Because essential oils are so highly concentrated, they are 50 to 70 times more potent than the herbs or plants they are derived from! Dried herbs lose up to 90% of their nutrients and oxygen molecules, whereas essential oils do not.
How’s that for starting this article off with a bang?!
Let’s look at an example of how essential oils compare to herbs. There are approximately 60 drops of essential oil per teaspoon. While this may not seem like much – it is important to remember this example – just “one” drop of peppermint oil equals about 28 cups of peppermint tea!
It takes 5,000 pounds of rose petals to distill one pound of rose oil, making it one of the most expensive and precious essential oils we have. Have you ever dried out flowers before, like a rose? Did it change the fragrance of the flower? Sure! That’s because the essential oil of a flower, like the rose, is very delicate and vaporizes easily into the air.
Essential oils are “volatile” oils, meaning all of the therapeutic properties are in the essential oil of the plant and it dissipates quickly and easily. That is how you can be near a bottle of Essential Oil and the top is on and you can still smell the oil. The fragrance of PURE therapeutic grade essential oils is indescribable.
Once a fresh plant is dried, very little of the essential oil is still left. It’s the same with herbs. Once an herb is dried, it only contains 3 – 5% of its essential oil!
In the process of drying the herb, many molecules found in the essential oil of the plant are lost altogether because they are volatile oils and evaporate. Thus, this is why essential oils are better than fresh or dried herbs. Does that mean we don’t use or need herbs? NO, absolutely not! I am just showing the potency of the essential oil compared to the herbs. Both are from the same derivative of the plant, but in the process of drying out the herbs, the manufacturers are “dehydrating” the plant, thus taking out the “essential oil” of the plant and losing the therapeutic benefits.
The Frequency of Essential Oils and Herbs
Frequency is a measurable rate of electrical energy that is constant between any 2 points. Everything has an electrical frequency. Essential Oils have energy. The energy in Rose Oil has been measured at 320 MHz (the highest). Lavender is 118 MHz and peppermint is 78 MHz.
Did you know that:
- Essential Oils range in frequency from 52-320 MHz
- Dry Herbs range in frequency from 12-22 MHz
- Fresh Herbs range in frequency from 20-27 MHz
- The human body has been measured at 62 – 68 MHz (a healthy human body) while if you have a cold your energy can drop to 58 MHz
Now here’s something of interest. Negative thoughts lower the frequency of Essential Oils by 12 MHz while positive thoughts raised their frequencies 10 MHz. Prayer raises frequency levels by 15 MHz. So, you can see why anointing took place with prayer in Biblical times.
I will prefer cooking with essential oils!
I love and use both essential oils and herbs in my cooking however, I see the greater benefit of essential oils. When cooking with essential oils, you receive all the great taste of traditional herbs and spices, but without any unnecessary preservatives. So don’t miss this chance to spice up your favorite meals with a dash of essential oils!
Essential oils have a chemical structure that is similar to human cells and tissues. This makes essential oils compatible with human protein and enables them to be readily identified and accepted by the body. So let’s start cooking with essential oils for you and your family’s vigor and strength!
Again… people must know they cannot get any essential oil and cook with it! Read your labels! Does your lavender, or peppermint or ginger oil say, not for internal use? If so… THROW IT AWAY! It is NOT pure! You have more of a cosmetic/ fragrant oil.
Important Note! The FDA only requires 2-3% of the essential oil to be PURE for the bottle to be labeled “pure 100%” The other 97% is filled with fillers, chemicals, toxins… the buyer does NOT know this!
PURE essential oils are costly! You cannot buy a pure lavender oil for $8-10 dollars! It is not the finest, purest form of lavender. It is more in the lavandin family… do your homework, do your research!
What Essential Oils Do I Use And Love?
- My hands down favorite brand is Rocky Mountain Oils (also known as Native American Nutritionals). These are seriously the BEST brand I have ever used. They are strong. And I mean strong. I have seen some amazing things happen when using this brand.
- I am really enjoying Plant Therapy essential oils as well. They are easy on the budget as well as being a high quality oil.
Heather says
Great post! I have been using DoTerra Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade oils over a year now and love it! They have helped my youngest with digestive issues even the pediatrician couldn’t figure out. Amazing!
http://Www.mydoterra.com/simplyeco
Marcela Chaves says
This is a very interesting post. I didn’t know that essential oils had frequency and could be augmented by praying. It was very enlighting. However, the original reason I clicked on this link was that I could get information on the proportions. For example, if a recipe says to use 2 tsp of dried sage, how much of that translates to essential oils? How much is 2 tsp in drops? Thank you very much for your help! 🙂
Jennifer says
Hi Marcela! When it comes to cooking with EOs, you are going to use teeny tiny amounts. Essential oils are very concentrated, so you only need a little bit––typically a drop or two. Some oils are really strong, and you may only need to dip a toothpick in the oil and then stir the toothpick into your mixture.
The number of drops needed in a recipe can also differ based on a number of factors such as when the oils are added, the kind of food or beverage you are preparing, the strength of the oil, and your taste preferences.
If you are adding the oils at the end of cooking, smaller amounts are needed than if adding before baking, simmering, or steaming because oils tend to start to evaporate under heat. It is generally better to stir the essential oil in at the end of cooking or when the food has cooled; but some oils such as basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, and thyme are quite strong and may actually benefit from cooking a little to get a milder flavor.
One thing to keep in mind is that oil flavors tend to get stronger the longer the food or beverage has to “steep.” If you are preparing something that will sit in the fridge for a day or two before you eat or drink it, you may want to add your oils an hour or two before serving instead of when you prepare the food or beverage.
A good rule of thumb is to substitute 1 drop of oil for 1–2 Tbsp. of dried spice or herb and 1 drop of oil for 1–2 tsp. of fresh spice. If you think the oil is strong or the recipe calls for less than the above quantities, start with a toothpick dip instead. Taste, and add more if needed.
Emily says
Some brands of essential oil that are really and truly pure, nothing else added, tell you not to consume them internally. I believe it’s to cover their legal rears, know what I mean? 😉