A study conducted to screen for ‘Antiviral Activities of Isolated Compounds from Essential Oils’ found that the “sesquiterpene hydrocarbon β-caryophyllene is the most active antiviral compound.”  Caryophyllene (or β-Caryophyllene) - is a spicy, peppery terpene found in many different edible plants. Often mentioned as a terpene found in cannabis, beta-caryophyllene (BCP), is one of more than 30,000 terpenes found in nature. BCP is found in many essential oils. It is found most notably in black pepper, basil, oregano, lavender, rosemary, cinnamon, ylang ylang, and clove. Let’s look at current research for each of these essential oils further showing their efficacy in practical application. Black Pepper  (Piper nigrum) A study showed that Black Pepper Essential Oil (BPEO) “affects many important genes and signaling pathways closely related...

Aroma therapy has been used since the earliest days of man on planet earth. The earliest aromatherapists were probably the tribal shamans who used plant aromatics to heal the sick of their tribe. Evidence of this can be seen in the drawings found on the walls of caves depicting plant aromatics being used to heal the sick. From the drawings it looks as though plant aromatics were used in many, if not all, of man’s most important ritual celebrations like birth, puberty, marriage and death. I believe that this early subconscious memory of 'healing with plants' is one of the primary reasons that aromatherapy is gaining global popularity at such a rapid pace today. It is because of the powerful...