What is Aromatherapy?


Aromatherapy is the use of pure Essential Oils in a therapeutic way to treat the whole body. Massage is the best-known method. Others are baths, inhalations, compresses, rinses - the list goes on and on. With a little imagination you can tailor aromatherapy to help with just about any condition, not just considering one aspect of an illness or situation, but looking at the surrounding causes and treating them too. It is a combination of art and science!

Art because it allows you to express yourself. If you respect essential oils and use them carefully you can choose from a wide range of oils and almost limitless combinations, using them to treat ailments or just for pure pleasure. They are like a painter’s palette; you mix them together and get a different effect with every combination.

It is also science because essential oils have many physiological effects and contain hundreds of chemical constituents. There is still a huge amount to be learnt from essential oils and a great deal of scientific research is taking place into their active ingredients.

Aromatherapy Treatments

If you go for an Aromatherapy treatment you will receive an in-depth consultation about your lifestyle. From this information your Aromatherapist will select between 2 and 5 essential oils which will then be mixed with a vegetable carrier oil. This mixture is known as a blend and can be used for a massage.

The vegetable oil moisturizes and conditions the skin but the essential oils, which have tiny molecules, are absorbed into the blood stream via the pores and the small capillaries just below the surface of the skin. The massage will promote deep breathing which will also allow the airborne molecules of essential oils to enter the body through the nose and into the lungs where again capillaries absorb them.

The nose is also the only direct pathway to the brain and the olfactory center where fragrance can affect mood and hormonal secretion. As you can see Aromatherapy can be very effective. In fact, it has been proven that more essential oils are in the blood stream after a massage with essential oils than if they are taken internally!

Not for Internal Use

Essential oils should never be ingested internally as they can corrode the delicate lining of the stomach and intestinal walls. They also taste disgusting!

The active ingredients in essential oils have many beneficial properties such as being anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-spasmodic, diuretic, analgesic, rubefacient, stimulating and relaxing. Once they are in the blood stream they can be transported all around the body. Every oil differs in its properties, fragrance and effect.

It is wonderful to have an holistic aromatherapy treatment from an experienced practitioner, but there is so much that you can do for yourself on a day to day basis in the comfort of your own home.

Please do not use any essential oils during pregnancy without specifically consulting your doctor.

Shop Essential oils here: Essential Oils