Essential Oils: Interview With Mr. Fox

I’ve been wanting to write about essential oils for a while but wasn’t sure how to approach the topic…until I met Vincent Bruno, a.k.a. Mr. Fox. He isn’t a doctor, a naturopath or an aromatherapist. He’s just a really passionate fellow whose mission is to make people feel good using essential oils. His sprays, serums and blends are found in a lot of yoga studios, stores and markets in Dubai and I absolutely love them. He’s a self-taught essential oils expert and today, he’s sharing some of that precious knowledge with us.

WM: How did you first get interested in working with essential oils?
VB: I started experimenting with them in my 20s to get over chronic sinus problems after years of using over the counter medication. Over time, I realized most common ailments could be healed using essential oils. I spent over 10 years learning about and working with them before I decided to launch Mr. Fox almost three years ago.

WM: How do you explain your success here?
VB: To be honest, I’ve never had much of a hard sell strategy, I just want people to try essential oils out and reap their health benefits. A lot customers initially just buy my sprays or roll ons for their nice smell or receive them as a gift. After a while though they realize it also improves their overall sense of well being and has positive effects with regards to things like insomnia, skin disorders, digestion, migraines or even mood so they come back. Dubai residents these days are a lot more health conscious and like the idea of using natural products.

WM: Many are doubtful as to the effectiveness of essential oils when it comes to replacing medication or beauty products. What are your thoughts on this?
VB: I can understand that because we have been raised to trust pharmaceuticals and household cosmetic brands. Aromatherapy is an often undervalued holistic and complementary therapy. Using essential oils offers numerous therapeutic benefits because they contain compounds from diverse chemical families, which give them unique analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, and mucolytic properties. Don’t be fooled by these little bottles—essential oils are immensely powerful. In fact, many oils are 50 to 100 times more concentrated than their parent plant. Here is how I see it: medication is often created with synthetic versions of chemical compounds found in essential oils or raw botanicals. For example, the salicylic acid found in willow bark is what was originally used to make aspirin. Over the years, with industrialization, more and more chemicals got added and for the most part, we really don’t need them to heal from something like a common cold or sinus congestion. The same goes for beauty products and perfumes – originally, they consisted of natural ingredients like glycerin and essential oils, but these days most contain a majority of water, preservatives and bad chemicals. I think people are increasingly aware of this and are reading labels a lot more than before, and that is a good start. The key is to educate yourself and get to know what works on your body over time.

“Salicylic acid found in willow bark is what was originally used to make aspirin”

WM: How are essential oils made?
VB: They are the most powerful extract of a plant. They are extract by steam distillation (flower, leaf, roots) or by pression of the skin of the fruits (citrus). In brief, plants/herbs/flowers have chemical components that help them function and fight environmental stress (ex: cold or hot climate), pathogens (ex: funghi) and disease. Because our physiology has similarities with that of plants, we can benefit from them too. Each essential oil has a different chemicals that affect how it smells, is absorbed and what its healing properties are.

WM: Why are they said to be so effective when it comes to healing?
VB: The essential oils have a unique ability to penetrate the cell membranes and diffuse throughout the body via the circulatory and lymphatic systems. The chemical compounds found in essential oils are very small molecules that are easily absorbed. Once they are in the bloodstream, they size allows them to pass through the blood-brain barrier, which is partly why they can act quickly.

WM: Essential oils are often used to improve one’s “psychological” state. For example, they can help relieve stress, improve focus or promote emotional well being. How does that work?
VB: Essential oils act on the central nervous system, some will relax, other will stimulate or balance. One of the main reasons for this is because essential oils are perceived through our sense of smell.

When inhaled, essential oils molecules are taken directly to the olfactory system, connected to the limbic section, the area of the brain where emotional learning and memory live. So our olfactory sensory neurons send electric impulses to our limbic system and our amygdala, it triggers the release of neurochemicals, which may cause sedative, relaxing, stimulating or euphoric effect. This how the physical effect of aroma oil take place through inhalation. This is why we often associate smells with past good/bad experiences. This can also activate the hypothalamus, which releases hormones that can affect a lot of things, from one’s sex drive to their level of energy.

WM: How should one use essential oils?
VB: They can be inhaled, used with a diffuser, as a spray, applied topically or in some cases ingested, it depends on the oil and what your objective is. For example, if an adult experiences indigestion, ingesting peppermint oil is the best way to take it. Because they are so strong, you should take it with a good quality carrier oil like almond or coconut.

WM: How do you choose a brand of essential oil?
VB: It should be 100% pure, meaning not cut with anything. It should be 100% natural as well and not contain any synthetic ingredient. Finally, it has to be certified organic by a recognized organisation such as ECOCERT or USDA. If the oils is derived from plants that are chemically treated, they will retain high concentrations of contaminants. Personally, I work with a certified organic producer in France for many of my oils as well as a distributor who only work with certified organic producers around the world.

WM: Most of your products are blends. What is the benefit of that as opposed to taking a single oil that is good for hormones?
VB: Good question. All oils are slightly different even if they can benefit the same thing. For instance, in the case of my Lady Fox spray, which eases PMS symptoms, I use clary sage, lavender, bergamot, jasmine, Australian sandalwood and fragonia because they all complement each other in the way they benefit hormones.

WM: Are these oils safe to use on kids?
VB: Yes, but you should follow some guidelines.

Babies until 2 years: I strongly recommend to stick with oils like lavender and Roman chamomile, 1 drop blended in a tablespoon of almond oil or in diffusion
Between the ages of 2-6: you can introduce a few more oils and can start applying them topically. But only 2-3 drops of the “safe” essential oils diluted in a table spoon of carrier oil
Children 6-12: Use as for adults but in half the stated concentration

However, I really recommend that you educate yourself on how to use different oils. For example, clove and cinnamon can really sting, need to be used with care and should never be used pure.

WM: Any tips on essential oils we can use for common ailments?
Sure, here are a few:

Digestion: Basil, peppermint and tarragon are my favorites. I normally just put 1 drop of each under my tongue after a heavy meal. This is also effective when nausea. When little indigestion, use 9 drops of a mix of basil, peppermint, tarragon, lemon or fennel in a tablespoon of carrier oil (olive, coconut, almond,..). You can also rub this mix on your belly.

Sinus, chest congestion, colds and coughs: Eucalyptus Radiata, ravintsara, tea tree, niaouli, thyme and oregano are my go-to oils for this. Put a few drops (7-8) of your mix in a pot filled with hot water and inhale for 10 minutes 3 times a day. You can also rub this mix diluted in carrier oil on your chest and along your spine.

Sore throat: Lemon, peppermint and laurel will soothe a scratchy throat.

Sleep issues: The queen of all oils when it comes to calming down the nervous system is Roman chamomile. Lavender, clary sage, marjoram and bergamote are excellent too. Rub some on your wrists and ear lobes. You can also diffuse them or put few drops on your pillow.

PMS/Period pain: Clary sage and geranium are great for hormonal balance. Lavender, Roman chamomile arealso good because of their calming effect. For period pain, you can mix few drops of each in a tablespoon of carrier oil and massage your abdomen.

Burns/stings/cuts: Lavender officilanis and aspic lavender are very soothing/healing, as is Roman chamomile. Tea tree is the strongest natural antiseptic. You can use a few drops of lavender and tea tree pure on the skin to heal little wounds.

Detox: Lemon is key for detox. Take 1 drop under the tongue to start your day or mix it with a carrier oil if you prefer. Grapefruit is a good detox one too. A really effective oil for cellular regeneration is also carrot seed. Carrot seed is also really helpful if you want to detox your liver but just beware of its strong smell.

Circulation and bruises: Helichrysum improves anything related to circulation. It is also magic when your kids come back home with a bruise. Put 1-2 drops directly on the skin.

Healthy hair: The great ones for your hair are rosemary, cedarwood, clary sage, sandalwood and grapefruit. Add few drops (4-5) in your hand when you shampoo your hair or mix a few drops in a carrier oil (coconut, argan or avocado) and do a scalp massage.