Clove Oil

In Aromatherapy Clove oil is admired for its warm, strong aroma, clove oil mixes delightfully with other spicy oils. Aromapathic Labs 100% Pure Clove Oil encourages a warm and festive mood when burned in an essential oil burner or added to potpourris. The essential oil of clove is a highly concentrated substance. Blends well with Basil, Bergamot, Cinnamon Bark, Clary Sage, Grapefruit, Lavender, Lemon, Orange, Peppermint, Rose, Rosemary, and Ylang Ylang essential oils. Depending on your uses for this oil, substitutes may include: Cinnamon or Oregano essential oils.

Clove
Originally used for food preservation cloves have since been discovered as having many health benefits...

Cloves are well known for their pungent flavour. They are a favourite in the kitchen and used in many dishes. Cloves were highly regarded in Chinese and Tibetan medicine where they are still used fro stress relief and anxiety. Clove was traditionally used as a food preserver prior to the advent of refrigeration. It keeps food from going bad and reduces food borne illnesses because it has antiseptic and anti-parasitic properties.

Clove also soothes digestion and decreases gas and bloating. Clove tea can be used for this purpose. Clove oil is a topical pain reliever and antiseptic. It is usually used today for toothaches, mouth sores and teething complaints.

Clove can be purchased as a loose herb, spice or essential oil. The loose herb can be made into a tea for topical application or internal use. Clove may be a part of teas for soothing digestion. The spice is often added to bakery items. The essential oil of clove is a highly concentrated substance. When using essential oils, especially in sensitive areas, be sure to test the oil first on a small area. If necessary, dilute the oil in carrier oil, such as olive, almond or any cooking oil.

In Aromatherapy Clove oil is admired for its warm, strong aroma, clove oil mixes delightfully with other spicy oils. It is particularly nice in bath, helping to combat physical and mental fatigue. It also encourages a warm and festive mood when burned in an essential oil burner or added to potpourris. Essential oils are toxic when taken internally. Prolonged use of topical clove oil may lead to gum damage. Clove may cause an allergic reaction when used topically or internally.

How Does Aromatherapy Work?
There are two proposed mechanisms. The first follows the theory that the aroma of the oils have a direct influence on the brain. Through the olfactory system, our nose, the aromas travel to the limbic system of the brain.

The limbic system is involved in various functions in the body such as emotional responses, memory storage and hormone regulation. It also plays a role in sensory perception and motor function, as well as olfaction, the sense of smell.

Another theory is simply that, just as plants and herbs have medicinal properties, essential oils made from the same plants and herbs have pharmacological effects, as well. This theory relies on the ability of the scented oils to be absorbed through the skin and exert their medicinal effect on deeper bodily processes that way. These two mechanisms support the argument that the oils can be, but do not necessarily have to be applied on the skin to achieve their healing goals.

Versatile as a mode of treatment, aromatherapy offers improvement for mental and emotional issues such as anxiety, depression and insomnia while also treating symptoms like difficulty concentrating and muscle and joint pain. Acute conditions such as exhaustion, nausea and headaches can also be improved through the use of aromatherapy. Even chronic conditions like respiratory difficulties, stress and low libido can be treated. Aromatherapy has even been known to improve immune functioning.

Aromatherapy has many applications and is used to treat a variety of ailments with reported success. Unfortunately, there are limited scientific studies on the efficacy of aromatherapy due to the individualized nature of treatment.

Dilution 
Because of their extremely concentrated state, it is important to dilute essential oils in other high quality carrier oils like olive, almond, grape seed, or sesame. Keeping in the spirit of oil not mixing with water, an essential oil can only be diluted by mixing it with another oil. When essential oils are used without being diluted, they can cause severe skin irritation, gastrointestinal upset and even liver damage in the long term. Certain essential oils are not for internal use, and can be toxic even in small amounts.

Essential Oils can be:
*inhaled through steam inhalation, humidifiers, diffusers, and vaporizers
*added to a carrier oil and applied to your skin directly or as a hot or cold compress
*spritzed onto objects like pillows, bedding and furniture
*added to infusers, potpourri and candles to enhance the odour of an indoor space
*applied to skin as perfume
*used as a gargle or mouth wash, added to toothpaste, soaps, cleaning solutions, lotions and creams, face and body spray
*added to baths, hot tubs, Jacuzzis, hand and foot baths and saunas

Essential Oil Uses
Essential oils are aromatic compounds extracted from a number of different plants. They are also known as volatile oils because they evaporate so quickly, which is also how they create such a strong aroma in the air. Because of this ability to quickly create strong scents, these oils are often used in perfumes, cosmetics, soaps and other scented products.

How are they made?
Essential oils are extracted from the plant by steam distillation, cold pressing, or solvent extraction. Good quality products create a pure product that will evaporate cleanly if dripped on a piece of paper. Each type of extraction is used for different plant materials. Solvent extraction is used for substances like flowers that contain very little volatile oil, and those that can be damaged by the temperatures used in steam distillation. Solvents used are hexane or supercritical carbon dioxide. Because carbon dioxide evaporates quickly when the temperature is raised to normal, it is the preferred solvent extraction method to maintain purity. Solvent extraction performed at lower temperatures is preferred to maintain the integrity of the active compounds.

Medicinal Properties
The benefits of essential oils are as diverse as the oils themselves. Some are diluted and used as skin treatments for acne or rashes, while others are used for internal use to fight infection or even help to treat specific diseases. Often current research will focus on specific compounds found in essential oils, to determine which one is responsible for their medicinal benefits. More traditional herbalists believe that it is the synergy between all of the active constituents in the oil that provide the full benefit. In some cases, the benefits of essential oils can simply be attributed to the effect of their scent on the brain. To stimulate the limbic system in the brain, essential oils are often used for aromatherapy in combination with massage and other balancing techniques.