Do Essential Oils Really Work? And Why? 

I use essential oils to confuse the police dogs

My mom is a massage therapist, so this was an informative video for me and her. You guys are my hero.

There is pretty conclusive evidence over some oils and some medical situations. For example lavender oil is a natural antiseptic that can help with secondary infections from colds. All you need to do is put a few drops on something cotton and put that on a saucer in the room (as it eats varnish etc). Tea tree oil is a mild antiseptic that is also anti-fungal. You just cant use it neat and some of the cheaper shower gells with genuine tea tree oil in them are actually quite good. Clove oil is a ridiculously powerful anaesthetic and literally a drop on a cotton bud touched on the crown of the tooth that has toothache will stop it for several hours (don't get it neat on the gums as it burns).

If you don't get how the oils may work then perhaps you should consider the following, the chemicals in the oils may only have an effect (as a chemical) on the olfactory bulb chemoreceptors, the rest is nerve impulse patterns, like music or any other sensory input that has measurable emotional responses.

It would be intersting to see if fresh air has similar effects. Seems to me like it does. :)

There’s a big difference between essential oils and essences. Essential oils go through a different process, such as steam distillation. Essential oils are basically secondary metabolites. The reason why they are expensive is related to the fact that you have to use a large mass of plants to extract them, and it takes hours. 100% pure oils are made that way. On the other hand, aromatic essences can be easily synthesized in a lab, and these are widely used in candles and other products. Essential oils are volatile, which makes it very hard to use them in candles because they will evaporate. They come in amber glass bottles because they are very light/sun sensitive, which can cause them to lose their medicinal properties. Essencial oils can assist as a complementary therapeutic treatment to pharmacological therapies.

Nobody thinks that they are called "essential oils" because they are essential or necessary to life. They are called that because they are made of the essences of various plant materials. From Merriam-Webster's definition of essence: 4 a (1) : a constituent or derivative possessing the special qualities (as of a plant or drug) in concentrated form; also : a preparation of such an essence or a synthetic substitute (2) : a volatile substance or constituent (as of perfume) b : odor, perfume Only the people at SciShow would need to have this explained to them.

It's not very hard to put forward a likely hypothesis. Most essential oils smell pleasant. Pleasant smells tend to evoke positive feelings (usually). If you feel positive, that tends to release endorphins (IIRC) which make you feel good and (I think) help with healing.

I think it's really not more complicated then if you like a smell and the smell is around you then you will have a more positive experience in your environment. Also our sense of smell is one of our most underrated senses.

Can SciShow prove SciShow is not as biased as other sources on RU-vid?

essential oils like peppermint and lavender with castor oil worked greatly for my uncles hair loss and as well as my friends male pattern baldness. it did not regrow hair but made the existing hair darker and more coarse.

What we taste, see, hear and touch can effect how we feel- wouldn't it be silly to assume that the sense of smell can't?

Making videos about something that is better understood would benefit more

How would you do a double blind when it comes to smells? The scent of oranges isn't exactly hard to identify...

As someone suffering from osmophobia, I can attest that all claims made about essential oils are actually antithetical to the truth. Unfortunately, my history teacher loved the stuff, and I had a headache every other day until I eventually got them to stop using scented candles in the classroom.

Do Essential Oils Really Work? PROBABLY. And Why? WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY. Thanks, SciShow.

As a clinical aromatherapist I can definitely state that though there can be a placebo effect with essential oils (subject to the individual), essential oils can in fact impact and assist a persons a health and well being on a mental, emotional and physical level. The issue with the industry and education around aromatherapy and essential oils are follows: 1. The industry is not regulated. 2. Any idiot can call themselves an Aromatherapist and purchase/sell essential oils. 3. Said idiots are promoting unsafe, and ridiculous unsubstantiated claims. 4. There needs to be more financial assistance in order for more clinical research can be put forward to essential oils. Essential oils can be very effective. In France for example, they are used within hospital settings. One of the biggest users outside of clinical aromatherapists who use essential oils are Nurses within palliative, hospice, cancer and aged care facilities. The chemical component 1,8 cineole for example has been heavily researched as we know it is an amazing decongestant which is why it it used in vicks vapour rub and other cold & flu salves. 1,8 cineole is found in high amounts in Eucalyptus oil. Another essential called Ravintsara may not have a lot of clinical research on it, however when we break it down to see what chemical constituents it has in it and in what percentages, we can see it is high in 1,8 cinelole, therefore it is not unreasonable to say that ravintsara is beneficial in cold and flu salves as a decongestant. The issue most people have with essential oils is that each individual reacts differently to them, and we don't know why. For one person, Lavender which contains the linalyl acetate a known sedative and analgesic can be very relaxing not only on stress but also to release muscle tension, yet for another person, its not as effective. However the same can be said for pharmaceutical headache medication for example, however no one seems to question why one works better for one person compared to another. For people to say that aromatherapy is all placebo is incorrect, but to say its the be all and end all and is also incorrect. If a person with cancer comes to me, I would never claim essential oils can cure cancer as that would be false. Any clinical aromatherapist worth their salt would tell said cancer patient to undertake the advise and treatments recommended and advised by a certified Oncologist and that aromatherapy may be beneficial to assist is the side affects that can result for said cancer treatments - appetite loss, constipation, diarrhoea, fatigue, mouth and throat problems such as ulcers, sleep problems, nausea, vomiting, muscular or nerve pain, stress, anxiety, etc. We would work along side said patients oncologist openly and honestly. There are quite a few studies on essential oils, however I 100% agree that we need more clinical studies of their affects on the human body. Here is one clinical study onThe Effect of Lemon Inhalation Aromatherapy on Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy: A Double-Blinded, Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4005434/

Does it matter if it is the oil or the experience that gives the desired effect?

At the end of this comment is a link to a site that sells essential oils and carrier oils. My sister and I use the oils in soap and my daughter uses them in aromatherapy. I am NOT trying to sell their products (so I hope SciShow does not take out the link). What the site provides is, in my opinion, a comprehensive single source of information on the oils, including botanical information, historical use, method of preparation and precautions to take in using it. Here is the link: www.herbco.com/

TLDR; pleasing aromas are pleasing.

None of their example studies considered the fact that people like the way some things smell, unfortunately for science. I still think they should retake those studies, double blind, with people that have no sense of smell. Heck, essential oils would be a great thing to run studies on with people who are still combatting COVID, and still have no sense of smell. If we could do it safely, a lot of information could be gathered from that.

Hey SciShow, might be worth pointing out that there are dose limits on these substances and that people have died from using concentrated essential oils?

Great video, the best about awareness on using them, do you give me permission to dub this video before sharing in my country ?

Lemon tree flower oil is a new discovery to me yes because oils matter change sensing.....

I use some and they work for me. If they work for you, use it. If they don't, don't. Placebo effect? Who cares, if it dulls or eliminates my chronic pain I don't care, I'll use it.

Seems to me it's just the scent having a psychological effect.

next video: do massages with essential oils really work? and why?

whenever i hear "essential oils" i just think of gullible, misinformed soccer mums who think they know everything.

I put peppermint oil on my forehead and temples every morning and night. That and CoQ10 cut back my headaches almost entirely. I also Love the tingling and smell.

The power of placebo.

What about the studies on Lavender and estrogen?

Everyday smells have the same effects. The life history is a part of this. Did you have a good memory associated with a smell? Did your parent(s)/care taker have these smells? I remember a paper from college that found people that grew up with a garbage man in the family or lived near garbage dump were relaxed by the smell of garbage. Not because the smell "has properties" but because the brain recognized a familiar smell. My grandmother dusted the living room wood wall paneling with lemon pledge. I use a lemon scented cleaner now. And the smell relaxes me. It's because I as an individual have an association with lemon smell. The interaction of senses and memory and emotion is awesome and need not be "woo" or taken advantage of. It can be a wonderful aspect of life without making scents into a mystic immeasurable force of the unknown universe. Anyone opening a door and smelling your favorite mell knows there's nothing mysterious about the connection.

Essential oils, Tim, do you do essential oils, Tim?

I want to make some car diffusers. Can essential oils be added to any kind of wood? Like wood buttons?

NO JOKE!!! I heard “lavender” then started noticing a scent. It smells EXACTLY what my lavender handwash smells like

I’m really sensitive to smells. Almost all fragrances give me an instant headache. Guess i’m doomed to live a stressed life.

What about put some people on the Ctscan, some with the oils, others without?

for me good smells = better mood whether it be bacon or lavender

#6 on Trending! WOO-HOO

Know why I use essential oils? They make my room smell good lol

PSA: A friendly reminder to anyone with pets, be sure to do a little bit of research about whether or not those essential oils may be toxic to your pets. (:

Essential oils are fine but a lot of people into the oils really get into the oils and treat them as magic cure all. Don't join the oil cult.

Literally every person with a chronic illness-- Stranger: HaVe YoU TrIeD EsSenTiaL OiLs??¡!¿?

it’s not essential as in ‘necessary’, it’s essential as in ‘essence’.

One lady at my church told my mom she could have healed my sisters heart defect with essential oils...we don't talk to her anymore

I was explaining to my niece proper car maintenance and told her, "Regularly changing the oil is essential." She replied, "Essential oils? I know all about that."

My essential oils are peanut (fries), corn (stir-fry), canola (eggs) and olive (everything else). I like butter too.

When I work out I sweat so much that I need to use essential oils to mask the smell so I Don't get kicked out of the gym

Flashbacks to when my friend said “drinking essential oils will cure AD HD”

Short answer: No Long answer: Noooooooooo

Things that smell good help to create an atmosphere that feels more pleasant.

This guy is a great host

At a very basic level, just liking the smell will have a positive impact to some extent, in the same way that the smell of food you like can have a positive effect. All of the senses work this way, like seeing a man/woman you find attractive can lift your mood or seeing a animal you think is cute. Feeling a light breeze on a warm day, tasting nice food/drink, hearing a song you like. Our emotional state is very much influenced by our senses.

No Karen, lavender scented oils won’t cure Timmy’s toe fungus

I have no doubt that smell affects mood - and that there is a scientific explanation. Raising dopamine and serotonin levels is fairly easy to do through any positive associative behaviour. Rocking gently, as in a rocking chair for example, does this and I could easily hypothesize that scents from natural sources could trigger innate responses in the human brain related to the natural world. We know that prisoners exposed to nature - trees and water behave far less aggressively. The sound of water lapping lulls people to sleep and is generally very soothing. Whether these are merely associative or innate responses, there physiological responses are clearly real. Why should pleasant scent be any different?

Name comes from French word "essentiel" which nowadays means essential but one of the old meanings was "extracted from plants". It's still found in some biology or chemistry books and to this day woodworkers still use the term "essence" to mean a specific kind of wood.

Some works well. Eucalyptus and menthol made into a balm, you've got vaporub (weapon of moms everywhere) 🤣

My mom uses essential oils to help depression and anxiety and from what I can tell they help to make her more positive and more fun to be around.

Broke my wrist and out of nowhere this woman appeared and told me "here use my essential oil" And broken wrist is no more. End.

Depends on what you use them for. I have chronic rhinitis that often causes sinusitis, triggering during the night depending on my sleep position and causes a migraine-like headache every morning. As the son of a doctor, I had access to antibiotics and that was the way I handled sinusitis: 1 ibuprofen and a couple of amoxicillin, wait a few hours until the headache goes away (sometimes it didn't). Then I tried a diffuser with eucalyptus, tea tree, lemon, peppermint, and it reduces my nasal congestion so much I can physically feel it going on inside my sinuses. The internal swelling is gone in 15 minutes, no medications needed. Does it cure my rhinitis? nope, that'll probably require surgery (already had one). But they make the pain go away faster and without killing my gut. They don't work for everything, but if your issue is related to air, they pack a punch.

I wish he had covered some of the other claims theses people make more than just stress relief. They claim you can prevent or treat illnesses with oils

Essential oils seem to be commonly anti-bacterial. Perhaps ancestors who were attracted to such substances had better survival rates. I think something similar has been put forward regarding a preference for spicy food. I would guess that is why the sound of running water is relaxing. Usually running water is the safer option when needing a drink in the wild.

Relevant anecdote: I used to chew dried lavender at work whenever I was anxious and it would immediately mellow me out, as does a good dose of peppermint. I would be interested in seeing research about various mint-family plants and how people respond to them; they're used so prevalently in medicine, cooking, and aromatherapy that it's worth focusing specifically on them. Of course, they also just generally smell and/or taste good and that pleasant and often bold sensation could be doing it too. Also, catnip is a mint, and definitely triggers a feel-good response in (most) cats; the mechanisms behind that could be similar to what goes on with humans, and possibly other mammals. It's definitely worth a good look at the very least.

_I have a roll on anxiety release, it helps when I roll it on my temple and chest. It doesn’t make my anxiety go away but the smell does give a calm relaxing feeling when I’m smelling it_

I love essential oils 😂 in my weed.... actually relaxing, and very high In Terpenes

I can only speak for myself, but EO's have helped me with my allergies a whole lot. A little on my feet and chest and my sinuses clear right up!

I always thought it was a combination of placebo and classical conditioning. If I only use lavender when I am trying to relax, my brain will eventually associate the smell with relaxation. I haven't seen anything to back this up, just my intuition. At the day end of the day, I just like how it smells.

Disease comes from inflammation. Inflammation comes from stress. Essential oils reduce stress. So I don't know that the science is important; if something decreases your anxiety then it will help you in terms of your physical health. If I'm wrong, tell me how! LOL

I always thought “essential” referred to the “essence” of whatever you’re getting the oil from.

All I know is: my insomnia is cured. Placebo or no, they got lasting results and that's all I care about.

Although I don't believe essential oils are a divine medicine that can cure even cancer like some people believe. I still use essential oil whenever I have a headache, the menthol combined with the smell of the oil actually helps a lot. I would still prefer a Tylenol tho.

I always say that even if it's placebo, if it's still working for you, and it's not harmful, keep doing it.

I would have thought that aroma therapy was mostly a placebo effect.

Some oils like peppermint are excellent antibiotics especially for the skin. Peppermint kills MRSA and VRSA dead. There is an NIH paper on this from about 2017. The push behind the research was the rapid rate at which some bugs gained resistance to the antibiotics man was inventing. The final paragraph went something like this : "There is no doubt that these essential oils will be a useful adjunct in the fight against microbial drug resistance. "

A mix of essential Oils, warm showers, darkness/naps, and painkillers are my go to for migraines. Lavender, eucalyptus, mint, chamomile, and orange cause orange helps my nausea, I'll even smell orange peels if I'm feeling really nauseous, helps immediately, don't know why.

My sense of smell is extremely acute and consequently these smells stress me out and make me feel anxious. They also make me wonder what's being covered up. Is that dentist office stinky without the smells? I avoid places with these things as much as I avoid cats (due to my allergies).

When i come home after a long day i unwind by taking a glass of tea a cigarette and the newspaper and sit on the toliet and take a big poop.

Lavender oil makes my sinuses ache and give me a headache as do many other essential oils. With the exception of peppermint.

So I know that you mentioned the lack of any rigorous studies for the treatment of disease with essential oil, but are there any studies about the antibacterial properties of certain essential oils? I always see things about oregano/tea tree/lavander can help treat scapes and burns or acne and other things.

I can share 3 that I know work, one is orange oil that will make basically anything sticky no longer sticky, stickers gum it works on stuff like that fantastic. Second, anything that contains menthol or Menthol itself, it is extremely cooling, think the opposite of hot peppers, third is clove or cinnamon (true cinnamon) oil that is very warming, combine with menthol and you basically have IcyHot.

Oregano oil has healed illness in my house so many times! And eucalyptus is very effective in chest rubs.

I know that when I use my favourite parfume I feel prettier 😊

Clove oil basically saved me from financial ruin before. I had finally got a good job when one of my back teeth started killing me. Pain so bad I couldnt work or do anything. My sister gave me clove oil and it took away the pain. I ended up receiving my insurance and went to the dentist to have the tooth removed.

Peppermint oil can help you for sure, it’s the menthol that does the work

Your glade oil diffuser just covers the smell of weed, the weed is what makes you feel better. You've confused these things because you're high.

I got rid of bed bugs w/Tea tree oil. Made me feel better.

I am never worried or anxious when waiting for dentist....I worry or panic when the doctor said something along the line of "this is not going to hurt"

Don't forget that most of our modern medicine comes from refined compounds removed and or derived plants and their essential oils...they are not just for aroma therapy. Besides which, most aromatherapy oils contain chemicals to make a base oil smell a certain way. They are rarely pure essential oils and those of medicinal quality are very costly.

Lavender oil is the only thing that ever effectively treats my acne. I have chronic cystic acne in my late 20's and it sure beats everything else I've tried!

I have a bottle of sweet orange oil. Not for whatever it says it helps but because it smells good compared to the other oils they had.

Frankly, I don't care why they work. As long as they do work and do not harm.

Not sure why Hank cut me out of his show. We seemed to be agreeing about rainbows being man made. Luckily I recovered the lost Sci FI footage. Keep asking questions

When my wisdom teeth were coming in, clove oil was the only thing that helped the pain

I like the lavender oil, it makes me feel calm.

Not good for chronic sinus allergies, except mint or menthol which helps open the airways. Anything else is a nightmare and makes me feel very ill and unable to breathe. In fact I would consider it unethical to experiment on unknowing people in a waiting room with scents because of the risk of allergies.

R/anti-mlm 😂

I used essential oils once. Now im a zombie.

I am skeptical of these oils as well, but my in-laws have a poodle that was missing most of its hair for as long as I remember. They rubbed essential oils on that dog for a couple of months and its hair came back! Pretty amazing. Just saying.

I have been breathing in oil for years now and it really helps me relieve stress. I would DEFINITELY say it’s essential because without doing it I get anxious and my day gets ruined. I typically do it at the car pumps or if I’m parked and I can just open the latch and get a whiff. 10/10 would recommend. Everyone have a blessed day ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

all they do for me is get me horribly agitated and on edge :( even after leaving a "scented" room i still feel like the smell is burried up in my nose somewhere....