Ep. 103: Chemistry Meets Aromatherapy: What You Need to Know with Elefteria Mantzorou
SHOW NOTES
In this episode of the Vetiver Vibes podcast, host Nikki Fraser welcome Elefteria Mantzorou, a seasoned expert in medicinal plants, essential oils, and traditional bodywork. With a rich background in aromatherapy since 2002, Elefteria shares her passion for the chemistry of essential oils and their therapeutic applications.
We kick off the episode by discussing Elefteria's favorite essential oil, lemongrass, which she appreciates not only for its delightful aroma but also for its versatility and calming effects.
This leads us into a broader conversation about the role of chemistry in aromatherapy—a topic that often intimidates newcomers. Elefteria candidly shares her own struggles with chemistry during her school years, emphasizing that understanding the basic functional groups in essential oils can empower practitioners to make informed choices without needing to delve into complex organic chemistry.
Throughout the episode, we explore how essential oils are composed of various chemical compounds, each with distinct properties. Elefteria explains how recognizing these patterns can help build a "clinical instinct," allowing practitioners to predict how an oil might behave in different contexts. We also touch on the importance of blending oils with both therapeutic and aromatic qualities in mind, ensuring that the final product is not only effective but also pleasant to use.
Safety is a recurring theme, as Elefteria highlights the need for caution when working with certain compounds, such as furocoumarins in citrus oils and sensitizing aldehydes. We discuss the concept of quenching, where certain oils can mitigate the irritant effects of others, and the importance of patch testing, especially for individuals with sensitivities or respiratory issues.
As the conversation progresses, we delve into practical tips for essential oil storage, oxidation, and the significance of keeping detailed notes on blends. Elefteria emphasizes that while essential oils can be incredibly beneficial, they must be used responsibly to avoid adverse effects.
Listeners will gain valuable insights into the chemistry behind essential oils, practical blending techniques, and safety considerations, making this episode a must-listen for anyone interested in enhancing their aromatherapy practice.
Join us as we navigate the fascinating world of essential oils with Elefteria Mantzorou, and don't forget to check out the resources available at Essentria, our sponsor, for those looking to deepen their knowledge in clinical aromatherapy.
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00:00:00 - Welcome to Vetiver Vibes
Introduction to the podcast and hosts, Nikki Fraser and Rachael Dean.00:00:14 - Sponsor Message
Information about Essentria, an online school for aromatherapy.00:00:25 - Introducing Elefteria Mansourou
Guest introduction and background in medicinal plants and essential oils.00:01:18 - Favorite Essential Oil
Discussion on Elefteria's favorite essential oil, lemongrass, and its benefits.00:03:25 - Journey into Aromatherapy
Elefteria shares her path to becoming a clinical aromatherapist.00:04:50 - Chemistry in Aromatherapy
Exploring the importance of chemistry in understanding essential oils.00:05:57 - Understanding Chemical Groups
Discussion on major functional groups in essential oils and their effects.00:09:27 - Practical Application of Chemistry
How to blend essential oils with chemistry in mind.00:10:54 - The Role of Scent in Blending
Importance of fragrance in essential oil blends and client preferences.00:12:06 - Cautions in Blending
Considerations for blending essential oils safely.00:16:37 - Using Essential Oils Cautiously
Discussion on compounds to be cautious with in essential oils.00:19:53 - Understanding Quenching
Explanation of quenching and its relevance in blending.00:28:06 - Patch Testing and Safety
Importance of patch testing and starting with low dilutions.00:30:44 - Oxidation of Essential Oils
What oxidation is and why it’s detrimental to essential oils.00:32:27 - Essential Oils High in Monoterpenes
Examples of essential oils that are rich in monoterpenes.00:33:37 - Disposing of Oxidized Oils
Best practices for disposing of oxidized essential oils.00:39:04 - Storage Tips for Essential Oils
Advice on how to store essential oils to prolong their shelf life.00:44:18 - Note-Taking for Blending
The importance of documenting blends for future reference.00:47:43 - Connecting with Elefteria
How to find and connect with Elefteria online.00:49:23 - Closing Remarks
Wrap-up of the episode and thanks to the listeners. -
SPEAKER_03: Welcome to the Vetiver Vibes podcast, where your hosts, Nikki Fraser and Rachael Dean, certified clinical aromatherapists. We are excited to have you here on today's episode, where you know that you'll get the best essential oil scoop.
Nikki: This episode is brought to you by Essentria a leading online school for aromatherapy. If you want to learn more about how to become a clinical aromatherapist, check out the courses at www.schoolofessentia.com. Welcome to this week's episode of Vativer Vibes. Nikki Fraser here with Elefteria Mansourou. And I hope I said that right. I like what we were saying.SPEAKER_00: I put the French spin even though you're Greek.
Nikki: Ah, so Elefteria has been studying and practicing medicinal plants, essential oils and traditional bodywork since 2004. Her approach combines therapeutic techniques with a deep respect for plant-based medicine. She's particularly fascinated by the chemistry of essential oils and how their compounds influence the body. Eleftheria also spends time foraging, drawing knowledge and inspiration directly from nature. Welcome to the podcast.
Elefteria: Yeah. So nice to see you, Nikki. Yeah. Thank you for having me here.
Nikki: Absolutely. So I know chemistry is one of those things when it comes to aromatherapy that I find some people embrace it, but a lot of people are terrified of it and don't quite understand how it fits into aromatherapy. So I'm super excited to kind of dive deep into that with you. But before we do that, we always like to ask each of our guests, what is your favorite essential oil?
Elefteria: Oh, my favorite essential oil is absolutely lemongrass. Yeah, I've always loved the lemongrass. Nice. For me, it has been like a surprising essential oil because beyond its aroma, I like the versatility of lemongrass. Yeah. And I think that what is often gets overlooked is lemongrass's calming action, because it's an essential oil that can modulate the parasympathetic nervous system. And you can also use it also for muscle pain. It can also enhance the scent of blends, which maybe it's not so nice. So it's a very versatile oil with clinical applications. And I like it because of that. Maybe it reminds me a little bit of Thailand also.
Nikki: Nice. I like that. It's one that I used to use it a little bit more and I haven't used it quite recently, but it's the scent, the aroma of it is something that is typically nice. It's not strong and in your face, but it's not super gentle flory. Like it's to me, it does have that kind of nice aroma that kind of just that nice sweet spot.
Elefteria: Yes, yes. I also like it because it's kind of affordable. So when it comes the moment for me to diffuse an essential oil in my space, I just don't think about it. Oh, it also drives away mosquitoes. It's a bonus.
Nikki: Yes, absolutely. So I'd love to know, how did you get into aromatherapy?
Elefteria: That was really like back in the day. I was trained formally in aromatherapy back in 2002. But I think that my interest had started a little bit before that, because I was already working in complementary medicine. And somehow I always had a strong connection to the plant world. I like to use plants as medicine, as a tradition, and as tools for care. And in a way, aromatherapy, actually caught my attention because it had that same plant foundation, but somehow in a different and in a more concentrated form. And it was also super fun in the beginning to play with essential oils, yeah? Because you can use them in massage treatments, which I like. You can use essential oils for emotional support, pain relief, so many things. And there was a school that offered them official certification in the European Union in my area, so I just went on and received this formal education. That absolutely gave me some structure.
Nikki: Nice, that's great. So today we're going to be diving into aromatherapy. Sorry, the chemistry of aromatherapy. And as I kind of just touched upon, some people find it a little intimidating. Some people, especially if in your mind you kind of go back to high school chemistry. And I know I will use myself as an example. Math and chemistry were not my forte. I did not like anything science-based. I failed, I think it was grade 11 math and I struggled in science and chemistry was like that worst nightmare for me as a high school student. And so when I remember taking my own studies and thinking, oh my gosh, there's a chemistry section. And we didn't have a whole lot of chemistry in the course that I took, which is why we really wanted to kind of vamp up our chemistry for Accenture to really make sure that the students understood it and really understood the importance behind it too, but trying to make it as simple and kind of relatable as possible. So maybe you can kind of talk about, you know, How does chemistry relate to aromatherapy and the importance of it?
Elefteria: Of course, of course. Before starting, I'd like to tell you that chemistry was not my forte too in high school. In fact, I was always finding an excuse to miss class. And yeah, I never liked any of that stuff. And I can tell you that the first time I studied chemistry after high school was in aromatherapy. Yeah, I never liked that kind of stuff too. And what I would say that the chemistry in aromatherapy, it can look a little bit complicated at first, yeah? But once you somehow get a feel for the patterns, I think it's a lot more manageable than more people think. Like it has nothing to do with, of course, with medical school organic chemistry, yeah? Like no one is going to ask you to draw benzene rings or memorize reaction pathways, and all that stuff. But it's always a good idea to have like a working understanding of the major functional groups in essential oils, and what those groups tend to do with the body, yeah? Like, I think that the challenge for most people is the language, like names like sesquiterpenes, monoterpenoles, oxides, esters, all that stuff, yeah? They can definitely sound absolutely intimidating in the start, but if you strip away the terminology, what you are really learning is how an essential oil behaves, yeah? Like if I tell you that something like an essential oil is high in esters, like linaly, oxirate, Yeah, which we find in Labrador, that should immediately tell you that it's likely to be calming, antispasmodic, and gentle on the skin. Yeah, like if it's rich in phenols, like eugenol or thymol, that tells you that it's going to be strong, stimulating, and perhaps a little bit irritating if you're not a little bit careful. So once you learn the core groups and their patterns, you're not really memorizing endless facts, you're just somehow building what I like to call a clinical instinct. And one reason it may feel a little bit complicated, it can be because essential oils, they are made up of one or two chemicals, yeah? They're complex mixtures. Sometimes you have like a hundred chemical compounds in a single essential oil. But in practice, you don't need to know a hundred of that, yeah? No. Of course, you just need to know the key chemical compounds, the ones that are dominant and the ones that influence safety or the therapeutic action and then you build from here somehow. This is happy. I think that what makes it easier is experience. I remember the first time I read a gas chromatography report, I think it was very confusing for me. But after a while, when you gain experience with that, you just look at the report and you can immediately figure out what is important. You don't need to understand like every trace compound. You just need to know what that batch is going to do.
Nikki: And that's why we always say, you know, look at the top two to three kind of components, right? Because like you said, you don't need to look at every single thing because essential oils are so complex. They have so many chemical constituents in each one of them, which is why you can use them so versatile. You can use lavender for inflammation, for sleep, for headaches, like you get all kinds of different things. That's the beauty of them.
Elefteria: I couldn't agree more, of course.
Nikki: But yeah, just like look at the top. We usually say, you know, around three, and then that'll give you a good hint of what is most in that oil. And then you can keep going from there.
Elefteria: Yes, yes, absolutely. Absolutely. It's like that.
Nikki: And so I like what you said of just kind of knowing the words themselves can be absolutely like foreign language almost when you're just getting into it. But like you said too, like I know in our chemistry course, we do, we talk about like benzene rings and all that. So the people kind of get in and that's in our clinical course. But you don't need that part for the blending necessarily and for like knowing the safety aspects. It's just kind of information to have but you don't need that at your fingertips day to day.
SPEAKER_00: I agree, I agree.
Nikki: It's more of, you know, what is something like an ether? You know, what is an ether known for? Being antispasmodic and analgesic and things like that. So then you can know, okay, if I'm looking for that pain blend, maybe I can put something high in ether in it, like that, you know, the basil or sweet fennel or anything like that. It's, I find that's a nice way of doing it.
Elefteria: Yes, yes, of course, of course. And sometimes some technical information is not really, I mean, immediately applicable. But of course, it's always a good idea to know what's behind that, yeah?
Nikki: Yeah. And so how, when you are actively working with the essential oils, do you do you kind of blend with the chemistry in mind, that type of thing? Or, because like, when you're blending, I guess maybe I should reword this too, when you're blending through the chemistry components, what is it that you're often looking at?
Elefteria: You know, it really depends. Like, if I'm making a mixture for massage therapy, I will always look for cargophilin, for example. Yeah, I mean, you need You need an anti-inflammatory compound. Also, if I want to make a blend for skincare, I'm going to look for esters that are suitable for sensitive skin, for example. Or I'm going to look for compounds that are suitable for acne-prone skin. But if I'm blending just for fragrance or for relaxation, I will just focus on the scent and the fragrance.
Nikki: Yeah. And right. And that's the nice part of you can blend in so many different ways of morphology, the chemistry, the aromatic aspect, the therapeutic, like it's, there's so many ways of blending with the oils, which is nice.
Elefteria: But you also, what I have found out in my aromatherapy practice is that you also have to take into account the fragrance, yeah? Like at a point, I have made some blends which I considered that they are wonderful. They contain meal, yeah? And they were for skin care, for dry skin. And I remember that the lady who had asked for that cream, she said, can you please take that cream back? Because I really can't put it on my face. So I had to add a little bit of ylang-ylang, you know, in the blend to make it smell nicely, you know? That was really in my beginnings. And that made me realize that for people, for most people, scent is also important.
Nikki: Yeah, if it doesn't smell good, they're not going to be compliant in using it. And then you've just wasted the oils and wasted their time, wasted your time, wasted the material. So absolutely, it comes down to, okay, let's make the blend, but also make sure that the person using it does find it pretty, you know, the aroma is, they're attracted to the aroma. They find it a nice aroma.
Elefteria: Yeah, yeah, sure. I mean, this can also be very subjective, yeah? Like, I know a lot of people who cannot stand lavender. And I even know some women who also cannot stand the smell of rose.
Nikki: Yeah, I'm not huge on rose. I don't mind it when it's diluted. A lot of our listeners know that for me it's patchouli. Patchouli and I don't get along. I've talked about it in some recent podcasts where I'm trying to integrate patchouli into a couple blends. I did it in a bath. I did it in a different blend. But I'm like, oh, more than one drop, it's pushing it. And oh, yeah, anytime there's patchouli, I'm like, oh, I gotta, I'm gonna say no.
Elefteria: We have the same taste exactly. I also cannot stand patchouli at all.
Nikki: Versus I know so many who absolutely love it like they find it to be an aroma that brings them either back to childhood or they find it the earthiness where I don't find it smells earthy because I love like vetiver cedarwood I love my woodsy oils and the first time someone had said patchouli smells like dirt I'm like no
Elefteria: Yeah, it's exactly like that for me too, because I also like the earthy smell of vetiver, which is the name of your podcast also. I absolutely love it. But I also cannot stand patchouli. It's the same.
Nikki: Nice. And I know Rachael, she's not a huge fan. She doesn't mind the smell of vetiver, the other co-founder of Essentria but she's not a huge fan of it. So we often talk about that. But I find a lot of people too, it's like geranium. It's another one of those you love it or you hate it. I find there's always those few oils you love it or you hate it when it comes to the aroma. And that's where it's important knowing your client. of, you know, do I add this? Do I not add it? Because you can have all the perfect chemistry mixture, but if they don't like the smell, then they're not going to use it.
Elefteria: Exactly. I couldn't agree more.
Nikki: Is there anything that should be used cautiously when looking at the chemistry of essential oils?
Elefteria: Definitely, yeah. When you when you play, you know, with some chemical compounds like bergantin, yeah, and furocoumarins, you, of course, you have to be careful. If you are blending a lot of oils, a lot of essential oils that are derived from citrus peels, you're not supposed to mix them together, you know, if they contain this furocoumarins, because they add up. And I mean, when we're talking about photo toxicity, yeah. And another thing one should be careful about, I think it's that when you're mixing ketones, yeah, if you if you're playing with toxic ketones, you should also be careful with this, like, you cannot combine like come for with other toxicant, like 2-Yolk, for example.
SPEAKER_00: You have to be a little bit careful.
Nikki: Yeah, and that's some great points of just being cautious with some of those things.
Elefteria: Yeah, definitely. I think another group of compounds one has to be careful with is aldehydes, yeah? because they're very strong aromatic compounds. You also find them in lemongrass, which I said, it's my favorite oil. And you can also find that stuff in cinnamon bark. They can be quite sensitizing, especially if they're oxidized. I mean, they have wonderful antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, but it's a fact that they can also cause skin irritation, especially in higher doses. or to people who are prone to allergies. And of course, if you are playing with citral, with essential oils that contain citral, you always have to be careful if you have a pregnant woman. You have to be careful with that because citral, you cannot give it to a pregnant woman. And another compound that one should be a little bit careful especially in the part of the world I am, which is the Eastern Mediterranean, is methyl salicylate. Yeah, you have to be careful with that. Yeah, methyl salicylate is, yeah. Yeah, yeah, because, I mean, it's a compound which is a wonderful anti-inflammatory. It's great for pain blends and topical use, but it's also a blood thinner. It actually, you can compare it to aspirin. Yeah, in that regard. So if you have people on anticoagulant medication or with bleeding disorders, this is something you should know before you use something like that. And in that part of the world where I am, there are some people that have this G6PD deficiency.
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
Elefteria: Yeah. So this is something you, you should know, but the other person should know it too because If you're working with people that are 55 plus, they may have this enzymatic deficiency and not be aware of it.
Nikki: Yeah, I've been hearing more and more actually about that deficiency. What was it, G6PD, right? That's how you say it, yeah. And yeah, I haven't dove too, too far deep into it. But I've just been seeing more and more people actually recognizing and realizing that that is part of their health history, their health.
Elefteria: Charts of they have a deficiency in in that and that they need need to be more cautious and some people don't realize it Yeah, yeah, it's a thing, you know, like I have a client he's like 58 years old and he paid a visit to the dentist and as a precaution, I mean This person is my client. He's not the kind of guy that makes a conventional medicines. Yeah And the dentist prescribed streptomycin, which is an antibiotic, just as a precaution after this treatment. And the person almost died because he had this G6PD deficiency and didn't know it. Yeah, it can be really an issue for some people.
Nikki: No, absolutely. And this is the reminder of like, this is why when I see so many times in different groups of essential oils are natural, they're safe, they're great. Yes, they are amazing. But as to safe, they can be when you safely but they can also be very dangerous when not used safely. This is why it's important to be respectful of the oils and use them appropriately and safely?
Elefteria: Yes, yes, absolutely. Sometimes I find that the term essential oil or aromatherapy even, you know, it can be a little bit misleading for some people, yeah, because aromatherapy can refer to fragrance therapy, yeah, but it's not that because essential oils have very potent compounds and some essential oils, especially like the wintergreen, it can be something like a conventional medicine because it contains an isolated compound of such a great concentration.
Nikki: Yeah, and people don't realize, especially with something like wintergreen, that it also is processed different in the body. So it takes longer to exit the body. And I remember seeing some posts for like some pain management blends where it would be like almost 50% of the blend would be like wintergreen. I or wintergreen and birch and I would just Cringe at seeing these four formulas not formulas These blends online that you could tell that they had no knowledge of what they were doing and then they're telling people to apply it like every hour and I'm like you are almost going to like put your liver into an overdrive of constantly trying to eliminate it from the body. I'm like, that is so not safe.
Elefteria: Yeah, yeah. This is, I think, another misconception, yeah, because a lot of these chemical compounds actually burden the liver, yeah, because your liver considers them like medicines, like conventional medicinals. And you think you are in a way detoxifying also your system when in fact you're placing a good challenge at your liver.
Nikki: Yeah, anything that we're applying on the body, anything that we're taking internally, which I'm not talking about taking essential oils internally, I'm just talking about like anything at all, any type of medication, cream, like the liver has to Like the liver is our cleansing system. It is our filter. It is that is what it does is it takes rid of everything and it filters through and it cleanses and So everything has to pass through it and the more stuff we put on our body then the more toxic overload that the liver is is doing it's taking on more and more and more and then it's harder and harder for it to work and that includes essential oils it's still something that is being put on the skin it's still something we are inhaling and it's something that the liver needs to process and filter through for us to eliminate it's It's just like as if you took, you know, an Advil or a vitamin, right? All of any supplement that you're taking, any herbs that you're taking, it's still the same process. It still has to go through the liver to be processed. So it's important that people actually remember that, but they just see it's plant, it's natural, so it's safe, which is not always the case.
Elefteria: I mean, poison hemlock. It is natural, yeah. Okay. And so many toxic plants.
Nikki: Yeah. I use the same thing. My son and I, we played hide and seek in a local little forest in our park. And we left that day covered in poison oak. He was covered in poison oak. I had it around my ankles about maybe six inches up my ankles, that's it. But he was literally covered from his shoulders down to his feet. It was back, chest, legs, arms everywhere. And it was a couple of weeks of pure hell. But I can't imagine, I just had it on my ankles and he had his whole body. So when people are saying, oh, plants are natural. Yeah, so is the poison oak. And I can tell you, it is not fun to have something natural, but also like that rubbed all over you.
Elefteria: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah.
Nikki: Yeah. What about quenching? Because we were talking about how you don't want to add certain things together. Can you talk about what quenching is?
Elefteria: Quenching, yes, yes. Quenching, usually it's a term that goes together with limonene. Some people have their disagreements about quenching, but I have found that to be true. Like, if you have a blend, that contains eugenol, and you are worried that it can be like a skin irritant, very often if you add an essential oil which is rich in lemony, you can have this effect of quenching. So it's interesting. Usually I'm doing it. And in any case, if you combine an essential oil like a clove bud or a cinnamon leaf, yeah, with a citrus too, Usually, it also smells nice.
Nikki: Yeah, no, that's great. And it is. It's a nice way to sometimes just kind of… They help kind of counter one another in a way. Yeah, of course.
Elefteria: It somehow offsets some side effects an essential oil have. So, it's always an interesting concept.
Nikki: Absolutely. Is there… kind of anything else that people should take into account when looking at the chemistry and aromatherapy?
Elefteria: About the chemistry, I mean, sometimes it's always a good idea to do like a patch testing, yeah? If you're working with an essential oil which is high in phenols or aldehydes, And it's a good idea to do a patch test, even for legal reasons. And it's a good idea in the beginning to keep the dilution at a low level, like less than 1%, anyway, to see how the client responds. Or for example, like I have asthma, yeah? I have allergic asthma. So if you want to play with an essential oil, like eucalyptus, which is reaching a difficult tone, it's always a good idea to start low and see how the person responds to that.
Nikki: especially with breathing issues. I find anything when it comes to the respiratory system, everyone can react a little bit differently. We always stress low and slow, but especially at the beginning, and I want to say double more so when it comes to supporting someone with the respiratory system because Some people could find it overstimulating and all of a sudden it's like almost putting their lungs in overdrive versus some, they'll have zero reaction. Like it'll just work how you're hoping it'll work and it'll just nicely open the airways and then you'll be able to breathe better, which is the goal. But yeah, that's a really good point to make.
Elefteria: Yes, yes, and I always tell people when they are asking me which essential oil I could take, like to have at home, yeah, and diffuse it. Another thing I always say to people is when you're buying an essential oil, I mean, most of them should be stored in the fridge. And many people are not aware of that thing because essential oils are not like milk products, yeah, that can develop mold, but still they can be oxidized and they can be quite sensitizing. I mean, unless if you're working with an essential oil, which is viscous and rich in sesquiterpenes like vetiver or patchouli, most of them should be stored at the fridge to be safe.
Nikki: And so can you explain what is oxidation and why is it bad for our essential oils?
Elefteria: Yes, of course. I think the most correct term should be auto-oxidation, yeah? Because they're auto-oxidized. It's pretty much, I mean, oxidation is a word that relates to oxygen, right? So this pretty much happens when an essential oil is exposed to oxygen. So that's why it's important to always close very well your essential oil bottles. And I also always tell people that if you have the ability to buy an essential oil in five ml bottles, it's always better because you have a smaller quantity of the essential oil, which is exposed to oxygen. So it's going to last always longer. Of course, essential oils can be oxidized when they're exposed to light, to sunlight. And also, of course, heat can be a factor. Like if you are storing your essential oils close to your AC machine or very close to a spot that's warm or next to a sunny window, it's not a good idea. They're going to be oxidized. Especially aldehydes are prone to that. And monoterpenes, of course, yeah, like essential oils which are high in monoterpenes, you should keep them away from oxygen, light, and heat.
Nikki: And so can you name what are a few essential oils that are high in monoterpenes, just to give our listeners a few ideas?
Elefteria: Citrus pills, of course, all essential oils, yeah, that are that are derived from citrus peels, like lemon peel, orange peel, all of that. And then surprisingly, you can also find lemonine, of course, which is a very widespread monotherapy in some essential oils where you wouldn't expect it to be, like frankincense is an essential oil, which is very rich in lemon, and you wouldn't expect that. Or also, if you have a lot of essential oils from conifers, which we all like to keep at home, and diffused. They're very rich in the A and B-pinane, which is another monotyrpene. Actually, this is the most widespread monotyrpene in nature also, and they can be oxidized also very quickly. So it's always a good idea to keep this essential oil in the fridge and take them out when you want to diffuse them off. Whatever.
Nikki: And so once an oil is oxidized, why do we not want to use it?
Elefteria: Because it can become a skin irritant. Yeah, it can become a skin irritant. And if it's too much oxidized, it can even cause systemic sensitization. So it should not be used. And that's why I always tell people not to buy too many essential oils. You don't need a huge arsenal of essential oils. It's better to have a few at hand, to know what's working for you and what you need, and use them as quickly as possible.
Nikki: Yeah, and that's why I say when people ask, how do they expire? They don't necessarily expire, but they do. It's the oxidization that causes them to no longer be safe to use because the chemicals can actually change in it. And then like you said, it can become skin irritating. And then if you're sensitized to one oil, if there's another oil that does have very similar chemical makeup, then you can become sensitized to that oil too, because they're so similar.
Elefteria: Yes, yes. On some occasions, there is even a chemical compound that can become available at a larger concentration in an essential oil when it's oxidized. And you might think like, oh, I have tea tree. Yeah, it's generally considered very safe. Yeah. But when it becomes oxidized, some stuff like decumin or carin and all these compounds they can become like strong irritants and you may even not have the desirable effect of tea tree because you may not have because the essential oil may not even contain the concentration you had in mind. Exactly.
Nikki: Yeah, exactly. That's why we tell people to always store them in a cool, dry place. If you have a room in the fridge, fantastic. If not, we always say, like you said, away. I have a cabinet that's kind of in the dark corner. light is never there, and the doors are constantly closed, and our house is just always cold. So it's like, okay, that's about as good as it's going to get, and it is. You made a really, really great point of you don't need an abundance of oils. There's no reason to have 100 different essential oils. You're not going to use most of them, most likely. Focus on the top ones that are your go-tos, especially if you're not a clinical aromatherapist, if you're just, you know, using them for yourself at home and your family, like there's very rarely a time you're going to be needing all hundred oils.
Elefteria: Yes, yes, absolutely. I think that most of us can be very well with like 10 essential oils, yeah? I think it's a good number. And also, it depends on your goal, yeah? Like some people are using essential oil most mostly for better massage therapy practice. And okay. And once they have an essential oil, they can also diffuse it. Yeah. I mean, if you're a massage therapist, why should you buy a helical soon? Yeah. And which is a very costly essential oil.
SPEAKER_00: It's going to be oxidized at the point and you're not going to use it anyway.
Nikki: Yeah, that's one that we use often in our house because we have boys in sports and actually I just made one last week after my son's first baseball game and not him but another little boy on his team The pitch hit him when he was up to bat and by the time he made it to the dugout, he had a goose egg that was very large on his leg, thankfully it was his leg, but it had swollen so fast. And I remember I had a roller last year for, and I was happy I did get it because my oldest was a pitcher and he got the ball hit back to him and it smashed him and he dropped like a sack of potatoes because it hit him, thankfully again, in the leg, not in the face. um but I instantly I had my oils directly on me and I put them on and he barely bruised like he didn't have anything and he could go in two innings like he sat one inning out and he was right back in so it's like it's but you have to know your oils that you're going to use and not use because if you're not going to use it and it's just going to oxidize, then you're wasting your money on buying the oils. And we want to keep the oils sustainable. We don't want to just have oils laying around for no reason either. Yes, yes, absolutely, absolutely. You had said something and it made me think of something else. So yeah, so when we're applying oils, and they are oxidized, that's always the safety concern, is we don't want anyone to become sensitized. If you do have oxidized oils, what would be the best way to dispose of them?
Elefteria: Usually, I mean, you're not supposed to just toss them in the water, yeah? Of course. What I have been taught is that the best way to toss away an essential oil which is oxidized and you don't want to use it, is to just dispose it in a pile of soil.
Nikki: Yeah, I always heard that too. Kind of dig a little hole, empty out the bottle.
Elefteria: Exactly, yeah, yeah. And preferably somewhere far, far from plants. Yeah, because some essential oils can also be a very strong biocides.
Nikki: And also away from, if you have family pets, so if you have like a dog that you let out in your backyard and you know it likes this one area, don't do it there because you don't want the dog to dig it up, things like that. So kind of a spot far away from any animals and deep enough so that animals can't dig it up either and then bury it.
Elefteria: Yes, yes, you are right. I'm not a person who has pets, so I didn't think of it. But usually, yeah, this is what I tell people. Away from the water and to a pile of soil and to cover the pile of soil as well. I think this is the safest way.
Nikki: Yeah, yeah. Don't just throw them in your recycling bin half full, things like that. Because then, you know, the bottle will crush and then it'll leak all over. And some of them are flammable, things like that. And it's just not worth the risk. So absolutely.
Elefteria: Of course, of course. I even have a compost bin. I would never throw essential oil in my compost bin also, because then the composting would simply stop. Yeah, I didn't think of that. Yeah, I didn't think of that aspect of it too. Yeah, and again, right, that comes back to
Nikki: we often get the question of how long are they good for? And so it can take different oils different amount of times to oxidize also.
Elefteria: Yes, yes. Of course. I don't think that there's a specific answer to that because it also depends on the way you store them. Yeah. It depends on the way you store them. Like I have kept for over one year lemon essential oil in my fridge and it was absolutely okay like I used it on my skin and it was fine but it has also happened to me when I was a beginner yet to use geranium essential oil which I had left outside of the fridge for more than one year on a little bit sunny spot also I wasn't very cautious. And it was a little bit sensitizing, you know, like it caused a slight redness on my skin. So this can be really, really relevant. But I think that one year is like a good time frame for an essential oil so that it's safe.
Nikki: Yeah, and like I said, it really depends on the storing and some last longer than others. Citrus oils are going to oxidize faster than something like vetiver or patchouli that actually gets better with age or sandalwood that also gets better with age. The aromas, they don't necessarily get better with age. You just, the aromas shift. The chemical constituents actually do change a little bit with the oxygen, with the air that it interacts with.
Elefteria: It's like wine. Some essential oils, the one you mentioned, they're like wine. They get better as they age. But another factor that most of us don't know is the batch, the date of the batch. Because, OK, let's say you bought an essential oil. But if it's not from a small producer, like what we say, an artisan essential oil, you can never be really sure about the production date yeah and it's true right you don't know
Nikki: It's a huge chain, so from when the plant was harvested to when the essential oil was distilled and made, that date to it then sitting on their shelf for a while before it gets bottled and shipped to the supplier, and then maybe the supplier then goes to the store itself Maybe there's two different spots before it gets to the store, wherever you're getting the essential oil supplier from. There could be anywhere from one, three, five different stopping points, so who knows how long it has sat on the shelf in all of those areas. That's a good point to remember. So, before we kind of wrap this up, any last-minute kind of words of wisdom or tips that you would like to share with our listeners?
Elefteria: Yeah, I have a tip that I think it would be a good tip for beginners, is to always take notes when you're blending. Yeah, like I remember when I was a beginner, like in my early days, I had created some amazing blends, yeah? Like I still remember the same, and I had not written anything down. So I could not recreate them. However hard I tried, I just could not recreate. That was really frustrating. So this is, of course, entirely avoidable, yeah? So whether someone is experimenting with ratios, send profiles or adjusting based on the client response or whatever, it's always a good idea to write everything down. Yeah, like the essential loads you use, the drops or ML ratios, the reason behind your choices, you should always write that down.
Nikki: I'm very much laughing on the inside because I did the same thing. And I'm still guilty for it a lot of times, but I have made so many different blends that I wish I knew what I actually did. I was like, I know what the oils are, but I didn't necessarily put down exactly how many drops, like what the exact ratio is, the exact, exact formula so I could duplicate it. And in my head, I'm always like, I know, I'm going to remember this. I'm not going to remember. I don't remember breakfast from, actually I do. I have the same breakfast every day. So I don't remember my supper from last night. So I am not going to remember some blend that I made. And to this day, and that's why when i make anytime that i like make different blends i always say put a label on at least the label um step one is get in the habit of labeling things because i have so i i kind of have a jar that i just have a container that i just have to show people of like These are all things wasted. They're complete garbage because there's no labels. And I'm trying to do like the sniff test, like, what was this? Because I'm like, I'm going to remember. I'm not going to remember.
Elefteria: And then… Me too. Yeah, it's the same for me.
Nikki: And then take that one step further and now do it for the formula. Like just have a notebook dedicated just for the formulas. And I know we had a notebook that we created an online one that you can just easily print off or keep it digital and you and it's exactly that of like, you know one maybe for like bedrooms, or one for cleaning, or one for springtime, one for wintertime, one for pain management, one for sleep, like a page for all kinds of these different, so then you can be like, oh, I need something for sleep, you can go to the sleep section, like, oh, these were some great oils, or these were some great blends, and it's, I just laugh so much, because I have so many blends that I didn't write down, and I wish I did.
Elefteria: Now I also write down the date also.
Nikki: Yes, yes, the date you made it is very, very important. Absolutely. So if people want to get in touch with you, learn more from you, where can they find you?
Elefteria: I think the best place to look for me online is my Instagram account, which is at Flo Athens. It's one word, Flo Athens. So people can find me there. I also post a lot of stuff on 4RG there, so people can look for me there.
Nikki: I just started getting into foraging more. We have a local group that I've gone to a couple different events with them, and I would love to get more into it. It's one of those things, until you're confident and comfortable with it, and you shouldn't just pick willy-nilly things off the side of the road if you don't know what it is, because that's super dangerous. But I've gone to a couple groups, and I love it. It's amazing to know what's the local plants, what's edible, what can be medicinal. I love foraging. So I think that's fantastic that you share all that information.
Elefteria: I can even tell you that I had my first foraging experiences from small distilleries. Yeah, because I had visited some small distilleries in Greece where people were actually foraging some of the plants they were distilling. One of them was even distilling a carrot seed essential oil. and this couple, they were from Crete, they were actually foraging the Carpathian Sea themselves. So that was one of the first foraging lessons I had. It was from an aromatherapist.
Nikki: I love that. That's so interesting. Thank you for coming on today's episode. If any of our listeners want to get in touch with you, we do have your contact information below, your website, your Instagram. You also have a book on Amazon. Yes. So any of our listeners can click on any of the links below to learn more from you, get in touch with you. So thank you so much, Elefteria, for coming on today's episode. Have an amazing day, everyone.
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SPEAKER_03: This podcast is for information purposes only. We are certified clinical aromatherapists and holistic health professionals. If you have a medication concern, please refer to your health team. Everyone's health is unique to themselves, so the topics and suggestions stated may or may not apply directly to you.
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This podcast is for information purposes only. We are certified clinical aromatherapists and holistic health professionals. If you have a medication concern, please refer to your health team. Everyone’s health is unique to themselves, so the topics and suggestions stated may or may not apply directly to you. Please reach out to an aromatherapist to work with or consider training to become one yourself!
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