Science Behind Emotional Aromatherapy: Psychology Meets Chemistry!

This article outlines the unique chemical profiles of each of the 6 oils in dōTERRA's new Emotional Aromatherapy™ System!

By Dr. Damian Rodriguez, DHSc, MS

Scientists and psychologists have spent centuries trying to understand the phenomena we refer to as emotions. Although science cannot yet definitively explain the exact mechanisms, we do know that emotions have vast influence on many components of well-being. Employing the most current research and the purest essential oils, the new dōTERRA Emotional Aromatherapy™ System is the first in the industry to offer scientifically formulated blends for comprehensive, robust, and targeted emotional health benefits.

The easiest way to experience essential oils is aromatically, by utilizing our sense of smell. Most first experiences with essential oils are through basic diffusion (different methods of dispersing essential oils through a space so that one can experience their powerful aroma) or breathing in a few drops that were rubbed into one’s hands. The first thing one generally notices upon their introduction to essential oils is that the intensely fragrant compounds can instantly impact how you feel. Due to the amazing olfactory receptors, which identify odors and initiate the aromatic pathway, diffusing or directly inhaling essential oils is the most rapid and intense way to experience their influence on emotions.

Use of the dōTERRA Emotional Aromatherapy System is predicated upon their unique chemical profiles. Based on known benefits of specific chemical constituents, categories of essential oils can be established. By their chemical make-up, we can classify essential oils as having either calming or uplifting effects. Each essential oil group has specific constituent profiles known to elicit distinct emotional responses.

Floral essential oils are composed primarily of monoterpene alcohols, which exhibit toning and calming properties. Tree, herb, and grass essential oils are rich in sesquiterpenes, esters, and oxides, which are grounding, soothing, and renewing. On the other end of the spectrum, mint, citrus, and spice essential oils provide powerfully uplifting benefits. Mint essential oils have high concentrations of ketones, which are energizing and uplifting. Citrus oils are generally composed of limonene and beta-pinene, monoterpenes with strong uplifting characteristics. Phenols, the primary chemical constituents of many spice essential oils, are recognized for their warming properties.

Combining these CPTG® oils in precise ratios, the emotional aromatherapy blends establish a new, complete, and unique spectrum of emotional benefits. For ease of use, included in the kit is an instructional diagram that breaks down these categories.

The dōTERRA Emotional Aromatherapy System is based on chemistry. Beginning with a specific chemical profile, the blends were put together based on the known properties of their chemical constituents as opposed to simply providing a pleasant aroma. While responses can be highly individual, the blending of these specific essential oils has created a synergistic composition ideal to promoting healthy emotional responses.

dōTERRA Motivate™ Encouraging Blend is a wonderful combination of several citrus and mint essential oils, including Yuzu, Clementine, and Peppermint. This blend marks dōTERRA’s first use of Yuzu, the limonene-rich essential oil expressed from the peel of the mandarin-like Japanese fruit. The resulting chemical profile is high in monoterpenes and monoterpene alcohols, which are known for their uplifting and toning properties. Motivate is the perfect aromatic compliment to help promote feelings of confidence when working on an important school project.

dōTERRA Cheer™ Uplifting Blend is an invigorating mixture of citrus and spice essential oils. Featuring Wild Orange, Cinnamon Bark, and Star Anise essential oils, the resulting chemical profile is rich in monoterpene and aldehydes, renowned for their uplifting and warming properties. Comprised almost entirely of the phenylpropene anethole, Star Anise essential oil brings potent energizing characteristics to the new blend. Apply one drop of dōTERRA Cheer to your hands, rub together, and inhale deeply to help incite feelings of optimism.

dōTERRA Passion™ Inspiring Blend balances spice and herbal essential oils. Included in the blend is Damiana, a very rare essential oil rich in 1,8-cineole and alpha pinene, which is renowned for its renewing properties. Combining Cinnamon Bark, Ginger, Cardamom, Clove, and Damiana creates a chemical profile with high concentrations of phenols and ethers to provide warming and renewing benefits. Diffuse dōTERRA Passion at your work desk to help spark creativity.

dōTERRA Forgive™ Renewing Blend mixes familiar tree and herb essential oils to create a diverse chemical profile with high concentrations of monoterpene esters, alcohols, and sesquiterpenes. Most interesting is the introduction of Nootka Tree Wood, an essential oil with a very diverse chemistry composed primarily of soothing and grounding sesquiterpenes. Nootka Tree Oil is known largely for balancing emotions in stressful situations. Pure Thyme essential oil balances out the blend with potent renewing and toning properties. No meditation session is complete without diffusing dōTERRA Forgive to help encourage patience and contentment.

dōTERRA Console™ Comforting Blend combines floral and tree essential oils. The combination of Rose absolute, Ylang Ylang, Frankincense, Sandalwood, and several other highly valued tree and flower essential oils creates a blend rich in both monoterpenes and sesquiterpene alcohols. Labdanum absolute provides a number of interesting characteristics to the blend. High in alpha-pinene, Labdanum is highly renewing and its distinctive aroma is prized for its ability to balance competing scents. The final product mirrors its chemical structure and aromatic profile, being highly grounding and renewing. A drop or two of dōTERRA Console on your shirt collar can be that little extra you need to help counteract feelings of grief and sadness.

dōTERRA Peace™ Reassuring blend is a fusion of floral and mint essential oils. The union of popular essential oils such as Lavender and Spearmint, along with the essence of some lesser-known plants such as Labdanum, creates a chemical profile rich in monoterpene esters and alcohols for a renewing and toning experience. The resulting aromatic profile is calming and promotes feelings of peace and reassurance. Diffuse dōTERRA Peace at night to help promote the calming and restful sleep environment that you need to embrace the next day.

The dōTERRA Emotional Aromatherapy System is an innovative, easy, and versatile way to experience the profound benefits of aromatherapy. Discover for yourself how the six robust blends can help you balance your moods and take charge of your own emotional well-being.

For more information click here: http://doterrascienceblog.com/emotional-aromatherapy-psych…/

Safety Saturday: Maintaining EO Integrity & Safe EO Storage!

Check out this video outlining how to protest your EOs from the "Three Enemies of Essential Oils": 

1. Oxygen.... 2. Heat.... 3. Light

Safety Saturday: Citrus Oils & Phototoxicity!

Some essential oils, contain chemical constituents called FURANOCOUMARINS.

Furanocoumarins are a class of organic chemical compounds produced by a variety of plants as chemical defenses. They come in a variety of flavors and have adverse affects on a wide variety of organisms, ranging from bacteria to mammals.

Some furanocoumarins are PHOTOACTIVE--so their toxicity is enhanced in the presence of ultraviolet radiation.

***Essential oils which contain this furanocoumarin chemical compound include: Angelica, Bergamot, Dill, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Orange, and Tangerine. ***

The PHOTOTOXICITY of these oils can cause skin reactions when they are applied to the skin and therefore should not be applied to skin that will be exposed to sunlight within 12 hours.

*****Please be mindful of photosensitivity when using citrus oils and blends containing citrus oils!*****

{Side Note: Have you ever wondered why pharmacists recommend that some medications not be taken along with grapefruit?? It's Furanocoumarins!}
Click to Learn More:
https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/…/ask-a-pharmacist/facts.aspx

References:
1. http://www.life.illinois.edu/berenbaum/newpage1.htm
2. https://books.google.com/books…
3. https://books.google.com/books…

Fun Fact Friday: Essential Oil Chemistry!

All substances can be broken down into an array of molecules and atoms, and essential oils are no different. Each essential oil can be broken down to determine its different natural chemical constituents.

The components (constituents) that essential oils are made up of are classified into chemical families according to their molecular structure. Knowing the chemical structure and function determines their therapeutic properties ... This can help us learn which essential oils to use for various health concerns.

Three of the most important compounds found in essential oils are:
1. Phenols
2. Monoterpenes
3. Sesquiterpenes

PHENOLS:
(Purify & Clean Cell Membranes)
The most important function performed by phenols is that they clean the receptor sites on the cells. Clean receptor sites allows the proper transfer of hormones, peptides, neurotransmitters, steroids, and other intracellular messengers to communicate clearly.
Without clean receptor sites, cells cannot properly communicate. When calls can't communicate, the body malfunctions, resulting in sickness.
Phenols create conditions where unfriendly viruses and bacteria cannot live.
(Found In: Clove, Cassia, Basil, Cinnamon, Oregano, Wintergreen, Melaleuca, and Peppermint)

MONOTERPENES:
(Mend & Repair DNA)
The most important ability of the monoterpenes is that they can reprogram miswritten information in the cellular memory. With improper coding in the DNA, cells malfunction and diseases result.
(Found In: Peppermint, Grapefruit, Orange, Lemon, Juniper, Frankincense, Pine, Cypress, and Myrtle)

SESQUITERPENES:
(Stop Misinformation in DNA)
Sesquiterpene molecules deliver oxygen to cells, like hemoglobin does in the blood. Sesquiterpenes can also erase or de-program miswritten codes in the DNA.
(Found In: Cedarwood, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Black Pepper, Ylang Ylang, Lemon, Patchouli, Myrrh, and Ginger)

References:
-Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple by David Stewart, Ph.D Healing
-Essential Oils Desk Reference 5th Edition by Life Science Publishing

Bioactivity of Essential Oils

Want to know more about how essential oils work in the body?

Check out this article from the doTERRA science labs!

The scientific process is characterized by change and progression. Reflecting on standard health protocols that have been used throughout history, it is easy to understand the significance of continual evolution of thought. Just think, there was a time in history when it was common to use leeches and mercury as go-to health care practices. How times have changed! As scientific research continues to expand, we develop a better understanding of human health and wellness.

There has been tremendous progress in understanding the biological interactions of essential oils (1). The oils have been subjected to widespread study in both clinical and experimental research environments, which has given us a greater understanding of their relevance to health than ever before.

Essential Oils Are Unique

Essential oils are physiologically active, which means they directly influence the body. Unique structural features of essential oils allow them to be active both on the surface of cells and within cells.

Every cell is enclosed in a protective barrier called a membrane that serves to maintain the cell as a closed system separate from the outside environment. Imbedded in the membrane are surface receptors that serve as a line of communication between that individual cell and the rest of the body. When the proper substance binds with these receptors, it initiates a cascade of chemical changes on the inner side of the cellular membrane, triggering modifications in the function of the cell. Interaction with these easily accessible receptors is one way that essential oils communicate with cells and impact cellular activity.

The cellular membrane has a crucial double role of keeping out unwanted intruders while still being permeable (passable). Energy sources and other important substances must enter while waste must be removed. Most substances cannot penetrate the cellular membrane, so a number of specialized transport mechanisms (cofactors, transport vesicles, etc.) are employed to allow necessary substances to move into the cell in a controlled and well-regulated fashion. Substances with certain structural properties can directly traverse the membrane and move into the cell without being limited by the cell’s transport machinery in a process known as passive diffusion. Oxygen, carbon dioxide, alcohol, some drugs, anesthetics, and essential oils are some of the few substances capable of moving in this way. Two features of essential oils enable them to be able to passively diffuse:

1. Lipid solubility
2. Small molecular size

The cellular membrane is composed of lipids. Because essential oils are lipid soluble and small, they have no problem crossing the membrane.

The lipid soluble nature of essential oils offers them independent function and cell accessibility. Essential oils have the ability to influence cells even when there is physiologic compromise such as during times of poor nutrition or environmental threats. If a cell becomes compromised for any reason, it depends on additional systems and functions within the body to regain optimal function. For example, a compromised cell may lose the ability to efficiently pass substances across its membrane and in turn, have difficulty getting what it needs to maintain itself. Often this becomes a cyclical problem—the cell can’t repair itself without the proper exchange of nutrients, but it can’t get the proper nutrients because membrane transport mechanisms are suboptimal. See the issue? Because essential oils do not depend on cellular transport mechanisms to enter the cell, they can easily cross the cell membrane and provide benefits directly to the cell.

Essential oils can also influence the brain by passing from the blood into the brain. The blood brain barrier is the most secure tissue barrier in the body. It is highly selective in order to protect the fragile tissues of the central nervous system. This barrier only allows passage of certain compounds that are crucial to brain function (glucose, some amino acids, etc.). Novel research has demonstrated that certain sesquiterpene constituents found in essential oils can directly cross the blood brain barrier because of their small molecular size (2-4). Although sesquiterpenes were particularly studied, it is reasonable to assume that other essential oil compounds, especially monoterpenes, which are structurally smaller than sesquiterpenes, can also penetrate the blood brain barrier.

The effects of essential oils are far-reaching regardless of their method of application. Such powerful biological influence would not be possible if essential oil compounds were not lipid soluble and did not have small molecular size. These unique structural properties give essential oils powerful biological influence throughout the body.

1. Bakkali F, Averbeck S, Averbeck D, Idaomar M. Food Chem Toxicol. 2008;46:446-475. 
2. Dwivedi GR, Gupta S, Roy S, et al. Chem Biol Drug Des. 2013;82:587-594. 
3. Wang K, Li Z, Chen Y, Su C. Biopharm Drug Dispos. 2005;26:301-307.
4. Wu XS, Xie T, Lin J, et al. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2009;61:1653-1656. 

Click on this link for the full article:
http://doterrascienceblog.com/bioactivity-of-essential-oils/

Fun Fact Friday: Science of Diffusion!

Have you ever wondered how inhalation of essential oils could be beneficial for your emotional and mental health??

Read on to learn more about the science of essential oil diffusion!

EO CHEMISTRY: Essential oils are simply a mixture of volatile aromatic compounds.

The OLFACTORY SYSTEM includes all physical organs or cells relating to, or contributing to, the sense of smell. During inhalation, odor molecules travel through the nose and affect the brain through a variety of receptor sites, one of which is the limbic system, which is commonly referred to as the "emotional brain" and includes the Olfactory Bulbs, Hippocampus, & Amygdala.

The LYMBIC SYSTEM is directly connected to those parts of the brain that influence the NERVOUS SYSTEM to control heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels, and hormone balance (Higley & Higley, 1998). This relationship helps explain why smells often trigger emotions!

Knowing this, we can hypothesize how inhalation of essential oils can have some very profound physiological and psychological effects!

References:
http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/…/how-do-essential-oils…

https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/treatment/aromatherapy