Essential oils: What are they and their uses?

Essential oils are mixtures of natural compounds
that are extracted from plants.
Essential oils contain molecules that the source
plant uses to defend itself against diseases, parasites and predators.
Essential oils can have anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and/or analgesic properties.

An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. An oil is "essential" in the sense that it contains the "essence of" the plant's fragrance--the characteristic fragrance of the plant from which it is derived. You can apply them directly onto your skin, inhaling, or use through a diffuser.

So...

Technically, essential oils aren’t oils at all, as they lack fatty acids. Rather, they’re highly concentrated plant components.
It can take a huge amount of a plant to get out even a small portion of essential oil — 4,000 pounds of
Bulgarian roses are needed to get just one pound of oil, for example. This is why some essential oils are particularly expensive.

You can mix drops of these oils with carrier oils or simply use oil infusions made by infusing the herbs/flowers with carrier oils if you cannot find essential oils.

When making your own oil infusions,
When you’re making your own oil, first choose a carrier oil. That is the oil that will carry the scent that you are about to infuse.
This will depend on what you’re planning on using the oil for. If want to use it on the skin, jojoba and
avocado oil are great choices, because they nourish the skin. Most people also prefer coconut and olive oils too. Just avoid mineral oils.
Vegetable oil is a great choice if you want it for aromatherapy as it easily allows the herbal scent to take over.

※check out for herbal oil infusions here※

There are many beneficial essential oils as well as oil infusions such as:

cinnamon oil
neem oil
amla oil
rosemary
rose flower
lavender oil

Here’s how to make your own oil infusion:

Mix 1/4 ounce of bulk herbs of your choice with 1 cup of carrier oil.

Add the mixture to your slow cooker and allow it to cook on very low heat all day (about 8 hours). ♣Or put it in a constantly warm place like behind the fridge, next to an ever-running computer.

Remove the mixture from the crockpot or container and strain.

Place in a jar, storing in a cool, dark place. The oil should last about 6 months without going rancid  

Related articles:

※ Herbal oil infusions: part 2: Carrier oils and their benefits
※ Tretinoin (Retin-A) and Acne treatment
※ Skin health: Beeswax and your skin
※ Hair loss: herbs and oils
※ I wanna be a Billionaire.... But I'm too Swaggerific!!!

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Sources;
photo credit: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_oil - photo
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_oil
http://m.huffpost.com/ca/entry/5536808
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/homemade-essential-oils-for-all-ailments.html