Essential Oil Properties
What is an "Essential Oil"?
Essential oils are used extensively in aromatherapy and various traditional medicinal systems. Due to the numerous health benefits of essential oils, they are increasingly being explored by the scientific community for the treatment of a variety of diseases including cancer, HIV, asthma, bronchitis, heart strokes, and many more.
But what exactly are essential oils? For those new to these incredibly potent oils — some of which have been around for centuries — essential oils are extracted from plants to capture their flavors, scents, and overall beneficial properties.
There are more than 90 essential oils, and each has its own health benefits. Most essential oils blend well with other essential oils in terms of function and odour, which allows herbalists to prepare a vast repertoire of aromatic essential oil combinations.
**Please note: For us here at 4 Directions Natural Soap, it would be very time-consuming and quite exhausting to attempt to list all of them on this page. If you happen to be curious about learning more about the properties and health/skin benefits of an oil/ingredient that is not listed on our page, we encourage you to look it up and learn about the special and beneficial properties of each ingredient that we use! An easy/simple way is to just type the name of the oil/ingredient followed by something like "skin benefits" or "health benefits".
Let's take a look at some of the more common essential oils.....
Basil essential oil
Properties: Basil essential oil is carminative, anti-spasmodic, analgesic, antibacterial, and opthalmic.
Health benefits: It has long been used for skin care, indigestion, respiratory problems, infections, stress disorders, blood circulation issues, pain, and vomiting.
The essential oil extracted from basil has many topical and internal benefits. It’s been shownTrusted Source to be both antiviral and anti-inflammatory, so it could work as a cold and flu remedy and muscle relaxer.
It’s also been found to treat acne and one older study even found that it worked as a way to reduce stress. You can also add it to hair treatments to get rid of buildup and enhance shine.
Safety: If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, speak with your doctor before using basil oil.
Bergamot essential oil
Properties: It is considered deodorant, vulnerary, vermifuge, antibiotic, antiseptic, anti-spasmodic, sedative, analgesic, antidepressant, disinfectant, febrifuge, cicatrisant, and digestive in nature.
Health benefits: Bergamot essential oil removes body odor, relieves spasms, suppresses pain, improves mood and fights depression, heals cuts and scars, and promotes efficient digestion.
Black pepper essential oil
Properties: It is considered a digestive, diaphoretic, carminative, aperient, antispasmodic, antirheumatic, antiarthritic, antibacterial, and an antioxidant.
Health benefits: This essential oil aids in digestion, increases perspiration and helps remove toxins from the body. It also helps to remove gases from the intestines and does not let them build up, while acting as a purgative, curing spasms, and helping to treat arthritis and rheumatism by removing uric acid and other toxins from the body. Black pepper essential oil inhibits bacterial growth, fights premature aging and neutralizes free radicals that damage the body in countless ways.
Camomile essential oil
Properties: Traditionally, camomile essential oil has been used for almost anything you can imagine, including its use as an antispasmodic, antiseptic, antibiotic, antidepressant, antineuralgic, antiphlogistic, carminative, cholagogue, cicatrisant, emenagogue, analgesic, febrifuge, hepatic, sedative, nervine, digestive, tonic, bactericidal, sudorific, stomachic, antiinflammatory, anti-infectious, vermifuge, and vulnerary.
Health benefits: Camomile essential oil is known to cure spasms, protect wounds from becoming septic and infected, curb biotic growth and infections, fight depression and uplift mood, cure neuralgic pain by reducing swelling in the effected vessels, and soothe inflammation from fever. It also eliminates gases, promotes discharge of bile, helps decrease visibility of scars, opens up obstructed menses and regulates them, cures pain, reduces fever, and is good for the liver.
Furthermore, camomile essential oil sedates inflammation and hyper-reactions, improves nervous system health, aids digestion, reduces spasms, kills bacteria, increases perspiration, improves digestion, and fights infections. It is one of the most popular and useful essential oils out there!
Featuring a combination of a light floral and herbal aroma, this oil has the potential to put your mind at ease when diffused and inhaled through steam. While this oil is great for calming the mind, it’s equally as useful on the skin, and has been found to treat conditions like inflammation and eczema.
Safety: Anyone allergic to daisies, marigolds, and ragweed should avoid using this oil altogether.
Cassia essential oil
Derived from the cinnamomum cassia plant, this oil has a similar warm and spicy fragrance to actual cinnamon, though it’s a bit sweeter. Unlike the cooling effect of the minty oils, cassia oil warms the body, which can leave people feeling tranquil.
Safety: That said, anyone who’s pregnant should not use this oil.
Cedarwood essential oil
Properties: It is antiseborrhoeic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, tonic, astringent, diuretic, emenagogue, expectorant, insecticidal, sedative, and a fungicide.
Health benefits: Cedarwood is known to help cure seborrhoea, heal wounds, fight spasms, cause contractions in the gums, muscles, tissues, skin and blood vessels, while increasing urination and the subsequent removal of toxins, water, salt and fat from the body. It also regulates menstrual cycles, cures coughs and colds, kills insects, sedates inflammation and nervous disturbances, and inhibits fungal growth and infections.
Earthy and naturally woody-smelling, cedarwood is used for a number of topical beauty treatments. Studies have shown that these benefits include fighting acne, treating eczema, and reducing dandruff. On top of all this, it also allegedly helps to reduce arthritis and relieve coughing.
Safety: It’s important to note that none of these benefits comes from ingesting the oil. It’s not safe to consume cedarwood oil and if done so can result in vomiting, nausea, thirst, and damage to the digestive system.
Cinnamon essential oil
Properties: It is antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, astringent, anti-clotting, stimulating, cooling, and carminative in nature.
Health benefits: It is frequently employed as a brain tonic, as well as for respiratory problems, skin infections, blood impurity, blood circulation issues, infections, wound healing, pain relief, birth control, menstruation problems, breastfeeding, heart disorders, diabetes, colon cancer, indigestion, and as a relief for bad breath!
Clove essential oil
Properties: It is antimicrobial, antifungal, antiseptic, antiviral, aphrodisiac, and stimulating in nature.
Health benefits: Clove essential oil has long been used in treatments related to dental care, like toothaches and cavities, as well as for infections, skin care, stress, headaches, respiratory problems, earaches, indigestion, nausea, blood circulation issues, blood purification, diabetes, immune system weakness, premature ejaculation, cholera, and sties.
Frankincense essential Oil
The aroma of this one may smell like the holiday season to you, but it also has all kinds of astringent, digestive, antiseptic, and disinfectant properties.
It may prevent oral issues like bad breath, toothaches, cavities, and mouth sores, and one study even suggests it can help improve skin health.
Safety: Aside from potential skin sensitivity, users can rest easy knowing there aren’t any major side effects from using frankincense.
Geranium essential oil
Properties: It has a range of qualities, including use as an astringent, haemostatic, cicatrisant, cytophylactic, diuretic, deodorant, styptic, tonic, vermifuge, and vulnerary.
Health benefits: It is employed to induce tightening of the gums, muscles, skin and blood vessels and in stopping hemorrhage, scar healing, promotion of cell growth, and increased urination. It is also used to stop body odor, tone up the body, and kill intestinal parasites and worms.
Grapefruit essential oil
Properties: This substance is a diuretic, disinfectant, stimulant, antidepressant, antiseptic, aperitif, lymphatic, and a tonic.
Health benefits: In various parts of the world, it is used to stimulate urination, fight infections, reduce depression and uplift spirits and mood. It also protects wounds from becoming septic while increasing the elimination of of toxins.
Even though this is also derived from a citrus fruit — the peel to be exact — it has more of a bitter and fresh scent, and is a popular oil to use in a diffuser. It’s been said to have antifungal properties that may help reduce any harmful bacteria within.
Safety: Again, similar to lemon, avoid UV rays from the sun when applying topically. Can interfere with some medications.
Jasmine essential oil
Properties: It is considered an antidepressant, antiseptic, aphrodisiac, antispasmodic, cicatrisant, expectorant, galactogogue, emenagogue, parturient, sedative and uterine.
Health benefits: Jasmine essential oil fights depression and uplifts mood, protects wounds, cures sexual dysfunctions, and increases libido. It also reduces spasms, heals scars and after marks, gives relief from phlegm and coughs, increases breast milk, and regulates obstructed menstrual cycles. The oil also eases the delivery of babies and labor pains, while sedating inflammation and nervous disturbances.
Lavender essential oil
Properties: Lavender essential oil can be calming, sleep inducing, analgesic, disinfectant, antiinflammatory, antiseptic, and antifungal.
Health benefits: This oil is beneficial for treatment of issues with the nervous system, insomnia, pain relief, urine flow, respiratory disorders, skin care, hair care, blood circulation, indigestion, and immune system health.
This incredibly popular oil has all kinds of benefits. This subtly floral scent can help people to relax and sleep. Moreover, breathing it in has been found to help with alleviating headachesTrusted Source, while the use of the oil topically may help reduce the itching and swelling from bug bites.
Safety: There are a few known side effects. These include nausea, headaches, chills, and vomiting. It can also irritate the skin if you have an intolerance.
Lemon essential oil
This citrusy oil is loaded with antioxidants that can help reduce inflammation, fight against anemia, boost energy levels, and relieve nausea.
Safety: You can use it on your skin to nourish it, but remember: Because it’s incredibly photosensitive, you should only use it at night and wash it off in the morning. Don’t expose skin to sunlight when using lemon oil topically.
Lemongrass essential oil
Properties: It is an analgesic, antidepressant, antimicrobial, antipyretic, antiseptic, astringent, bactericidal, carminative, deodorant, diuretic, febrifuge, fungicidal, galactogogue, insecticidal, nervine, sedative, and a tonic.
Health benefits: Traditionally, lemongrass reduces pain, fights depression, inhibits microbial growth, reduces high fever, protects wounds from being septic, strengthens gums and hair and reduces hemorrhaging. This essential oil kills bacteria, eliminates gas, reduces body odor, promotes urination, reduces fever, stops fungal infections, increases milk, kills insects, strengthens nerves, soothes inflammation and nervous disturbances.
Manuka essential oil
Properties: Manuka essential oil is an antidandruff, an antidote to insect bites and stings, as well as antibacterial, antifungal, antiinflammatory, antihistaminic, antiallergenic. cicatrisant, cytophylactic, deodorant and is a great nervous relaxant.
Health benefits: It is commonly used to treat dandruff, counter venomous bites, inhibit bacterial and fungal infections, sedate inflammation, check production of histamine and reduces allergic symptoms. Finally, it quickly clears up scars and spots, promotes growth & regeneration of cells, and reduces body odor.
Melaleuca (Tea Tree) essential oil
You probably know this oil by its more commonly used name — tea tree oil — along with its easy to identify medicinal scent. It’s typically used as an antibacterial, anti-inflammatoryTrusted Source, and antiviralTrusted Source treatment, in addition to treating hypersensitivity.
Thanks to these benefits, it’s been shown to help treat eczema, reduce reactions in people allergic to nickel, and even treat staph infections and bug bites.
Safety: You should only inhale or apply this oil topically — never ingest it. If you do, you could experience digestive issues, hives, or dizziness.
Myrrh essential Oil
This sappy-smelling essential oil is said to treat skin issues by relieving acne and cracked skin, and may even help treat athlete’s foot.
Safety: Myrrh should never be taken orally. If you’re using it topically, take note that it’s been found to cause dermatitis. More serious side effects include heart irregularities and lower blood pressure. It can also increase the risk of miscarriage if taken by people who are pregnant
Orange essential oil
It’s no surprise that this oil — packed with vitamin C — has tons of skin care benefits when applied topically. This oil is found in a variety of beauty products and touts promises to make skin appear brighter, smoother, and clearer.
As for health-based benefits, studies have found that orange may help treat anxiety and aid in some pain relief.
Safety: This bold and zesty citrus oil isn’t without its downfalls. Dilute it well. Never apply directly to your skin or you may experience redness and swelling, and be sure to avoid direct sunlight right after application.
Oregano essential oil
This spiced essential oil has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal benefits that may help treat athletes foot, bacterial infections, psoriasis, and warts. One study found that it has strong antioxidant properties and could help treat fevers and respiratory symptoms, too.
Its sharp, spicy scent with hints of herbal tendencies can be used in aromatherapy, or applied topically to reap its benefits.
Safety: If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you should talk to your doctor before using oregano oil.
Patchouli essential oil
Properties: Patchouli oil is used as an antidepressant, antiphlogistic, antiseptic, aphrodisiac, astringent, cicatrisant, cytophylactic, deodorant, diuretic, febrifuge, fungicide, insecticide, sedative, and a tonic.
Health benefits: This can be used to fight depression and uplift mood, soothe inflammation resulting from high fevers, does not allow wounds to become septic, increases libido and cures sexual disorders. Furthermore, it helps to tighten gums and muscles, and it stops hemorrhaging, heals scars and after marks, promotes cell growth, eliminates body odor, increases urination and removes toxins. Finally, it is well known for its ability to cure fever, kill fungus and insects, as well as reduce emotional and nervous disorders.
Peppermint essential oil
When you inhale the minty herbal scent of this oil, some evidence has shown that it can relieve IBS symptoms. Likewise, a limited amount of evidence has found that this oil can help with headaches and indigestion.
When applied topically, you’ll immediately sense a cooling effect. This can help with things like muscle pain (and potentially help to increase exercise performance), sunburn relief, and itchy skin conditions like poison ivy or insect bites.
Safety: Peppermint essential oil shouldn’t be ingested as it can cause serious side effects like heartburn, headaches, an irritated esophagus, and mouth sores. So if you need to freshen your breath, just stick to actual mints.
Rose essential oil
Properties: Rose essential oil has long been used as an antidepressant, antiphlogistic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antiviral, aphrodisiac, astringent, bactericidal, cholagogue, cicatrisant, depurative, emenagogue, haemostatic, hepatic, laxative, nervine, stomachic, and a uterineoil substance.
Health benefits: Traditionally, it fights depression and uplifts mood, soothes inflammation due to fever, protects wounds against developing sepsis, relieves spasms, fights viral infections, enhances libido and cures sexual disorders, while tightening gums and muscles, and stopping hemorrhaging. Furthermore, it inhibits bacterial growth, promotes discharges and secretions, heals scars, purifies the blood, opens up obstructed menses, stops hemorrhaging, boosts liver health, cures constipation and nervous disorders, as well as being good for stomach and uterine health.
When the sweet, floral scent of rose oil is inhaled, it’s been shown to help reduce anxiety. Its antioxidant properties have also been found to help treat acne and improve complexion for an overall younger look.
Safety: Skin irritation can occur when used topically, so make sure to use more of the carrier oil if you want to reap the skin care benefits of rose oil.
Rosemary essential oil
Properties: Rosemary essential oil is great for stimulating hair growth, and as a disinfectant, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, carminative, antibacterial, and analgesic substance.
Health benefits: It is very useful in terms of hair care, skin care, mouth care, anxiety, mental disorders, depression, pain, headache, rheumatism, respiratory problems, bronchial asthma, indigestion, and flatulence.
Sandalwood essential oil
Properties: It can be used as an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antiphlogistic, antispasmodic, astringent, cicatrisant, carminative, diuretic, disinfectant, emollient, expectorant, hypotensive, memory booster, sedative and a tonic substance.
Health benefits: Sandalwood essential oil protects wounds from infection, soothes inflammations due to fever and other conditions, clears up spasms, tightens gums and muscles and helps stop hair loss. It can also reduce the chance of hemorrhaging, heal scars and after marks, give relief from gas, increase urination, fight infections, and it keeps skin smooth & free from infections. Finally, sandalwood essential oil traditionally cures coughs and colds, reduces blood pressure, increases memory, soothes nervous disorders and inflammations, and boosts your immune system.
Spearmint essential oil
This other minty option is quite similar to peppermint in both aroma and benefits, therefore it can be used as an alternative. You will find that spearmint oil has a bit of a sweeter kick to its aroma and has been found to have antifungal properties.
It also provides the same cooling effect as peppermint when applied topically, which makes it equally as useful for warding off unwanted insects and relieving bug bites.
Safety: If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, speak with your doctor before using spearmint oil.
Vetiver essential oil
The smoky, sugary scent of vetiver is often used in tranquil aromatherapy to boost your overall mood and calm your nerves. As for its antioxidant benefits, it’s been found to help promote skin health and heal scars.
Safety: Since it’s nonirritating and non-sensitizing it’s a great topical alternative for those who can’t handle other essential oils.
Ylang Ylang essential oil
Properties: This essential oil is an antidepressant, antiseborrhoeic, antiseptic, aphrodisiac, hypotensive, nervine and sedative type of substance.
Health benefits: It fights against depression and uplifts mood, stops sebum secretion, protects against sepsis while also reducing blood pressure, curing nervous disorders, soothing inflammation and reducing the severity of nervous disorders.
This flowery oil emits a spicy but sweet aroma, and has been suggested as an aid in relaxation, a self-esteem builder, and it even may act as a repellant toward certain insects. It’s frequently found in cosmetics and promises a laundry list of beauty benefits, including the treatment of combination skin and promotion of hair growth.
Takeaway
While there’s still a good deal of research that needs to be done to fully back and support essential oils as a way to treat various health issues, there are still a number of benefits worth exploring.
Remember that essential oils must be diluted in a carrier oil before applying to the skin. Do not swallow essential oils. Some are toxic.
From alleviating insect bites to making your home smell great, essential oils offer a wide range of potential benefits.
PubMed Central
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Highly respected database from the National Institutes of Health
