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WHAT IS AROMATHERAPY?

In today's society the use of synthetic, unnatural products used for grooming and hygiene has become a normal everyday practice that we don't even realize may be unhealthy. The problems these can cause are compounded upon entering the work place where we encounter pollution from industry, automobiles, new products, cigarette smoke and various pollutants we may not even be aware of. Even though we as individuals may not be able to change the ways of society or make major changes in environmental pollution, we do have the power to change certain habits in our daily lives. By the use of aromatherapy products we can improve our well-being as well as that of our environment.

Aromatherapy is the art of synergistically blending and applying pure botanical essences known as essential oils, to aid in achieving health on a physical, a psychological, and on an esthetic level. This therapeutic use of aromatic plant essences (essential oils) has been used throughout history and is still being used today in Europe, especially France and Great Britain. Aromatherapy is one of the fastest growing complementary therapies in the United States which is becoming more widely available as physicians, researchers and the public experience its benefits and include this type of therapy in their health care plans. Aromatherapy is far more than just smelling a specific odor. It is the use of plant essential oils in aiding the entire body to achieve health, by balancing and healing the body, mind and spirit. This holistic therapy looks not just at the symptoms, but at the body and life as a whole, thus working with the entire being of a person in order to naturally encourage healing and maintain a healthy condition. An important part of achieving health would require that you strive for balance of body, mind, and spirit.

Botanical aromatic essences (essential oils) can play a powerful role in our well-being. Each essence contains the particular characteristics of the respective plant, providing a wide range of therapeutic values to assist in healing on all levels. Studies of current scientific research as well as traditional knowledge have combined to teach us these therapeutic values. To learn more about the use of these, Living Earth Herbalist Society is making available Newsletters. Essential oils are gifts from our living Earth to be used with free will and with wisdom and certain cautions. Please read these (below) and pay attention to them when choosing which essential oils to use.

- Do not take any essential oils internally, unless under qualified supervision.

-Essential oils are powerful and should not be placed directly on the skin, but diluted appropriately in a base oil before application. There are a few that maybe used undiluted or neat (e.g. tea-tree and lavender).

- Certain oils should not be used during pregnancy. They are: Basil, Cedar wood, Clary Sage, Clove Bud, Citronella, Cypress, Fennel, Hyssop, Juniper, Lavender, Marjoram, Melissa, Myrrh, Peppermint, Rosemary and Sage.

- The following oils may cause irritation and should be used in greater dilutions: Basil, Black Pepper, the Citrus family, Cinnamon, Clove Bud, Eucalyptus, Fennel, Lemongrass, Peppermint, Pine and Rosemary.

- Always carry out a patch test to check for allergic reaction if using an oil for the first time.

- Avoid alcohol and do not drive when using Clary Sage.

- Citrus oils should not be used on skin exposed to the sun within 24 hours after use, due to photo-toxicity. This means they will make you burn (and I mean burn).

- If accidentally swallowed, seek urgent medical attention - DO NOT induce vomiting. In many cases this would not be fatal or seriously critical, but it could be very unpleasant and one could have great discomfort for a while, depending on which essential oil was swallowed and in what quantities and what size the person was. Keep out of reach of children !!!

- Avoid contact with the eyes or the area around the eyes or mucous membrane. If this occurs, wash eyes or affected areas thoroughly with water. If stinging persists after 10 -20 minutes, seek medical attention.

- Abide by these precautions and you will find that essential oils are perfectly safe and beneficial for you and your family.

Some people ask "Can I use essential oils if I'm allergic to perfumes?" Perfumes, air fresheners, potpourri's made from fillers and synthetic fragrance oils, and bath & body products, most often contain synthetic chemicals that can stimulate an allergic reaction in people. Although it is possible to have an allergic reaction to an essential oil, it is not as common, and should this happen, another oil would be used in its place. If you are prone to allergic reactions to plants you should definitely be doing patch tests for each and every essential oil you use for the first time.

Why Use Living Essence Natural's Products?

Many people erroneously think that if we aren't eating a substance then it is not going into our body systems. This simply isn't true. The skin is the largest organ of the body and it will absorb anything in which it comes in contact with and these go right into our systems. This includes many of the undesirable synthetic chemicals that the commercial industry uses in our daily health care products such as bath and body products. Essential oils have a small enough cellular structure to be readily absorbed through the skin and into the intercellular fluids where they can be routed to the appropriate part of the body to lend their healing traits. This method of application to the skin can be preferable to inhaling the scents in many cases because the physical healing traits of the essential oils can be delivered directly to a targeted area of the body simply by massaging that area. This is one method of use for Living Earth's relieving oil blends, bath & body products, and soaps. However, we need not dismiss the inhalation of essential oils. The nose is the only place on our bodies where nerve endings come in direct contact with the air. When we inhale things, the chemicals (whether they be organic or synthetic) touch these nerve endings and bring them straight to the brain. This can make the inhalation of essential oils quite effective in certain circumstances.

Odors and How They Stimulate Us

Our brain triggers body actions, mental awareness, spirituality, positive attitudes and emotions. As was mentioned earlier, the nose contains the only nerves linked to the brain that also make direct contact with the outside air. Because of this, the sense of smell in humans is approximately 10,000 times more acute than any of our other physical senses. Fragrances and odors pass directly into the limbic system (which is the part of the brain that controls the emotions) avoiding the cerebral cortex (which controls the intellect) causing the subconscious mind to directly respond to the subtle influences of the plant's unique energy contained in it's essential oil without our logic interfering in the response. Inhaling natural aromatic scents opens up a wide range of conscious sensitivities. The stimulus of odor releases psychoactive chemicals. Endorphins reduce pain as well as inducing sexual arousal. Encephaline creates feelings of well-being and reduces the intensity of pain. Serotonin helps to calm and relax. Noradrenaline stimulates, alerts and awakens, and all of these things help to restore our natural balance. You may use essential oils straight from the bottle as an inhalant, or you might choose natural herb sachets, candles, or air mists enhanced with essential oils or a relaxing massage with a natural massage oil, or a warm soak in the bath, even a quick uplifting or relaxing shower with an aromatherapy grade soap.

About essential oils

The essence of aromatic plants is contained within their essential oils, which bears the unique scent that identifies the particular plant species. When using essential oils, it is important not to use oils that have been diluted, raised with pesticides and fertilizers, or synthetically reproduced in a lab to make them more cost-effective. If you purchase an essential oil that has been diluted, you stand a good chance of getting an oil which will be ineffective in promoting health. If a plant has been raised with fertilizers or pesticides, often the chemical constituents or the residue of these substances gets extracted through the distillation process used to obtain the essential oil, which in turn can be absorbed through the skin along with the essential oil. Synthesized essential oils will not give the appropriate vital nutrients offered by the living plant. In any of these cases, the essence of the plant has been either altered, destroyed, or was never present at all and will not give the desired effect.

The benefits of essential oils may be experienced in a number of ways. Essential Oils are usually applied by use of inhalation, or topically - as in bath or body care products, or by massaging. Aromatherapy has been used with great success in conditions of head and chest congestion, sinusitis, anxiety, depression, insomnia, wound & burn healing, headache relief, indigestion, constipation, relief from flatulence, sore muscle & joint pain, menstrual cramps, PMS, and menopausal symptoms and more. As more research is being done, more healing qualities are being discovered. What we currently know is only the tip of the iceberg.

Here are few applications and uses for aromatherapy products :

During a massage - Add 3 drops of essential oil to every 6 ml of massage base oil or use a pre-made massage oil, healing synergy blend or natural moisturizing lotion. Different oils may be combined, but keep within the total quantities given above. Do not apply undiluted essential oils directly to the skin. Two of the exceptions to this would be with Lavender and Tea-tree essential oils. A good rule of thumb ratio would be 10% ESSENTIAL OIL TO 90% carrier oil. Good carrier oils would be any cold pressed vegetable or nut oils which you can find in any health food store. You may choose to buy a pre-made massage oil or have a massage oil blend custom made for you.

While having a bath - Add 4 to 6 drops of essential oil to your bath water or use aromatherapy products made for the bath (also see soaps). Allow time for the oil to penetrate your skin, while you breathe the beneficial vapors. Note when using pure essential oils: in the case of children 12 or under use half the adult amount of oil. For babies 2 years or younger, use 1 or 2 drops (there are some that should not be used on infants at all. Check with an aromatherapist about this).

Vaporizing - Add a few drops of essential oil to the water in the bowl of an oil burner. As the water heats up, the oil will vaporize and its fragrance will permeate the room. These oils can also be misted into the air. Living Earth's home and gifts page offers air fresheners, most of which are completely aromatherapy grade and you may also have them custom made with your choice of essential oils.

Candles and Incense – The burning of candles and incenses (see home and gifts) made with essential oils is a pleasant way of releasing their qualities into our environment and creating a pleasant atmosphere, stimulating our moods, as well as fighting unwanted airborne organisms.

If you would like to have some advice on which products would most benefit you or if you'd like a blend customized for a specific need, you may e-mail : livingearth@bellsouth.net

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