Intro to Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy can do wonders for your health and your overall sense of well being. If you enjoy massage and its many healing effects, you can talk to your masseur about incorporating aromatherapy into your massages. Many independent masseurs as well as spas and health clubs across the country offer aromatherapy. Usually for an extra fee you can use the oil of your choice or let the professionals create a blend that will best for your unique needs.

The first thing you should do if you are interested in pursuing aromatherapy for home use is make sure you purchase actual essential oils. Many perfumes and moisturizers on the market advertise themselves with aromatherapy in their names, but they are simply imitations of aromatherapy scents created with lab chemicals. They won’t help you, and at worse you may get headaches from regular inhalation. You need pure essential oils to benefit from aromatherapy.

There are many ways to incorporate aromatherapy into your daily life.

1. Car Diffusers

There are car diffusers specifically designed to let you get the maximum effect from your essential oils on your commute.

2. Aromatherapy Necklaces

You can also create aromatherapy necklaces. There are several ways to do this. Some people use a terracotta bead on their necklace and soak it in the essential oil of their choice. Personally, I buy necklace charms that are tiny little glass vials and pour my oils into those vials. Then I get the fun of creating a necklace and the benefits of aromatherapy.

A necklace I made recently!

If you choose to use glass vials to make your aromatherapy necklace, be aware that you either need to choose dark glass pendents or change the oil out frequently. Prolonged sun exposure damages essential oils.

3. Home Diffuser

You can easily purchase a diffuser for your home if that is what you want. There are a variety of beautiful diffusers you can use in your bedrooms, foyer, or even your living room.

4. Hot Bath

Some essential oils are appropriate for use in hot baths. Here you have to be careful. First of all, most oils are so potent that you only need a few drops in your running water to do the trick. Secondly, some are not good for skin contact at all and can burn you. Consult with an aromatherapist or a guide to essential oils to determine what you can use and what you can’t. Also, I am working on a guide to essential oils to be published here on this site. Check back and see what I’ve got!

5. Skin Application

On the other hand, some oils are perfect for skin application. For instance, you can apply lemon oil on your sore throat to help soothe a sore throat.

6. Deep Breathing

If you want to keep it simple, you can simply leave your oils in their bottles and breathe their scent in. Slip a small bottle in your purse (you can buy small bottles of the oils in most health food stores, or buy small empty bottles and make your own blends) or glove compartment. I always have at least one essential oil on me even when I’m not wearing an aromatherapy necklace. Simply unscrewing a cap and breathing deep does wonders for me in times of anxiety. I’ve found wild marjoram to be the best essential oil for anxiety.

Zarina Quinn is a scrapbooker, art therapy practitioner, and happy mom at https://www.rainbowsandballerinas.com/