Let's talk a little Aroma Chemistry! Relax! It's not as hard to grasp as you may think. Seriously.
Did you know that every plant on the Earth contains natural chemicals?
This natural chemical combination helps plants thrive and survive by repelling animals, fighting off diseases & bacteria that can harm them, and it can also attract certain insects to aid in pollination.
Learning how these natural chemicals function and operate in the body to improve wellness on a mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual level intrigued me to keep wanting to educate myself further. Essential oils are the heart of my practice, and I am always inspired to explore and learn something new each day!
This piece of writing will help you to begin to appreciate how powerful these exceptionally tiny drops work! I like to think of them as warriors that help support our body and mind in many remarkable ways.
For right now, I am going to focus on just a couple key concepts. I want to make it clear and simple. I am not here to confuse you, just to enlighten you a wee bit on the interaction oils have on us; on the chemistry side of things. Here we go, hang in there!
How Do They Perform?
One drop of essential oil contains thousands of molecules. Some of these teeny-weeny molecules are so small that they can infuse and journey into the body in a noticeably short amount of time. And because our body is so intelligent, it takes these oils where they need to go. Their small constitution allows them to move quickly which makes them perfect to use for diffusing, inhaling, and using topically.
If you don’t believe me, try this:
Rub a clove of garlic on the bottom of your foot along the insole. See how long it takes before you can taste it!
I experimented with this in one of my courses! Pretty amazing, I must say. Go on, try it!!
Did you know?
Each essential oil belongs to a chemical family, which is also known as a functional group. There are 8 key groups found in essential oil constituents:
Monoterpenes
Sesquiterpenes Alcohols
Esters
Aldehydes
Ketones
Phenols
Oxides
These groups have different properties and potential uses, and I will discuss that another time, in another blog post. It gets complex and fascinating!
Chemical Constituents
Every essential oil contains chemical constituents. These are valuable compounds that make up the structure of the oil.
Let’s take Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) for example. It is one of the most well known essential oils and is sometimes referred to as the “Mother of Oils” because it possesses many healing properties. It is an alcohol (calming & relaxing) and one main chemical constituent in this oil is linalool.
A Warning!
Be aware that many companies promote their products using synthetic linalool, which is for fragrance purposes only. It is used in many products such as detergents, fabric softeners, air fresheners and cosmetics.
True linalool has a very floral-woodsy aroma and has some amazing wellness properties. Some of these include:
*Anti-inflammatory support
*Antimicrobial properties
*Pain-reducing properties
*Immune boosting abilities
*Stress and anxiety support
*Sleep support
It can even deter those pesky mosquitoes!
Linalool is just one of the beneficial chemical compounds that lavender contains! Are you beginning to see why these oils are so powerful and why there are so many enormous benefits?
Aroma Chemistry goes deeper than that, but I want you to retain this information and keep it in your memory bank.
How Do Essential Oils Affect the Body? When all of these compounds enter your body via inhalation or through topical application, chemical reactions occur.
These reactions trigger the brain to relax, which can change how our bodies react and respond to pain, inflammation, anxiety, depression and stress. These warriors are powerful and can battle toxins, illness, and disease in the body and can help it get back into balance.
Wrap Up
Today you learned:
A little bit about aromatherapy and chemistry… Aroma Chemistry!
Essential oils are warriors and important power tools for your body! They consist of hundreds of molecules and they can infuse and journey into the body in a noticeably short amount of time.
Their small constitution allows them to move quickly which makes them perfect to use for diffusing, inhaling, and using topically.
Each oil belongs to a Functional Group (Chemical Family) and contains natural chemical constituents (compounds).
They battle toxins, illness and disease in the body and can help it get back into balance.
I hope these key fragments of information have made it easier for you to comprehend some essential oil chemistry, and the extreme way essential oils can assist in healing us with their natural chemical components and structure.
Keep in mind that essential oils can improve wellness physically, mentally, emotionally & spiritually when used accurately, with intent, and with safety in mind.
If you enjoyed this article, and found it helpful please share it with your friends and colleagues!
With Gratitude,
Nancy La
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