I have been reading “The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy” for a couple of weeks now. The book is a wonderful resource for anyone who would like more information about essential oils and their effective use for many ailments. My main reason for picking this book up was to learn more about the essential oils that I have been using in my hair, as well as discover other very useful oils that I can with time incorporate into my recipes.
In addition to educating consumers on the uses of essential oils, this book also provides tons of recipes. You guessed it, some of which I will share with you over the next few days.
What are essential oils?
Essential oils are extracted from various parts of the plant as the oils are concentrated in different parts of various plants. At the same time, the oils are extracted using a variety of means depending on the particular plants. Essential oils hold the largest concentration of the plants benefits and it takes enormous effort to produce even the tiniest bit of oils. Steam distillation is now the most common means of extraction, though some oils are extracted by enfleurage, solvent extraction, expression and maceration. Due to their high concentration, only a little bit is needed in most solutions. The price of oils vary across the board but the norm is that the most difficult oils to extract and manufacture cost a lot more to the consumer.
Why choose essential oils?
As I stated earlier, essential oils hold many benefits because of their closeness to the plants. Typically, essential oils are noninvasive and nontoxic to the human and because they are from the best and most concentrated parts of the plants, we take in part of their healing properties into our system when we incorporate them into our care.
The benefits of essential oils in cosmetics are also becoming more mainstream as more companies are adopting earth-friendly ingredients and promoting healthier alternatives in their lines of products. On that note, please be careful when paying big bucks for products that claim to be more ‘natural’ and environmentally friendly because making the claim does not mean they indeed are. As the consumer, it is your responsibility to verify that the products that you are purchasing are in fact a healthier alternative.
Recommendations for Essential Oils when used diluted in carrier oils
Base Oi Essential Oil
1/5 teaspoon 0-1 drop
1 teaspoon 2-5 drops
2 teaspoons 4-10 drops
1 tablespoon 6-15 drops
4 teaspoons 8-20 drops
5 teaspoons 10-25 drops
2 tablespoons 12-30 drops
Please note that the discussions pertaining to essential oils that will take place on this blog will ONLY be regarding their use in hair care. I will offer a better understanding of my basis for using them in my homemade products, as well as help you understand their value and purpose in the products that you create or purchase. The information provided here will not be meant to diagnose or treat any illnesses.
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Hi Fleurzty,
I bought this book about three weeks ago after reading good reviews on amazon.com, I have just had a few peeks inside, can’nt wait to read cover to cover.