The International and Multi-Regional Membership Center of Latinos in the USA
Welcome to you all!
Are you in the Essential Oil Business?
Growing to a 12 Billion Dollars level in the next few years
PuraVidaCommunity
Do essential oils really work, or are they just over-priced fragrant quackery? We
would have assumed the latter, right? Well, not so fast. Essential oils have
passed the test of antiquity—they have been used medicinally since the
beginning of recorded history. Not only this, but do you remember that one of
the gifts given to Jesus by the wise men from the east was Frankincense, an
essential oil. What about this?
It’s difficult to call them a passing vogue. The main question for us in the
United States is this: Why then, haven’t essential oils been integrated into
western medicine? What are the reasons for the exclusion of Essential Oils into
the medicine mostly in the USA? It may not be to the entire western region of
the world but mainly to countries like the United States. Latin countries from
Mexico to the South America region have been much more receptive for a
long time to the benefits of Essential Oils.
Modern medical literature includes limited research on their efficacy, but since
2000 there have been a growing number of research studies on essential oils
popping up in traditional medical journals, with 1045 PubMed listed articles in 2013.
If you’ve ever used Vick’s Vaporub you already believe in essential oils. Vicks is a mix of essential oils suspended in petroleum jelly, although some of
these oils may be made synthetically by the Vicks company (they don’t specify).
An essential oil is concentrated plant oil with a distinct smell, such as oil of clove, mint, lavender, or citrus. They are not essential for health– the term
“essential” means “essence-of”. They are used in perfumes, soap, lotions, incense, household cleaning products, and to add flavor to food and drink.
You probably already use them everyday.
Essential Oils in Human History
Essential oils are gaining worldwide recognition for their versatility, but their use is not new. The use of botanicals as healing agents is a long-standing
practice throughout human history. In fact, essential oils and other botanicals have been used in wellness practices as early as at least 5,000 years ago.
Egypt
The fertile soil around the Nile River became a source of life throughout Africa. The kingdom of Egypt grew around the Nile delta; and its name became
synonymous with power, wealth, and technological advancement.
The abundance of food in Egypt, owed to the richness of the land, allowed for the development of a rich culture, which included some of the earliest
advances in writing, agriculture, urbanization, and central government. In addition, this progressive culture was the perfect stage for innovation in
herbal medicine.
One of the first recognized compilations by ancient healers is called the Ebers Papyrus. Although it dates from approximately 1,500 B.C., it is believed to
have been copied from earlier texts. The scroll contains recipes, ceremonies, and other information that Egyptians deemed worthy of preservation.
China
The use of aromatic oils was first recorded in China between 2697-2597 B.C.E during the reign of Huang Ti, the legendary Yellow Emperor. His famous
book “The Yellow Emperor’s Book of Internal Medicine” contains uses for several aromatics and is still considered a useful classic by practitioners of
eastern medicine today.
India
Traditional Indian medicine called “Ayur Veda” has a 3000-year history of incorporating essential oils into their healing potions. Vedic literature lists over
700 substances including cinnamon, ginger, myrrh and sandalwood as effective for healing.
During the outbreak of the Bubonic Plague, Ayur Veda was used successfully in replacing ineffective antibiotics. The purpose of aromatic plants and oils
were not only for medicinal purposes, but were believed to be a Godly part of nature and played a integral role to the spiritual and philosophical outlook
in Ayurvedic medicine.
Greece
Between 400-500 B.C.E. the Greeks recorded knowledge of essential oils adopted from the Egyptians. Ointment of Myrrh was carried by soldiers into
battle to counter infections.
The Greek physician Hypocrites (460-377 B.C.E.), known to us as the “Father of Medicine” documented the effects of some 300 plants including thyme,
saffron, marjoram, cumin and peppermint.
Hypocrites wrote “a perfumed bath and a scented massage everyday is the way to good health.” The literature left by him and his students contains the
most important principle in modern medicine; “Above all the purpose of a doctor is to awaken the natural healing energies within the body”.
Hypocrites’ wisdom influences modern medicine to this day in the form of the “Hippocratic Oath” taken by all doctors.
Rome
The Romans were known for lavishly applying perfumed oil to their bodies, bedding and clothes. It was also customary for the Romans to use oils in
massage and baths. Roman physicians brought books written by Galen and Hypocrites with them as they fled during the fall of the Roman Empire; these
texts were later translated into Persian, Arabic and other languages.
Persia
Ali-Ibn Sana (commonly known as Avicenna the Arab) lived from 980 -1037 A.D. He was a child prodigy and became a well-educated physician by the age
of 12. Ali-Ibn wrote books on the properties of 800 plants and their effects on the human body. He is also credited for being the first person to discover
and record the method of distilling essential oils. His methods are still in use.
Europe
During the Crusades, the Knights and their armies were responsible for passing on knowledge of herbal medicines that they learned in the Middle East,
throughout Western Europe. The knights acquired knowledge of distillation and carried perfumes with them.
Frankincense and pine were burned in the streets to ward off “evil spirits” during the Bubonic Plague of the 14th Century. It was noted that less people
died of the plague in the areas where this was done.
In 1653 Nicholas Culpeper wrote his ” The Complete Herbal” which still stands as a valuable reference. His book describes many conditions and their
remedies that are still appropriate today.
French Chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé coined the term “Aromatherapie” while investigating the antiseptic properties of essential oils. Gattefosse’s
book “Aromatherapie” was published in 1928 in which he details cases of essential oils and their healing capabilities. The book was influential in medical
practices in France.
Essential oils have a wide range of applications. They are use from elements in the home and industry cleaning, relaxation, skin and beauty, oil remedies
and natural medicine. In reality, Essential Oils are in use around the world for a variety of reasons and for a wide range of purposes.
Here in the United States, essential oils are finding a great deal of acceptance. We can see that
essential oils have returned to American medicine. There are a number of reasons for this to take
place. Here you have some of them:
1. There is real money to be made in the essential oil market.
The market of essential oils is definitely growing. You can find essential oils practically all over the
nation in shopping centers, malls, supermarkets in even some gas stations promote some of the
most popular ones. Prices rang from about $12 to $80 for a 5-milliliter vial. There are several
companies offering the opportunity of making serious income for independent sales
representatives or associates, as they prefer to be called.
If you want to get a more detailed report of the Essential Oil Market, please use the following link to a global report on this subject
Global Essential Oil Market 2016-2020.
Key vendors of Essential Oils in the USA are the following:
If you want to offer us your opinion, click on the button labeled My Opinion. Thank you.
Aromaaz International
Aura Cacia
The Body Shop International
Bath & Body Works Direct
Biolandes
Biotone
Bon Vital'
Earthly Body
Edens Garden
Fabulous Frannie
High Altitude Organics Naturals Essentials Herbs
HRF
Khadi Natural
Kneipp
MHP International
Nature’s Alchemy
Natural Bath and Body Products
Now Foods
Plant Therapy Essential Oils
Scandle
Soothing Touch
Sydney Essential Oils
The Massage Oil Shop
The Lebermuth Company
2. Modern medical research shows they work…sometimes:
The antibacterial qualities of essential oils are quantifiable and make for easily published
research, but if you had any doubt consider this story from the citrus industry: The American
citrus industry struggles to get citrus waste to biodegrade because it contains oils with natural
antibacterial qualities. Limonene, specifically, is actually removed from citrus waste to promote
biodegradation. Now you can buy this citrus “waste” product as an essential oil for $12 per 5 ml
vial.
Essential oils have been shown to have antiseptic properties against drug-resistant bacteria, and
can work synergistically with existing antibiotics to treat drug-resistant infections. This is,
perhaps, the most promising role of essential oils in western medicine.
Like any antibiotic, certain oils are effective against certain bacteria. There is no one-drug-kills-it-all or one-oil-kills-it-all. And some essential oils actually
promote the growth of bacteria and fungus.
3. Essential oils supposedly treat frustrating conditions that western medicine has failed to treat well.
Advocates say essential oils can treat anything and everything: migraines, cancer, stress, nausea, anxiety, insomnia, viral illness, memory, even aging. But
the research just doesn’t exist for all of this– essential oils are no fountain of youth.
Cancer is perhaps the most contentious area. Some oils, such as Thymoquinone, are shown to be effective anti-tumor agents. These oils are
chemotherapeutic drugs with toxic effects.
Should they be studied and used by qualified individuals to treat cancer patients? Yes. But chemotherapeutic drugs should not be purchased online or
from a friend at a shop-at-home party. Just because a drug comes from a plant does not mean it’s safe.
The FDA has started to crack down on online vendors who state that essential oils can treat conditions like ADHD and cancer, but the FDA can’t regulate
what goes on at shop-at-home parties.
4. Who doesn’t like some nice-smelling medicine to massage onto your skin?
If you’ve spent ten minutes reading about essential oils you’re probably ready to try them– in a
warm bath, as massage, as aromatherapy– it all sounds good. And that’s the point– just feeling
good helps sick people feel better. The potential placebo effect is difficult to determine because
using any essential oil is pleasurable.
5. Essential oils give people control over their medicine cabinet.
No prescription, no doctor’s appointment, no insurance pre-authorization needed. For sick people,
a medicine cabinet full of essential oils brings autonomy and control. You can throw out over-priced
cough medicine that didn’t work and try something that you at least enjoy using.
Educated, intelligent people are tired of yielding to doctors and beurocrats when it comes to their healthcare decisions. Alternative medications are a
welcomed relief… especially if they work, or at least seem like they work.
Essential oils have returned to American medicine, and they could be here to stay. Would it be possible that a medicine cabinet full of plant oil can greatly
improve either quality or quantity of life? We need to be very cautious about toxicity, especially if you are ingesting essential oils.
Essential Oil Quality
This is one of the most vital things you must know about essential oils: Not all essential oils are created equal. In fact, most of them are worthless to your
health and often synthetic. Therefore, when buying essential oils, make sure they are certified pure therapeutic grade.
To learn more about how to use essential oils, check out this free, in-depth Essential Oils Guide.
If you want to access a list of specific utilization of Essential Oils for each one of the
classifications, please follow the links below:
