Aromatherapy is frequently used in spas and therapeutic massage clinics by practitioners who have the training, but when you are locked down at home you can do it yourself just by adding a few essential oils to your bath and beauty products.
Aromatherapy uses the olfactory glands to detox, de-stress and revitalize the body back to a state of homeostasis. If you frequently get bogged down by life, essential oils can calm your nerves and get you ready to tackle the world again.
Essential oils have healing properties, having been extensively researched, therefore are most often used to relieve specific conditions. Let's explore some of the most popular ones so you can try them for yourself!
Lavender Essential Oil
Lavender oil is the most popular essential oil because it has so many healing benefits. It is an antiseptic, an analgesic, an immunostimulant and a fungicidal. It can be used neat (undiluted) on wounds for cleansing and healing; it functions well as a pain reliever; it can calm skin issues (dermatitis); and it can regulate the nervous system with it's sedative and restorative properties, returning the body to wellness. It can be used to repel insects and treat bites and stings, yet it is an aromatic, used extensively in bath and body products and even as a toner. Combine it with frankincense essential oil and add it to a carrier oil such as jojoba, rosehip, or argan to make an excellent anti-aging facial oil. Make a toner by adding 30 drops to 25 mls of witch hazel and 75 mls of distilled water. Add 3 drops to a tablespoon of fragrance-free moisturizer after your bath. Lavender also promotes hair growth and heals a dry scalp so add some to your favorite shampoos and conditioners or rub it into your scalp. You name it, lavender oil does it so definitely keep it on hand!
Peppermint Essential Oil
Peppermint oil is so aromatic and soothing it is commonly added to foot lotions and specialty bath and body products for Christmas. It relieves skin disorders like dermatitis and eczema, promotes hair growth and treats dandruff and even helps get rid of head lice. It's great for relieving headaches and can be safely rubbed into the temples if you suffer from migraines. Add a few drops to your body lotion and massage it into your tummy to relieve a stomach ache. Breathe it in straight from the bottle to relieve stress or nervousness. Use it to improve mental acuity. Even apathy, sadness and depression can be relieved by breathing in a good dose of peppermint oil. It's wonderful!
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is another commonly used essential oil for it's immunity-boosting and pain relieving properties and is often added to balms and gels to relax and soothe aching muscles. It's pungent scent makes it good for relieving colds and respiratory tract infections, particularly when used with peppermint or eucalyptus oils. It can be used effectively with diffusers and steam inhalers or added to steaming bath water. Tea tree oil is an anti-inflammatory so is great for asthma sufferers. You can put it on cold sores and swollen gums and rub it into swollen glands. It is effective when combined with jojoba oil, lavender oil and vitamin E oil as a hand sanitizer as well. It is another great essential oil to keep on hand and add to your medicine cabinet.
Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Eucalyptus oil is another essential oil with a pungent scent some people don't care much for but it's great for combating infections and decongestion. Asthma can be greatly relieved by inhaling it and it's perfect to add to the water in a steam inhaler when you have a cold because it helps greatly with sinus irritation, coughing, mucus buildup and difficulty breathing. Your medicine chest shouldn't be without it.
Lemon Essential Oil
Did you know lemon essential oil can help with a bleeding nose? It can! Lemon is pH balanced. That's why they tell you to add it to your drinking water. Lemon essential oil is also great for mild age-related memory problems and concentration. It can build immunity and detoxify the system. It is often added to body lotions because of it's ability to reduce blemishes and tackle cellulite. It is also very effective for relieving nausea and morning sickness. Add it to your inhaler and breathe it in deeply. Any citrus essential oil is effective when breathed in to re-energize yourself so don't hesitate to try green mandarin, blood orange and pink grapefruit as well.
Spanish Rosemary
Because a lot of people are becoming depressed due to being locked down again and again, I want to mention one particular essential oil that is now believed to significantly help with that. Rosemary essential oil was discovered to be very helpful during two recent studies when used in aromatherapy massage sessions on people who suffer from depression. This was very good news for therapeutic massage therapists because it validated it's use in their practices. Spanish Rosemary is great for memory loss and brain fog, muscle and joint aches, cellulite and spider veins, and fatigue. Lots of great reasons to add it to your essential oil collection!
There are so many ways to use essential oils, from adding them to your existing hair and body products or your bath, to using them in hot or cold compresses, to creating your own DIY fragrances and lotions. You can create hydrosols or put them in the roller balls you find on Amazon. Combine several different essential oils together to create some really unique scents and make a batch to give as gifts. It's a great hobby when you're stuck at home because you can order everything online. The cost of essential oils is minimal because they are very concentrated and last a long time. There are lots of free or low-cost aromatherapy courses online to get you started. Udemy has some reputable course offerings but do a thorough search before you begin. When you are ready to purchase your essential oils, check out Essante Organics for excellent quality oils that are USDA Certified Organic and pure. There you can set up your own wholesale account and get them at a reduced price or you can purchase them from me at www.essanteorganics.com/BlissBling. If you live in Canada, Newco Technology also offers quality certified organic essential oils at a reasonable cost.
