The Various Uses of Essential Oils and Herbs

For thousands of years the human race has used herbs in a great many ways. These uses can be categorized into three distinctive categories; religious, culinary and medicinal. In the article below we will discuss each of these categories in order concentrating upon medical uses and essential oils.

Throughout history there have been many other uses of herbs which we will not be examining here and these include them being used instead of cash, as a disinfectant and as a perfume or powerful smell to smother bad smells. Herbs come from many parts of the planet and each race usually had unusual uses for them. It is interesting to note that the Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Greek and Sumerians, the Romans all wrote about them in detail and other writings exist from Ancient India and China. We shall be focusing on modern uses.

Religious Uses Of Herbs

Herbs are still used in a multitude of around the globe.  A large number of Christians will be familiar with myrrh from the Nativity (myrrh is the dried sap of Commiphora myrrha). Hindus will be extremely familiar with the Tulsi plant, which is a type of Basil, as it is grown by many and praised as a Goddess. In Wiccan and Pagan beliefs herbs are utilized extensively in spells, rituals as well as for healing.

Culinary Uses of Herbs

The leaves of various plants are used in cooking however there is a difference between leafy vegetables, such as cabbage, and a herb, such as basil, in that the latter are used in minute amounts due to their distinctive, and powerful flavor. Virtually every person on the planet has benefited from the these amazing plants which are capable of lifting the blandest meal into the realms of a culinary masterpiece.

The Use of Herbs in Medicine

As well as being intense in flavor a herb can also have a profound effect upon the human body. Some types are used as recreational drugs, such as cannabis, which can cause legal problems as they can also have useful medical properties which are still being investigated by academics.

Essential Oils

An essential oil is the concentrate extracted from a variety of plants. Essential oils are invariably created by the method called distillation but some require a different process of extraction such as expression or solvent extraction.

Essential oils have a number of uses, such as perfumes, bath oils, flavorings, burning (for scent) and in cleaning products. However most people know of their use in medicine and especially in aromatherapy and other forms of alternative medicine. I use lavender oil in a number of ways, I add it to my mixture for my oil burner to make the room smell nice but I also use about three drops in a bath when I suffer from aching limbs. When my limbs are very painful I massage it into the muscles but only when it is mixed with a carrier oil. As well as helping to relax the muscles it also helps me sleep more soundly.

Herbs should be used with care as some can be extremely harmful to the human body (in large quantities). Special care should be taken if you are about to have a baby as something that you may consider safe could be surprisingly problematic, such as peppermint oil which should not be used in its raw state. However spearmint and a few other mild oils can be used however to avoid the risk of miscarriage I strongly advise that you avoid all herbs and essential oils unless you are 100% certain they are safe.

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