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5 facts about essential oils

Whether in the bathroom, in the tea or on the pillow:essential oils are celebrated and embraced in naturopathy. Aroma enthusiasts in particular even call the scents the soul of nature. No wonder that stimulating the senses with a relaxing scent has gained enormous popularity in recent years. We show in a fact check what exactly is behind the natural oils.

Fact 1:Basil gives your self-confidence a boost

Who doesn't strive for a healthy self-confidence! Internal security, personal strengths and goals can be better communicated both privately and professionally. And yes, it's true:basil oil can help build that confidence. The scent relaxes, energizes and brightens the mood. According to a study, lavender and bergamot also count. Thanks to the newly acquired serenity, stressful situations can be handled much more confidently. The inner peace makes it possible to view larger annoyances from a certain distance and to think more rationally.

Fact 2:In the limbic system via the lock-and-key principle

The perception of scents works according to the key and lock principle. Only the good scents dock on the right side of one of more than 1000 active olfactory receptors and bring the well-known comforting feelings that good essential oils induce. In addition, the olfactory memory is much better developed than the image memory. Scents can bring out and relive hidden memories or special moods. The world of smelling essential oils is therefore very individual and tells the most colorful stories about well-being.

Fact 3:Essential oils lay in the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun

When ancient tales are told to modern medicine, the inclination towards a woman's story does not seem far off. In fact, rich people in ancient Egypt spoiled themselves with incense sticks and fragrant oils. At that time, however, there was no distillation process, so to extract the oil, crushed plants were placed in liquid or fat for a long time. This production was expensive and very time consuming, so only gods and kings could enjoy these flavors. There were jars of cedar and cypress oil in Tutankhamun's tomb.

Fact 4:Lavender oil as an anchor

In the light sleep phase, a person begins to let go. The muscles relax, the thoughts are released from everyday memories and the world of the subconscious begins to tell stories. What for many is the relaxing end of the day can become a burden for a growing segment of the population as they have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. But help is at hand:A 2008 study by the Munich School of Medicine found that several essential oils have a significant impact on sleep quality. A few drops of the super-fragrant lavender placed on the pillow ensures a good night's sleep.

Fact 5:Essential oils are not for young children

Children screaming or don't want to sleep? In these cases, essential oils should not be used! Due to the high excitability of the baby's skin, parents are advised not to spoil their child with the natural essences. Contact can cause severe skin and mucosal irritation. Especially in larger quantities, the aromas of eucalyptus, camphor and peppermint can cause a toddler to become overstimulated. Also, babies tend to drink liquids, so the oils are better locked up in the cupboard.