Essential oils are amazing, y’all.
I’m not talking about adulterated oils that you’ll commonly find in health food stores or on Amazon. I’m talking about the real deal.
When I learned about the ways essential oil work in plants, I was shocked. It almost was like they are actually smart. But this “intelligence” definitely speaks more of the Creator than of creation. God definitely created an amazing world!
Essential oils continuously help their plant adjust to the environment before they are distilled or cold-pressed.
They…
- Attract pollinators. I’m sure you’ve heard of this before. Plants use essential oils to attract insects for reproduction purposes.
- Protect themselves from predators. For example, the Douglas fir tree releases a mix of oils from their needles to defend against the spruce budworm. They even change the mix of oils they release from year to year to try to stop the budworm from forming an immunity to specific compounds! (Buchner, S. (2002). The Lost Language of Plants. White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing, pg. 160.)
- Protect themselves from antimicrobials. Some plants release essential oils into the air to combat organisms that threaten it’s survival.
- To compete with other plants. Allelopathy occurs when plants release chemicals into the air to prevent competing species from growing around it. Yes, some plants actually do this! Salvia leucophylla and Artemisia californica are sage plants that do this in Southern California.
When distilled, essential oils can go to work for us, much like they worked hard for the plant before it was harvested.
How amazing is that?
*The proceeding statements about essential oils have not been evaluated by the FDA. Products and methods recommended are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The information provided here is in no way intended to replace proper medical care.
