However, there are ways that the therapeutic properties of essential oils can be taken into the body without directly ingesting the oil. For instance, herbal teas contain small and safe amounts of essential oils trapped within the herbs, floral waters can be used in cooking e.g., Turkish delight (rosewater), even something as simple as eating a Eucalyptus drop!

Inhalation is the safest and most direct way of using essential oils to influence the bodies systems. By inhaling the odour molecules they work in two ways to generate a response from the body. The first way is that they are decoded by our limbic system (the emotional response centre of the brain) and a message is sent via the Central Nervous System to the rest of the body telling it to relax, be alert, be happy, remember, etc depending on the oil used. The second way a response is produced is by when inhaling the odour molecules of the essential oil you are actually taking these molecules into your lungs and therefore into the blood stream creating a systemic therapeutic response to the chemical structure of the oil.