Introducing Aromatherapy

I stumbled upon aromatherapy a few years ago through the amazing and almighty power of internet. It caught my interest but it took a good while before I actually started to look into it, and even longer to start buying my own oils and using them for my own benefit. Working for a while at a health shop and starting to study holistic massage eventually got me more acquainted with it and so I became more and more interested. So for anyone who might have a growing interest in the ancient healing powers of aromatherapy, this is for you. In the end of this piece there are some very practical tips on how to incorporate aromatherapy in your daily life. Hope you enjoy 🌷


Concept 

Aromatherapy is a systematic use of essential oils externally to improve physical and emotional wellbeing. In aromatherapy it is believed that essential oils extracted from plants contain therapeutic properties which can improve our health and prevent illnesses.
     An essential oil is an aromatic, volatile substance extracted from a single botanical source by distillation or expression. These oils have been used for thousands of years in flavours, medicines and fragrances. In healing purposes the oils can be used in massage, baths or by inhaling.
    It is said that aromatherapy can be especially effective in treating stress-related issues and chronic conditions. There are about 400 essential oils extracted from plants all over the world. The most common ones include lavender, tea tree, rosemary and chamomile.


Origins and Development 


Aromatherapy is said to have some roots in Egypt, India, China and Greece. The Egyptians are credited with developing one of the first distillation machines to extract oils from plants which they used for embalming the dead. It was in China and India however where aromatic oils were started to be used for healing purposes and as a mood enhancer. In Greece aromatic oils were used in developing fragrances and also some healing purposes.
     In the middle ages European knights returning from crusades brought back information they had learned about using plants for healing purposes and from this on essential oils were used in England at least.
     In early 1900 the actual term “aromatherapy” was born when a French chemist Rene Maurice Gattefosse came up with the term after a burn incident made him realize the healing potential of aromatic oils. After this essential oils such as lavender was used to help healing wounded soldiers in World War II.

Therapy Objective

Aromatherapy is a holistic therapy that treats the mind, body and spirit. People respond to the sense of smell on an emotional level more strongly than with any other sense. A few of aromatherapy’s most known benefits are a sense of calmness and relaxation, destressing, maintaining healthy joints and muscles and reviving both the mind and body. On top of this aromatherapy can be energizing and uplifting, soothing and balancing as well as stimulating and refreshing.
      While some oils have particular benefits, aromatherapy is mostly used to promote holistic healing by supporting our body’s natural healing ability during times of health-related setbacks. Most commonly these oils are incorporated into certain types of massage therapy.
       Aromatherapy can often provide some help for people suffering from anxiety, stress, sleep issues, depression, dementia, ADHD, autism, chronic pain and menstrual and menopausal issues. Aromatherapy will not necessarily cure these issues but it can definitely ease the symptoms.


Training Required

There is a wide range of training and courses for aromatherapy but most in-class diploma courses last approximately one year. There are more extensive courses that can take up to three years and also short courses that can be taken over a weekend or a week but these are obviously not diploma courses.
      If one already holds a diploma in massage or anatomy and physiology the route can be a bit faster. Ultimately it is important for aromatherapists to have a high standard in training as they are dealing with substances that can potentially be harmful for patients if used wrong or without caution.


Tips for Daily Use

The easiest method for using essential oils is inhaling their scent straight from the bottle. Not all oils can be massaged on to skin without diluting them first with a carrier oil (such as jojoba oil e.g.) Another option is to mix them with water in a spray bottle and spray away. ;)
You can either mix a few of these together (only a few drops) or just use one of them for each purpose. These are just examples, and there are MANY more options for each purpose!

  

 1. Inhaling from bottle or using a diffuser / oil or candle burner
    (Only a few drops is enough for diffusers and oil / candle burners)

For depression / uplifting   -    try orange, lemon, bergamot, grapefruit, ylang ylang, peppermint

Stress    -     lavender, orange, peppermint, grapefruit, ylang ylang

Anxiety   -    lavender, rosemary, rose, ylang ylang, bergamot

For cold / antiviral   -    lemon, eucalyptus lavender, tea tree, peppermint

Headaches    -     lavender, eucalyptus, basil, peppermint  

Seasonal allergies   -    eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint, lavender, tea tree, frankincense, rosemary



2. Massaging straight on to skin / diluted


For bug bites   -    tea tree, lavender, rosemary (diluted), eucalyptus, basil (diluted)

Bug-repellent   -    tea tree, basil (diluted), eucalyptus, peppermint (diluted), lavender

Skin problems    -    tea tree, lemon, lavender, lemongrass (diluted), cinnamon (diluted)

Anti-aging   -     lavender, frankincense, neroli, rose, jojoba, lemon - can be added to moisturizer !

First degree burns   -    lavender, tea tree, frankincense, peppermint (diluted) 

Muscle tension   -    peppermint, rosemary, chamomile, eucalyptus, cayanne, black pepper, ginger

Headaches    -     lavender, eucalyptus, basil (diluted), peppermint (diluted) - massage onto     
                                                                                                              temples and back of the neck

3. Adding a few drops in cleaning products


Floor wash - eucalyptus, lemon, peppermint

All-purpose spray - Eucalyptus, orange, tea tree, lavender, lemongrass, peppermint (all are antibacterial)

For laundry detergent - lavender, lemon, orange, rosemary, mandarin, grapefruit, bergamot




4. Other uses

Baths - orange, bergamot, lavender, eucalyptus, chamomile, mandarin, vetiver (whatever you like really!)

Homemade candles - vanilla, lavender, neroli, frankincense, orange, bergamot... (options are endless!)




I realise this was a lot of information at once, but I've found that by starting even with just five (usually 10ml) essential oils goes a long way. Good ones with multiple uses are lavender, peppermint, lemon, tea tree, eucalyptus and bergamot for example. It is also important to check that you are indeed buying real essential oils and not artificially made oils or fragrances, which will not have the same health benefits. So pay attention to where you purchase them and see that it says "pure essential oil." In Finland the oils tend to be a bit more pricy but in the UK bottle prices can range from 2-20 pounds, and one bottle lasts for a long time since you're usually only using a few drops at a time.

And that's all for now, hope you enjoyed !

Stay well everyone!

- Mia