Archive for the 'Aromatherapy Essential Oils' Category
Essential Feel Goods Video by Animoto
In an ideal world, stress is something that we could either get away from or change. However, we do not live in an ideal world. In actuality, there are two types of stress – good stress, otherwise known as Eustress, and bad stress, or what we know as Distress. Although oftentimes used interchangeably, it really is the latter that requires more attention.
Stress is makes itself evident via changes in body function and health (backache, fatigue, frequent urination, breathing problems), changes in emotions and feelings (irritable, sad, worried, tense), changes in behaviour (always asleep or rarely goes to sleep, eats more than usual, eats less than usual, drinks alcohol, uses drugs), and changes in thought (feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, difficulty remembering things, difficulty concentrating).
One way of managing stress is through the use of aromatic candles. However, you cannot just get up and buy any kind of aromatic candle. You have to know which ones would be able to give you maximum help. If you would like to alleviate stress resulting from anger or anxiety, you could try candles with scents of frankincense, Jasmine, Juniper, Lavender, Neroli, Sandalwood, or Ylang-Ylang. Jasmine and Lavender can also be used to ease depression. Ylang-Ylang, Frankincense and jasmine can also help take away nervous exhaustion.
You have to keep in mind however, that stress should not be taken for granted. The best way to deal with it is to look at the real reason behind your stress. Aromatherapy only serves as a ‘first aid’.
They should be stored in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and should be kept in amber, or any dark-colored, bottles with tight lid. This prevents oxidation as well as contamination from taking place thus, preventing oil deterioration. These oils should not be stored in plastic bottles or be capped with rubber lids as pure essential oils can dissolve plastic. Just like any other type of oil, they are affected, or degraded, by extreme temperatures. Keep in mind also that essential oils are highly flammable so it is a good idea to store them away from other materials that could easily catch fire as well as from children.
Citrus oils should not be kept more than 6 months. They have a tendency to go rancid over time. Patchouli oils and sandalwood, on the other hand, get better as time passes by. Once your essential oils have become cloudy, the consistency has thickened or they started giving off a rancid smell, you have to dispose it.
Aromatherapy is actually an art, as well as a science. It is the process of using the naturally derived plant essences and making them into something beneficial for the body. Some would use this alternative medicine as a means to improve the mood, while others would rely on it for the treatment of some sickness.
Essential oils can help us stay healthy and for those times that we do get sick, they can help us get better faster. Our immune system is what keeps us from getting sick from every germ, virus or bacteria that comes along. Factors like stress, fatigue, and poor diet can lower our immune system’s ability to fight off invaders. We can support our immune system through the use of essential oils. The use of essential oils while we are healthy will help prevent illness in the first place. For those times when something does get passed our defenses, essential oils can shorten our recovery time.
Picture this: you’re in front of your computer. You are currently working on the financial statement your boss badly needs for his meeting in about two hours. You are about 80% through verifying all the numbers when suddenly…power shortage!
If you are the Dalai Lama, you would be able to handle this with a deep sense of serenity and calmness. Unfortunately, your not. Situations like these can lead to stress. Soon you’d have a headache, hypertension, anxiety and irritability. So what do you do?
- When you start feeling stressed out, shut off outside noise by turning to white noise. Examples of white noise are relaxing music as well as the sound of flowing water.
- Make use of essential oils. You can either have a few drops of them in your bath or on your handkerchief. You can also use them with a diffuser.
- Indulge in some hand and foot massage. Many eastern medicine advocates believe that the soles of the foot correspond to a specific area in your body. A good for massage can, therefore, help ease muscle pains associated with stress.
- Learn to delegate. Superwoman you ain’t so if you feel like you have bitten off more than you can chew, delegate. There will always be people who would be willing to help you.
- Talk. Sometimes having someone to listen to your rants can provide you with a sense of catharsis so don’t bottle things up inside you.
It seems that in recent years Americans have become obsessed with treating even small maladies with prescription medications. The pharmaceutical industry might be benefiting from these gross over-diagnoses, but people often experience side-effects that in turn require treatment. It’s a vicious cycle that simply cannot be solved by over-the-counter drugs or prescriptions.
On the other hand, more and more people are eschewing this reliance on pharmaceuticals in favor of all-natural treatment options such as aromatherapy. For centuries, holistic medicine adherents have been breathing in aromatherapy essential oils in order to achieve a feeling of general wellness. Various aromas are thought to treat different conditions, and it’s important to match the oil to its corresponding ailment.
The changes in technology has brought before us both good and bad effects. Although it has made doing transactions pretty much easier and faster, it has also contributed to more and more people feeling the stress of living in a fast-paced environment. If you are among those people, here are some ways by which you can relieve stress:
- Stressed out by work? Stand up and take short trip to the next department. If you can, offer to run errands for your colleagues. This would take your mind off of your work and let you breathe some fresh air.
- Relaxing music is one good way to relieve stress. This could be any classical or jazz music or just about any slow tune that you have. Make sure, however, that you do not play this too loud.
- Have some essential oils within your reach. If this is not possible, make sure that you put at a drop or two of your favorite essential oil to your handkerchief. You can then take this out every now and then for a smell.
- At the end of the day, take extra time for a hot bath or a massage. This would help ease any stress you have accumulated the whole day. If you do not have time for this, at least set aside a day in a month where you can have a spa treatment.
- Reading a good book before you doze off is also a way to relieve stress. You can even do this while having your favorite aromatherapy candle lighted.
There are more than a hundred ways by which you can relieve stress. The most important thing, however, is to make sure that you take everything in a stride.
Aromatherapy, being a widely utilized method for health treatments, uses essential oils to achieve the best effects on the body. These essential oils are derived from natural plant extracts, are concentrated, and are very effective in producing that healing effect on the body.
If you are quite new to this, and you want to enjoy aromatherapy at home, so that you can also partake of its benefits, you can have an aromatherapy massage. Always remember that you have to dilute the essential oil by using carrier oil before you can apply it directly onto the skin for a massage. Some well-known carrier oils are sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, and also apricot kernel oil. Once you have already diluted the essential oil, you can just sit back and enjoy that aromatic massage that would relax your senses.
If you love candles, purchasing aromatherapy candles is also one way for you to enjoy aromatherapy at home. However, the essential oils would have a better effect on your body if it is not dispersed through a scented candle or soaps.
Many people relate essential oils and aromatherapy with massages, soothing baths, and oil-based perfumes. Little do people know that, aside from their calming effect, essential oils are now also being used for inducing birth as well as lessening the labor pains.
As with the stages of pregnancy, labor is also divided into three parts with the first part divided into three phases – the early phase, the active phase, and the transitional phase. The early phase is characterized by the start of mild contractions. During this phase, the use of Neroli and Lavender can help you to relax and free yourself from apprehensions. The active phase, on the other hand, is characterized by longer and more frequent contractions. A combination of Lavender oil, Neroli oil and Rose oil can effectively bring you relaxation especially when massaged on the chest and the neck. During the third phase, you will experience intense and fast contractions. In order to ready yourself for childbirth, you can massage your back with a combination of Lavender, Clary Sage and Peppermint. Clary Sage Oil can strengthen your respiratory and muscular systems. It also helps lessen tension as well as pain. A combination of Peppermint and Rosemary can also give you enough strength for that final push.
Catch Part 2 in a few days…
It is obvious that essential oils exceed fragrance oils by leaps and bounds when it comes to health and wellness benefits. Sadly though, the high cost of producing essential oils leaves most companies no other choice but to use fragrance oils in their commercial products instead. The good thing is that there are still a number of product manufacturers out there that use natural ingredients with the firm belief that quality products will always find a sizable patronage in the market.
Now that you know the difference between essential oils and fragrance oils, it’s your choice what products to introduce in your lifestyle and your family’s. Knowing the difference between the “aromatherapy essentials” and the “artificially produced fragrance” is an important first step in deciding which products are best suited to you and your family’s needs. Be an intelligent consumer. Read the label carefully before throwing that product into your grocery basket.