The scent of pure essential oils is one of life’s greatest pleasures and one that is now available in abundance with a huge variety of room diffusers, humidifiers, and oil-infused candles. Here are some tips from Kim Brookes founder of Perfino on how to make essential oils an essential part of your everyday life.
Of course, everyone has personal likes, dislikes, and associations. I’m not a huge fan of Jasmine as it is rather cloying and overly sweet to my nose, but there are plenty who love it. On the other hand, I adore the scent of Rose, one of the most precious and expensive of oils as you need so very many petals, hand-picked at the break of dawn, to produce a really good Rose absolute.
As society trends away from the unnatural and mass-produced, there has been considerable interest in using essential oils to promote health and wellbeing. Nothing new here, as essential oils have been extracted from various plant materials and enjoyed since time immemorial. The Egyptians used them for embalming bodies where the antibacterial and fragrant properties must certainly have helped; religious practitioners have deployed them for centuries for their aesthetic and mystical appeal; and of course, the wealthy and powerful have always sought out the most precious oils for personal pleasure and appeal.
The study of essential oils began in the 1830’s Grasse, a part of France now synonymous with the best raw materials (and noses) in the world. So, no surprise that the evolution of the $29 billion perfume industry finds its roots here.
The therapeutic use of essential oils is however a relatively new phenomenon. In 1910 Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, a chemical engineer from Lyon, treated his burns with lavender oil after an explosion in his laboratory, and was so impressed by the results that he went on to found the French Society of Aromatic Products, and coin the term “aromatherapy”.
In recent years essential oils have really come into their own as people have begun to appreciate the difference they can make to their physical and mental enjoyment of life.
Here are a few of the ways that you could use essential oils in your daily life to make a positive difference.
Environment-friendly fabric refreshment
Add the tiniest drop of Lavender or your favourite essential oil to your wash. This is far more natural and minimal in terms of packaging than some of the products on the market which are 100% synthetic and come in large plastic containers.
Bugs and creepy crawlies
There are certain insects, particularly spiders, that really don’t like peppermint. So, if you would like to control who, or what, comes into your home, and like the smell of peppermint, you can put this around your windowsills and conduct your own little experiment. This is also great for ladybirds who d so like to come into the house when we would rather they were eating the aphids on the roses.
Housework helping hand
Cleaning and even disinfecting done with the less expensive oils, particularly citrus oils, and especially lemon can be effective. A small drop of lemon oil in the dishwasher makes for a clean machine and a wonderful smell in the kitchen. Works in the loo too.
A word of caution: beauty and wellbeing applications of essential oils see them diluted with a carrier oil such as Almond and Jojoba, enabling them to then be applied to the skin as massage oils, cleansers, exfoliators, rubs and so on. However, pure essential oils can be incredibly strong and may harm you if put directly onto the skin. This is particularly the case with certain citrus oils which are highly active, with astringent properties and photosensitivity that activates under direct sunlight and can cause chemical burns.
Naturally, derived products have gone through a very detailed process of Cosmetic Compliance and Safety Assessment. This is achieved with reference to The IFRA (International Fragrance Association) standards for the safe use of fragrance ingredients, such as essential oils.
As a side note, it must be said, however, that it is practically impossible to determine the effects of multiple ingredients as they mix together on the very personal chemistry of your skin. Many people are intolerant of or allergic to on-skin applications, so my advice is to proceed with caution.
If you want the enjoyment of the fragrance of essential oils without putting anything on your skin, then try Perfino natural scent jewellery, created specifically so you can wear it, and enjoy some expertly blended pure essential oils without having to put any chemicals on your skin at all. This is uniquely achieved by a single drop of oil on a porous lava stone that sits inside the jewellery, giving you aromatic pleasure all day long with none of the possible pitfalls.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kim Brookes is the founder of Perfino, an innovative natural scent jewellery brand. Perfino combines expertly blended, 100% natural, pure essential oils with exquisite jewellery so you can wear scent all day long without any chemicals touching your skin. The solid recycled silver and 18ct gold vermeil, artisan-designed pendant comes with six lava stones and 10ml of carefully blended natural essential oils – all sourced from sustainable growers. One drop of oil on the stone in the pendant will give you a delicate fragrance that can last for days.
Twitter: @Perfino2
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/perfinouk
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perfinouk/
Did you know you can also make solid perfume using essential oils?
Comments