My first Magazine essential-oils-for-beginners | Page 17

GLOSSARY
Aromatic Use: Essential oils can be used aromatically to enjoy the aroma of an oil through the air by diffusing the oil in an
essential oil diffuser, or by inhaling the oil straight from the bottle.
Carrier Oil: Lipid-based substances that can be used to dilute essential oils. The carrier oil literally helps “carry” the
essential oil to the desired area. Using a carrier oil allows the user to effectively apply the essential oil topically, without
reducing the potency of the oil.
Diffusion: Diffusion is the most effective way to enjoy essential oils aromatically, and is most efficiently accomplished by
using an essential oil diffuser. Essential oil diffusers take a whole oil and transform it into a mist, or microscopic droplets,
that allows the user to experience the aroma of the essential oil for an extended period of time.
Essential Oils: Natural compounds found within the bark, stems, roots, flowers, seeds, and other parts of plants. These
compounds are highly concentrated and extremely potent. They give plants their smell, protect them from environmental
conditions, and play a role in plant pollination.
Expression: Also referred to as “cold pressed,” this process extracts essential oils from the peels of citrus fruits by
breaking open tiny sacs on the rind of the fruit that contain the essential oil.
FDA GRAS List: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has produced a list called Generally Recognized as Safe
(GRAS), which identifies essential oils that are safe to be used internally as non-medical constituents. The GRAS
list provides general safety suggestions as well as information about plants and other substances that have a well-
documented history of safe internal use.
Internal Use: Internal use of essential oils consists of consuming the oil by dropping oils directly into the mouth, placing
oil drops in a glass of water, or adding oil drops to veggie capsules and swallowing.
Limbic System: The system of the brain where your emotions and memories live. As you breathe in the scent of an
essential oil, the limbic system creates a response in your brain based on your memories associated with that particular
aroma.
Olfactory System: The portion of the brain that controls sense of smell. When you inhale the aroma of an essential oil, the
scent is processed in the olfactory system of the brain by way of the olfactory nerve. The olfactory system is connected to
the limbic system of the brain where your emotions and memories live.
Steam Distillation: The process of steam distillation uses heated steam and pressure to extract essential oils from their
plant parts. This is the most common process for producing essential oils because the method of pressurization protects
the complex chemical compounds found in essential oils, as it allows the oil to be distilled at temperatures well below the
normal boiling point.
Topical Application: Applying essential oils topically is a safe, effective way to yield the benefits that essential oils hold for
the skin and other aspects of the human body. Due to their chemical makeup, essential oils can easily penetrate the skin
and offer a localized benefit to the applied area. Essential oils are easily absorbed into the skin; however, you can prolong
the benefits of an essential oil by using a carrier oil to slow down the evaporation of the oil, allowing it to moisturize the
skin.
Toxicity: The point at which a substance becomes harmful or damaging to the body. Seemingly harmless substances like
water, vitamins, and minerals that are vital to human life can become toxic when consumed at an inappropriate dose.
While essential oils have the potential for toxicity, the toxic dose of an essential oil is always far above the appropriate
use.
Volatile Aromatic Compounds: The naturally occurring compounds found within plants. Comprised of tiny, organic
molecules that are known to quickly transform from a liquid or solid state into a gas when they reach room temperature.