Shamanic Extracts :: ESSENTIALS :: Essential Oils
Essential oils, or 'essences' as they are also called, are highly concentrated substances extracted from various parts of aromatic plants and trees. They are usually captured by steam distillation, a process whose origins can be traced back to ancient Mesopotamia. Unlike ordinary vegetable oils, such as corn and olive, plant essences are highly volatile and will evaporate if left in the open air. The chemistry of essential oils is complex. Most consist of hundreds of components, such as terpenes, alcohols, aldehydes, and esters. For this reason a single oil can help a wide variety of disorders. Lavender, for instance, is endowed with antiseptic, antibacterial, antibiotic, antidepressant, analgesic, decongestant and sedative properties. Moreover, due to their tiny molecular structure, essential oils applied to the skin can be absorbed into the bloodstream.
They also reach the blood as a result of the aromatic molecules being inhaled. In the lungs, they pass through the tiny air sacs to the surrounding blood capillaries by the process of diffusion. Once in the bloodstream the aromatic molecules interact with the body's chemistry.
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