Aromatherapy

Posts Tagged ‘Essential Oils’

Contemporary consumers are a bit more social conscience than they have been in the past. Whether the gas and energy crisis or the hole in the ozone layer is the catalyst, more and more people are looking for eco friendly products.

Today, unlike the merely functional farm grown products of old, today’s green products have to be both environmentally friendly and perform just as well as mainstream products.

There used to be a time when lets say, an organic shampoo may not have produced the same results of regular on-the self varieties found in popular stores. No longer the case, you can use an all natural grooming product and still have luscious, soft and shiny hair!

Locating a shampoo that is truly organic however, is the real challenge.

Defining organic As most of us know, the Food and Drug Administration handles most over the counter merchandise, however, organic skin care items are often overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This makes the rules of engagement a bit different and some companies are taking advantage.

For instance, a manufacturer who uses only two natural ingredients can state that their product is “organic”, even if 90 percent of it is synthetically altered by chemicals.

Emerging regulations that safeguard the interests of customers are slowly turning this tide. Until this happens, be sure to do some investigative sleuthing of your own. Read the labels on the back of the organic shampoo-if you are uncertain about a particular ingredient, look it up.

Truly organic shampoo will be free of chemical pesticides that have been shown to be harmful to health. Organic products use all natural pesticides, like citrus and are fertilized with substances lacking irritants.

You can research the maker of any product online or call the company itself and ask about their process.

Dangers of non-organic shampoos and products Most people are blissfully unaware of the fact that common personal grooming items, like shampoos and soaps, are chock full carcinogenic chemicals. While manufacturers promise that these substances occur in small dose that are harmless to human beings, one has to wonder about the long term effects of prolonged use.

The harsh reality is that the any product that is transdermally applied ( i.e. placed on and absorbed by the skin) is more thoroughly ingested than when it is swallowed. This means that deadly synthetic ingredients can wreak havoc on your system far faster by being rubbed into the skin.

This makes it especially crucial to identity any potentially lethal ingredients in your shampoo-or better yet, one should avoid synthetic products at all costs.

Organic Shampoo: Good for the environment and the skin Because organic shampoos have unadulterated natural ingredients like aloe vera, hemp, honey or citrus, they are often very good for the skin. Makers of true eco friendly shampoos have learned how to create excellent products that are preservative free but maintain a shelf life due to creative green engineering.

Once again, this fact is beneficial because it lessens the chance of exposure to compounds that would cause harm to the skin or health.

How to find Organic shampoos

Many health food and holistic goods stores carry natural skin care products, but as more and more consumers scream for environmentally safe goods, manufacturers are creating them and placing them within easy reach of mainstream stores.

Online homeopathic and green living websites also offer organic shampoo at bargain basement prices.

Do your homework and make sure that the product you choose is primarily herbal in makeup and/or organically grown. In this way, you’ll be assured that you have a shampoo that performs as promised while protecting your skin and your family’s health.

Have you taken advantage of the benefits of aromatherapy? It is never too late to start gaining the benefits. You can apply the benefits in the process. You may have already heard of the concept of aromatherapy. Although these days, there are many ways of relaxation and healing techniques that are being introduced, this one remains to be popular because it is easy to follow and not too expensive.

The process involves the use of botanical oils. These are extracts and essences from sources such as herbs, trees and flowers. The type of essences that you choose to use depend on what you are intending to cure and your reasons for undergoing the procedure.

Tracing the Roots

This procedure can be traced to Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, a French chemist, who in the 1920’s coined the term after witnessing how lavender oil cured skin burns. The medicinal properties of the oils and essences from various herbs and plants applied has become a branch of herbal medicine. The idea is now being applied in most countries around the world, especially in parts of Europe and North America.

The approach is popularly used at spas and holistic treatments as an alternative relaxation therapy. This is also being integrated on products used for relaxation purposes such as candles and different essences of massage oils. Many people are discovering the effectiveness of the process through time. This has become an integral part of many people’s lives to alleviate their pains, fatigue and stress.

Benefits Of Aromatherapy

There are many things that essential oils can do to your body. It has the following effects depending on the type of oils used and its sources. The effects range from being tranquilizing, antiviral, anti-bacterial, adrenal stimulating and other pharmacological end results.

The matter is simple. You inhale the essential oil. The molecules enter your system through your nasal cavity. The limbic system in your brain becomes stimulated when its inside your body. Such system is responsible for your emotions and memories. It is also associated with the parts of your body that controls your heart rate, blood pressure and breathing. This is also connected with your pituitary gland, the hypothalamus and your adrenals.

The oils help in maintaining the balance between your physiology and emotions. Such oils are extracted from different parts of the sources such as the leaves, flowers, branches and roots. The creation process involves steam distillation, cold pressing and stem and water distillation. You must be cautious in using the matter. It can be harmful to you if you take the substance orally. You should seek a professional’s help to carry out this process if this must be done.

The Basic Aromatherapy Uses

This method is known to relax your body and lessen tensions and stress. This has also been popular to treat different conditions such as bruises and burns, allergies, menopause, sprains, insect bites, headache, colds, flu and joint pains, just to name a few. This can also help you regain your strength and energy and help you sleep if you feel restless or if you are suffering from insomnia.

People around the world are discovering the marvels that aromatherapy brings and this method becomes increasingly popular everyday.

Aromatherapy is making a positive impact in the world today, and as it becomes popular more and more people are starting to believe in the power of aroma and smell to heal illness and disease. So by using liquid plant extract (essential oils), we can change a persons mental or physical health in a very positive way. The different plant extracts can be blended together to help many types of illness, including stress.

The three basic styles of aromatherapy:

1. Home aromatherapy.
2. Clinical.
3. Aromachology

We will discuss each of these 3 types of aromatherapy in this article and this will hopefully serve as an overview of this topic.

Clinical aromatherapy:

A knowledge of plant extracts and their synergistic effects on the body is required for making decisions in the clinical use of aromatherapy.  It is very important to know the correct dosage and duration of the oil in terms of which essential oils to use for a treatment.

Nevertheless, aromatherapy it is regarded as a "complementary treatment" to the main stream health practices, and is seen as legitimate healing discipline by many doctors. It is also very unlikely that aromatherapy will be used as a treatment in any major clinical facilities,  It is more likely you will find it in use at some of the more holistic healing centers in your area. At this time it would probably be better to only use aromatherapy as a complement to excepted medical treatments, until the medical proof is established to enable it to be used as a comprehensive treatment.

Using aromatherapy in the home:

The statement “home aromatherapy” is used to describe the use of the essential oils and other materials in a very basic way. This is often the technique used when a person is stressed and is in need of relaxation,  aromatherapy massage will most definitely help here. Some of the oils used in home aromatherapy include essential oils such as lavender oil, eucalyptus oil, grapefruit oil and also absolutes. Absolutes are oils extracted from aromatic butter’s, one that is very well-liked and successful is rose absolute. Rosewater is another popular essence used in aromatherapy at home. This is known as a hydrosol because it is the by product in aqueous form from a distillation process.

Aromachology:

This is described as the study of how a variety of plant extracts used in aromatherapy actually affects the brain and the physiological makeup of the human body. Simply put, it is about how we act and react to individual fragrances and how our body and brain reacts when we experience them.

Therefore, by studying the effects that smell and aroma has on human  behavior, aromachology can confirm what benefits will be offered to modern medicine in the future. The medical field already know that some plants act as stimulants while other create a relaxing affect.

Do you persistently have trouble falling asleep at night? Do you consistently wake up in the middle of the night? Do you awake in the wee hours of the morning and can not get back to sleep? Does your sleep pattern or lack of sleep cause you to function below par during the day? If any of these scenarios sound familiar to you, you may be experiencing insomnia.

It is estimated that over 30% of adults experience insomnia periodically with over 10% experiencing chronic insomnia. Persistent lack of sleep can be detrimental to the mental and physical health of the body. During the act of sleeping our bodies under go various processes which focus on repair and regeneration.  

It is important however to remember that insomnia is a symptom and not a medical issue unto itself, meaning something is causing it. Therefore if you experience chronic insomnia you need to visit a physician to determine the underlying reason for your inability to sleep.

Many individuals do not like the idea of taking medication especially sleeping aids. If you fall into this category there are many lifestyle changes and natural remedies that you may find beneficial. For instance what you ingest can have a significant effect on your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. Foods that contain stimulants should be avoided. Caffeine products such as coffee, chocolate, most teas, and soda pop should be cut out of your diet. Stop smoking, nicotine is a stimulant. Ensure you are getting enough vitamin B12 and iron in your diet, this can be simplified by taking a supplement. Over eating in general can have adverse effects on the amount and quality of your sleep, avoid eating at least three hours before you plan on going to sleep.

Exercise is important to your overall health including your ability to sleep, regular exercise is a must. Many experts suggest exercising in the morning, if this is not possible than make sure you exercise early in the evening. Incorporate relaxation practices into your daily life, this can be as simple as locking yourself in the bathroom for ten minutes a day to simply unwind from your hectic day. Stress and tension have a very negative effect on your body’s ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.

If you are looking for a natural remedy you may want to try essential oils and aromatherapy. This option is easy to use and requires very little time or effort. There are a number of different oils that you can use and a variety of applications. A few of the essential oils that you can use to promote sleep and relaxation are: chamomile, neroli, oregano, sandalwood, ylang ylang, tangerine, and lavender.

To use essential oils for insomnia or to promote sleep in general there are several different applications that can be implemented.

1. Use several drops of your chosen essential oil in your diffuser, this should be done in the evening while you are winding down getting ready for bed. Never leave your diffuser on throughout the night, it must always be attended as it is a heat source.

2. Use 8 to 10 drops of the essential oil of choice in your bath water. Add the oil only after you have finished running your water and make sure you mix it into the water so that it isn’t sitting on top of the water in a little puddle.

3. Another option is to put several drops of the essential oil on a tissue and place it inside your pillow case. You will have to replace the tissue nightly before sleep.

4. Mix your essential oil into your favorite carrier oil and massage onto your body before bed.

Play around with the applications until you find the one that works best for you and for best results chose an essential oil that you enjoy the fragrance of. Again you may have to experiment with a couple of different essential oils until you find which work best for you. Another option is to mix a couple together for instance chamomile and lavender work together very effectively. Be patient and use over a few weeks before you determine whether an oil is working for you or not.

To learn more visit Essential Oils, Aromatherapy and Pheromones.

Aromatherapy as a practice dates back to the ancient Egyptians and has experienced a resurgence in the west in recent years. The science behind aromatherapy is known as psychoneuroimmunology which studies the interactions between the psychological, neurological and immune systems. Research has shown that there is a very strong correlation between positive and negative experiences and our immune system as well as our psyche. This premise is recognized by the fields of science and medicine giving credence to the old adage mind over body.

Aromatherapy utilizes the strongest of our senses which is the sense of smell. The sense of smell is unique because it has a direct path to our brain and more importantly it has a direct path to our limbic system. Through this direct portal aromas are able to directly affect conscious thought and reactions as the limbic system is responsible for our memories (turning short term to long term), learned responses, emotions and feelings.

The use of aromatherapy oils to promote relaxation has become very popular by the mainstream population. For this purpose essential oils can be applied in several different ways including baths, diffusers, direct inhalation, or through a massage to name just a few. How you choose to use your aromatherapy oils is a personal preference as long as enjoy the process.

The number of different essential oils on the market is vast leaving the decision of which one to try somewhat daunting. It should be noted that each essential oil has many specific therapeutic applications and many of these are similar with other oils, which allows you to choose an oil that will give you the desired benefits as well as an aroma you enjoy. For instance their are several oils that are known for there powers to relax, so the choice becomes a personal one.

1. Ylang ylang is known for its strong, sweet exotic scent and is extracted by steam or water distillation for the fresh flowers of the tropical tree Canago odorata better known as the Ylang ylang tree.

2. Neroli has a very feminine sweet floral smell and is extracted by enfleurage or steam distillation from the orange blossom petals of the orange tree Citrus auratium. Neroli essential oil is generally sold in a cut form (with another oil) and is one of the more expensive oils on the market.

3. Jasmine is another oil that can be described as having an exotic, sweet floral scent. Jasmine essential oil is extracted from the flowers of the plant Jasminum officinale.

4. Lavender is one of the most versatile essential oils as its benefits and applications are vast. This lightly floral scented oil is extracted by steam distillation from the plant Lavandula augustifolia.

5. Sandalwood is has a sensual musky or woody scent and has been used for thousands of years. This essential oil is extracted by steam or water distillation from the heartwood (nonliving central wood)
and roots of the tree Santalum album.  

This is by no means a complete list of the aromatherapy oils that can be utilized for the purpose of relaxation, it is instead a sample of the vast number to choose from. When choosing an aromatherapy oil try to find one that you can use for several desired benefits and more importantly find one that you find pleasing to smell. If you do not like or enjoy the scent of your oil chances are it will not give you the results you are looking for.