The essential oil industry is a multi-billion dollar business. That's great news, and not so great news.
The upside is that more and more people are embracing these holistic plant remedies into their homes and lives. I am personally thrilled about this as I have been talking about essential oils and their amazing benefits and properties for 17 years and wanting people to embrace them as an extension of their own personal healing systems.
However, the not-so-great news is that as there is such a thirst and demand for plant oils, so companies are mass producing their oils to meet that demand and capitalise on a very profitable business. The testing is not as rigorous with some companies as with others; the farmers are not seeing their profits as originally promised and an even bigger problem is that oils are being adulterated and mixed with extenders and synthetics in order to make them go further.
I trained as an ITEC Aromatherapist many years ago, and the training was rigorous to say the least. Even before attempting the Aromatherapy course, I had to first learn and pass the "Anatomy and Physiology" course, which meant learning every system of the body, along with the bones, muscles, nerves, their association with each other and what possible contraindications were there. It was months of learning, testing, and exams both written and practical with an external examiner. On passing them, I was allowed to join the Aromatherapy course. This was also extensive, and had me learning every property of every oil in the market at that time, along with their benefits, their Latin names and more importantly, their SAFETY. We practiced blending oils, while noticing their effects on different parts of the external body and emotions.
Safety is a big issue for me, particularly with essential oils. They are extremely powerful and work in wondrous ways. But you need to know how to use them, and what conditions need to be considered with extreme caution e.g. pregnancy, epilepsy, blood pressure conditions, with children, internal digestion, and diffusing around your pets.
Nowadays anyone can sell essential oils. There are MLM companies all over the world selling these oils and arming their consultants with a book and some training sessions, and suddenly they are diagnosing and recommending oils for various ailments. I watch with horror at some of the comments on Facebook groups surrounding, in particular, pregnancy, children and pets.
I use essential oils widely in my life, and I know not only what works and doesn't work, but I also keep learning, and do my own research from experts in their field. I test with caution, and I work intuitively with my clients and my own pets so I know instantly what to do if there is a red flag. I now am more cautious about ingesting essential oils, even though there is research out there to suggest that ingesting is safe. I feel that diluting oils in honey (as long as no bee allergy is present) or with coconut oil in a capsule is a safer way to ingest the oils. It's just the way I feel, and I would rather err on the side of caution, and what feels right to me. Essential oils do NOT dissolve in water, and if they do then you have an adulterated product. Our internal bodies are made up of sensitive tissues and cells, so bombarding them with pure essential oils all at once, is a risk I feel.
The other area I watch closely is essential oils and pets. In particular with cats. Diffusing your essential oils for family use at home is great, but if you have a cat, then there are additional safety issues that you need to be aware of.
There is only one brand of essential oils that I trust to use on my pets. It is the EO brand from Dr. Melissa Shelton, who has extensive experience with these formulations, and has tested research with documented blood work analysis and many case studies. She is, in my opinion, the leading authority on essential oils in animals, and is herself a qualified and practicing holistic Vetinarian.
Dr. Shelton has just written a great article concerning essential oils with cats, in particular.
Dr. Shelton's website is www.animaleo.info and she has a lively facebook group too that talks about all kinds of pets and essential oils applications.
Essential oils really can have a life-changing effect on you and your family - pets included. But do your research in terms of what oils to buy and use, what to diffuse, what to put on your body, what to ingest and what to use around your pets. You will enjoy a much happier, safer existence with peace of mind as a result.
If you are drawn to essential oils or want to start using them, you can connect with me on nikkijordan3344@gmail.com or go to the "book a session" tab on my website. There is an "essential oil" session on there. Let's get things moving in your life, the safe way!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nikki Jordan is an advocate for creating a 5th dimensional collaborative community that co-creates together, while supporting, loving and respecting every living creature. You can read more about her here https://www.livevibrantly.world/about
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