How To Choose & Use Essential Oils For Aroma

How To Diffuse Essential Oils In A Vaporiser 

Essential Oils not only smell great
and have health benefits,they also
give a room an atmosphere.

There are many kinds of vaporisers. We are only mentioning the methods that we recommend for our fine quality essential oils. Our oils are premium grade, pure 100% certified organic oils. They must be used sparingly as they are extremely potent and concentrated. A little goes a long way.

Electric or Candle

Fill the diffuser with water and turn on the power or light the candle. Let the water warm for a few minutes, then add 3-4 drops of the required oil. It should last 3-4 hours.

Bowl of Water

If a diffuser is not handy. You can add 3-4 drops of oil to a wide brimmed small bowl of water. It will have the same diffusion effect except that it will diffuse for only 1-2 hours.

Choosing the right essential oil for aroma

Choosing For Emotions

Essential oils have neurological effects. The chemical compound of an essential oil will be absorbed through the capillaries in nose when inhaled and absorbed into the blood steam where it passes the blood brain barrier and changes the neurology of the brain. So, if you want to change your physiological or emotional state, you need to know what the dominant chemical compound of the essential oil. This will tell you the effect it will have you.

Choosing For Scent 

Choosing the right essential oil for aroma alone, will in many ways depend on if you like it. Whether you like it, will in part depend on how it makes you feel. Please see Choosing Essential Oils For Emotions above to find out more about this.

However, choosing how long an aroma will last and what you will smell when an essential oil is heated and infused into the air will require you to understand the rate of evaporation of the oil a.k.a base notes.

Essential Oils with Top Notes : The oils in this category are those that evaporate the most quickly and the ones you experience first when an essential oil blend in diffused. The aromas of these notes are crisp and sharp. 

Mandarin	sweet, floral, orange-like
Geranium	floral, sweet
Lavender	floral, fresh, sweet, herbaceous
Ylang Ylang	floral, rich, sweet
Lemongrass	Fresh, lemon, sweet
Eucalyptus	citrus, fresh

Middle Notes : The oils in this category make up the 'heart' of what you smell.

Lemongrass	Fresh, lemon, sweet
Mandarin	Sweet, floral, orange-like
Lavender	floral, fresh, sweet, herbaceous

Base Notes :These oils have a very slow evaporation rate and extend the the amount of time the essential oil remains on the skin or in the air. Your nose will generally become aware of these aromas upon dry-down (in a vaporiser) or about 20 min after applied to the skin.

Frankincense	Woody, sweet

So, essential oils that are in the top note category will diffuse throughout a room quickly. You will be able to smell in throughout the room almost as soon as the water in the vaporiser heats. Essential oils in the middle note category last the longest in a vaporiser. So, Lavender and Lemongrass will probably last in the diffuser for 3-4 hours or as long as the water in the vaporiser is still heating. Frankincense which have a strong base note, may not be noticed too quickly upon heating, but it will continue to diffuse throughout the room long after the water in the vaporiser has dried up.

Between, an essential oil's heath effects and its aroma, there is a perfect essential oil for everyone. For everyday use, we recommend Lemongrass (it lasts long while being uplifting) and Lavender (it lasts long while being relaxing).  

Click on the essential oil of your choice to buy premium 100% pure essential oils

How Essential Oils Are Extracted From Flowers, Bark & Leaves.

ALL OUR ESSENTIAL OILS ARE EITHER
 COLD-PRESSED OR STEAM-DISTILLED TO
MAINTAIN THERAPEUTIC GRADE AND
ORGANIC STATUS

I'm fascinated by how amazing it is that a flower, stem or leaves of a plant can be reduced to it pure essence (essential oils) and enjoyed as a raw concentrate. The time, effort and sheer amount of plant material required to do this has led me to compile some of the more time-tested methods of essential oil extraction methods. This may lead you to understand that essential oil quality DOES matter. 

Cold-Pressed

Cold-pressed oils are oils made by first grinding nuts, seeds, fruits or vegetables (depending on the oil being made) into a paste. Then an oil stone or other tool is used to press the paste which forces the oil to separate out.

Effleurage

Effleurage is an archaic method of extracting essential oils. It is rarely used nowadays because it’s a costly and time-consuming method of extraction. It involves placing the flower petals onto a layer of glass that is has been layered with fat called “chassis”. The oil from the petals diffuses into the fat. The fat is then collected and the oil is extracted from the fat using alcohol. Once the alcohol evaporates what is left behind is pure essence.

Expression

When oils are taken from the rind of fruits they are called “expressed oils”. This method is cold and does not involve any solvents or heat. Most of the citrus oils are extracted in this manner including mandarin, lime, orange and lemon essential oils.

Since citrus fruits are constantly sprayed with pesticides and cold methods do not adulterate the essence, pesticides can be present in high quantities in the oils. For this reason, our mandarin oil is organic, pesticide and chemical free.

Steam Distilling

Steam distillation has been used for hundreds of years and today remains one of the most common methods of extracting essential oils.

There are three different steam processes but in all of the methods, steam is used to rupture the oil membranes in the plant and release the essential oil. The steam lifts the essential oil into a condenser and as it re-liquefies the lighter essential oil floats to the top. The water is more commonly known as floral water and the oil is known as essential oil.

The distilling equipment including the distillation temperature and pressure will all have an impact on the quality of the oil. Essential oil distillers must have the knowledge and expertise to know how to produce therapeutic grade essential oils

Solvent Extraction

Solvent extraction is a method dominated by the perfume industry. Technically it does not produce therapeutic grade oils because chemicals such as hexane, acetone, di-methylene-chloride and others are used in the process. Plant material is immersed into the solvents to become a thick substance called ‘concrete’.

The oil particles are released when the ‘concrete’ is mixed with alcohol. When the alcohol and the ‘concrete’ are separated the chemicals still remain in the oil. These are perfume or aromatherapy grade oils. As they have chemicals in the oils, they are unsafe for direct application onto skin or hair.

Solvent extraction is faster and cheaper because the oil is cut with solvents and can increase production volume significantly. This grade of oil is often used in bath oils and gels, candles, shampoos, toothpaste, fly spray, and air fresheners.

Perfume or aromatherapy grade oils make up 98% of the oils sold in health food stores, retail outlets and aromatherapy suppliers. What you get at The Little Essentials is even rarer than the remaining 2% because, our products are also certified organic. You get nothing but premium,therapeutic grade oils here.

Percolation and Fractional Distillation

Fractional distillation separates the volatile oil in different portions at various boiling points. This method is used in oil refineries for distillation of petroleum products and is not suited for therapeutic grade essential oils.

Percolation is one of the newer methods of extraction essential oils. It is similar to normal distillation but the equipment is literally upside down! It has been used successfully in France; however sometimes an emulsion is produced that can’t be separated out, so until it can be further developed you will not see it in large scales.

Super Critical Fluid Extraction or Carbon Dioxide Extraction

Super critical fluid extraction or carbon dioxide extraction is also a fairly new solvent extraction process that uses carbon dioxide at very high pressures. The carbon dioxide is injected into the tank where the plant material is contained and acts as a solvent to extract the oil.

Carbon dioxide is colourless and odourless and can be completely removed. However, there is no research at this point to verify if there are any toxic effects of using this procedure. Additionally, the distilling equipment is extremely expensive. Until more is known about this process, it is advised using steam distilled and expressed oils is still safer.

Phytonic Process

The phytonic process is a one of the newest methods of extracting essential oils using non-CFCs (non-chlorofluorocarbons). It is also called florasol extraction and the oils are referred to as phytols. The oils are very natural. However, it does use fluoro-hydrocarbons which can be harmful to the environment!

Geranium Essential Oil - Plumps The Skin, Relaxes The Soul

GERANIUM OIL (Pelargonium Gravedens) | Egypt

100% Pure Egyptian Geranium Oil 15ml

Aroma - Relaxes, reduces tension and helps with clear thinking

Skin Benefits - Builds collagen in the skin, reduces bruising and improves saggy skin

About OUR Geranium Oil

Method of Extraction : Steam-distilled

Plant Part : Flowering plant

Country of Origin : Egypt

100% Pure Essential Oil

What is Geranium Oil?

Geranium oil (pelargonium graveolens) is extracted from the leaves of the geranium plant by distillation. According to Julia Lawless, in the "Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils," geranium oil is sometimes known as rose geranium oil. The types of geranium oil differ depending on the plant species from which they are extracted; for example, you might find geranium oil described as Bourbon geranium. This is a reference to the area in which it grows. Geranium oil might be slightly different in chemical composition, depending on where it is cultivated, but in general most geranium oils have the same physical properties.

How To Use Geranium Oil

• Add 2 drops to the amount you would use for body moisturiser
• Add 5-10 drops to a vaporiser                                                                                                        
• Hot or cold compress - for antiseptic use
• Add 5-6 drops to a two ounce spray bottle filled with water, shake well before each.
• To reduce water retention apply 3-4 drops with your moisturiser to the legs and rub from the feet up to the knees. Always rub towards the heart, never away.
• Apply the oil to a cut, use a butterfly bandage to pull the edges together, and it is almost as good as stitches in a day or two.
• Great for hemorrhoids. Simply apply to the affected area several times a day and the swelling will go down and the pain will disappear

Beauty Benefits

• Improves skin conditions such as acne, dermatitis, congested skin, oily skin, eczema, mature skin, dry skin, tender breasts, stretch marks and cracked nipples.
• Great as a toner for all skin types.
• Also helps fight wrinkles when added as an ingredient to skin moisturizers.
• Use as an antiseptic
• Stimulates collagen production so excellent your mature skin. Collagen stimulation increases with consistent application of geranium essential oil
• Precaution - Do not use on pregnant women or children as it has strong hormonal balancing effects.
• Add to your regular face cream, toner or body moisturiser to increase blood circulation and skin elasticity.
• When added to massage oil, geranium oil acts to reduce dry skin and sagging by retaining moisture in the skin.
• When you apply Geranium essential oil to a wound it will help stop the bleeding and give the skin what it needs to repair itself.
• Great for reducing bruising after plastic surgery.

Science Behind Geranium’s Efficacy

(Extracted from traceetc.com)

The primary constituent is geraniol, which builds collagen fibers (the protein that is the main building block of bone, cartilage, tendon, and other connective tissues) in the tissues. This means that it creates a regenerative action in these parts of the body, especially the skin.

Balances hormones by opening up the circulatory system and allowing the hormones to

be carried to where they need to be.

Great for female problems—PMS, swollen breasts, cramps, heavy or missing periods,

etc. It even helps normalize the fluctuating hormones experienced during menopause!

Apply to the ankles, the inner thighs, the soft upper arms, or even the breasts. If you are

experiencing menstrual cramps apply on location. If you are experiencing heavy

menstrual bleeding, apply to the abdominal area. You may initially experience a brief

time of heavier flow, but then it should diminish to a more normal level of bleeding.