The Basics of Aromatherapy for Home Use

A Gentle and Effective Method of Healing Using Essential Oils

Oct 8, 2009

Discover the benefits of this healing art. Safely treat headaches, PMS, insomnia, cuts, scrapes, minor burns and sore muscles at home.

Aromatherapy is a natural healing method which uses oils from aromatic plants and trees to promote physical and emotional health. The word "aroma" means pleasant scent and the word "therapy" refers to a treatment which aims to address a physical or emotional condition. Taken together, they mean "treatment using scents." A person trained to safely and effectively use aromatherapy to treat others is called an aromatherapist. With some good information, a healthy curiosity and a few tools, one can treat one's self and others safely at home.

Essential Oils, Aromatherapy's Main Tool

Depending on the type of plant, it may be the flowers, leaves, bark, roots or seeds/fruits which are used to make the oils. The oils are commonly called essential oils, due to their concentrated nature and ability to dissolve in alcohol. Once referred to as sacred or precious oils, they are, in fact quite precious and growing in value as healing aids in these modern times.

Just as the earth produces many and various types of plants, so too exists a wide variety of essential oils. Some of the names may be more recognizable than others, such as lavender, peppermint, rose or eucalyptus. Some other names, such as neroli, bergamot, vetiver and clary sage, may seem more obscure, even exotic. In fact, the flavour of the delicious and well-known Earl Grey tea is due to bergamot oil.

All essential oils have their own inherent healing properties and uses and most can be harmoniously blended with other oils to either boost the benefits of the original ingredients or to create a new healing property . Blends are mixed into another type of oil, called a "carrier oil." The carrier oil's job is to dilute the essential oils to a ratio for safe skin use and to "carry" the beneficial properties to the skin. A few good basic carrier oils are grapeseed, sweet almond, avocado and jojoba oils. Avoid mineral oil as it is a petroleum product and may clog pores. Always start with a drop or two when adding essential oils to a carrier oil as you can always add more but you cannot take any out. Go with the old adage "less is more" as you are learning about aromatherpay for home use.

For best results, always use oils labeled "pure" or "organic" and avoid synthetic or perfume oils, which may smell pretty but have no natural healing capabilities.

Aromatherapy works through the olfactory system (the sense of smell) and also through the skin. In fact, a person can benefit from aromatherapy even in they have no sense of smell at all.

Although Aromatherapy can help with many different conditions and illnesses, it it also valuable as a support during traditional medical procedures. For example, inhaling a drop of lavender from a handerchief while at the dentist can help to relax frazzled nerves. Check the following list to see what else it can help with.

Some Conditions Which May Benefit From Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy Techniques

A select few essential oils can be used "neat," which means undiluted by applying them directly onto the skin (see Cautions for Home Use of Essential Oils, below). However, in most cases, the oils will be diluted in a carrier oil, water or lotion of some sort. If one checks the labels of the shampoos, soaps or lotions in their bathroom, they may be pleasantly suprised to find an essential oil or two.

Cautions for Home Use of Essential Oils

Even those oils which can be used neat - lavander, tea tree, eucalyptus, and geranium - may irritate sensitive skin. Test a small area first using a tiny single drop of oil. Or let one drop fall into a bowl of room temperature water and use a piece of cotton wool to dab some on the water onto the skin.

Always seek urgent medical attention for serious burns and wounds. Consult a medical professional for chronic or severe health problems. Some essential oils can be harmful to use during the first three months of pregnancy and should not be used at all if there is a history of miscarriage. Consult a professional aromatherapist for use of essential oils on babies or children under five, and for allergy or asthma sufferers. Although some oils (peppermint, tea tree) can be used very diluted as a mouth rinse, never swallow or take oils internally.

Enjoy the Lovely Aromas of Essential Oils at Home

Armed with some useful knowledge, a few starter essential oils, and a carrier oil or two, one can begin to experiment with using aromatherapy to enhance their own lives and the lives of those around them. Lavender, tea tree, chamomille and geranium are excellent starter essential oils. Nature offers us many gifts. Aromatherapy is a lovely, cheerful one of those gifts.

The copyright of the article The Basics of Aromatherapy for Home Use in Aromatherapy is owned by Shirley Boonstra-Rollpiller. Permission to republish The Basics of Aromatherapy for Home Use in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.