I frequently get asked, do essential oils really work, or is it just in your head? I was a little taken aback recently when my parents asked me that same question. I admit, I was tempted to respond, does it matter, as long as they work, but I’ve always been one to need to know how something works.

My husband is very good at sleight of hand and loves to practice his magic tricks on me. He is delighted, when I ask him, how’d you do that? I am not so delighted when he says, it’s magic, or I can’t tell you. It irritates me that I can’t figure out how he did what he just did.

When friends ask, do essential oils really work, I think the underlying question is, is there scientific evidence that essential oils work? The answer is yes, and that evidence continues to grow as the study of essential oils continues to grow.

In giving a scientific answer to the question, do essential oils really work, I like to refer to two things that made the how click for me: Blood Brain Barrier and Plant/Tree Constituents/Properties

In  The Essential Oil Truth: The Fact Without The Hype, Jen O’Sullivan discusses how tiny essential oil molecules are and why their small size is important in understanding how they work. As an FYI, O’Sullivan’s book is chock full of research. Essential oil molecules are able to penetrate the blood brain barrier (BBB), where some drugs cannot. “The BBB is composed of a network of vessels that form a structural and chemical barrier between the brain and systemic circulation” (www.mdsystems.com). A Google search defines BBB as “a filtering mechanism of the capillaries that carry blood to the brain and spinal cord tissue, blocking the passage of certain substances.” Simply put, the BBB protects the brain and body, perhaps a little too well. Essential oil molecules are small enough to cross the BBB, meaning that whether you use them topically, internally or through diffusion, they are absorbed by the entire body.

Much focus is given to the plants and trees from which essential oils originate in my studies for French Aromatherapy Certification. Plants and trees are very complex, living, self-sufficient organisms. I was fascinated to learn that a particular plant could emit two different odors, each specific to two different predators, in order to defend itself. Essential  oils contain the constituents or properties of the plants and trees from which they are distilled, cold-pressed, etc. This may be my oversimplification, but I can see how use of the oil from the plant that is able to defend itself may help my body to defend itself, by boosting its immunity.

My featured picture? I roll this combination, along with a carrier oil, on my feet whenever I leave the house. I have not been sick in over a year. You could say I’m a walking case study.

So, now when someone asks me do essential oils really work, I’ll be tempted to answer: because science.

Disclosures and Disclaimers

Want to try essential oils and get a great deal at the same time, plus my support? Young Living Essential Oils  Premium Starter Kits are valued at over $300, but you can purchase one, starting at $160 for all the items listed in the picture below. I’ll also throw in a copy of the new recipe book, Love at First Drop, which features recipes exclusive to the oils in the starter kit, and some other goodies to get you started. Since I’m in this for the long haul, I’ll always be around to answer questions and help you in anyway I can. Click on either site below for more information:

https://www.youngliving.org/khmullins

https://www.apothecarysociety.com/kharrismullins