Essential oils have become widely used in recent years. It has become a new way of treating different illnesses. Essentially, the oils are concentrated plant extracts. Through the process of distillation, the “essence” of the plant is turned into a liquified form for medical and recreational purposes. They come from different parts of plants such as leaves, seeds, barks, roots and rinds. Believe it or not, there are a wide variety of benefits for essential oils - some used for anxiety, sleeping, nausea, mood boosting, depression and skin care. Essential oils promote overall health, and users can customize the aroma.
Freshman government and politics major Reha Manian enjoys using essential oils. She’ll put the oil in the diffuser and let the machine run throughout the room.
“Sometimes I use oils as a perfume to avoid the toxic chemicals in a typical perfume bottle” Manian says.
Recently, she got a nose piercing and developed a keloid. She stated she had tried different methods of curing but “it worked best when she used tea tree oil and lavender.”
Similarly, Salma Younis, a freshman neuroscience major, says “of course I use them.” Younis uses “peppermint oil to help reduce congestion.” The mint smell helps clear her sinuses and freshen the air.
“I use them after my showers when I want to moisturize” Younis states. It softens the skin and makes it feel like she is at the spa.
Ayurvedic, the traditional Indian medicine, incorporates essential oils into their healing portions. Instead of using pills as a source of medication, essential oils are used as a natural remedy. A few popular essential oils include cinnamon, ginger and sandalwood. When feeling stressed or overworked, Younis puts sandalwood oil in her diffuser and it relaxes and reduces her anxiety.
Tea tree oil has been a popular oil students use as both Manian, Younis and other students use them. Many use tea tree oil on zits to dry them up. Tea tree oil is one of those oils that does not cause inflammation and reduces swelling and calms redness.
Drishti Patel, a content creator and business owner of Young & Living, shares her authentic journey online and religiously uses oils on a daily basis. A common question she receives is if essential oils are greasy in which she responds “no they are not. They are not like coconut oil or almond oil or other oils you think of, they are super concentrated.” When Patel was in college, she had gotten sick and they checked her celiac levels which were low and she claims the digize oil “changed her life forever.”
Essential oils can lift your mood and have the same benefits as digesting a pill, but instead oils have a relaxing effect and can help clear the mind. Try using an oil next time for a spa day or if unwell and see how you feel after.