Thursday, July 26, 2007

Aromatherapy Benefits

By Heru Muskita

Aromatherapy offers its users some unique benefits and introducing aromatic oils into your daily life is quite easy, flexible, and therapeutically beneficial. Numerous essential oils have been use since time immemorial, for various purpose; the uses being quite diverse.

To help you know, below are listed a few ways in which you can get started as a beginner. However, these methods should be understood as guidelines only, and you will need to understand the precise purpose and pay special attention to all safety pre cautions that are attached to the oil chosen for use. It is also important to remember that essential oils are highly flammable. Never allow the vials and bottles of these oils to fall in the hands of your children.

Some of the most common uses of Aromatic oils and other substances are:

As an easy inhalation medication - These oils are used as relaxant to remove the nasal blockage caused due to common cold and allergy. Place 3-4 drops of essential oil on a clean tissue. Place the tissue near your nose and inhale. If you are a first timer, use only one drop to ensure that you do not have a sensitivity or reaction to the oil. Some people are allergic to aromatic oils.

As steam inhalation drops – Common cold and flu can be cured by this method. Initially boil 2 cups of water. Pour the water into a bowl and add 3-7 drops of your oil to the water. Use fewer drops if you are using oil that may cause irritation to your mucous membranes (i.e. cinnamon, eucalyptus, rosemary, pine, thyme, cajuput, etc.).

Place your nose about 12" away from the bowl and inhale deeply. Never inhale the steam constantly and if you notice any adverse reaction, stop immediately. Use of energizing or relaxing oils can also make this method useful any time of day or night.

As room freshener – You can sue aromatic oils to freshen up rooms; a few drops in to a diffuser will help spread the magnificent aroma of these oils. You can sue any of the exotic aromatic oils like Jasmine, Lavender or Rose oil.

As a general household freshener - Add a few drops of your favorite oil to your trash can, laundry wash, drain, vacuum bag filter, or on a tissue for placement in your drawers.

As a bug repellent - Tired of those bugs and insects? Then try one of those great oils. Many essential oils including citronella, lavender, and peppermint act as a natural repellent against insects and bugs. Sprinkle a few drops of essential oil onto tissues or cotton balls and place near your doorways and windows to help repel insects. Be cautious when using these oils, as some oils may not be suitable for use around pets. Be careful not to apply the essential oil directly onto fragile surfaces.

For massage purposes – Aromatic oils are known all over the world for their massaging properties. The art of massaging is never complete with your favorite oil. Add up to 20 drops of essential oil to 1 ounce carrier oil such as sweet almond oil and massage onto yourself or partner.

Keep away from eyes and genital areas. Do not apply essential oils to the skin without first diluting them. Read all safety instructions.

For bathing - Some oils make an excellent bathing and relaxing drops. Add 5-7 drops essential oil to 1 ounce carrier oil. Add this blend to your running bath water and mix well before getting into the tub. Be sure to read the safety data for the essential oils you choose to use. Feel the exotic freshness and amazing scent emanating all around you!

Other Uses- Essential oils can be used in making homemade lotions, facial toners, shampoos, perfumes, soaps, shower gels, and other natural products. Additionally, essential oils are often blended for their therapeutic synergistic abilities.

You can findout more benefits of aromatherapy from Learn The Power Of Aromatherapy ebook at www.excellentaromatherapyguide.com

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Aromatherapy - Theories and History

By Michael Russell
Aromatherapy has been used as a means of alternate medicine for thousands of years. Records show that it was used to treat various ailments in Ancient Egypt, China and India as long as 2,000 years ago. While it is unsure exactly how aromatherapy works, it has been proven to help ease certain aches and pains, treat anxiety and other mood problems and is still a popular treatment option for many illnesses to this day.
Aromatherapy is the use of extracted plant oils for treatment of various ailments. These oils can be inhaled or massaged into the skin. It was not until the early 20th century that the term "aromatherapy" was used to describe the healing effects plant oils had on the body. A French chemist by the name of René-Maurice Gattefossé discovered the healing power of essential oils in their raw form when he suffered a severe burn during an accident. It was not until Gattefossé accidentally caught his arm on fire while working and instinctively dipped it into a vat of lavender oil that he discovered the healing powers of essential oils. The burn healed at an amazing pace and left no scar. Before the incident, Gattefossé had only used essential oils for aromatic purposes. He later wrote a book about the healing powers of aromatherapy, which is still in print today.
Essential oils can be extracted from several parts of plants, including petals of flowers, roots and leaves. Essential oils used for aromatherapy are very precious. For example, it takes approximately 440 pounds of fresh lavender petals to extract about two and a half pounds of lavender essential oil. This makes pure essential oils quite expensive, but some say it is well worth it.
Different plant oils have different effects on the body. For example, Roman chamomile can be used to treat the symptoms of allergies, while spike lavender is commonly used to treat backaches. However, some oils have many different healing affects on the body. Peppermint oil can be used to treat several ailments, including coughs, constipation, congestion, fever, indigestion and many more. Many different oils can be used for many ailments. If you are looking for a certain kind of oil for a specific ailment, ask an aromatherapist which essential oils work best for that specific problem. You can also find useful information on aromatherapy and its uses from various book and from the Internet.
Many skeptics believe that aromatherapy has retained its popularity because of the belief that it works, rather than believing that it actually has some medicinal affect on the body and mind. When inhaled, certain essential oils have healing affects on the mind and spirit. It is popularly used to treat emotional problems, such as anxiety, depression and mood swings. When massaged into the skin, these oils can have different affects. Some are used to treat muscle aches and pains, while others are used to treat common stomach complaints. Some oils can even be ingested, but it is not recommended that you drink essential oil. Some oils are used in the production of prescription medicines and can be ingested that way.
The use of essential oils for medicinal purposes is regarded as somewhat of a joke throughout most of the United States. It is often used as a complementary treatment along with prescription drugs to treat various illnesses. However, in France, where the practice or aromatherapy originated, essential oils are prescribed by physicians for various health problems and complaints.
Michael Russell
Your independent guide to Aromatherapy
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com

Friday, July 13, 2007

Aromatherapy Can Improve Your Mood

By Heru Muskita

Aromatherapy seems to be in many household products. We can get the fragrances in laundry detergents, softener, candles and just about every air freshener spray. There are even aromatherapy scents in anti mosquito lotions for us and our baby.
Some of the aromatherapy scents that's common in store are
• Lavender
• Green tea
• Citrus

Some store even sell products such as Chamomile tea.
Good For Skin
Aromatherapy is not just air freshener that's good for your mood, but when used in bath products such as bath salts or oils they are good for skin. Plant's extracts are use in Soap, Shampoos and Conditioners. There are ancient remedies that use tea leaves to soothe conditions. It is a proven fact that some scents can be relaxing, invigorating, soothing or even make lighten up our intimate life.
We love to burn candles that smell nice, we use scented oils in our bath, fabric fresheners and we even burn extract oil to freshen our rooms. We plant flowers that smell nice and pick the flowers that we love to bring into our homes to enjoy their sweet scents. We use aromatherapy in thousands of products or plants that we grow or purchase every day and we seem to always be looking for some thing new to enjoy the smells of.

There are some ingredients that are not good for your skin or your may be allergic to so if you have allergies or are sensitive to some ingredients be sure to check the labels. Some extracts will trigger allergic reactions and make your sneeze or nose run and even make your itchy.
Be careful when buying products, you should checkout any known allergic reactions and when possible try the sample before you buy. Remember we want to relax or enhance our mood not allergies.
You can also find more information in aromatherapy book.