Essential Oils and Their Effects

Numerous studies prove that aromatherapy is no hocus-pocus. Essential oils have an effect on our psyche, skin and hair.

Essential oils and their effects

The whole world likes to sniff orange oil. Preferences for other fragrances vary from country to country. But not only the pleasant aroma of flowers and plants does us good – essential oils have a strong effect on our body and our psyche! Certain essential oils have an antibiotic effect, others are antioxidant, can intercept free radicals and fight inflammation.

• De-energizing and stimulating: In cosmetics, the power of plants is often used in showers or baths: a full bath with lavender oil gets us down, a shower with grapefruit, orange or mint revitalizes.
• Against shoulder and neck tensions: Essential oils such as camphor and capsicum loosen tension and promote blood circulation.
• To come down: In addition to the classic valerian root, nard oil soothes – mix a few drops with almond oil and rub on the chest. Vetiver is also said to have a calming effect, and as a pure fragrance ingredient it is found in many perfumes.
• Anti-Aging-Power: Wild rose oil from the rose hip is not in numerous anti-aging creams for nothing. It is said to stimulate cell division and soothe the skin.
• Effect on the psyche: Essential citrus, grapefruit and orange oils are not only among the classic summer scents, they also lift the mood. Also mood-lifting: the scent of roses or geranium. Vanilla on the other hand gives the cuddly feeling of security. We have known this since we were babies, because mother’s milk smells slightly of vanilla.

• Against headaches: Prof. Dr. Hartmut Göbel from the University of Kiel compared 1 g each of paracetamol and ASA with 10 percent diluted peppermint oil for tension headaches and in his study in 1998 came to the conclusion that mint oil has a comparable effect on mild and moderate headaches.
• Against pimples: Tea tree oil is said to be effective against skin impurities – but be careful when applying it directly to the skin, as tea tree oil – like other essential oils – can cause allergies and skin irritations. Therefore, first apply some Tea Tree Oil in the crook of your arm: If the skin does not redden there in two days, it can be applied directly to the skin.
• Against sweat: lime and sage are ideal to protect us from sweat odor in deodorant.

Essential oils and their effect on our hair

• Rosemary is said to soothe the scalp and help against dandruff.
• Broccoli seed oil gives hair a smooth shine and is the natural alternative to silicones in shampoos. DIY tip: Buy it in a health food store and add three drops to your hair or enrich the shampoo with it.
• Lemon balm is said to smooth the hair and, thanks to its essential oils, soothe stressed scalp and regulate sebum production.
• Hops: It promises not only to calm the nerves, but also a stressed scalp. It is also said to provide volume and strengthen the hair with its secondary plant substances, the flavonoids, and resins.

Why is the effect of essential oils controversial?

• There are thousands of studies on the effects of essential oils – however, research has difficulties with the general provability.
• Essential oils do not consist of one, but of many different components – this complexity makes research difficult. In the case of rose oil, for example, 120 of the 550 plant ingredients have not yet been identified. In addition, the composition of the ingredients varies from harvest to harvest.
• Even harvesting different parts of the plant can result in different compositions of the essential oils.
• The diversity of the individual plants often does not provide results that can be standardized – for example, you can buy oils from at least seven different eucalyptus species that have nothing in common in their chemical profile.
• Nevertheless, there are numerous studies that can prove the positive effects of essential oils. And clinics also use encouraging and stabilizing oils such as lavender or grapefruit oil for therapy. The psychological effect and the question of whether essential oils have a cancer-inhibiting effect is currently being particularly investigated.

Can I simply drizzle the essential oil into my cosmetics?

A few drops of lavender oil in the bath water and the relaxing bath mixture is ready? Unfortunately, this doesn’t quite work, because essential oils need fats to unfold their full effect. For the oil to mix with the water, an emulsifier is needed. A cup of cream is perfect for a bath – it also cares for the skin. Oils can usually be integrated relatively well into existing cosmetic products, for example a few drops of rosemary oil in shampoo, some mint oil to refresh heavy legs in body lotion…

Tip: Never dribble essential oils directly onto textiles, the stains usually cannot be removed.

Decisive for the effect: The quality of essential oils

The quality of an essential oil is decisive for its effectiveness. The concentrated extracts from plants, which are separated by steam distillation, should contain their active ingredients in the most highly concentrated form possible. Optimal is 100% natural oil from organic cultivation – this does not contain any synthetic fragrances, colorants or preservatives. And that has – depending on the essential oil – also its price. After all, depending on the plant, between 150 and 5000 kilograms of plant material are required to produce one kilogram of essential oil. Rose oil in particular is one of the most precious oils in the world.

Headaches of essential oils occur when the dosage is too high (dilute in bowls with water) or the aromatic oils are diluted with solvents. Our olfactory cells are very sensitive, and a fragrance that is too concentrated is perceived as unpleasant because it additionally activates the pain nerve trigeminal nerve – this is known from menthol, rosemary and eucalyptus, for example. Small children react particularly sensitively. A strong concentration of scent in the room can affect the whole body via the skin and bronchial tubes. First allergies are inevitable.

It is essential to observe the shelf life: Tea tree oil usually lasts only six months, other essential oils about a year.