Destressing with Aromatherapy

It’s about time you experience the power of aromatherapy especially its stress-relieving benefits. Read on and find out how aromatic therapy eases you out of stress holistically, clinically and aesthetically. Discover how each method gives you the peace and tranquility your body needs.

The Essence of Aromatic Oils

At the heart of aromatic therapy are the essential oils which are extracted from different plants in three ways: steam distillation, cold press and absolute extraction.

The last method is used only when the plants or flowers could not survive the other two methods. To extract oils from citrus fruits, the cold press method is used while steam distillation is usually applied for extracting oils on plants and the different parts of a plant.

Holistic Havens

You should be familiar with the holistic method of aromatic therapy especially if you ever had a massage from a masseuse using essential oils. This is the most popular method of aromatic therapy. The infusion of the oils’ scent, how it gets absorbed into your skin plus the deep tissue massage is enough to give your body a much needed revival from stress.

Not only does this method relieve you off stress, it is actually good for your immune system too. Stress usually leaves you with a weakened immune system and aromatic therapy builds up your immune system by stimulating the brain’s chemicals so that it fights away infection.

Clinical Concoction

The clinical method of aroma therapy is applied together with traditional medicine. The way it’s done can change from one country to another. In the US, one of the most common ways it is used is through dentistry. It’s been found out that having the smell of lavender in waiting rooms relaxes a patient before dental surgery. The scent of lavender also helps in the relief of some serious diseases and even childbirth by providing a relaxing environment.

Aesthetic Infusions

Aesthetic aromatic therapy involves the use of essential oils in burners, diffusers and even the bath. This kind of therapy can be used by anyone. Some people even get bath salts, beads and shower gels for a heightened experience. These special products have essential oils in them and give the same relaxing and soothing effect on the skin and body. Even candles have essential oils and combining it with scented bath products will give you the best relaxing experience yet.

How It Works

There are different methods of aromatic therapy which gives nothing but the ultimate stress relief. By using scents from essential oils, aromatic therapy affects a person’s mood, which in turn affects the body.

As the nose inhales the scents coming from the essential oils, the olfactory receptors transmit the information to the limbic system. This system is the place where our emotions are processed. It is said that aromatic therapy helps in stimulating the brain so that it releases chemicals that make you relax. This process is what makes aromatic therapy relieve you off stress.

Treat Yourself

There are different ways you can experience the true bliss of aromatherapy. You can visit a spa and inquire about their different services. Choose the option that will benefit you the most. You can also buy a home aromatic therapy kit. These usually come with burners or oil diffusers plus instructions on how to use it.

Or you can get yourself an assortment of different bath products with essential oils and experiment to find out what works best for you.

Dos and Don’ts of Aromatherapy

There are certain things you should know about aromatherapy and the benefits are just the tip of the iceberg. You have to know the dos and don’ts to be able to enjoy using it.

First, it is best to read up on aromatherapy. You have to remember that there are over 90 essential oils and some of these should only be handled by an aromatherapy practitioner.

When you buy essential oils, make sure you only buy these from reputable suppliers. These should be stored properly and away from sunlight otherwise you will ruin the oils inside. Since these are also flammable, keep these away from fire hazards.

You should keep in mind that essential oils are highly concentrated which means that these can be harmful if not handled properly. This is why it has to be diluted first with a base oil before it is used. If ever you experience an allergic reaction, you should stop using it.

If you are using an essential oil for the first time, apply some in a small area of your skin and apply a bandage over it. If after 24 hours there is no allergic reaction, then it is safe for you to use.

When applying, make sure to keep this away from your eyes because it can cause eye irritation or even damage. If you happen to get this on your eyes by accident, wash it immediately using vegetable oil or milk and then get medical attention.

Since these come in small bottles, use only a few drops each time because this is the proper way of using it safely and wisely.

Some doctors will tell you blatantly not to use essential oils when you are pregnant or when you are nursing. To be sure, ask your doctor because some are safe to use during this period. This is different though when you have a medical condition such as asthma, epilepsy or high blood pressure because this will only make matters worse.

Do not confuse essential oils with perfume oils because these are two different things. While perfume oils smell just as good or even better, remember that it does not have any therapeutic benefits.

Children should only use aromatherapy under adult supervision because some of the oils are safe to use while others are too strong.

You can mix essential oils. Don’t do it by mixing two oils in one bottle and shaking it. The proper way is to apply the oils on your hand then rolling this on your palms. You should know however that this can’t be done all the time and so you know which ones are safe to mix together or not, you can conduct some experiments or read up on it and by asking an aromatherapy practitioner.

Now that you know the dos and don’ts about aromatherapy, you will be able to use the essential oils safely without any problems. If you have questions, ask your doctor about it so you can be guided accordingly.

Aromatherapy has been around for centuries and people still use it because of its many benefits. By reading up on it or even taking a few classes, you can come out with your own concoctions to relive pain, stress or the common cold which are just some of the things that these essentials oils can for you.

Secret Benefits of Aromatherapy

Many people are familiar with the therapeutic properties of aromatherapy massage. It relaxes your body, helps increase circulation, and gives your skin a vibrant glow. However, what many people do not know is that aromatherapy massage is an effective treatment for many other things such as cellulite, stress, emotional problems, as well as for animals.

Aroma therapy massage for cellulite

Unfortunately, there are many people who treat their bodies well yet cannot escape the terror of cellulite. Particularly for people who used to be overweight, cellulite is extremely difficult to get rid off no matter what you do. Even if you have never been overweight you may have some cellulite; this is because hormones play a big part in the development of cellulite.

Besides exercise and a good diet to detoxify your body, aroma therapy massage is a great way to get rid of those unruly cellulite lines. It helps to breakdown and melt fatty deposits. An effective massage oil is a blend of juniper, sweet fennel, cypress, and a carrier oil such as sweet almond or jojoba oil. Make sure to have long and deep massages for cellulite treatment.

Aroma therapy massage for stress

Everybody has experienced stress at one point or another. There is nothing more relaxing than a deep, aroma therapy massage at the end of the day. High levels of stress are not something to be taken lightly – it can lower your immune system making you more susceptible to diseases. For those who experience prolonged sessions of high stress, it may be a good idea to look into aroma therapy massage.

Aroma therapy massage for emotional problems

Many therapists use aroma therapy oils for emotional issues such as anxiety, depression, physical exhaustion, insomnia, and irritability. Many people have found that aroma therapy is a good way to calm nerves and boost mood. In fact, therapists have found that different blends of oils can trigger different moods. For instance, there are oils that increase energy levels, and some that alleviate pain in the body. Other scents that are popular for being able to lift the spirit are citrus scents such as grapefruit, lemon, lime, and orange.

Aroma therapy massage for dogs

If you think that smells can be soothing and therapeutic, imagine what it would do for animals with a more sensitive sense of smell. Aroma therapy massage is now being used to pamper pets, particularly dogs. Over the years, it has been gaining popularity as a way to treat dogs emotionally and physically. Typically used to treat tick problems and anxiety, the natural smells in the oils have a visible effect on a dog’s health.

Oils used in dog aroma therapy are usually 100% all natural made from natural oils, plants, and herbs. Usually, lemon oil is also added and serves as an effective repellent. Rosemary is also a popular choice, which is used to treat arthritis. These oils can be massaged into a dog’s fur, or simply diluted in water and sprayed on.

With all these benefits, it is easy to see why so many people are addicted to aromatherapy massage. If you have any emotional problems, physical pains, or just want to give your pet a wonderful treat, get up now and find your way to an aroma therapy spa near you.

Making Your Own Aromatherapy Essential Oils

Aromatherapy is becoming one of the most popular alternative methods of achieving psychological and physical well-being. It involves the use of several kinds of scents by means of essential oils – the distilled essences of aromatic plants.

Distillation of essential oils isn’t an easy process, and it requires time, money, equipment and tons of knowledge in chemistry. Of course you can come scrambling for the nearest natural health and beauty products stores to buy essential oils. But you might be surprised that they don’t come cheap. The price of essential oils greatly depends on the rarity of the plant, the amount of oil yielded by the plant, and where the plant is grown and harvested.

But did you know that you can actually make your very own essential oils right in your own home, and without all those chemistry laboratory apparatuses?

To begin, you’ll need a collection of glass jars and bottles. You need not purchase them; you can simply recycle them from marmalade or jam jars or any bottle available. However, you must make sure that they’re clean and sterilized. How do you sterilize them? It’s as easy as cleaning them first in hot soapy water, then boiling them in a large pan for 20-30 minutes. Make sure that while boiling, they’re completely soaked in water, and that their insides are filled with water as well.

The next step is gathering your plants. Now you should ask yourself: what sort of essential oil do you need? Do you need something that will relax your mind? Or do you need something that will help keep you alert? There’s plenty of time for that. But in the meantime, since this is your very first attempt at making your very own essential oils, it’s best to stick with common strong aromatic plants like rose, lavender or rosemary. These 3 are some of the most popular scents out there, and are great to keep at home because they help uplift you mood, heal minor skin injuries like cuts, abrasions and burns, and are a great additive to your cooking too!

You should get at least a cup of their petals. Now the oil that will serve as a base should be related to the purpose you have in mind. If you intend use your essential oils for massage or cosmetic purposes, you can use either baby oil or almond oil. If you intend to use your essential oils for cooking, you can use olive oil. You may also use safflower or canola oils.

Place the petals inside the sterilized glass jars or bottles. You may also place stems of the plants. Now pour the oil of your choice, again depending on the purpose you have in mind, making sure that the jars or bottles are full. It is recommended that you use 2 cups of oil base for every 1 cup of plant material.

The next step is capping the jars or bottles tightly and placing them in a warm spot in the house. This could be on the window sill where the sun shines directly, next to the heater, or in a spot close to the back of the refrigerator. Leave it there for a few days for the oil to infuse, or until the petals and the stems begin to brown.

If the aromatherapy essential oil is not strong enough for you after a few days, you can simply replace the plant materials with fresh ones, and leave to infuse for more days.

How to Utilize Aromatherapy for Home Use

We are living in a busy and sometimes crazy world. For sure, there are days when you feel like everything seems to be happening so fast. If you feel stressed out and pressured, aromatherapy can do wonders for you. You don’t need to go to professionals to be treated to this. You can subject yourself to such experience at the comfort of your own homes.

You cannot do anything wrong in this regard. If you are new with the concept, there are many resources that you can turn to in order to learn more about the matter. Here are only some suggestions as to where you can start looking for articles about the topic.

1. The Internet

The World Wide Web is known to be a vast source of information about anything and everything that you are looking for. There are sites that cater solely about the topics of essential oils and their applications. There are also sites that contain many different articles that include the one that you are looking for. The only thing that you have to do is click your PC’s mouse away until you find the best piece where you can learn a lot from.

2. Books

Visit your local bookstore and look into the section of relaxation and other forms of therapies and the likes. For sure, you will be able to find a great book written by someone who lives in your locality. This way, you can readily apply what the author talks about in the book because you have same mentality and exposed to mostly the same things and experiences.

Even with the sudden surge of the popularity of the Internet, once in a while, it will not hurt to check out the printed form to gain more knowledge about the things that you want to know more about.

3. Other people

If you know someone who is exposed to the method or maybe, they also know of other people who have done it, talk to them. You will be able to open yourself to many other things that these people can share with you. Learn from such conversations. Take a mental note about the mistakes that they have done in the matter so that you will be able to veer away from taking such route.

Home Spa

After you have gained everything that you want to know about the process, you can start creating a more homey feel into your own house. Set up the things that you will need to start such process. Here are some of the easiest things that you can do at home.

1. Enjoy your baths by adding a few drops of your favorite aromas of essential oils into the water. This can leave you feeling soft and smelling good. This will definitely ease out the stresses that your day at work brought about.

2. You can also use the oils on compresses in curing various aches and ailments. The smell will relax your mind and the oils will help to heal whatever it is that is causing your discomfort.

3. Ask your partner or even your children to give you a massage using the oils. You can take turns in the process. This is one great bonding activity while you help yourself regain energy and physical strength by soothing your muscles and relaxing your mind.

4. This can also be merely inhaled. Such method of aromatherapy is typically applied if you want to cure respiratory ailments. Usually, this is done by adding a few drops of oils like eucalyptus, tea tree and rosemary to a container full of hot water. You will inhale the steam coming from that and instantly, you will feel the kind of comfort that you want to experience.