Looking Closely at Essential Oils: Are They Good for the Environment?

Oils have been used for a very long time, and everyone knows of their benefits. Some contain very significant dealing properties, such as speeding up the healing process of insect bites. Others are said to promote mental health, allowing a person to relax and get the stress reduction that they need. If you have never used essential oil, you are indeed missing out on something that could bring great benefit to your life.

However, there are arguments out there that are saying that essential oils could be harmful to the environment. As a matter of fact, there are some oils that require a lot of plants to create a small amount of oil. For example, it takes about 40 to 60 rose buds to create a single drop of rose otto essential oil. If you think about it, this is a lot of rosebuds for just a small amount of oil. But not all oils require this high amount of ingredients to be created. Also, certain essential oils might require a lot of product but can last a long time if used properly.

Much Goes Into Creating the Oils

Again, some oils take millions of blossoms from certain flowers to create even a pound or two of essential oil, so it's no secret that oil might require a lot of plant products. Constantly harvesting these products means that there could be some harm to the environment. However, some companies, such as Young Living Essential Oils founded by D Gary Young, might say that this is exactly what flowers and plants are here for in the first place. They are here to give us their benefits, and if you harvest and use them appropriately at a normal pace by doing research to know how much is too much, the environment will be fine.

A Little Goes a Long Way

It's important to remember that a small amount of oil goes a long way. For many oils, all that is required might be one or two drops of the product. This is because essential oils are very potent and pack a huge punch. It's not wise to use 8-10 drops when all that is required might be two drops. For example, many people enjoy using peppermint oils for a foot bath. Remember to only use the required amount outlined on the bottle for the oil and don't selfishly use 20 drops to increase the effect.

Oils Are Economical

Because oils can be used in small amounts at a time, again, a little goes a long way. This means that oils are very economical. When a person purchases oils, they are making an investment that will last for a long time, because if the oils are used properly, they will last a long time. If you think about it, a small bottle of oil could take months to be consumed. This is why using essential oils could be more economical and beneficial to a user than other products on the shelves that promise the same kind of benefit.

Responsibility Lies With the User

In the end, this means that the responsibility really lies with the use of the essential oil. If a person uses it responsibly and as directed, there will be no need for even more mass production of essential oils created by harvesting certain plants and flowers. Never use more than as directed, and the environment and the economy should be just fine. It can be tempting to use many drops of a certain kind of oil, but users should know that only a small amount should suffice. Using more might even not have a greater effect in the first place.

Essential oils are economical, contain many healing benefits, are safer for the skin and are well-researched when it comes to the environment. As time goes on, perhaps there will be more insight into the world of essential oils that will allow everyone to create even more environmentally-friendly approaches to them.