WHAT IS AROMATHERAPY?




Aromatherapy is the use of nature in one of its most powerful, fragrant forms known as essential oils. An essential oil is a volatile material derived from a plant. What do they smell like? Well, the scent of lavender is...lavender!!! These oils are currently used in medicines, foods and cosmetics.

The oils are found in different parts of plants. Geranium and basil come from the stems and leaves. Rose and jasmine come from the flowers. Oils are also derived from the peels oranges, lemons and grapefruit.

Differences/Essential Oils/Fragrance Oils

Most essential oils are not to be used "neat", i.e., without dilution in a carrier oil. A carrier oil is an oil in which you put a few drops of essential oil. This is called a recipe. Many times, recipes call for from three to five essential oils in various drop strengths to be mixed with the carrier oil. Some carrier oils are olive oil, jojoba, grapeseed oil, rosa rubeginosa (my favorite}, and sweet almond oil.

I will bring as much information as possible to this limited space and also suggest links where you can do your own research. There are great books out there which I will tell you about later. And please, don't confuse fragrance oils which you can use directly on your skin with essential oils. Fragrance oils are also your best bet for potpourri, candles, etc. as they have been enhanced to make the scent last longer.

Therapeutically, essential oils are used as analgesics, anti-inflammatories, for relaxing, for stimulation, to uplift your spirit, as decongestants, in your bath, in diffusers, for skin care. The list is endless.

Once you get the basics down, you will begin to use them for stress, bug bites, dry skin, tired eyes, ear aches, sinus problems - well, you get the idea.

One of the best ways I can share with you is to relate a personal experience. My daughter's friend came visiting overnight and left her inhaler at home. She started getting very asthmatic and not knowing what else to do, I plugged in my handy-dandy diffuser with some eucalyptus and she was breathing easier and it lasted all through the night. Whew!

I look forward to sharing my personal experiences with essential oils with you.


SHOPPING LIST

So, you've decided to try aromatherapy. Good for you!!! Then all aboard and let's go shopping.


The very first suggestion I have for you is a good reference book. I highly recommend "The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy" by Valerie Ann Worwood.

I can't stress enough how important it is that you "read", "read", "read". Remember essential oils are used for their medicinal properties and cannot be used willy-nilly. Most of them *cannot* be used directly on the skin. Please remember that.

If you want to use them for sleeplessness, nervousness, et cetera, buy a diffuser. They start in price upwards from about $30.00 We have two in our house, one in my grandson's room which is a "warmed-wick" type where you put the oil on a wick that is electrically heated; the other is for my room which is larger and therefore has a little fan in it. The larger one was about $60.00

You'll also need a carrier oil to get started and aloe vera or jojoba are great.

There are basically ten essential oils which would give you an "all-around" pharmacopeia and I will present them here (one at a time). They are: lavender, tea tree, chamomile, eucalyptus, geranium, rosemary, thyme, lemon, peppermint and clove (great for a toothache). So let's get to The Basic Oils

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