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Are Essential Oils Just Placebos?

Believe it or not, conventional medicines aren’t an exact science. This is not saying that they aren’t effective or that doctors don’t know what they’re doing, but rather that the human body is much, much more complicated than it may first appear. The need to find more ways to promote wellness in addition to health practices has brought people back to many folk and traditional remedies, such as essential oils. Some question whether these methods work, or if they are merely a factor of the placebo effect, which means that your belief in their efficacy may be the actual cause of the benefit.

Aromatherapy Is Real

Vermont Soap explains that aromatherapy is a type of holistic healing. It works by using aromatic essential oils from plants to improve well being. There actually is evidence that essential oils can provide relief for many issues. For example, there are studies linking peppermint and tea tree oil to soothe skin.

Is the Oil Good for You?

The oils are pretty effective at improving your health, actually. In Roseman University’s study of doTERRA oils, they found that naturally sourced oils did have an effect on the proteins in cells. In layman’s terms, this means that essential oil can be good for many things, including your metabolic health. There is much more to learn on this topic. The study wasn’t able to decipher the mechanisms by which the individual parts of the oil provide benefits.

How to Use Essential Oils Correctly

. Because there are so many options, it is up to you to make sure that you are getting your oils from a reputable source and that they are 100 percent natural, including their distillation method. The second thing you need to know is that you can dilute the oils before applying these oils directly to your skin using a carrier oil (such as sweet almond or olive oil). The most important thing to know is that you should always seek the advice of someone who specializes in essential oils, like an aromatherapist. According to American College of Healthcare Sciences, using these oils incorrectly is dangerous, so they should always be handled with care.

Even though essential oils can and do have helpful and healthy properties, they should always be used with care. Even if the substances are “natural”, they are also still chemicals which can react with the body in different ways. Like any health solution, you need to treat them with respect and learn the proper ways to administer them.

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