Monthly Archives: June 2012

Basil Oil – A Brief Overview of Oil Types and Uses

2 Replies

Basil Oil- A Brief Overview of Oil Types and UsesBasil oil and basil leaves share a rich history with modern humans. Indigenous societies were the first people to discover the amazing properties of basil and the oil derived from the plant. It has been cultivated around the world for thousands of years. During the early years it was also used to treat headaches as well as to enhance the sex drive.

Pliny, the Roman author and naturalist, claimed it was an aphrodisiac, and the Greek physician Dioscorides prescribed it for headaches, but his contemporaries used it as horse feed during breeding season. In modern aromatherapy, basil oil is used to lift the spirits and cheer the mind, especially when melancholy and sorrow overwhelm active thoughts.

Being a polymorph, basil oil comes in different strengths and is offered in a variety of scents and compositions. Scented basil oils range from lemon, clove, and cinnamon in aroma, and when green and purple curly lettuce leaf basil plants are steam distilled, they yield another type of oil.

There are two varieties that are used to extract large quantities of  basil essential oil in this modern aromatherapy era. The first variety is Exotic basil, which is grown and distilled on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. The European type of basil is also used to produce commercial essential oil. It was originally harvested and distilled in Southern France, but is now cultivated in America as well. The constituents that give basil oil its flavor and aroma are methyl chavicol, linalool, and eugenol.

Reunion basil contains camphor but very little linalool. It has a harsh, woody aroma and is not used on its own in aromatherapy, since those qualities don’t conform to the energizing and refreshing elements found in a sense of well-being. Basil oil is often mixed with lavender, geranium, clary sage, and bergamot to give it balance and a more pleasing aroma. Sensitive skin may react to the methyl chavicol, so basil oil is often diluted with another carrier like vegetable oil to prevent skin redness.

The basic uses for essential basil oil are to stimulate the adrenal cortex, decrease anxiety, depression, and fatigue, and to treat symptoms of bronchitis, indigestion, gout, fever, and colds. It has hot and cold qualities that can pep up circulation or invigorate sluggish skin. When basil is combined with thyme, it’s a powerful antiseptic.

In aromatherapy, basil oil is used in baths, inhalers, massages, and facial masks. Basil is still popular as a culinary seasoning, but the essential oil of basil is a valuable friend that can help relieve common cold symptoms as well as rejuvenate and promote emotional stability. Basil has been a soul protector as well as a body protector for centuries. It’s no wonder the early Egyptians offered it to the gods.

Cinnamon Bark Oil and Its Antiseptic Uses

5 Replies

Cinnamon Bark Oil and Its Antiseptic UsesAncient texts list cinnamon as an important ingredient in incense and in perfume making over 4,000 years ago. The Egyptians used it every day thanks to its irresistible aroma and taste. The Hebrew Bible mentions cinnamon several times. Moses said the oil should be used in the holy anointing, and the Book of Proverbs mentions it as a perfume for a lover’s bed. Cinnamon was also a component in Hebrew incense (Ketoret), and it was described in the Hebrew Talmud as Haketoret.

Cinnamon bark oil has always been a highly prized gift; it was given to monarchs and even gods like Apollo to express appreciation. Middlemen kept the source of cinnamon a secret in the Mediterranean region back in the early days because spice trading from Asia was so lucrative. They wanted to protect their monopoly at all costs, and that strategy worked for years until the versatility of the oil continued to expand.

Cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka, but Vietnam, India, and Madagascar also cultivated cinnamon and steam distilled the inner bark to produce the essential oil. The Dutch gained full control of the cinnamon business in Sri Lanka in the late 18th century, but by that time other countries were cultivating the trees so the monopoly that existed for years was rapidly dissolving.

Sri Lanka still produces 90% of the world’s cinnamon. China, India, and Vietnam also produce substantial amounts of the spice, but the species are different, which means there is a distinct difference in quality when the bark of those trees is steam distilled.

The aromatherapy properties of cinnamon oil are well documented. Those properties include antiseptic, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, astringent, digestive, carminative, and stimulant effects. The oil blends well with other essential oils like bergamot, benzoin, clove, cardamom, frankincense, grapefruit, ginger, lemon, marjoram, mandarin, nutmeg, orange, Peru balsam, peppermint, rose, petitgrain, and vanilla.

The effects of cinnamon bark oil as an antiseptic have been overshadowed in recent years by other uses, like covering the disagreeable aroma of other oils as well as for relieving stomach cramps and other digestive issues.

Essential cinnamon oil has powerful antioxidant qualities as well as important antimicrobial properties, so the antiseptic uses for the oil continue to amaze people who have not been exposed to any sort of aromatherapy treatments.

Recent research suggests that cinnamon oil impacts cell activity, and an anti-melanoma response results at the cellular level. More research is needed to support recent findings, but the preliminary results suggest cinnamon may provide a chemopreventive factor in colorectal carcinogenesis.

The oil from Chinese cinnamon is also playing a part in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Cinnamon essential oil continues to help alleviate human issues like bad breath, common cold prevention, and an assortment of antiseptic and antimicrobial issues.