Where Essential Oils Come From SOURCING THE SWEET-SMELLING STUFF
Call it a pseudoscientific fad or a medical revolution; either way, essential oils are more popular today than they have ever been. Though research on the efficacy of lavender, ginger, and the dozens of other sweet-smelling oils is conflicting at best, people are using them at an astonishing rate. In fact, according to Stratistics MRC, essential oils were a $5.91 billion industry in 2016 and are expected to reach $12.85 billion by 2023. Whether you’re an essential oil acolyte or you fly into a rage at the faintest hint of bergamot, your mind is probably already made up about aromatherapy. The question remains, though: Where does all this delicious- smelling stuff come from? Most essential oils are derived from a process called steam distillation . Soon after harvest, the plants are placed on a mesh inside a sealed still, into which steam is injected. As the steam rises and envelops the plant, it breaks it down and lifts its constituent components up through a tube and into a condenser. The condenser cools the resulting vapor and collects it in liquid form at the bottom. Since essential oils do not mix with water, they float on the surface, where
they’re siphoned off, bottled, and shipped off to a distributor. There are other methods, such as expression (aka cold pressing), but because steam distillation is so easy to do, most essential oils you see on the shelf will have gone through this process. Lavender essential oil is harvested from sheaves of lavandula angustifolia , that purple herb you see all over gardens across the United States. There are lavender farms all over the world, from California to Japan to Brazil, but the biggest world producer of lavender is, interestingly, Bulgaria. Tea Tree oil comes from the leaves of melaleuca alternifolia , commonly known as narrow-leaved paperbark, a short, bushy tree that produces white, fluffy flowers in the spring. The trees are endemic to Australia, but today are usually farmed in New South Wales or Queensland. Bergamot is distilled from the peels of lime-green bergamot oranges, or citrus bergamia . Most of it comes from coastal areas around the Ionian Sea. Whatever you do with it, use it sparingly on your skin — it can amplify skin damage from the sun!
GIVING KNOWLEDGE TO THE PUBLIC Learn About the Best Treatment for Your Condition
back pain, and sciatica. Our physical therapists explain each injury — what it is, what causes it, and how it can be treated. Then they demonstrate how different exercises and stretches can address and treat the injury. Our physical therapists then walk attendees through the expected treatment process for each injury and show what Premier Rehab PT offers. Our goal is to help all of our patients get back to their healthy lives. Attending these workshops can help you get an idea of what you’re going through and allow you to connect with a physical therapist. Not too long ago, we hosted a workshop on vertigo at the North Richland Hills location. Those who attended learned what vertigo is, what the symptoms are, and how we treat it. It was a huge success, and afterward, many of the attendees
Premier Rehab PT has been hosting workshops over the past few months to serve anyone who is interested in learning about the different injuries our clinic treats. During each workshop, our professional physical therapists discuss several topics in one session. For example, one might cover rotator cuffs, lower
asked when our next workshop would be. Creating a place where people can learn about injuries is the first step toward a better and healthier future. Be sure to keep your eyes open for our next workshop — it could show you the key to open the door to take control over your life again, pain-free. Our workshops are free to the public, but spaces are limited. Call our office at 817-498-8585 to register for the workshop.
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