its properties were already recognised and … Read more
Wintergreen was known and used for a long time by Amerindians for inflammatory pathologies . The Indians in fact made an enormous consumption of wintergreen, both internally, against infectious diseases , to bring down fever, and externally, to relieve their pain and heal their wounds. A little history At the beginning of the 19th century, the Iroquois prepared “ Swains panacea ”, … Read more
In ancient Egypt, papyri almost 5,000 years old indicate the presence of fennel at that time. It is the same for Mesopotamian tablets from Babylon or from Assyria. Quoted and widely used by the Greeks, Arabs and Chinese, fennel also appears in certain botanical literary works of the Middle Ages. This plant has therefore long been considered a … Read more
Originally from the Austral lands, eucalyptus will give birth to many species , some of which, very interesting, will be exploited in the medicinal field . The term Eucalyptus comes from the Greek “ eu ” and “ kaluptos ” which mean respectively “ well ” and “ covered” , probably in reference to its stamens perfectly closed by a operculum. A little history Discovered in the 18th century in … Read more
Lemon eucalyptus is a plant native to the Australian continent as well as Madagascar. The Aborigines had in fact always known its powerful antibacterial properties . Lemon eucalyptus was also used to dry out swampy areas in the subtropics. The aborigines of Australia used the sap of the eucalyptus or “gum tree” in direct application on their wounds in order … Read more