Essential Oils |
The alternative treatment known as aromatherapy uses essential oils in order to affect both the client's health and mood. These are traditionally applied in one or more of the following ways: inhalation, bathing, full or partial body massage.
The idea behind aromatherapy is that of a holistic approach to health - to heal the emotions and lift the spirits as well as tending the needs of the body.
The use of scent and aromatic oils in healthcare has been around for thousands of years, but it wasn't until the early part of the twentieth century, when the French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé had an accident in his perfume factory, that the term aromatherapy was first coined. In this accident, Gattefossé's arm was badly burned, and he plunged it unthinking into a vat of lavender oil. Not only did he undergo immediate pain relief, but his overall healing experience was noticeably quicker and less traumatic than it would have been under conventional treatment.
Modern aromatherapy has come a very long way, yet the methods used to extract the essential oils themselves have changed very little from the originals. Oils are usually either distilled, extracted through cold-pressing, and occasionally macerated using warm water.
About essential oils.
Essential oils are derived from wholly natural products found all across the planet. Spain, for example, is a great source of Cypress, Rosemary, Sage and Fennel, which are all to be found in their natural wild state here. Once extracted from either fruit, flower, leaf, root or spice, the essence of the plant can be up to 100 times more concentrated when turned into an oil.
This concentration makes essential oils too potent to be used on the skin undiluted. Thus, an aromatherapist will use a neutral carrier oil, in order to dilute the essential oil before application.
There are many kinds of essential oils used in aromatherapy, some on their own, but sometimes blends of anywhere up to five or more oils are mixed. Here are just some of the most popular, and their properties:
Lavender - relaxing, and used for treating burns, wounds, and other skin complaints.
Peppermint - used for headaches, muscle aches and digestive disorders
Tea Tree - for treating fungal infections. Helps boost the immune system.
Rosemary - aids mental stimulation and the immune system. Good for muscle aches and tension.
Ylang Ylang - an antidepressant. Also good for muscular tension.
Eucalyptus - useful for coughs, colds, and asthma.
Clary Sage - a natural pain killer, and good against insomnia.
