Aromatherapy

Archive for December, 2008

If you have simply run out of gift ideas for your mom, sister, co-workers or best friend, then good news! Look no further than great aromatherapy gifts! Even if your friends and family have never tried essential oils or aromatherapy, they can certainly appreciate a nice personalized blend of your favorite scents and smells.

Types of gifts you can give: You can give so many different types of essential oils gifts and you will never get tired of coming up with great gift ideas. Aromatherapy gifts are very popular and they are relatively easy to find and inexpensive. They are gifts that are truly appreciated. In addition, you can dress up the gift and present a nice looking package that will impress.

Bath salts and other scented bath products: Everyone can appreciate bath salts. Who wouldn’t want to sink down in a hot tub of scented water after a long stressful day? Scented bath salts can even work in jetted tubs, where many bubble baths and oils cannot. Look for lavender and vanilla for a relaxing scent or look for masculine scents for the guys. Make a whole bath gift basket and add a few handmade soaps, shower gel and even scrubs. Put the final touches on the basket by adding a nice loofah sponge or a body scrubber and you have a complete gift for anyone on your list.

Essential oil and a diffuser: Even if the person on your list has never tried using aromatherapy, then you can get them started. It doesn’t take much to get people interested in this practice. Go shopping for a good bottle of essential oil and a decorative diffuser. Perhaps they need a little help getting started. Head off to your bookstore and pick up an easy to follow aromatherapy book to complete the gift.

Candle and essential oil: Great scented candles make with good oils are always an appreciated gift. Don’t buy the first candles you see. If you want to give a highly scented and effective candle, then make your own or purchase good ones. You can also give them a bottle of your favorite essential oil and a candle and tell them how to get the maximum effect by adding the oil to the melted wax. Add a nice candle lighter and a candle extinguisher.

A gift card: Not sure if they will like any of this stuff? You simply can’t go wrong with letting the recipient buy their own aromatherapy products. Find a store that has a good selection or an online store and purchase a gift card. Of course, you can also give a gift card to a spa or aromatherapy treatment center. This will always go over well with your friend, family and co-workers. They can get a luxurious massage using popular essential oils. This is truly appreciated and will show your friends how much you care.

There are many great aromatherapy gifts that you can give. Look around for the best selection and have fun shopping and giving.

When choosing essential oils and other aromatherapy products, you know that you will have to seek out good quality items. A poorly made essential oil will not give you the results you are looking for. Besides looking for top quality oils, another item you will want to carefully consider are the carrier oils that you will use.

Carrier oils are very important to you and your essential oils. Carrier oils will help dilute your essential oils and make them usable for your body. You must remember that undiluted essential oils are very strong and they can burn and irritate your skin if not diluted. Carrier oils will also help your essential oils last longer and this is a good thing. When you purchase bottles of essential oils, you will notice that you will only get a very small amount. Usually only two or three drops is all you need to use for each use.

So, how to you go about choosing carrier oils? Like essential oils, you will need to do your research and find the ones that are right for you. You may like a certain texture or a certain feel. Some will absorb into the skin better than others. It is really a matter of personal choice, but you should also know that some carrier oils have healing properties of their own. Here is a closer look at popular carrier oils that you can use.

Almond Oil: Sweet almond oil is probably the most popular carrier oil used today in aromatherapy. It is because it works well with all skin types and conditions, it is smooth to the touch, does not leave a waxy or oily feeling and it is easy to find. Sweet almond oil is great to use alone, too. It can relieve all sorts of skin irritations from itchy rashes to insect bites. It is full of helpful vitamins and minerals and with its very mild aroma, mixes well with almost all essential oils on the market.

Coconut oil: Also called coconut butter, this carrier is a popular choice for many people. Most people enjoy its scent and will tell you that it makes their skin feel silky, smooth. It works very well even for sensitive skin and can be used to soothe very dry skin, as well. You can easily find coconut oil and mix it with your favorite essential oils for wonderful body treatment.

Grapeseed oil: Grapeseed oil is also quite common and can be used for all skin types and conditions. This oil is rich in minerals and vitamins that can help the skin heal from burns, rashes and even minor cuts and scratches. Grapeseed is also a top choice because when massaged into the skin, it does not leave an overly-greasy feeling on the skin. It also has almost no smell, which makes it perfect for mixing with all sorts of essential oils. You will be able to find grapeseed oil at most locations that sell essential oils and aromatherapy products.

Another beautiful holiday season is upon us, and this time we’d like to do a little something different. A different decor, a different meal, maybe a whole different attitude…What simple thing can one do to make the season special? Bring a little extra cheer to the family? Perhaps even sneak it in to the festivities so they don’t even know it’s happening, but they’re a little happier and healthier? A naturopath’s suggestion: consider aromatherapy. With the chaos of shopping, cooking, cleaning and visiting family, bringing an uplifting, warming atmosphere to your home with the touch of lovely aromas can really make a difference. And pure, real essential oils are a truly effective way to do this – natural aromatics can have a profoundly positive effect on our spirits and the spirits of those around us.

Natural aromatics have been used as mood lifters and to create warm and comfortable atmospheres for many years. Thousands, even. The methods are tried and true. Our olfactory sense and our psyche have an affinity for things that smell nice. Science says they even make us healthier – essential oils have been shown to lower stress levels, blood pressure, help us get better rest and even make us stop fighting – well, they’ve been shown to stop rats from fighting, anyway. We can hope for the best when using them in our own homes!

Using essential oils as means to create an uplifting atmosphere is very straightforward. Selecting the oils may be the hardest part, as there’s so many to choose from (we’ll look at a few effective ones shortly). You can get just a single oil, or mix and match several to your liking. You’ll even find pre-blended ones that are popular this time of year. Beyond the oils themselves, you’ll need an aromatherapy diffuser – something that evaporates the oils into the air. Diffusers are available in several varieties, from basic warming models, to high-end therapeutic units.

Diffusing essential oils, which really means evaporating them from their oil state into the air around you, can be done in a number of ways. The least complex of all might be making your own potpourri, adding several drops of oils to the bowl or basket. Other folks add a few drops of oil to pinecones and place them about the house. Using this diffusion method, you may want to mix a small amount of a vegetable oil with the essential oil, as to slow the oil’s evaporation rate, and lengthen the time you’ll be enjoying the aromas. As for the more modern devices, there are warming diffusers which just plug into an outlet and evaporate the oil from a cotton pad. There are ‘fan’ models which blow air over a similar, but often larger pad. Then there are the high-end units of nebulizing diffusers which make a mist of the essential oils to get higher concentrations into larger areas. ANY of these will work for making your home smell lovely for the holidays; if you think you may want to pursue aromatherapy in the future, you may consider investing in a nebulizer-style diffuser, as they generally have a more broad range of therapeutic possibilities.

And now for the fun part – the essential oils. There are SO many to choose from, and you may start by just browsing sites on the internet which will often have listings of over a hundred oils available. Here we’ll have a look at just a few of the favorites for this time of year. Perhaps the most popular are the ‘needle’ oils, distilled from the needles and twigs of evergreen trees. Balsam Fir is especially nice, with a lightly complex aroma of both high and middle notes. Black Spruce is another favorite, much for the same reason – their sweetness is quite uplifting, and their complexity keeps us interested. Juniper berry, while not strictly a ‘needle’ oil is also wonderfully bright and uplifting. While some find it a bit strong on its own, it blends very well with other essential oils distilled from evergreens.

If you’re wishing to bring a little more exotic scents into your home, the oils of Frankincense, Myrrh and Sandalwood are perfect choices – aromas that have been used extensively for both their psychological and physiological health benefits for ages. These are grounding oils, one’s that are known for bringing peace and stillness. Frankincense is both bright and earthy at the same time, with its citrus and woody notes. Myrrh is more hypnotic and mysterious, useful in small amounts. Sandalwood is a classic favorite with both sweet and woody notes, with lovely varieties coming from India, Australia and the South Pacific. These oils can be blended together, or added in small amounts to one or more of the evergreen oils for a pleasant combination.

There are of course over a hundred common essential oils to choose from. French Lavender or Roman Chamomile can be useful to calming the little ones – and maybe help you sleep better. Cedarwood, spice oils like Clove, Cinnamon (in small amounts) and Cardamom, or the brightening citrus oils of Sweet Orange, Tangerine, Bergamot and Petitigrain are popular, wonderful choices. Many blends can be found with these oils, or, if you prefer creating your own aroma, buy a little of each and mix up some small test batches. Start slowly, as pure oils seem to have their best effect when their aromas are just pleasantly noticed, rather than overwhelming. With a little practice and intuition, you’ll be able to create your home’s personal flavor for the season.

Just a little essential oil can bring a new kind of cheer to you and your family this season. One small bottle is often enough to scent your home for several days – more potent oils will last even longer. As you become familiar with the array of aromas available, you’ll be able to pick and choose oils particularly suited to your needs. The effects of aromatherapy may surprise you; maybe enough to get you hooked and keep you smiling through the rest of the winter.

What man would not love the idea of a nice massage? However, you have to be careful when indulging your man with essential oils. Whether used in aromatherapy to scent the home or used in a massage, your manly man, probably will not appreciate the floral and fruity smells that you like. You have to go beyond the “girly” scents and look for the ones that are masculine. After all, you would not like to have you man go around smelling like flowers either, would you? If you are ready to indulge your man in a little essential oil, then consider the following “manly” scents.
When reading the list of masculine smelling essential oils, it is important to remember that everyone has a unique sense of smell. What works for one man, may be hated by another. Get a few different scents and try them out. When you have found one or two that your man likes, remember that and use it often. Whether you use these essential oils alone with carrier oils for a massage, put a few drops in the bathwater or use them in lotions and crèmes, your man will like they way these oils smell and makes him feel.
Cedarwood: Cedarwood is certainly a manly scent. Think outdoors and you have the smell of cedarwood. Cedarwood does carry a strong outdoors scent that a lot of men really enjoy. A fresh scent that is not floral will be appreciated. Not only will this essential oil be loved by your man, it can also reduce the day-to-day stress at the end of a long week and wipe away worries. Use it in a massage and your man will feel relaxed and ready to conquer the world, or at least the yard work!
Lavender: While lavender does have more of a floral scent, many men do like the smell and the calming affect it has on them. You can use lavender in a warm bath, in candles or in a massage. You might also try mixing a bit of lavender with other more masculine scents for a nice touch. Lavender is widely known to help reduce stress and anxiety for men and women, so it is certainly worth a try.
Rosemary: It does have a feminine name, but rosemary has a strong, woodsy scent that most men appreciate. In fact, the smell of rosemary is very fresh and “herby”. Men will like this scent when mixed with other masculine scents. Try using it for a massage for added benefit.
Other popular manly essential oils include sandalwood, patchouli and cypress. You may not think of vanilla as a manly smell, but many men respond well to it. The idea behind using essential oils for your guy is to not rule out anything. Get him to the store with you and try out a few scents. You may be surprised at his likes and dislikes. When you find the right scent for your man, you can be sure he will get the therapeutic benefits because he won’t feel like he smells like a flower.

So many folks are bearing some sort of physical pain, and are in need of an effective form of pain relief. One that is more than just a masking agent (one that just blocks the pain sensation), but instead heals while reducing pain. Helichrysum essential oil has the ability to do both. Noted by many therapists as one of the most profoundly healing essential oils used today, Helichrysum italicum is used with success for a great many physical ailments. One of North America’s leading medical aromatherapists has noted the oil’s effects to be so convincing as to have “never met with any kind of criticism” from the conventional medical community. The oil is readily available, and easy to use — here’s more about it, and how to make best use of it for your needs.

The pure essential oil steam distilled from the flowers of the Helicrhysum italicum plant is an absolutely remarkable healing agent. Not just compared to natural medicines, but compared to ALL pain relieving medicines available today. It is safe, effective, and easy-to-use. The oil is listed in ‘Essential Oil Safety’ as non-toxic, non-irritating and non-sensitizing. It is regularly prescribed for undiluted application to the skin (where very few other essential oils are). Most conservatively, the oil is sometimes said to be avoided during pregnancy, and by young children — but this warning is not found in today’s most advanced aromatherapy texts. If your situation is questionable, check with a health professional before use, but know that Helichrysum essential oil is considered to be exceptionally safe.

In terms of efficacy, a great many trained natural therapists have found the oil to be the most profoundly pain relieving of any topical medicine available today. Back ache? Joint pain? Sports injury? Pain due to surgery or other trauma? All these ailments and more can be treated effectively with a preparation of Helichrysum essential oil in the vegetable or nut oil of your choice. Users call it a ‘magic oil’, and claim the pain relief is ‘amazing’. Apricot Kernel oil is commonly used, as it has anti-inflammation properties itself; Rosehip seed and Tamanu oils are used when treating skin damage; Jojoba is a wonderful all-purpose stand-by, good for any application.

Making our own formulation is very easy to do. It is recommended to start of with lower dilutions and work your way up only if necessary; this helps you conserve the precious oil by only using as much as required for the desired results. Forty drops of Helicrysum in each ounce of carrier oil will create an approximate 5 percent dilution; eighty drops for a 10 percent dilution; etc. The pure essential oil, not diluted in any carrier oil, is recommended when a trauma has just occurred, to prevent further tissue damage due to swelling and oxidative free-radicals. For example, a twisted ankle could receive a few drops of the pure oil from a fingertip, massaged into the painful region immediately after the injury, and several times over the next 24 hours.

In addition to its pain-relieving action, the pure essential oil includes natural constituents which actually speed wound healing. It is thought that this is a result of the oil quenching free radicals in the injured area, and signaling tissues to regenerate. For these reasons, Helichrysum is also found in many formulas for healing and anti-aging of the skin. Helichrysum is also excellent for burns, and just a little bit of oil on small burns can provide immediate relief. (If using for injuries with broken skin, avoid use if excessive bleeding is an issue, as the oil acts as an anticoagulant. Use only once bleeding has stopped completely, and is not likely to be of concern again in these cases).

The finest of Helichrysum essential oil varieties is considered to be that distilled from plants grown on the island of Corsica, France. The environmental conditions and sub-species genetics result in a unique natural chemical composition of the essential oil with strong anti-inflammate, analgesic and regenerative properties. This oil may be listed as Helicrysum italicum sub-species ’serotinum’. You may find that other varieties work as well for your needs, and can experiment as you see fit.

Helichrysum is considered by many therapists to be one of, if not THE, most profoundly healing essential oil used today. It is safe and effective for a wide variety of physical pain and ailments where the body’s connective tissue, skin, muscles, joints and nerves are affected. (More esoteric aromatherapy even uses the oil as a healer of the heart center, which may be constricted or closed from many years of emotional trauma). Whatever your need for pain relief and healing, Helichrysum essential oil may offer the help you need, quickly and safely.