Aromatherapy

We get essential oils by extracting them from thousands of plants and herbs all over the world. For centuries, civilizations have used these oils to treat all kinds of infectious diseases. The years have also revealed that each essential oil is useful for treating a specific class of ailments and illnesses. In monitored lab tests these oils been shown to suppress the bacteria growth, fungi, and other microorganisms.

The growth of aromatherapy products in the marketplace has been on an upwards trend for many years. These products are used by millions of people every day all over the world. Aromatherapy oils are developed by a distillation procedure which draws out the “essence” of the plant which then becomes the essential oil that we buy in the health stores.

Aromatherapy blends can be used for more than treating diseases. Often, they’re used to  change a person’s mood andr put him or her into a different mental state.

Aromatherapy and cancer. Aromatherapy blends have never been advocated as a treatment for cancer. But some physicians and health care professionals do recommend it as a way to mitigate some of the side effects of cancer or cancer treatments. Many essential oils can positively affect moods helping to keep the patient in a positive mental attitude without resulting to prescription drugs.

One surprising thing that many people find out about aromatherapy blends is just how many of them are good for fighting insects. If you’re adverse to using chemical products on your skin or in your home, you may want to try some of the alternatives. Citronella oil is useful for keeping mosquitos away. Many people use citronella candles on picnics that extend into sundown with excellent results. You can also purchase citronella laced lotions to rub on your skin to protect against mosquitos. If you study the literature, you’ll also discover aromatherapy blends to repel moths, fleas, ticks, and many other insects.

Unless aromatherapy blends are diluted heavily, they can be very sensitive to the skin. So if you have just started to apply a particular blend, to make sure that you won’t have a reaction to it, test a sample on your skin first. In addition, because these blends are so concentrated, be very careful when using them on children.

Because of their intense concentration, when smelling aromatherapy oils, never put your nose directly over the bottle and inhale. If you do, you’ll probably temporarily overload your olfactory senses and probably get a headache. A safer way is to mimic the way that master cooks smell their dishes. Open the bottle and wave the scent towards your nose with your hand. This will give you a much better realistic indicator of what the oil will smell like in a natural setting.

Because of the popularity of aromatherapy, and the expense of real and natural essential oils, you’ll find some companies that are selling synthetic essential oils – even though they might not be advertised as such. If you are using synthetic essential oils, you are not really engaging in true aromatherapy and you will probably not get the same results.