What is aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy is using the essence of the flowers and herbs in order to improve health, beauty and well-being. The medium used is the essential oils, and the essential oils are the chemistry of the plant. They capture their vibration of the energy as well as being a slightly oily liquid, which is volatile. The important part of essential oils is that it is a volatile liquid, which means that it quickly turns into a gaseous state. If you open the bottle and leave it open, you will have an empty bottle in a relatively small period of time, depending on what oil you are working with. That is how it differs from a vegetable oil, even though both of them come from plants. The essential oil of almond would be volatile, whereas with regular almond oil, if you leave that open, it does not disappear. It is not volatile.
Which are the best aromatherapy products?
One of the important things to remember, especially if you are going to put the oil on the body, is to be sure that the oils that were used were from wild or organically grown plants. You have to make sure that the oil is derived from an organically grown plant if you want to have the best aromatherapy possible. So many of the aromatherapy products that are on the market are not of that quality; probably most of them. Secondly, some of them are even synthetic fragrances they are using. Another very important thing is the base that the essential oil is in. If you are going to put it on your body and you put it in a base that is non penetrating, then the oils cannot be absorbed into the body to do their job. So, if you see anything that says it has mineral oil or any kind of petroleum base, then it is not going to allow the product to really do anything; it is just going to stand on top of the skin. So very few of the products out there really will do the job; they are just using the name.
What is the difference between hydrosol and essential oil?
In the distillation process, the water-soluble nutrients are in the hydrosol, where the essential oil captures the oil soluble nutrients. Because the essential oils are not water-soluble they, they want to separate out the water in the separating vat when this is distilled, so then they can siphon off the essential oil. The water that remains in that separating vat is called the "hydrosol." The difference is, first of all, in the aroma. Usually you will see the hydrosol have more of a green or woodier aroma than the oil; or more like the difference between peppermint tea and the essential oil of peppermint. The essential oil has more of a depth to it and the hydrosol does have a very important role to play, because they are gentler than the essential oils. So, for a baby or someone very sensitive, the hydrosol is gentler and safer. It also makes a nice base, even for misting your body and your face. If it seems very light, you could add essential oils to it. For instance, I often recommend people using the hydrosol of rose first on their face while it is still damp. Then use some of the essential oil, which would be in a carrier oil base. Then you have the oil and water-soluble nutrients that were in that plant.
Is aromatherapy used for antiaging?
Yes, definitely aromatherapy is used for antiaging, but you have to use the right oils. The number one oil is rose. Customers and experts say it has the best slowly regenerating properties, and from the feedback I get from people who try it, they especially feel it makes a difference. It can work from different perspectives. Rose, neroli, and lemon are good for people who have broken capillaries on the skin. That can help strengthen the capillaries. If you have dehydrated skin, then you might use things like orange and vetiver. Also, if you have more mature skin, then use oils like patchouli or vetiver; some of those oils help with faint dehydration, so that has more of an antiaging effect.
How does one apply aromatherapy to their skin?
First of all, we rarely use the essential oils full strength or essential oils undiluted. Usually you have to put them in some type of a carrier. They are oil soluble, so that is why they are very good to add to vegetable type oils not mineral oil, as I mentioned earlier. Also, they are soluble in some creams, but you have to be careful. If you are putting them in a cream, some essential oils will break down the cream, so it becomes more of a liquid. Usually we use them on the face. Most often, you are using them in particular carrier oils and each of the carrier oils has their own therapeutic effects. Some would be better for oily skin, some for dry skin or certain types of skin. When you are putting them on the skin and putting them on your face, you would only use a half and one and a half percent essential oil to the base. That would be anywhere from four to 12 drops in one ounce of carrier, because they are extremely concentrated. The only ones that we recommend you use full strength are lavender or tea tree. Even then, it would be on a blemish or cut or burn or a bite; you could put a drop directly on it. Otherwise, you would always be diluting it in a carrier. Another carrier that they are soluble in is vinegar. For example, cider vinegar is excellent for the skin. In Victorian times, they used to make aromatic vinegars for rinsing the hair and the skin. They are soluble in honey and they are soluble in alcohol; but of course with alcohol you would only be using it more for like cologne or something like that, because we do not recommend using alcohol on the skin.
What is the difference between fragrances and essential oils?
Usually fragrance oils are synthetics. Typically, fragrance oils originated from isolations taken from a real plant. If you see anything that has lilac or gardenia, about 99% of the time that is synthetic, because they can really capture the true essential oil from those plants. Typically, they took several oils, put them together and thought it smelled like gardenia. Fragrance oils do not have the therapeutic beneficial affects that the plant itself has, where the essential oil captures the true chemistry of the plant, which is measurable. We know essential oils have what it is supposed to have because we know what the chemistry should be.
So for aromatherapy, you always want to use a therapeutic grade essential oil. If you want a fragrance for your home, I have oils that are pure and natural, but they are not necessarily from a wild organically grown plant. We never use anything synthetic. I call that a natural fragrance mainly because we do not have any guarantee of how it was grown or how it was distilled. With the therapeutic ones, we know it was distilled in the proper amount of time and it was grown the proper way with no pesticides.
How does aromatherapy work?
Aromatherapy works in several ways. First of all, inhaling the oil is the most important element when working with aromatherapy. Experts conducted a study to show the effects of aromatherapy; they connected a person to an EEG and then had them smell particular oil. The EEG demonstrated what part of the brain is being stimulated. They know what particular neurochemical part of the brain produces or stores the smell and they found that within four seconds of inhaling an aroma, the information reaches the brain and the brain responds. The quickest route to the brain is through the sense of smell.
The second way it works is by applying aromatherapy to the skin, especially anywhere that you have pores or hair follicles. The test that they have done with this is, they put massage oil on someones abdomen, and five minutes later, they take blood from the arm. After five minutes of applying the oil on the abdomen, they found the major chemical constituents from that essential oil in the blood of the arm. Aromatherapy has the ability to penetrate; it is carried by the body fluids, for instance the blood or any other fluids, to target points in the body.
The third way aromatherapy works is by the environment, because some essential oils are antiviral, or antifungal as well as being antibacterial. So, they actually make the room smell better, but not by masking the aroma, but actually destroying what is in the air.
What are the benefits of aromatherapy?
Physically, aromatherapy can be a pain reliever or it can repair different damages to the skin. On the mental level, it can work for depression or stress relief by shifting the energy emotionally. It can lift your spirits very quickly, and take you to another place. Spiritually, you might think of the essential oils as a liquid crystal, because now they have equipment where they have been able to demonstrate that not only do we absorb essential oil, but also it can affect the blueprint of the body. It strengthens the body and helps the blueprint. They have shown with a particular type of polycontrast interface photography that the oil also absorbs energy from us. So we make the oil more powerful if we are going to use it in a therapeutic way. We actually can strengthen the oil as it strengthens us. Oils have been used throughout history by all different cultures, all over the world for their spiritual properties. So they do work on all levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
Do you recommend burning oils?
It depends if the oils can be burned or not. If the oil were synthetic, I would say no, because I feel that a lot of synthetic oils are toxic. Instead, use pure natural oils that we have. Natural oils can be used in candle burners or electrical ones where the oil is placed on a heating pad. However, to get the most oil from a plant, do not heat the oil. When you heat the oil it alters the chemistry. But if you just want to make your house smell nice and you are using real oils, you certainly will still get some of the benefits of the plant. If you are using the oil for ailments, such as respiratory distress, then it is better not to heat the oil. I found even in those little candle-type burners, if you put water in them and add a few drops without heating it, the aroma molecules do come out in those spaces, which are helpful.
When burning oil should you dilute it with water?
Well, it depends on what kind of equipment you have to determine if you need to dilute it with water. For most simple clay containers, you would not put anything in it except the essential oil because the volatility then escapes through the clay. The clay holds the liquid and then the aroma molecules escape. If you have a candle burner, then you use water. A lot of people do not really realize that and they just light the little candle underneath. That is not a good idea, because essential oils will get gummy as they start cooking. Put water in there and then adds some essential oils and then lights your candle; that is the best way.
What is eucalyptus used for in aromatherapy?
The eucalyptus is probably one of the most famous home remedies all over the world. I teach a lot about aromatherapy and when people come from different Islands or different parts of the world, everybody seems to immediately recognize eucalyptus. They usually recognize it in relation to respiratory type therapy, whether it is coughs, colds, sinusitis, bronchitis, or asthma. For those types of situations, inhaling would be the number one best method, but you could also put it in a little carrier oil and rub it over the rib cage. For coughing, you could rub it on the back over the lungs. Eucalyptus can be used for fevers, muscle and joint pain, as an immune system stimulant, an aerial antiseptic, and for balancing the blood sugar. It is more stimulating oil and it is amazing to me that even though it has some additional aroma, most people respond very positively to it. The minute they smell it, they smile and I think they expect that they will get well. When they smell eucalyptus there is something about it that triggers memories of when they were children and their mother or grandmother rubbed it on their chest to make them well. So they expect they are going to get well and I think that is the first step in getting well. It does help you to take in more oxygen. So when you are stuffed up, eucalyptus is very recommended.
Is eucalyptus recommended for allergies?
Oh yes, definitely! Eucalyptus helps with asthma, because it helps the lungs take in more oxygen. It can help with allergies, unless of course you know that you had problem with eucalyptus. Any time you have a problem with the plant in nature, I would not use that essential oil. But in general, and being in the business for over 20 years, I find at least 90 percent of the people like it. There are different types of eucalyptus. For instance, the eucalyptus globulus is good when you have deep congestion where you hear rattling in the chest or where the person coughs and has white mucus and a white coating on the tongue. Globulus is good for that, but if you have a sore throat and head congestion, there is another eucalyptus called eucalyptus radiate, which is a special chemo type of eucalyptus that is better for head congestion.
What is lemon used for in aromatherapy?
Lemon is an excellent immune system stimulant. It is an aerial antiseptic that is very bactericidal. It is sometimes referred to as the obstetrician because it stimulates oxytocin in the brain. If someone were in labor or hoping to go into labor, lemon would be a good aromatherapy. It is also good for the throat, mouth and gum infection, anything where you have the yellow green phlegm as opposed to the eucalyptus globules. Also, you can use it for an overworked or toxic liver. Lemon is also a lymphatic decongestive, so it is good for cellulite and obesity. It can be used to heal itching like chicken pox. It is an excellent bactericidal - one of the best and one of the strongest. It stimulates the logical thought of the left-brain and it helps with fevers too. Lemon, eucalyptus and peppermint are good for fevers.
What is lavender used for in aromatherapy?
Lavender is probably the most common aromatherapy next to eucalyptus. Those two oils are probably the most known ones. Sometimes lavender is referred to as a rescue remedy because lavender is a nerve ending sedative. So for any kind of physical discomfort, it sedates the nerve ending, so you do not feel discomfort. If something were itching or burning, or you have muscles that ached, by sedating those nerve endings it can relieve the pain. When inhaled it stimulates serotonin in the brain, and when you have enough serotonin in the brain, pain anywhere in the body gets the message to bypass the pain. So you see, by putting it on topically on the area and then also inhaling it, you are getting pain relief from two different dimensions. Lavender is also antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal. Lavender helps the serotonin to make melatonin; therefore it is excellent for sleep. Lavender is used for migraine headaches; it is fantastic as an antidepressive. It is used for obsessive-compulsive behavior, mood swings, and panic attacks; lavender is very calming and very uplifting. It is probably the most versatile oil. If you could have only one essential oil, that might be the first because it also works on the lungs. It works on all levels and it is very gentle. It is the one oil that you could use on babies and young children. It also seems to deter bugs; for instance, mosquitoes do not usually like it. So sometimes when I am out in the garden I will make a spray with some distilled water, lavender, lemon, eucalyptus and citronella to keep the mosquitoes away. I mist myself before I go out and usually bugs will stay away; but even the lavender seems to deter them.
What is Rosemary used for in aromatherapy?
Rosemary has some of the same characteristics as lavender, but the difference is rosemary is a stimulant where lavender is a sedative. Rosemary is a mental and physical stimulant that stimulates the acetylcholine in the brain, which is the most important neurochemical for the mind and memory. Rosemary is also good for focus, concentration, mood swings, and can be used for headaches. It is warming oil, so if you have cold feet or anything that you are trying to warm, it is great for massaging those areas. It is great for stiff, overworked muscles; if you were exhausted, it would be a great one because it is a stimulant. Rosemary also works on the liver like lemon does. It actually improves all of the senses because it works on the central nervous system. It is also used for estrogen deficiency because it works on the adrenal gland. So it can be used for a low sexual energy, impotence, or even infertility. So it has a very wide range of uses as well, as more of a stimulant.
What is orange used for in aromatherapy?
Orange is very gentle natural oil. I like to compare orange to a mother because it is a warming oil; it is a relaxing oil; and it is one of the few oils that pregnant woman should have no difficulty with even from the earliest stages of pregnancy. So for digestive upset, nausea or vomiting, it would be the one I would recommend to a pregnant woman who had those problems. Peppermint might be my first choice, but orange is much gentler for anybody, especially pregnant women. It is a good aromatherapy used for diarrhea or constipation because it is spasmolytic. It stops spasms in an irritable bowel. Peppermint is also excellent for irritable bowels, but for pregnant woman I would start with orange because it is gentler. It is also very relaxing; it is good for colds and the flu; it is excellent for environmental disinfections and it is very hydrating to the skin. I do a lot of teaching and I always tell people this is not only what I do for a living, it is how I live my life. I use oils for everything. We do not even have the normal medications in our medicine cabinet that most people have; I just use the oils. I have a little tray in my bedroom with all my oils. That is the nice thing about working with them; once you understand what each one does, then you also know how to combine them together to do what you are trying to do. So if you have some carrier oils and you have your essential oils, then you can make anything. You just know that this oil and that oil combined together work for a certain problem. Whether it is something in your mouth or on the gums, or you have a headache, or sore throat, or something that hurts, you can use essential oils. I usually try to trace things back to what the cause is. One of my complaints with allopathic medicine is not that we do not need it, but they usually want to just work on the symptom and not address the problem. I always feel if you keep the immune system strong and you try to keep the liver detoxed, your body will fight off everything. So, keeping a positive attitude in mind and then keeping your body strong enough will take care of a lot of things. That is my philosophy.
What is tea tree oil used for in aromatherapy?
Tea tree is very multipurpose oil because it is antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. It is also an immune system stimulant. For the skin, it is used for things like warts, acne, cold sores, herpes, abscesses, athletes foot, dandruff, and any kind of gum problems. It is more of stimulating oil. People are familiar with it for nail fungus, or for respiratory aid. It is used for earaches, but we do not recommend people put essential oils in the ear. For an earache, it would be better to put in a little carrier oil and either put it on the channel behind the ear or on the ear lobe and rubs it. Lavender is also good to use for an earache in the same way. But, we do not usually recommend putting anything in the ear because it is a very sensitive area. Of course, tea tree is very good for yeast infections. People sometimes put it in a douche and use it or you can put a little on a tampon if you have yeast infection. So, it is an oil that I find very good to keep on hand for general use. Tea tree is also considered cooling oil. When you put it on your skin, it is got a very cooling effect. So, it is very helpful with irritations because it does give that cooling effect.
Does aromatherapy leave a nice scent in the home?
Yes, although I don not use many oils in the air at home because I have a store. We do not even introduce scent into the store itself; people tell us they smell us even if the door is closed. Oils are volatile; they do escape out of the bottles, so some are in the air. People immediately come in and say "we want what we smelled when we were walking here." We always laugh because it is whatever escapes. We do pour our own oils, so sometimes when we are pouring and creating these aromas it will escape into the air. My husband does use an electric diffuser at home because he has a home office. It is very important to change and not always use the same scent. Otherwise, after a while you can not smell the scent anymore because the receptor sites for that particular aroma are filled. If you change the aroma and put something from a whole different category, then you can smell the original scent again. Also, at different times of the day you need different things. For instance, some people need stimulants to get them going in the morning. If you have a diffuser in your house, you might use something like grapefruit, which is very refreshing because it is more stimulating and uplifting. I like to think of grapefruit as a butterfly or the bubbles in a glass of champagne. If you are at work and the phone is ringing and a million things are going on, you need calming oils. At night you might want something romantic like ylang-ylang. In the afternoon, when you are feeling tired, usually after lunch, something like Rosemary or lemon would be a good thing to put in the environment to wake you up again.
What is a base note in aromatherapy?
In a blend, the base notes are slowest to evaporate. Aromatherapy oils such as sandalwood and vetiver that takes longer to evaporate. They take longer to absorb into the body if you are putting them in massage oil. They are slowest to evaporate, and they give depth to the blend and hold the scent. If you are making a blend, ideally you would like to do is have a top, middle and base note. The top note is the first and the quickest to evaporate, so it takes the scent out quickly, and usually top notes are hot or cold. For example, sharp aromatherapy like citruses and eucalyptus would be a top note. They carry the scent out, but they disappear quickly. You are middle notes are the hard notes of the blend. Usually if you are making a blend, you would have the predominance of middle or hard notes. Your base notes are the slowest to evaporate, the slowest to penetrate and they act like a fixative to the blend. As the others disappear, what remains is more of your base notes. They would be things like the vetiver, sandalwood, and patchouli, which are your heavier base notes. So, together you have a harmony. When you do it properly, the top notes will carry the blend out. The base notes slow it down, so it does not evaporate as fast and there is nothing left. Then the hard notes are kind of the focus of the blend and I like to think of it like a train. I like to think of the engine as your top notes, all the cars in the middle are your middle notes, and then the caboose is the base note. The hard note is like the center of the blend. The predominance of the blend would be the hard note.
What is needed to start aromatherapy?
You want to find a particular problem or ailment that you would like to address through aromatherapy oils. Theory is one thing, but when you use aromatherapy for something where you actually see the results, is when you seem to get sold on the whole idea. You see how it works and then from there on, you are more likely to experiment further. I always have people coming in complaining about these four problems: tired, wired, sad, and sore. Those are probably the four complaints that we hear the most when people come in. They are very, very tired, they are wired, they are sad or they are sore. So, those will be some of the best ways to begin. Of course, inhaling is the simplest way to receive aromatherapy. You could even use a handkerchief and just put a drop or two on it and inhale the scent. You will quickly see how it will change how you feel. I think inhaling is a good beginning. Aromatherapy oils can be used in a bath; make sure you stir it well and you do not want to use any hot, burning oils in the bath. Even putting them in a little whole milk or buttermilk and then putting it in the bath will help it disperse because it is not water-soluble. Otherwise, the oils will want to float on the top. So, you always have to stir the oils well before you get in the tub. People love to come home to have their house smell nice or even their office; anywhere they have to focus and concentrate or anywhere where they are going to be, it is nice to use aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is nice to think about as an aerial antiseptic if you live in or work in an environment where people come in that are sick.
Where can one buy aromatherapy products?
Many health food stores in your area carry essential oils. Sometimes I object to essential oils sold in stores because a lot of times they do not have the best quality oils. A lot of the health food stores order from catalogues and whatever the catalog carries is what they order. However, if that is the only place to acquire essential oils, then they are somewhat descent. We are specialists, so we have six different eucalyptuses, each one with a different chemistry. We have four lavenders and three or four rosemaries, all with different chemistries. We are very specific; you would not find the ones we carry in a health food store. But I would rather see somebody go there than go to the flea market because you are likely getting a synthetic aromatherapy product. I would certainly question what was in there even if you are buying from an aromatherapy supplier, because there are many people out there who sell synthetic oils. It is a good idea to go somewhere that has a good reputation and specialize in aromatherapy oils; that the field itself respects that supplier. I did a talk for the herb society the other night, and someone in the audience stood up and said she received chemotherapy, she had been through radiation and that she used my oils. Her daughter is a therapist and they buy my oils because the quality is so good. Maybe half or more of our customers are therapists; they have gone around and have tried different oils. I always am amazed because I always feel the best advertisement is how happy satisfied customers are. Look on the Internet and oils that are cheap be cautious of. You do not know what you are getting because a lot of times it is a real cheap quality of oil.
Also check out my web address for products that I sell. It is www.nsaroma.com. I actually even have a woman who came in and told me she had been so sick and had been in the hospital for respiratory problems and for 10 years she was in such extreme distress. She could not work for extended periods of time, so I sold her a certain blend and added a superb antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. She came back and said "this is the first time in 10 years that I have not had any respiratory problems." She had done everything to sure this problem; all kinds of things that the doctors or the hospital gave her, but she said nothing helped until I gave her essential oils. When you have respiratory illness or any kind of allergies, which means your immune system, is not fighting as hard as it can. So, what you are trying to do is not only help yourself to breathe, but to build your immune system. It fights the illness off and you do not have the allergies because your immune system is strong enough. Something even as simple as trying eucalyptus can cure a major illness. The true test is when you smell it and it smells good to you. Usually, that is the right one. So, if you do not like the way it smells look at some other respiratory oils. You know the expression "the nose knows?" The nose knows because what we find is that something you really love does not appeal to you then you do not need it. When there is something that appeals to you it is because your body needs it on some level.
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