Plant Therapy Essential Oils {review}

 

 

Essential oils are a pivotal point in herbal home healing. I don't know how many of you ladies are already acquainted with them, but we've had a couple posts concerning them in the past here at APOC so hopefully you've had the pleasure of getting to use them at some point!

 

There are many different types of essential oils available on the market these days. How can you know what is good and what's to be avoided? While that question is one to be covered extensively on another post, we're going to take a look at some good, quality oils today.

 

Plant Therapy sent me two different oils to test in a recipe of some sort. I originally chose the oils based on the idea that I would make a homemade perfume from them.

 

The plan actually changed a bit though due to a reaction I had with one of the oils. Well, not quite a reaction, just...well, I wasn't so fond of wearing that particular oil on my skin, is all.

 

So.

 

 Firstly, I was sent a Pink Grapefruit essential oil, and a Ylang Ylang . 

 

The Pink Grapefruit (citrus racemosa) oil I am very fond of. It smells exactly like pink grapefruit, as it should.

 

Some of its suggested uses, according to the Plant Therapy website: Diffuse Grapefruit into the air to help with headaches, mental exhaustion and depression. It may be diluted in a bath, lotion or cream to assist with cellulite, colds and flu, lack of energy, jet lag, muscle fatigue, overweight, headaches, moodiness and mental and physical tiredness.

 

I read that pink grapefruit oil is excellent for cleansing the skin. It's supposed to be great for dealing with acne and excess oil, so this has been the main way I've been utilizing it. As I said earlier I was planning to include it in a perfume recipe but personally I actually like using it by itself! I just dab a little over the zits and leave it to work. Easy, natural pimple-elimination method!

 

Pink grapefruit oil is also great in helping to relieve muscle cramps and stiffness. It has a wide variety of other health benefits, a few of which include it being an anti-depressant, antiseptic, aperitif, lymphatic, stimulant, disinfectant and diuretic!

 

All in all, I've grateful for my pink grapefruit oil from Plant Therapy. I am interested to see how it will help with jet lag because I travel to California once a year with my dad, and gosh is it a struggle dealing with the five hour time difference! The oil is decently priced, and is 100% pure essential oil, cold-pressed.

 

 

 

The other oil I received was a Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata) essential oil. This oil I had originally picked because I've seen it used before in perfumes and heard that it mixed well with pink grapefruit oil.

 

Unfortunately, this wasn't the case for me. There was nothing wrong with the oil itself, this was strictly a matter of personal opinion/preference.

 

I hate the smell.

 

I don't know how I've used other beauty items which had Ylang Ylang in them, because there's no way I'd wear something that smelled remotely like this oil. Perhaps the other products simply didn't have the real thing in them...and this is what the real thing smells like.

 

 The aroma is hard to describe. I'm sure there are people out there who probably love it, but nobody in my house was included in that group.

 

Now, I will give it this: There are still a number of health benefits.

According to Plant Therapy,

Ylang-ylang Essential Oil can assist with problems such as high blood pressure, rapid breathing and heartbeat, nervous conditions, as well as impotence and frigidity. Spiritual practitioners claim that the users of Ylang-ylang are those who have been drawn to the oil, and who in turn, suit it. Ylang-ylang Essential Oil is best suited for use in the perfumery and skincare industries.

 

 It is applied to the skin to promote relaxation, kill bacteria, and can even be used in a spray to kill head lice. Its suggested uses are, to defuse it into the air or add 3-4 drops to a warm bath to act as a natural aphrodisiac, help with a rapid heartbeat and breathing, and to help with anxiety.

 

So, it's definitely something to still consider using if you have any of these ailments. Personally these don't really apply to me, and the smell drives me crazy, but don't let that stop you if you were thinking of getting a bottle of this oil. This is just my own opinion - everybody has different tastes!

 

I hope everybody has been having a blessed, productive summer! Can you believe we're already more than half-way through 2013?!

 

Soli Deo Gloria,

Note: I was provided these items from Plant Therapy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions remain mine and mine alone.