Aromatherapy: Just nice smelling oils?

Yes, I have to admit, the first time I heard about essential oils, I thought they were just room fresheners.  Oh, how wrong I was!!

Aromatherapy, specifically in this case for pets, refers to the therapeutic use of 100% pure essential oils and hydrosols for holistic treatments of physical and behavioral problems.

Aromatherapy is not limited to the use of grooming products that contain essential oils. It means more than that – it refers to the use of a pure, therapeutic-grade essential oil, or several oils combined, for a certain healing purpose – either to treat a particular health problem, or to enhance the overall health and wellbeing of your pet.

You may have noticed that I use the words “pure” and “therapeutic-grade” many times on this website. It is intentional because I can’t emphasize enough the importance of using 100% pure essential oils when treating your pet. Do not try to save money and buy cheap “essential oils” that contain synthetic substances. They will not have the therapeutic effects and, even worse, the synthetic substances and chemicals may do harm to your pet.

What are Essential Oils and Hydrosols?

An essential oil is a volatile substance contained in the glandular hairs, sac, or veins of different parts of a plant, such as the leaves, flowers, bark, roots, seeds or fruit. They are the “essence” of that particular plant form and are responsible for giving that plant its unique scent.

There are several ways to extract essential oils: steam distillation, solvent extraction, carbon dioxide extraction, or manual expression.

Contrary to what most people think, essential oils are non-oily. They are highly concentrated and should always be diluted before use. Each oil has its own individual properties, such as scent, color, chemical properties, and healing effects.

On a physical level, many essential oils are antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and detoxifying. On an emotional level, some essential oils can be sedative or stimulating.

A hydrosol is a water-based substance that is a by-product obtained during the steam distillation process of an essential oil. A hydrosol contains water-soluble parts of a plant as well as a very small amount of some essential oil components. Since hydrosols are not highly concentrated like essential oils, they can be used undiluted as is, or essential oils can be added to a hydrosol for synergistic effects.

For more info on essential oils and specifically, our blends, click here!

-Formulator, Donna Stanley