Essential oils are becoming more popular today as people are discovering the powerful effect they can have not only on the physical body but also for emotional healing. There are differences in oils that are sold in health food stores, grocery stores and on the Internet. The low price of an essential oil can flag a warning to you and also if the bottle says “not for internal use” that is another red flag. When you put any oil on your skin it is absorbed into the body internally. The FDA requires the manufacturer to add that warning to their label if there are any additives or if the oil has been adulterated. When they are adulterated they are cut with synthetic extenders can cause rashes, burning, and skin irritations. Solvents can all cause allergic reactions, besides being devoid of any therapeutic effects.
If your body is highly acidic even therapeutic grade essential oils can show a reaction to the skin with a red rash. This is a personal red flag to you letting you know that your body is highly acidic which means you have a great deal of inflammation in your body. It’s the inflammation in the body that can kill you.
There are 4 Grades of Essential Oils:
1. Grade A oils are pure therapeutic quality and are usually made from organically grown plants distilled at the proper temperature using steam distillation.
2. Grade B oils are food grade; they may contain synthetics, pesticides, fertilizers, extenders, or carrier oils.
3. Grade C oils are perfume grade and may contain the same type of adulterating chemicals as food grade oils. They usually contain solvents, which are used to gain a higher yield of oil per harvest. Solvents are normally cancerous.
4. Floral Water is a byproduct of the distillation process, a very high quality if it comes from a Grade A distillation process. Accordingly, it is of low quality if it comes from poor quality raw materials and or poor distillation processes. It is usually found in skin and hair products.
When the essential oil is Grade A and is therapeutic grade quality it can be of enormous benefit to the body. Many people use them as an alternative to prescription drugs. With therapeutic grade essential oils there are no negative side effects as is common with prescription drugs. Let me share with you a chart that I have found very interesting.
Essential Oils and Pharmaceuticals Compared
Essential Oils
Properties
1. Natural, wildcrafted or grown organically.
2. Hundreds of constituents, not all known.
3. Never two batches the same
4. Not patentable (God made)
Effects and Consequences
5. Restores natural function
6. No adverse interactions
7. Antiviral
8. Improves intercellular communication
9. Corrects and restores proper cellular memory (DNA)
10. Cleanses receptor sites
11. Builds the immune system
12. Emotionally balancing
13. Side effects beneficial
14. Leads toward independence and wellness
Philosophy/Paradigm
15. Assumes wellness as natural state, invulnerable to illness
16. Assumes body and mind capable of self-healing
17. Integrated wholistically, body, mind, and soul as a unit
18. Build natural defenses and let body deal with disease
19. Treats internally at level of cellular intelligence
20. Theistic, historic roots in reli- gion when healers were priests
Pharmaceuticals
Properties
1. Unnatural, synthetic chemi- cally or genetically engineered
2. One or two active ingredients, all of which are known
3. Every batch the same (Purity)
4. Patentable (man made)
Effects and Consequences
5. Inhibits natural function
6. Many adverse interactions
7. Usually not antiviral
8. Disrupts intercellular communication
9. Garbles and confuses cellular memory (DNA)
10. Blocks receptor sites
11. Depresses immune system
12. Emotionally unbalancing
13. Side effects harmful
14. Leads toward dependence and chronic disease
Philosophy/Paradigm
15. Assumes natural state prone and vulnerable to illness
16. Assumes body and mind need external assistance to heal
17. Fragmented, treats body parts, mind and emotions separate
18. Supplant natural defenses and attack disease itself
19. Treats externally at level of gross symptoms
20. Secular, historic roots in mat- erialism motivated by money
Taken from “The Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple”
Page 420 By Dr. David Stewart PhD., D.N.M.
As you can see there is a great difference between essential oils and pharmaceuticals. You must remember that these comparisons are with Grade A therapeutic oils. I hope this helps you understand why they are becoming popular again as they were thousands of years ago before western medicine came on the scene.