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Description
Real essential oils are made from either the "expression" for citrus peels, either the distillation with steam. The word essence is used for all citrus fruit.
Essential oils can be used as physical, psychological, endocrinal rebalancing, as well as for their anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterical effects depending on the composition.
Historical
The traces discovered of aromatherapy use date back over 7000 years (the first ones were found in -40 000 with the Australian aborigines who used fumigation), with a terracota found in Pakistan from this period. Inscrptions were discovered in Mesopotamia dated from 4000 years and Egyptian signs from 3500 years. Egyptians made essential oils from squeezed plants. Romans used essential oils too. But their golden age started in the 15th century until 1935, when the discovery of penicillin relegated them to the background...
Nowadays, aromatherapy rises again thanks to among others, naturopaths and trainings suggested to doctors.
Use precautions:
An essential oil is an active substance which can be dangerous if badly used. It is thus necessary to INQUIRE before using an essential oil whatever it is. Do not content yourselves with a single source: certain books of aromatherapy advise errors, salesmen and pharmacists don't know all effects of essential oil and all the web sites are not reliable. Before using an essential oil, inform you of the following recommendations:
- Essential oil is to avoid to pregnant women, old or fragile persons and children of less than 3 years.
- Never apply essential oil to mucous membranes or around eyes.
- Essential oil is generally used very diluted on the skin. Pure, it would risk to be dangerous. Essential oil is soluble in oil or alcohol, but it is not soluble in water.
- Essential oil containing phenols is hepatotoxic (oregano, savory, thyme in thymol,...) thus ATTENTION.
- Essential oil has all different properties and thus specific effects. A lot of oil as citrus fruits are photo sensitizer (do not expose itself to the sun after their use), the others as thyme are allergenic, the others else are disadvised in diffusion or in massage.
- Before using an essential oil, make an application in the fold of the elbow: apply 1 drop of essential oil diluted in 1 spoon of vegetable oil in the fold of the arm. If you observe a reaction within 24 hours, give up its use.
- If you want to use essential oil to look after yourselves, speak about it at first to a doctor, an aromatherapist, or a chemist.
- NEVER use essential oil by oral without notice of a qualified aromatherapist.
- To keep essential oil out of reach children, some are mortal poisons in case of ingestion.
- To know also, cats do not support essential oil, which can turn out mortal for them.
- In case of accidental ingestion, consult a doctor or call a poison control center.
Avoid any contact with eyes, ears. In event of an accident (essential oil fallen in the eye or on the skin), clean and rinse concerned part with some vegetable oil (olive, sunflower,... the one that you use for your salad will go very well) to rinse, especially no water! Consult a specialized doctor.
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