Healing power of medicinal quality essential oils is extensive and profound. Each oil or oil combination has a distinct profile or personality that makes it useful not only for particular conditions, but also personality types.
How do the essential oils influence us?
Essential oils are believed to influence the body and mind through two principle pathways, through the skin and via the sense of smell.
The molecular structure of essential oils is very small and they can penetrate the skin easily. Entering through the hair follicles, pores, they reach the fine capillaries of the blood and lymph system. Thus they are carried throughout the body to all cells, crossing even the blood brain barrier, to act on the outer portions of the brain.
When one smells a fragrance, it is the tiny droplets of airborne essential oils which have triggered a response in the smell sensor in the roof of the nose. From there it is just one nerve synapse to the limbic system of the brain which regulates motor activities, primary drives, emotions, and memories. Impulses are then transmitted to the hypothalamus which regulates such bodily functions as temperature, thirst, hunger, blood sugar level, growth, sleep and wake patterns, sexual arousal, and the emotions. From there the pitutary gland is stimulated next, which activates the endocrine system which in turn controls digestion, emotional an sexual behaviour, responses to stress, and all metabolic processes.
Essential oils take as little as fifteen minutes to influence the entire body, mind, and spirit. Their effect is not cumulative as all traces of the physical presence in the body leaves after two to three hours.
Suitability of essential oils specific to skin type or prakriti
In Ayurveda, the essential oil is selected to balance the dosha(V,P or K) by their smell, effect on the body, and emotions.
The essential oils suitable for balancing specific doshas are
VATA (Dry Skin) clary sage Geranium Cinnamon Cypress Clove Jasmine Musk Orange Rose Sandalwood(Warm) Suitable carrier oils - sesame oil, avocado, carrot see | PITTA (Oily Skin) Chamomile Gardenia Lotus Jasmine Lemongrass Mint Rose Rosewood Sandalwood Vetivert Basil Suitable carrier oils - Coconut, sunflower, safflower, jojoba, ghee | KAPHA(Normal Skin) Cedarwood Cinnamon Musk Eucalyptus Myrrh Patchouli Pine Sage Neroli Lavender Suitable carrier oils - mustard, flax seed, jojoba, olive, and almond |
The essential oils can be applied on the body in the following manner...
1. Diffuser
2. Incense
3.Cosmetics
- Oils
- Lotions
- Shampoos
- Conditioners
- Steams
- Masks
- Bath Salts
- Shower Gels
- Soaps
Neev Herbal Handmade Soaps are based on the combination of aromatherepy and ayurvedic principles. The blend of essential oils added in each product has been chosen to take care of specific problem.
All Neev products are made using pure essential oils without adding any fixative to the product. This limits the shelf life of our products to one year, after which the essential oil smell diminishes in the product. but while the chemical free product is still fresh, the essential oils in it actively balance the dosha of your body, without the risk of chemicals accumulating on the skin and causing early aging.
In my next blog I shall talk about the benefits Ayurvedic massage.