How Essential Oils Are Made
Essential oils are concentrated liquids extracted from various parts of a plant. How does this happen? These aromatic essences are extracted in many ways including cold expression, steam distillation, solvents or carbon dioxide. There are many factors to consider for processing a specific essential oil. For example, harvesting to create rose oil is done in the late spring or early summer. Rose petals are gathered by hand in the early morning hours before sunrise and distilled the same day. It takes 10,000 pounds of rose flowers to equal one pound of rose oil. I met a vendor at a swap meet who was selling “rose oil” for $2.50. Price is often an indicator for the quality of the oil.
During the hottest part of the day, is when the most lavender essential oil is produced by the lavender plant. Various parts of a plant can be used to produce an essential oil. There is a direct correlation and affinity between the specific parts of a plant from which each essential oil is extracted and specific parts of the human body. Here are some examples.
Flowers/blossoms - affects the nervous and endocrine (hormonal) systems, affinity with sedating, calming, relaxing, intoxicating
Essential oils - rose, jasmine, neroli, lavender, ylang ylang, clary sage
Leaves - affects the respiratory system, affinity with breathing, opening and cleansing
Essential oils - Leaf type – eucalyptus, geranium and
Tea tree
Needle type – spruce, cypress
Fruit/peel/rind - affects the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems, affinity with heart opening, well being, warming, uplifting
Essential oils - bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, mandarin, orange, lime
Fruit/seed - affects the digestive and lymphatic systems, affinity with balancing, grounding, revitalizing
Essential oils - black pepper, nutmeg
Wood/ Resin - affects the endocrine (glandular and immunity) system, affinity with energy support, inner strength, centering, grounding, balancing, opening, consciousness
Essential oils – Wood type – cedar wood, rosewood, sandalwood
Resin type – myrrh, galbanum, frankincense
Bark type - cinnamon
Root - affects the intestinal system, affinity with grounding and connecting to earth
Essential oils - vetiver, ginger
Archaeologists in Pakistan have uncovered distillation equipment dating back to 3000 B.C. Practicing any form of distillation is a time consuming process. Last summer, I attended the Lavender festival in Mona, Utah, where I was able to see the steam distillation process. Plant material is placed in a large stainless steel vats. Steam enters the bottom of the vat under very low pressure. The steam rises through the plant material breaking down the plant cell walls. Essential oil molecules combine with the steam. The steam and essential oil molecules rise to the top of the vat to condense into a liquid containing both water and oil. The water and oil is cooled and the essential oil floats to the surface to be gathered. The remaining water is called floral water. Some essential oils whose viscosity is denser than water, like vetiver (an essential oil), will sink under the water.
I watched the distillation of a vat of organic Roman chamomile. The stem, flowers and leaves were distilled. It took a truck load of Roman chamomile plants to extract a few ounces of essential oil. After the oil was extracted, the distilled plant material is mulched back into the soil. The care and quality of growing, harvesting, and extraction is important to know about the company from which you purchase your essential oils.
Another type of distillation is called cold expression. Remember when your mom used to freshly squeeze orange juice? The top lid of the appliance had an oily residue from the rind. The rind is where the essential oil is extracted. This process is used mainly for citrus plants. The rind of the fruit is expressed or pressed to produce the oil. Citrus oils produce a large yield in the cold expression process. Citrus essential oils are moderately priced. It is important to use organically grown plants in the production of every essential oil. Unfortunately, many suppliers use herbicides, pesticides and other synthetic chemicals on fruit trees. You as a consumer will be ingesting the chemicals from sprayed fruit trees.
Remember, when you touched a jasmine plant and the leaves easily turned brown. How is the essential oil extracted from this plant? It is done through a process called solvent extraction. A solvent, butane or hexane, is used to “rinse” or “wash” the oil from the plant material. The result is a semi-solid substance called a “concrete” which contains fatty acids and waxes. The process continues with alcohol washing the mixture, evaporation by distillation and freezing to eliminate the solvent. The end product is called an absolute. Solvent extraction uses no heat in this process and produces a larger yield of oil. It has a stronger aroma. I avoid using essential oils that are solvent extracted because the solvent traces remain. You may recognize names such as Rose absolute, Violet absolute, Jasmine absolute. These indicate a solvent extraction process.
Another distillation process is rather expensive called CO2 or carbon dioxide extraction. No heat is used in the process. The CO2 is put under about 200 time’s normal the atmospheric pressure. This pressure changes it into a liquid, which acts as a solvent to combine with the oil. The reduction of pressure converts CO2 back into a gas. German chamomile can be extracted using carbon dioxide. The label will indicate if carbon dioxide extraction has been used.
Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Products and/or techniques mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The information provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended as diagnosis, treatment, or prescription for any disease. The decision to use, or not use, any of this information is the sole responsibility of the reader.
About the Author: Kathy Padecky is an Aromatherapist and a Holistic Health Practitioners (HHP). She began working in the holistic health field in 1981 and teaches various massage modalities, aromatherapy, and hydrotherapy at the International Professional School of Bodywork (IPSB). Ms. Padecky is also publisher of the “Sacred Scents” Newsletter.
Defining the Role of Communication
Defining the Roll of Communication
There are many modalities and techniques from which to choose in the multi-cultural world of massage and bodywork. The one thing all massage has in common is the client intake interview with the therapist. A very important aspect of the intake interview is getting to know the client’s needs so the massage can be tailored specifically to that individual, and ultimately to meet those requests. With communication playing a key role in receiving a massage, the question is: how does communication relate during the massage?
This is where the definition of ‘communication in massage therapy’ can change; because of the modalities received, as well as the client’s preferences. Some massage modalities require more client feedback during the session to meet session goals. The amount of communication can also vary from session to session, depending upon the client’s desires or lack of to communicate. Both client and therapist can expect different experiences from one massage to the next, depending on the needs of that day and the type of massage performed.
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Essential Oil of the Month: Rosa Damascena
Essential of the Month- Rose- Rosa Damascena
Through ancient times to pres
ent, rose symbolizes love, purity, inspiration, beauty, devotion, compassion, faith, hope, spirituality and sensuality. Rose is the flower of seduction. A Greek poet, Sappho, called rose the “queen of flowers.” The aroma is intoxicating, gentle and exquisite. The Greeks prized rose as the flower of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. In Arab culture rose symbolizes the highest of spiritual achievement. In Rome and Egypt, rose petals were scattered at weddings to ensure happiness. Rose originated in Asia. There are over 250 species of rose and 10,000 different hybrid varieties. Bulgarian rose is the finest quality. It may be referred to as Rose otto. In France, the cabbage rose is extracted with a solvent to make a Rose absolute.
Before distillation was discovered, the flower petals and rosehips were used as medicine and food. I have a jar of Rose jam. Rose is added to traditional Middle Eastern cooking. A drop of organic rose oil can be added to ice cream (it is yummy), rice pudding and chocolate dishes. Organic rose petals can be added to a salad, cakes or honey. It is also used in creams, lotions and cosmetic preparations. In ancient times, rose was used as a cure-all. Hippocrates used rose for gynecological conditions. The Romans used rose for the “day after remedy.” They even infused rose into their wine. Galen, the astronomer recommended it for eye inflammation, hangovers and brain injuries. Many alchemical physicians prescribed rose for heat stroke, burns, wounds, liver disorders and opium intoxication.
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Essential Oil of the Month: Spruce
Botanical Name: Spruce or Black Spruce, Picea mariana.
Why I love this essential oil: I love its woody scent. I feel transported into a forest, my lungs feel alive and I am oxygenated. The scent of spruce reminds me of happy Christmas memories. Spruce is my escape into nature while in the city.
Scent and aroma: Spruce’s scent is fresh, clean and earthy, with balsamic undertones.
Native to and history: is Canada’s best kept essential oil secret. It is grown in Canada mainly for the paper
industry. It is found in wet, marshy areas. Its reddish-brown trunk grows from twelve to eighteen inches in diameter to a height of thirty-five feet. Its pyramid shape has blue-green leaves with wispy branches. It is a hearty evergreen in Canada, the north region of the United States, Alaska, Labrador and Newfoundland. Native Americans used the resin as a chewing gum. They used the resin as caulking and glue. They ate the young inner shoots for food. The spruce strips made watertight baskets for food storage, cooking and sleeping mats. In the seventeenth century, Captain Cook brewed spruce tea to ward off scurvy. In 1849, gold miners ate spruce to prevent scurvy. Spruce was used in leather tanning. Spruce is a soft lumber. It is used in making stringed instruments. Spruce resin was used to hold false teeth in place.
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Thai Massage
In 2008, a study commissioned by Yoga Journal found that an estimated 15.8 mill
ion people practiced Yoga in the United States (“Yoga Journal Releases 2008 “Yoga in America” Market Study.” 28 Dec 2010 < http://www.yogajournal.com/ advertise/press_releases/10>). This is not unexpected seeing that there are numerous subscribed benefits to this practice: physical fitness, flexibility and the added benefits of quieting the mind through meditation. Yoga has started to be integrated into the fabric of many American’s lives and is bringing attention to the value of getting away from the everyday stresses of life through meditation and movement. There is another way, however, to discover the same meditation and movement through a style of bodywork known as Thai Massage.
Thai Massage, like Yoga, is rooted in Ayurvedic traditions, a form of alternative medicine from India. It has descended from the “father doctor,” Jivaka Kumar Bhaccha, who was the personal physician to the Buddha more than 2500 years ago. It marries breath and movement in a unique way and is often called “passive yoga” or “Thai Yoga Massage.” The practitioner follows the breath of the client, while they manipulate the clients’ body into various yoga-like positions. Some positions are held passively while the practitioner gently palm presses to create a deeper stretch. Other positions explore range of motion in the joints while the practitioner creates counterforce for the stretch with their feet, knees or hands. The client remains relaxed throughout the session, and is placed in each position by the practitioner (“Thai Massage.” 26 Dec. 2010 <http://www.altmd.com/articles/thai-massage>).
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Massage For Stress and Wellness
The Holiday Season is one filled with joy, friends, family and food; but it can also be wrought with stress and illness. Sickness usually starts with the apparent signs of a sore throat, runny nose and general rundown feeling, while the physical effects of stress may be a little more subtle. Stress can negatively affect the body by bringing on back pain, high blood pressure and decreased immunity, which can adversely affect the mind with anxiety and depression.
Stress builds around the holidays for many reasons: you may have a family member who makes gatherings difficult, or perhaps you aren’t able to visit with family this year. Stress can also be brought on by the added expenses of the season, parties and shopping, not to mention the physical demands of balancing work, family and a packedsocial calendar.
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Essential Oil of the Month: Clove
Botanical Name: Eugenia caryophyllata or Syzygium aromaticum.
Why I love this essential oil: My first experience with of the aroma of clove was my family Easter Sunday dinners. As a child my mom let me pierce the ham with cloves (along with cherries and pineapple) on a spiral ham. Every time I smell clove it reminds me of childhood Sunday dinners. Today, I am a vegetarian and clove reminds me of happy times in the kitchen with my mom. Clove is a MUST in any aromatherapy first aid kit. In this newsletter you will read about its many healing qualities.
Scent and aroma: Its aroma is sweet and spicy with a pleasant fragrance. Clove essential oil is warm and stimulating. Clove’s scent is recognized by many cultures as an aphrodisiac.
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Essential Oil: Clary Sage
Botanical Name: Salvia sclarea
Why I love clary sage: I love taking a bath in clary sage after a long day of teaching. The aroma is intoxicating and the warm bath is sedating, uplifting and relaxing. I feel rejuvenated and refreshed, ready for the next day.
Aroma and scent: The scent is herbal and earthy with a nutty fragrance. The essential oil is a pale yellow liquid.
Native to and history: Clary sage is a member of the mint family of plants. It is also known as clary wort and muscatel sage. Clary is derived from the Latin name sclarea derived from clarus meaning clear. Clary sage has been called “Clear eye”. When the seeds soak in water they infuse an essence that has a soothing effect for irritated eyes. It was famous for healing a wide variety of eye problems.
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Essential Oil: Geranium
Geraniums adorn our window boxes, driveways and gardens. Geraniums provide a splash of vibrant colors and they are a hardy drought resistant favorite of many gardeners. The flowers come in a variety of brilliant colors such as lavender, white, pink and red. Geraniums are easily recognized by many non-gardeners. I have a patch of geraniums that are a large mound five feet tall. They are always in bloom and eyes naturally gravitate to observe their beauty.
In cold climates gardeners bring their potted geraniums indoors in the fall and let them hibernate through the winter. The dormant plants again come to life in the spring to again grace us with their color. Geraniums have a wide variety of scents. Geranium may are also called Rose geranium or Egyptian geranium.
Geraniums are originally native to southern Africa. The Reunion Islands off the coast of Madagascar, specialized in the cultivation of this plant. Many believe the finest quality geraniums come from this island in the southwestern Indian Ocean. Dutch soldiers transported geraniums to Europe in the 1600′s.
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Reiki as a Life Changing Modality
Many massage centers, spas, and wellness clinics offer an array of bodywork. The term “bodywork” describes any therapeutic, healing, or personal development technique that involves working with the human body including manipulative therapy (e.g., circulatory massage), breath work (e.g., Qigong), or energy medicine (e.g., Reiki). Bodywork may be used for pain and stress management, promote awareness of the “mind-body connection”, improve posture, and to manipulate a putative “energy field” surrounding the body and affecting the wellbeing of a person.
Reiki has been an integral part of my massage practice since 2004. As a massage therapist, I became interested in Reiki for self-healing with the intention of also using it with my clients. The term “Reiki” means Universal Life Force, and has been practiced for thousands of years. Although Reiki is believed to have originated in Tibet, it was introduced to the United States by a Japanese doctor and Tibetan Buddhist, Mikao Usui.
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