Aromatherapy and Its Great Health Benefits

 Essential oils have amazing properties! I love using them in body/face creams and in homemade perfumes. Be careful though because they may be toxic if used in the wrong amounts. Always read the instructions on each bottle and if you have some chronic diseases, ask you doctor before starting an essential oil treatment. Also, essential oils are not recommended for pregnant women. I gathered some info for you about aromatherapy, hope it helps!

Essential oils have both internal and external usage. For the internal usage you put a few drops of essential oil in a teaspoon of honey or other unrefined vegetal oil and swallow it. The number of drops depends on what essential oil is used. This treatment is done once a day and only under medical supervision.

There are many ways of external using essential oils.

1. Inhalation

Boil 1 L of water. Put the water in a bowl and place it on a chair. Add 4-5 drops of essential oil in the water. Stay with your head over the bowl and inhale the steam. Cover your head with a towel. This is not recommended for people that have asthma or epilepsy. I always do this when I have the flu and I have problems breathing. A couple of juniper or fir tree essential oil drops will do the work.

2. Perfuming rooms

This can be done either by spraying, using special essential oil pumps or by using an aromatherapy candle lamp.

Spraying is easy, you just have to fill an empty perfume bottle with some water, add a few essential oil drops (10-20 drops for 50ml of water) and spray the room.

Nebulization means using a special machine (nebulizer) which pumps the essential oils in the room.

Aroma lamp – This is a special candle lamp. All you need to do is to add some water and a few drops of essential oil in the candle lamp’s saucer and light the candle.

3. Body/Face creams

This is the best way in my opinion. I always add a couple of essential oil drops in my face and body creams. Be sure to read the instructions for each essential oil before adding because you’ll need to know the right concentration.

This is what I use:

Night creams/Anti-aging – Boswellia carterii + Lavender essential oils.
Day creams: Tea tree + Rosemary essential oils.
Body creams/ Anti Cellulite : Grapefruit + Rosemary + Cinnamon essential oils.

4. Therapeutic bath

First of all, you have to massage your body with a type of vegetal oil, before you enter the bath.
I use coconut or argan oil. Then fill your bathtub with water, it shouldn’t be too hot, just the right temperature for you. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oils and relax.

Here are a few essential oils and their properties:

1. Lavender: analgesic, anti-depressive, antiseptic, antiviral, general tonic, very efficient in treating migraines and healing skin burns.
2. Rosemary: analgesic, antiseptic, very efficient in treating dandruff and cellulite.
3. Eucalyptus: very efficient in treating flu and cold symptoms.
4.Geranium: anti-cellulite, helps in the fast healing of skin and also ameliorates menstrual pain.
5.Ylang-Ylang: great aphrodisiac, anti-depressive, antiseptic.
6. Mint: analgesic, antiseptic, improves memory, heals acne.
7. Lemon/Grapefruit: anti-cellulite, antiseptic, diuretic, astringent.
8. Tea Tree: antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, heals acne.
9. Juniper/Fir tree: helps in treating flu and cold symptoms.
10. Melissa: calming/relaxing effects, heals insomnia.

Do you use essential oils? If yes, what are those and in what combinations do you use them?