|
Main
Profile
Gallery
Aromatherapy
Essential Oils
Use Of Aromatherapy
Favourite Link
Zodiac Test
Work Out
Sign My Guestbook
| |
Use of Aromatherapy
in the Home
| USE |
Explanation |
|
Choosing and Using a Vaporizer
Top
|
When choosing a vaporizer there are two important points
to consider. First, there should be a suitable distance between the source of
heat and the reservoir for oil and water. this will reduce the risk of
completely evaporating the water and burning the oil. secondly, the vaporizer
should be easy to clean.
The simplest type of vaporizer makes use of a candle
as the heat source; a more efficient, but more expensive, type is the electric
vaporizer. Under certain circumstances these are preferable to the type heated
by a candle, for example in the reception area of an office, in hospital ward or
at home, when you want to disperse oils for a long period of time without the
necessity of frequent supervision.
Some electric vaporizers have fan
that disperses the evaporating oils; others use a heated ceramic dish.
Either would be suitable for a child's bedroom, or a room occupied by someone
who is bed-ridden. Wherever you use a vaporizer of any kind, do make certain
that you place the burner in a safe position, out of the reach of kids and pets.
Any of the suggestion blends for the whole body massage are suitable for use in
a burner.
The number of drops of oil depends on the size of
the room:
 Two to three
drops for a small room
As many as six to ten drops for a larger room
It is better to use fewer
drops and refresh the burner more frequently, rather than use too many and
saturate the room with scent.
|
| Room
Sprays
Top
|
To
fragrance a room without a vaporizer, purchase a commercially-made scented
spray or make your own with water and essential oils.
For the latter
option, use a plant spray or a smaller plastic spray dispenser of the type
available from chemists.
Fill it with 3000 ml/˝ pt of spring water
Add 4 drops of essential oil. Shake the spray vigorously, as the oils will
not be dissolve completely in water.
Then spray into the air as
required throughout the day. Without anything to preserve it the mixture deteriorate rapidly,
so it is best to make up only what you think you will need for one day.
Any
of the following essential oils are suitable for a room spray:
Eucalyptus
Fennel
Geranium
Lavender
Lemon
Marjoram
Orange
Peppermint
Rosemary
Ylang Ylang
|
|
The Scented Bath
Top
|
Essential
oils make a luxurious addition to the bath, whether that are choosen to
aid recovery from a particular illness, to lift the spirits or to promote relaxation
after a stressful day. The essential oils that are recommended for the
bath affect the body as they are inhaled in the steam but some will also
cling to the skin and penetrate through skin pores that have opened in the
warm atmosphere.
In order to add the oils to the bath safely it is
important to dilute them. There are a variety of ways to do this, the most
common of which is to use a vegetable oil - any carrier oils used for
massage will be suitable. For those who do not need or like an oily bath,
a commercial dispersing agent (available from many shops specializing in
health foods), some ordinary dairy cream or full-fat milk can be used
instead. the non-slip carriers are especially important when preparing an
essential oil bath for the elderly and for young children.
Adults bathing in an average-sized bath in which
the water is at a reasonable temperature (neither too hot nor too cold)
should dilute 6 - 10 drops of essential oil in 15 ml/1 tbsp of the carrier
substance.
For a child's bath, which will contain less water, use following dilution:
1
- 3 drops of essential oil in 15 ml/1 tbsp of the carrier for a child aged
6 - 12 months and 3 - 4 drops for a child aged 1 - 5 years. Any blends suggested
for the specific programmes or the whole body massage would make a lovely and
useful bath blend for adults. Essential oils suitable for young children
include geranium and mandarin.
- Preparation for the aromatherapy
bath should include the removal of dead cells. Use a massage mitt or a
loofah that has been thoroughly dampened with water and rub it firmly
but gently over the whole body.
- Dilute your chosen oil in a vegetable carrier
oil, or a carrier of cream or full-fat milk. Add the blend to the
water just before the bath has filled to the desired depth, pouring it
in slowly under the hot water tap so that the oil is dispersed through
the air and the water.
- After the bath, gently pat the skin dry with
a soft towel. This is a time for relaxation, not for a vigorous
rub-down.
|
Foot Baths
Top
|
A
warm, relaxing foot bath is ideal for easing aching feet after long
periods of standing.
Take a large bowl, such as a clean washing up bowl and add warm water
until the bowl is one-quarter full.
Add five drops of essential oil diluted in one of the recommended carriers
- either a vegetable oil, milk, cream or alcohol such as vodka.
The essential oils most useful for a foot bath are rosemary, peppermint
and lavender.
|
|
Jacuzzis and Saunas
Top
|
In a private jacuzzi, add the oils of your choice directly into the
water.
For sauna, the oils can be added to the water that is poured over the hot
coals.
When sharing either of these with
friends it is useful to add one of the anti-bacterial oils to keep
everyone free of infections - eucalyptus, bergamot, lavender or lemon.
|
Lotions and Creams
Top
|
The
use of essential oils for skin care combines simple pleasure with health
benefits. The oils can be used in a number of ways:
As a cream or face oil for massage
For
daily application as part of your skin care routine
For
treating a specific skin condition such as acne, eczema or psoriasis
Use opaque plastic, screw-top jars and bottles available from
chemists as containers for your
The proportion of cream, lotion or gel of
essential oil
25 drops of essential oil for every 50 gm/2 oz of the base
substances
25 drops of essential oil to every 50 ml/10 tsp In
another words, half the number of grams of millilitres will indicate the
number of drops needed for a blend. Mix the oils into the base with a
teaspoon or a cocktail stick. The lotion or cream bases can be brought
from good cosmetic companies. Choose a mild, fragrance-free
vegetable-based product and then add the oils suited to your particular
skin type or condition. As with all home-made preparations the mixture
will be preservations-free, so it is best to mix up small amounts as you
need them. It will also help to store them in fridge. Simple,
well-designed plastic jars and bottles for home-made beauty preparations
can be found at most chemists. The plastic spray dispensers are particularly
useful when making room refresher spray.
|
Flower Waters
Top
|
Flower
waters are lovely to use as part of your daily skin care routine or for
any common skin problem. The essential oils do not dissolve completely in
water but their scent and their healing properties can be transferred to
it.
Simply take a sterile, dark-coloured glass bottle that can hold 100 ml/3˝ fl.oz of spring water
Fill
it and add 30 drops if your chosen essential oils
Leave
the bottle in a cool, dark place for a few days
Filter the water through a coffee or tea filter-paper into a second,
similar bottle and use it as desired
As
with the room sprays, the water has no preservative in it, so it is best
to make small quantities to use within a few days and replenish the supply
the supply often
Flower water can also kept in the fridge
Any of the oils suggested for your particular
skin type would make a lovely flower water to complement your skin care routine.
|
|
Scented Clothes and Linen
Top
|
Wooden
acorns, balls and fruit that have been scented with aromatic oils will add
fragrance to drawers used for storing clothes. Alternatively, you can make
your own scented paper drawer-liners.
Simply add the oil of your choice directly on to pieces of decorated or
plain paper
Gift
wrap or a light-weight wallpaper are both suitable
Padded
coat hangers can also be scented with essential oils, fragrancing your
clothes with the perfume of your choice
The oil will need to be replenished regularly
|
|
Essential Oils in Inhalations
Top
|
Making an
inhalation for someone suffering from cold symptoms, a cough or a chest
infection is a comforting and highly effective way to ease their
suffering. A facial steam is also an effective and pleasantly relax
aid to skin care. Recent studies have shown that essential oils not only
have a strong emotional effect as they pass to the brain via the nose,
they can also penetrate to the cells of the body and effect
Choose a large bowl enough to take at least 6000 ml/1 pt of water
Fill
it with boiling water
Add
2 - 3 drops of essential oil
There is no need to dilute the oils as they do not come into direct
contact with any part of the body
Some
people like to drape a towel over their heads, as this directs the steam
on to the face but it is not essential
Simply
inhale the steam, allowing the vapours to relax you and relieve any
symptom
This procedure can be under-taken up to four times a day
For
the last inhalation before bedtime, you may like to choose a
sleep-inducing oil such as rose, neroli or sandalwood
For coughs, colds and related symptoms use eucalyptus, lemon or
ginger
|
|
Hot and Cold Compress
Top
|
This is an
excellent way to use essential oils on an area of the body that cannot be
massaged, for example, a joint that is very red and swollen following an
injury or an area affected by a serve skin infection. Lay a compress, either hot and cold, over the body to receive the
beneficial qualities of the essential oils you have chosen to ease the
condition. A condition is simple to
make.
All that is required is a large bowl filled with water and a soft cloth,
such as a baby's cotton nappy or a clean flannel
Fill the bowl with either cold or hot, not boiling, water and float four
to five drops of the chosen oil on the surface
Stoke the cloth over the surface of the bowl, allowing the oils to
be picked up without soaking the cloth
Squeeze out any excess water and then lay it gently over the affected part
of the body
The treatment can be repeated 3 to 4 times during the day
Hot compresses are good for long standing conditions such as backache,
arthritic and rheumatic pain and menstrual pain
Cold compresses alleviate recent injuries and acute pain such as sprains,
bruises, swelling and headaches
|
|
Mouth Wash
Top
|
To make a
gargle for sore throats
Add two drops of geranium or tea tree essential oil to ˝ pt of spring
water which you have placed in a screw-top container
Shake or briskly stir the mixture before using, so that the oil and water
blend temporarily
Use as a gargle 3 to 4 times a day or as a mouthwash
3 drops of oil stirred into a 5 ml/1 tsp of vodka or brandy can also be
used as a mouth wash for gum diseases or mouth ulcers
Or it can be wiped on to the affected area with a clean cotton wool bud
Fresh
flowers are one source of essential oils
A few drops of geranium oil on a hairbrush add a delightful fragrance to
the hair, while chamomile makes an excellent rinse for fair hair
|
|
Recipes For Facial Preparations
Top
|
Fragrant
facial lotions are easily prepared at home using a blend of base carrier
oils and essential oils
Dry skin base: 25 mls/5 tsp avocado, peach or apricot oil and 5 passion
flower oil capsules
Essential
oils for dry skin: Benzoin, frankincense, jasmine, neroli, rosewood,
rose, sandalwood and palmarosa
Oily
skin base: 25 mls/5 tsp of jojoba and hazelnut
Essential oils for oily skin: Bergamot, cypress, orange, fennel,
grapefruit, jasmine, sandalwood, rosewood, neroli, lemon and mandarin
Mature skin base: 25 mls/5 tsp almond and jojoba oils and 5 capsules of
Evening Primrose oil
Essential oils for mature skin: Fennel, frankincense, palmarosa, rose and
rosewood
Eczema base: 50 ml/10 tsp of peach or apricot oil and 10 capsules of
evening primrose oil
Essential oils for eczema: Bergamot, chamomile, cedar wood, geranium,
juniper, lavender and rosemary
Acne
base: 50 mls/10 tsp of jojoba oil
Essential
oils for acne: bergamot, chamomile , cedar wood, clary sage,
geranium, grapefruit, juniper, lemon, mandarin, peppermint, palmarosa,
rosemary, rosewood, sandalwood and tea tree
Psoriasis
base: 25 mls/5 tsp almond, 15 ml grape seed, 5 ml/1 tsp avocado, 5 capsules
borage oil
Essential
oils for psoriasis: Bergamot and lavender
|
|
Sport Blends
Top
|
The oils
listed below are grouped according to their usefulness before and after
sporting activities.
Before
Juniper, eucalyptus and rosemary
For
supple, toned muscles: Black pepper, ginger, rosemary, lavender, cypress,
juniper, peppermint, grapefruit, orange
To
aid a good strong respiratory system for aerobics: Eucalyptus,
peppermint & rosemary and geranium
To aid mental preparation prior to a competitive event: A blend of
rosemary, lemon, lavender and chamomile
To
promote good circulation: Rose and palmarosa
After
To soothe and prevent aching muscles: Eucalyptus, ginger and peppermint
To eliminate stress following a competition: Lemon, nutmeg, clary sage and
orange
|
|
The Use of Undiluted Essential
Oils
Top
|
Generally
speaking you should avoid using essential oils in their undiluted form.
There are, however, some useful exceptions to this important rule when
treating a few specific conditions.
To treat burns, immediately flush the burned area
with cold water to prevent contact with the air and to reduce the heat.
When the heat has definitely been reduced apply undiluted lavender oil
directly on to the burned area. If there is excessive burning and
blistering you should see your family doctor immediately. You can,
however, continue the lavender treatment in conjunction with other
treatments.
Lavender and tea tree can both be used undiluted
on mosquito bites. Tea tree is also good in its undiluted form for those
occasional spots that flair up.
Note: Under no circumstance should essential oils
be taken internally.
|
|
