Essential oils a must-have for many

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This article was published 17/09/2020 (2034 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

For those who swear by natural products, essential oils are, well, essential.

“A big one is peppermint oil,” said Hedley’s Health Hut team leader Shawna Hrysak.

“You have, funny enough, farmers coming in for peppermint oil all the time, because it is good for keeping vermin away — mice, voles, any of that kind of thing,” she said.

Farmers soak the oil on cotton balls and stuff them in areas where the critters are found.

“Vermin are very turned off by it,” she said.

Customers are also in the market for natural bug spray this time of year, Hrysak said.

“People are looking for some of the outdoor blends, ones you would see in regular products like citronella, orange oil, lemon oil, eucalyptus oil,” she said. “Those are very good for helping deter bugs this time of year, as well.”

In addition to being good at keeping vermin at bay, some people swear by peppermint oil to get rid of headaches and use roll-ons to rub on their temples, Hrysak said.

“It makes sense because there’s so many menthol products in, you know, body creams, pain creams, that kind of thing.”

Other people use the oil to make their own laundry detergent, she said.

Hedley’s Health Hut co-owner Randy Kuz said essential oils also make good natural hand sanitizers — an important role as people find themselves squirting product onto their hands wherever they go.

“A lot of the hand sanitizers are strictly alcohol, and what’s happening is their hands are cracking and very dry,” said Kuz, who owns the health food store in Shoppers Mall with his wife Michelle. “Any of our products that have essential oils in them, your hands are a lot softer.”

For people who suffer from anxiety, lavender oil is recommended to help wash the worries away — at least temporarily.

Kuz said many of their essential oil products come from Pure Joy Naturals in Winkler, which is owned by certified and clinical aromatherapists to whom they can refer if customers have any questions or concerns.

Aromatherapy is the practice of using essential oils — basically plant extracts —for therapeutic benefit.

“We don’t have all the answers; no one ever does,” he said. “If we can’t answer the question, we make sure we reach out to them.”

Essential oils are becoming more and more popular, said Kuz. “You see it in deodorant now. You see it in people using bracelets … where you can put it on a bracelet and you can inhale it during the day.”

Many people do swear by essential oils, he said, adding they’ve been around since biblical times.

Aromatherapy has been used for centuries, agrees Harpreet Gujral, program director of integrative medicine at Sibley Memorial Hospital in the United States.

“When inhaled, the scent molecules in essential oils travel from the olfactory nerves directly to the brain and especially impact the amygdala, the emotional centre of the brain,” Gujral said in an article on the Johns Hopkins Medicine website.

Essential oils can also be absorbed by the skin. For example, a massage therapist might add a drop or two of wintergreen to oil to help relax tight muscles during a rubdown, while a skincare company may add lavender to bath salts to create a soothing soak.

Results of lab studies on essential oils are promising — one at Johns Hopkins found certain essential oils could kill a type of Lyme bacteria better than antibiotics — but results in human clinical trials are mixed.

“Essential oils don’t work for everyone, but there’s no harm in trying them as long as you use them in a safe way,” said Gujral. “Even if they just boost your mood, it can make a positive impact on your health and well-being.”

Gujral advises against using essential oil diffusers, small household appliances that create scented vapour.

“Diffusion in a public area or household with multiple members can affect people differently. For example, peppermint is often recommended for headaches. But if you use it around a child who’s less than 30 months old, the child can become agitated. It could have a negative effect.”

As well, someone with a fast heartbeat can react adversely to peppermint.

The safest ways to use essential oils include aromatherapy accessories such as necklaces, bracelets and keychains made with absorbent materials you apply essential oils to and sniff throughout the day; a mixture of essential oils with a carrier oil such as olive, jojoba or coconut oil that can be massaged into the skin; and aroma sticks, also called an essential oil inhaler, that have an absorbent wick that soaks up essential oil.

Gujral notes a small number of people may experience irritation or allergic reactions to certain essential oils. Those who have atopic dermatitis or a history of reactions to topical products are most likely to have a bad reaction. Because pure essential oils are potent, diluting them in a carrier oil is the best way to avoid a bad reaction when applying directly to the skin. If you get a red, itchy rash or hives after applying essential oils, see a doctor. You may be having an allergic reaction.