# Essential Oils **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 8, 2019, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-oils/827411 "2019-01-08T16:41:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-oils/827411/21 "2019-01-09T16:33:39Z")
If it helped you sleep better, it’s probably because it IS all in your head. I’m sure most people sleep better when they are relaxed, and a pleasant scent can be relaxing. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-oils/827411/22 "2019-01-09T17:39:02Z")
> **[\[Effects of lavender aromatherapy on insomnia and depression in women college...](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16520572/)** > > According to the study results, it can be concluded that the lavender fragrance had a beneficial effect on insomnia and depression in women college students. Repeated studies are needed to confirm effective proportions of lavender oil and carrier oil... > **[Effect of aromatherapy on the quality of sleep in ischemic heart disease...](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22049287/)** > > Quality of sleep in ischemic heart disease patients was significantly improved after aromatherapy with lavender oil. Therefore, using aromatherapy can improve the quality of their sleep and health. > **[A single-blinded, randomized pilot study evaluating the aroma of Lavandula...](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16131287/)** > > The methodology for this pilot study appeared to be appropriate. Outcomes favor lavender, and a larger trial is required to draw definitive conclusions. > **[An olfactory stimulus modifies nighttime sleep in young men and women - PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16298774/)** > > Aromatherapy is an anecdotal method for modifying sleep and mood. However, whether olfactory exposure to essential oils affects night-time objective sleep remains untested. Previous studies also demonstrate superior olfactory abilities in women.... ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-oils/827411/23 "2019-01-09T18:05:32Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I had a friend who sold essential oils in a Tupperware type pyramid scheme. She was always hawking them. I just saw a reference in an unrelated newspaper story to someone selling these oils on the side for extra income. This highlights another problem that’s endemic in the supplement industry - lack of a mechanism for quality control. Beyond the dubious nature of claims made for these products, how do you assure consistent components and lack of adulterants, especially for stuff manufactured abroad in places like China and India?. Add in the number of part-time amateur sellers who get their oils from god knows where, and it should make consumers uneasy. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-oils/827411/24 "2019-01-09T18:54:46Z")
> [@Dorjan](#): > > If it helped you sleep better, it’s probably because it IS all in your head. I’m sure most people sleep better when they are relaxed, and a pleasant scent can be relaxing. See, I don’t think this is a good use of the phrase “all in your head”. IMO, that phrase is used to denigrate people’s experiences as basically something you’re imagining. ---
**Author:** ![kbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@kbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kbear)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-oils/827411/25 "2019-01-09T21:33:39Z")
My sister sells doTerra products and I really resent having to deal with the pressure to buy products I don’t believe in. (Although one product did eliminate a persistent cough I usually have to use a steroid inhaler for) I did have to put my foot down and insist that she not try and sell to my kids or my mother as the stuff is just way too expensive. The danger to pets notwithstanding, one kid did find the diffuser helpful for dealing with both colds and anxiety. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-oils/827411/26 "2019-01-09T21:42:23Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Oil applied to your TMJ area affected the odor of your feces?! So funny!😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-oils/827411/27 "2019-01-10T00:45:17Z")
> [@Nightfall1](#): > > I found out I had prostate cancer in 2012. Had a co-worker come up to me and say “You don’t need surgery, just rub essential oils on your stomach, that will take care of it.” Can you believe he got mad at me when I laughed in his face? I got the surgery and I’m doing fine. One of my husband’s friends insists that I need to use essential oils in order to treat my migraines and assorted neurological issues. Considering that strong smells can be a trigger for me, I’m not interested. If it were my friend, I’d tell them to fuck off, but I feel the need to be nice. ---
**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-oils/827411/28 "2019-01-10T01:48:07Z")
> [@TRC4941](#): > > Is there anyone here that uses essential oils for anything? My daughter gave me a diffuser as a gift a while back. I’ve been putting lavender oil in it when I go to bed. I swear I sleep better. Are there other oils that aid in sleep? > > Or is it all in my head and it’s just “snake oil”?! Tons and tons of other oils. And mostly yes snake oil. Not that there aren’t some benefits, after all , plants make up lots of good medicine and cleaners etc. But the claims most purveyors make are about 85-90 percent BS ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-oils/827411/29 "2019-01-10T04:45:49Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > People STILL use Vicks Vapo-Rub, rubbed on the chest of course, for assorted childhood respiratory illnesses. Can’t hurt, I guess. My doctor’s backup saw me once for a nasty case of bronchitis when my regular doctor was out of town. He prescribed antibiotics and steroids, but to relieve the bronchiospasms until the other drugs kicked in, he recommended adding a quarter teaspoon of Vicks to a pot of boiling water and inhaling the steam. (He also had crappy lungs and said he used this technique himself.) I was desperate enough to try anything by that point (even a nebulizer albuterol treatment hadn’t helped much) so I gave it a shot. It did relieve the symptoms. Bonus: it didn’t make me nearly as loopy as codeine cough syrup. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-oils/827411/30 "2019-01-10T15:26:22Z")
> [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > My doctor’s backup saw me once for a nasty case of bronchitis when my regular doctor was out of town. He prescribed antibiotics and steroids, but to relieve the bronchiospasms until the other drugs kicked in, he recommended adding a quarter teaspoon of Vicks to a pot of boiling water and inhaling the steam. (He also had crappy lungs and said he used this technique himself.) I was desperate enough to try anything by that point (even a nebulizer albuterol treatment hadn’t helped much) so I gave it a shot. It did relieve the symptoms. Bonus: it didn’t make me nearly as loopy as codeine cough syrup. I never thought of Vicks as an essential oil product. But being that it has eucalyptus in it, I guess it is. I swear by Vicks when my nose is stuffed up. When I have one side (or both sides!) of my nose closed up solid I always dab a little bit of Vicks under my nostrils before I go to bed. It works like a charm. When I was a kid, my mom would rub my chest with Vicks and then wrap a towel or a piece of flannel around me. My boss, who was born in 1947 said that his mom would give him a spoonful of Vicks when he had a cold! ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-oils/827411/31 "2019-01-10T17:37:56Z")
But even with Vicks you don’t want to use it on babies because of the camphor oil. They make a baby version that doesn’t include the camphor. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-oils/827411/32 "2019-01-10T22:54:10Z")
> [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > My doctor’s backup saw me once for a nasty case of bronchitis when my regular doctor was out of town. He prescribed antibiotics and steroids, but to relieve the bronchiospasms until the other drugs kicked in, he recommended adding a quarter teaspoon of Vicks to a pot of boiling water and inhaling the steam. (He also had crappy lungs and said he used this technique himself.) I was desperate enough to try anything by that point (even a nebulizer albuterol treatment hadn’t helped much) so I gave it a shot. It did relieve the symptoms. Bonus: it didn’t make me nearly as loopy as codeine cough syrup. I could be wrong, but I think there’s a good chance the STEAM is what did the trick. The menthol is a good signal that you’re getting the steam in because you can feel it, but the warm, humid air relaxing your passages is very useful. Source: I inhale steam all the time during winter months to alleviate coughs and colds. Works like a charm, but I just fill a tall cup with boiling water and inhale the steam off the top until it cools too much. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/essential-oils/827411.md?page=1)