Essential Oils as a Cure All?
One of the most common misconceptions about essential oils is that they are a cure all.
When I tell people I am an aromatherapist, or someone sees that I like to utilize more natural options whenever I can, they think I hate all modern amenities and reject science. Now while my personal beliefs are a little on the crazy side, I certainly am not a person to deny a need for the modern things we have or one to believe that essential oils are the cure all we have been looking for. This lie keeps being perpetuated however, especially by larger essential oil companies and people who sell those essential oils.
To start off this post, I would like to say that essential oils (while really amazing products and incredibly useful) are definitely not a cure all and should never be applied to you life in such a way. There are many things that essential oils can do, and many other things that they can not do as well. As a person who suffers from scoliosis, its a bit of a kick in the face to hear people talking about essential oils can pretty much do anything. They can’t, if they did my spine wouldn’t be crooked still. I think it can be dangerous to impress this onto essential oils, and to think of them as something that is going to replace all other forms of medicine out there. I wouldn’t recommend someone stop taking medications they need in favor of essential oils. I wouldn't recommend someone avoid going to see a medical professional in favor of essential oils. But this is somehow the belief that whenever you bring up essential oils that this how we view them, and we reject science. Ignoring the fact that essential oils themselves come with backed with science anyways. Aromatherapists do not reject science, in fact it takes an awful lot of science to even understand essential oils and how they work. Personally if someone, or an aromatherapist, is pushing essential oils on you as if they are a cure all I would consider that a red flag.
So then, what are essential oils good for?
Some of my favorite things to do with essential oils deal more with the mind and emotions than they do with physical ailments. Essential oils are certainly useful in many topical applications; I use them for my skin care or for topical acute issues. But I also utilize herbs more so for topical issues and I diffuse essential oils more than I use them topically. That isn’t to say that topical use of essential oils are a bad thing, in fact quite the opposite. I just think more people could realize there are so many ways to use essential oils we aren’t limited to just topical use.
My handy little guide I like to follow is if I am looking for mental/emotional/spiritual support and/or a respiratory issue then diffusing or inhalation is the way to go. If I am looking for a support on a physical issue then topical is the way to go. So if I am feeling down or sluggish I would diffuse, if I have sore muscles I would use topically. Often times in my topical applications I keep the dilution quite low and also utilize many herbal oils as well. With diffusing, or inhalation I utilize many different options as well. Diffusing in a diffuser, passive diffusion (having a stone or macrame item to drop oils on and diffuse), using a personal inhaler or dropping essential oils into my shower (or bowl of hot water) for a nice steam diffusion. Honestly there are so many ways to use essential oils we shouldn’t be limiting ourselves but that is a topic for another post.
So what about modern medicines?
Personal, I don’t see a huge need in my life for over the counter drugs. Things like Tylenol, ibuprofen, cough medicines/cold medicines etc simply because I have other options on hand (herbal options) that I prefer to use. But I would never consider telling someone they should be dropping what works for them, or that they should discontinue use of prescribed medicines either. In fact I 100% believe prescribed medicines have their place, even in my life. If I have a true need for medicines than I would take them. Just because I am naturally minded doesn’t mean that I reject modern things or reject science. I just recognize in a world of consumerism that sometime we have too much access to these things (OTC medications) and I personally prefer to be able to take care of minor things on my own. I am also an incredibly cheap person, on a very tight budget, and this is how my family saves money. By utilizing plant medicines at home.
In short, despite being an incredibly crunchy mama, I do recognize modern things and still use a lot of modern things. I mean, I am running this entire website from my laptop. Granted it’s pretty old, causes me a lot of issues and in general is a piece of garbage but hey it’s modern(ish). I think having a healthy balance is a more achievable. So I don’t deny the science, I don’t deny how great modern discoveries are and I’m not in the business off telling people they need to ditch their medicines or that they will absolutely be cured with my products. That would be lying, and I would be doing a disservice to many people if I tried to paint aromatherapy in such a way. Don’t let the selling tactics of a few people make you think that every natural thing is a hoax.
