Essential Oils: An Aromatherapy How-To Guide

When selecting and purchasing essential oils for aromatherapy, purity is key. Opt for a local health shop rather than a cosmetics store and check the labels to avoid chemical copies and reconstituted products.

The best essential oils have essences that have been extracted using steam distillation, expression, solvent extraction, maceration or effleurage. How do you know you have the good stuff?

Try placing a drop on blotting paper. If the drop impregnates the paper then evaporates, you are fine - if it leaves an oily patch, then it is not pure and probably contains an additive, such as vegetable oil.

What are Base Oils?

Because essential oils are so powerful at full-strength, before use they are usually mixed with a base or carrier oil to be used directly on the skin. Some great base oil options are almond for body massage and wheat germ and avocado for mature, dry facial skin. Just a drop of base oil will do the trick in most cases.

How are Essential Oils used?

Most essential oils will have usage directions right on the bottle. If not, the general rule is to use two to three drops in a bowl of warm water for inhaling, five drops per teaspoon of base oil for massage and eight drops for a bath.

Here is 4 Fun Ways to Indulge in Aromatherapy:

Use Your Humidifier - Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to your humidifier. This is especially good with peppermint, a natural remedy for the symptoms of the common cold.

In the Fireplace - Does the aroma of a crackling fireplace put you in the mood? Heighten the magic by adding a few drops of essential to the log at least a half hour before burning.

Infuse Your Light bulbs - Add a few drops to a cold light bulb before plugging a lamp into the light socket. The warmth of the bulb will diffuse the scent throughout the room.

Cozy Kitchen - Add 1/2 cup dried herbs to 2 cups of water and allow simmering in a pot on the back burner of the stove. Spice it up a bit by adding allspice, cinnamon, anise, ginger or cloves to the mix.

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What is aromatherapy?

The use of essential oils (extracts or essences) from flowers, herbs, and trees to promote health and well-being.
A system of caring for the body with botanical oils such as rose, lemon, lavender (used to soothe cuts, bruises and insect bites), and peppermint. These essential oils can be added to a bath, massaged through the skin, inhaled directly, used with teas, or scented in a room. This therapy is intended to relieve pain, care for the skin, and alleviate tension and fatigue.
The use of fragrant, natural, botanical essential oils from plants, leaves, bark, roots, seeds, resins and flowers as a healing art. Aromatherapy refreshes and relaxes the skin while soothing the mind by helping to induce a sense of well-being. Each individual essence is used to produce a specific beneficial effect. Used in massage and facials.
The use of essential oils from aromatic plants to restore and enhance health and beauty as defined by the American Aromatherapy Association. Aromatherapy uses as its basic ingredients essential oils, which represent the highest herbal energy. Essential oils are highly concentrated, volatile extracts retrieved from aromatic herbs, flowers, seeds and trees; they contain hormone-like properties, vitamins, minerals and natural antiseptics.