Using Essential Aromatherapy Oils to Boost Your Health

Essential aromatherapy oils have been in use for centuries by millions to improve health conditions.

Many of them will benefit you physically, emotionally and mentally. You can use them to treat problems like headaches, stress and skin diseases and improve the functioning of vital body systems.

How do you use these aromatherapy oils for maximum benefit?

There are many methods of using the oils depending on the condition you are dealing with.

You can inhale them directly either from the bottle or pour a few drops onto a piece of cloth. This way, you will get instant relief from nasal congestion, coughs, colds and flu.

For deep inhalation, you should put a few drops of oil into a basin of hot water and cover your head over the basin to inhale the steam. You can also use the oils as vaporizers or burners to keep the air in your room smelling fresh and clean.

A hot press would work fine, while a cold press will reduce swellings and ease headaches.

Massaging your body with essential aromatherapy oils will not only revitalize your skin but will also treat acne and other skin conditions.

Another beneficial way to use the oils is to add a few drops to your bath water and apply some to your hair.

Lavender oil can be used as a deodorant and decongestant. Inhaling its aroma will lift your moods, relieve you of tension, improve your circulatory system and memory, reduce symptoms of asthma and ease feelings of nausea. Also, it is a good remedy for burns, scratches cuts, muscle pain and joint pain.

Massage lavender oil onto your scalp to address hair loss. It will stimulate your scalp to encourage growth of new hair.

To fight depression, you should use jasmine oil. It has a strong sweet smell which will instantly uplift your spirits and reduce the stress levels in your body. In addition to that, it will improve your heart rate and boost your immune and respiratory systems. Women will experience the benefits of jasmine oil when dealing with menstrual and labor pain.

During labor, inhaling jasmine oil will strengthen your contractions, reduce your pain and increase your energy levels. This will make the delivery process easier and faster. Stretch marks and scars can be an eyesore, but you can reduce their appearance by applying the oil of jasmine to the affected area of your skin. It increases your skins elasticity and encourages the growth of new skin cells.

Make sure to dilute it with a carrier oil of your choice as it may irritate your skin in high concentrations.

Emu oil is another favorable aromatherapy oil.

You will find it pleasant to apply to your skin because of its non-greasy nature. It will penetrate your skin fast to deliver the benefits. Apply it onto your neck to reduce stiffness and pain and massage it onto your skin to refresh it and give it a youthful glow.

It is also effective in healing minor wounds and reducing the appearance of scars. You have many reasons to try Essential Aromatherapy Oils. They will improve the overall state of your health as you enjoy using them.

This article was brought to you by Michelle Reynolds who will provide you with a comprehensive, highly informative and useful resource for using essential aromatherapy oils to help improve health conditions. Find out more about Visit her site at http://www.essentialaromatherapyoils.net/ and see the benefits of the oils.

Original article

What Are Aromatherapy Hydrolats, and Why Are They Useful to Health?

Hydrolats - also known as hydrosols - have been described as the 'next aromatherapy'. They are safer than essential oils, easier to use, and gentler. But what exactly are hydrolats?

Most essential oils are produced by a process of steam distillation. Here's how it is done:

You take a large quantity of, say lavender stalks, and you put them into a still. You then allow steam to pass through the plant material. (It is far better to do this under gentle pressure and gentle temperature. Higher temperatures give a greater yield, but a lesser quality.)

As the plant is exposed to the steam, many active chemicals in the plant are released into the steam, which is then condensed (cooled down by passing into a cool tube). The steam then turns back into water, but the water now contains many wonderful natural healing chemicals that were in the plant.

Now here's the interesting bit: some of those chemicals are so-called hydrophillic (that means they love water and dissolve in it), while others are oily and 'hydrophobic' (they are repelled by water). When you leave this water-oily mix for 15 minutes or so, the two parts quickly separate out, just as vinegar and oil will separate out when left to their own devices. The oil is the plant's 'essential oil', and the water is known as a hydrolat, or a hydrosol.

So we can understand that, generally speaking, the hydrolat contains the water soluble chemicals from the plant, while the essential oil contains the non-water soluble chemicals.

Now consider something else: the human body is composed of about 60% water. Water is the major compound in every single cell in the body, and also in the fluid that runs around the outside of the cells.

So if we want to get the balancing, therapeutic energies from the plants to our body's cells, would it not make great sense to use the ones that dissolve in water? We can begin to see the power of the hydrolat!

Hydrolats are great to use in situations that involve great gentleness and delicacy. They can be used on children (even babies), on the elderly, and many vets use them too.

One word of warning. Hydrolats can be a little unstable, and for that reason they are frequently adulterated with alcohol and or preservatives. These chemicals certainly preserve their shelf life, but they may adversely affect their therapeutic value. So it is always better to try to find hydrolats that are unadulterated and 100% pure, but also that come from a reputable supplier who tests each batch for the existence of microbes.

You will be familiar with some hydrolats already. True 'Rose Water' is in reality rose hydrolat. Witchhazel, which is a wonderful natural antioxidant, that is great for skin care is the hydrolat from the Hamamelis plant. You may be familiar with Orange Blossom water (neroli hydrolat), and of course Lavender water too.

Hydrolats are great for skin care (having a perfect pH value) and most are quite safe to digest. Try spraying Rose hydrolat on your face, on bed linen, or add it to yoghurt for a taste of luxury!

Jonathan Hinde is an aromatherapist, teacher of meditation, and Managing Director of Oshadhi Ltd, which provides over 60 different pure, unadulterated aromatherapy hydrolats.

You can also read more about Rose Hydrolat, and its use in skin care.

Original article

Relieving Symptoms of PMS and Health Conditions With Aromatherapy

In 1937 a chemist by the name of Rene-Marice Gattefosse discovered the healing capability of lavender oil on skin burns. He came up with the term aromatherapy. Since then the term has been used across the world to describe oils of plants and herbs with holistic healing effects. There is a science behind aromatherapy that truly has healing capabilities and relaxing effects for all sorts of ailments including PMS.

The oils of plants and herbs that have healing capabilities are often referred to as essential oils. These oils come from various parts of certain plants through a process called cold pressing. The oils are used for everything from massage oils to candles. The healing attributes are 100% natural.

One of the most taxing parts of PMS is the stress and anxiousness it can cause. The aroma of the oils can have a physically relaxing or soothing effect as it is inhaled thus relieving some of these stresses. As the aroma is inhaled, the molecules are absorbed by several parts of the brain that control everything from emotions to hormone balances. The oils can kill bacteria and viruses and some can even increase adrenaline. Only the aromas should be inhaled and in no way should the oils be taken orally.

The best way to create the aroma is get products that are made for such use. Often times the oil needs to be heated to release the healing aroma. There are candles or warmers that are effective and make the surrounding smell delightful. Sometimes a more potent application is needed that involves adding the oil to hot water and holding the face over a pot with a towel draped over the head.

A direct application of certain oils such as Clary Sage, Geranium or Lavender can be applied directly to the abdomen. This will help alleviate cramps and discomforts. Applying drops of specific essential oils to a bath will also aid in the relaxing effects of a bath. These suggestions are not a cure-all. If serious symptoms occur during a premenstrual cycle consult a doctor immediately. Refer to the supplier's directions when using any essential oil. Some oils may cause irritation to sensitive skin. Some oils should not be used during pregnancy.

A study was done with 36 first time mothers. The first 16 mothers were given a aromatherapy massage two days after deliver. 20 mothers received the standard care given post-partum. The group of mothers that received the aromatherapy massage had significantly less amount of post-partum depression. The mothers who didn't receive the care had significantly more anxiety and less of an attachment to their babies.

This is just one of many studies. To some it may seem too be good to be true that a simple aroma can have such a drastic effect. There are some that believe that the plants that create these oils have a divine purpose and were meant for the relief of mankind. Some believe it is merely happenstance that such oils existence. But overall there is a strong concurrence that these oils are good for the body both physically and mentally.

I write for TIR Massage Stone about performing hot stone massage and about obtaining a proper hot stone massage kit.

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