Aromatherapy is a herbal medicine which uses the healing effects of essential oils, absolutes, floral waters, resins, carrier oils, infused oils, herbs and other natural substances as treatment for physical and mental conditions. Aromatherapy is based on the concept that different scents have different effects on the mind and body.
Essential oil, is a liquid volatile aromatic compound, extracted from plants. Essential oils are used in aromatherapy, cosmetics, perfumery, incense, for flavoring food and drink, and cleaning products. Essential oils are referred to as “oil of” the plant from which it was extracted. Examples are oil of antimony, oil of clove, oil of eucalyptus. The term essential means that the oil is the fragrant essence of the plant from which it is extracted.
Medical use of essential oil in aromatherapy The medical use of plant oils has a long history. Aromatherapy is currently one of the most popular ays of de-stressing. The origins go back thousands of years. Essential oils are concentrated, they generally should not be applied directly to the skin undiluted. Some can cause irritations or allergic reactions. Essential oils should be diluted before being applied. Olive, hazelnut, grapeseed are often used as carrier oils. Organically produced essential oils are best particularly if you are going to use it on your skin.
Aromatherapy is often used with massage therapy, acupuncture, reflexology, herbology, chiropractic and other alternative therapies. In an Aromatherapy massage, essential oils may be blended to suit the individual needs of the client. Aromatherapy massage is for anyone who appreciates a massage, the importance of skin care, and stress relief.
Essential oils are extracted from flowers, seeds, roots, leaves, wood, bark, or peel.
Most of the common essential oils are distilled using water. Raw plants are put into an alembic over heated water. As the water is heated the steam passes through the plant material, extracting the volatile compounds. The vapors are condensed back to liquid and collected. The liquid recondensed from the distillation process is called herbal distillate, plant water essence or hydrosols and is sold as a fragrant product. Examples of distilled oils are lemon balm, rose water, lavender water, clary sage or orange blossom water.
Citrus peel oils are usually cold-pressed, due to the large quantities of oil in the peels.
Volatile oils from flowers are delicate, carbon dioxide is used to extract the waxes and the essential oils that make up the concrete. Concretes are a mixture of essential oil, waxes, resins, and other plant material. The concrete is then processed with liquid carbon dioxide to separate the waxes and resins from the essential oils. When the pressure is reduced, the carbon dioxide reverts back to a gas, leaving no residue. This is a lower temperature process that prevents the decomposition of the essential oils.
Oil from the same plant can have a different name when a extracted in a different way. Rose oil is extracted from the petals of Rosa damascena and Rosa centifolia.
Steam-distilled rose oil is known as “rose otto” while the solvent extracted rose oil is known as “rose absolute”.
Essential oils must be treated like medicines. It is advisable that you exercises caution and consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using aromatherapy for medical use. The internal use of essential oils should be fully avoided during
pregnancy without consulting with a licensed professional, as some oils can be abortifacients. Read safety precautions before you use them. Some very common oils such as Eucalyptus are extremely toxic internally. The smoke from burning essential oils may contain potential carcinogens, never smoke essential oils of any kind. Essential oils should always be kept out of the reach of children. Some oils can be toxic to some animals, particularly cats.
When it comes to feeling better, rejuvenating your spirit, stimulating your mind, and boosting your physical prowess, aromatherapy is the ultimate.
Harvey Robinson
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/the-essentials-of-aromatherapy-and-essential-oils-127297.html
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Everyone knows how great it feels to get a good massage. With the help of a massage, you can alleviate sore and tired muscles while also releasing stress. In order to increase the benefits of a massage, however, you might want to include aromatherapy massage oil in your massage sessions.
What is Aromatherapy Massage Oil?
Aromatherapy massage oil is a special type of massage oil that contains aromatherapy essential oils. Since it is a massage oil, it contains special oils that make it slippery and easy to glide over the skin. This way, friction is reduced and a more soothing and relaxing massage can be enjoyed. In addition to containing oil, however, it also contains aromatherapy essential oils.
Aromatherapy essential oils are oils that have been extracted from plants. By extracting the oils through a distillation process, aromatherapy essential oils are able to maintain the beneficial properties of the plant from which they are derived.
How Does Aromatherapy Works?
To understand how does aromatherapy works, it is important to first gain a better understating of essential oils. Since aromatherapy essential oils are a concentrated version of the plants they are derived from, it takes very little of the oil to receive the benefits the plant provides. Therefore, aromatherapy massage oil typically only contains a few drops of essential oils. Yet, these oils are potent enough to provide benefits to the recipient.
With aromatherapy, the essential oils are inhaled. As a result, the scent of the essential oils has an effect on the brain, particularly on the limbic system. Depending upon the plant used, the aroma of the plant as well as its healing properties has a different effect on the body. Aromatherapy essential oils are even more potent when used along with massage, as the combination helps to further relax the body and to surround the olfactory system with the scent of the oils.
Some of the benefits of aromatherapy essential oils and the plants that provide these benefits include:
Aromatherapy essential oils can also be used to change a personâ??s mood, such as using peppermint to energize the body or chamomile to help the body relax.
A look at how does aromatherapy works and how to include aromatherapy essential oils in an <aromatherapy massage oil in order to improve the effects of the massage.
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Paul Russell
http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/using-aromatherapy-essential-oils-to-relax-and-heal-538370.html
Essential Oils are a high concentrate of oils that come from aromatic plants that are the used in aromatherapy. Aromatherapy essential oils are used to promote healing of the mind, body, and soul.
Aromatherapy essential oils can be used individually or with other oils to create the effect that you want. But before you mix oils it’s important that you completely understand how each oil works and the effect it has on the mind, body, and soul.
Aromatherapy essential oils are found in different parts of the plant. Some oils come from the bark or twigs, while others come from the flowers or leaves. In some fruits it is the rind that is used. For example the essential oil of the rose is found in the flower while for sandalwood it is in the wood, and for basil it is in the leaf.
There are many ways to extract those essential oils but they are both expensive and time consuming. It also requires a great deal of experience to ensure that you are actually capturing the aromatherapy essential oils.
For example, did you know it takes 220 pounds of rose petals just to produce 4 teaspoons of oil? Can you imagine trying to produce these essential oils in your home? Now some people do. They diligently learn to become an expert but for the most part and for most of us it makes more sense to leave the creation of aromatherapy oils to the professionals.
Then you just buy the aromatherapy essential oils you want. Only a few drops of these highly concentrated oils. You can make up your own oils by using olive oil or almond oil as your base.
Synthetic oils can be purchased for a lot less and although they smell very nice they do not have the medicinal value of the natural oils. Put simply there’s no healing power in synthetic oils. It is very important that you purchase natural aromatherapy essential oils.
Aromatherapy essential oils immediately impact on our senses. When we inhale the scent our olfactory cells are stimulated and the message is sent to the limbic system which is the emotional center of the brain.
This is the portion of the brain that is linked to our memories, blood circulation, and breathing. The aromatherapy essential oils each have a different set of properties and fragrance which will effect each of the systems differently.
Different essential oils are absorbed by the skin at different rates which can ranges from 20 minutes to 2 hours so you may not always get the maximum effect and benefits of the aromatherapy essential oil right after applying.
Essential oils have three notes top, middle, and base note and each essential oil is described by its note which really just means how long the scent will last.
Top notes are uplifting and stimulating and very strong lasting up to 24 hours. The following oils are classified as top notes – thyme, sage, peppermint, neroli, lemongrass, coriander, clary sage, bergamot, and basil.
Middle notes can last up to 3 days and affects metabolic functions. The following oils are classified as middle oils – rosemary, lavender, juniper, hyssop, geranium, fennel, chamomile, and balm.
Base notes are the slowest to evaporate. They can last up to a week and have a sweet soothing scent which is relaxing and comforting. The following oils are classified as base oils – sandalwood, rose, jasmine, ginger, frankincense, clove, and cedarwood.
Combining all three notes will give you the best results but it’s important to realize that when making aromatherapy essential oils that there is no right or wrong blends and there certainly are no fixed blends. The more blends you make the more comfortable you will become and the easier it will be for you to create blends that are right for you.
Kelly Johnson
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/about-aromatherapy-essential-oil-137033.html
I want to make a salt scrub, but I don't have any essential oils on hand. Is there anything else I can use for scent? I need it by tomorrow…
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lol i felt like doing that!
I want to buy some Nag Champa oil. What is the difference between the essential oil version and the scented oil version (besides the price)?
Essential oils are different from fragrance oils. The quality of the essential oil is what makes the difference between being therapeutic and just smelling nice. There are about 150 different essential oils all with unique chemical compositions.
Essential oils are extracted from the seeds, roots, bark and berry of plants and are carefully refined to preserve the very thing that makes them "essential". They contain the vitamins and nutrients that keep the plant alive – the essential constituents that keep it free from disease and growing strongly. These parts of the plants are highly sensitive and can be damaged if not properly processed.
The effect of the oil also depends on the species of plant used and how it was processed. Different varieties of the same oil can have different qualities and be used for different things. One essentially needs to be a chemist to really understand them all!
Essential oils are usually more expensive. It takes about 30 petals of a rose to make a single drop of rose oil. They are usually processed through steam or water distillation. Oils produced from citrus plants are called essences and are usually made through cold pressing the rinds.
Most candles are often scented with fragrance oils. There really isn't any cranberry essential oil.
Fragrance Oils have usually been mixed with other synthetic oils or substances. Fragrance oils are usually cheaper.
Some oils can have adverse affects such as headaches and dizziness. This is due to them being impure or possibly synthetic.
It is important to know the source and quality of your oils for proper usage and application
I heard that you can get essential oils at the dollar store, but does that mean the quality of the oil is bad? I am trying to make a homemade disinfectant spray. The essential oils are suppose to kill germs.
Are oils expensive? I don't want to end up spending a lot of money for oils just to make one bottle of disinfectant.
Where can I buy inexpensive essential oils (tea tree, thyme, lemon, lavander)?
-In Toronto, Ontario if possible.
Check at a Health Food Store, if you have one. Otherwise, one excellent company online is Young Living.
My guess is that Dollar Tree ones aren't very potent, but you could always try them and see.
Hope this helps.
