Aromatherapy for Depression

There are a lot of reasons you can get depressed. You can lose a loved one, a beloved pet, or your job. You can get divorced, be physically or emotionally abused, or be under a lot of emotional or financial stress. Some people get depressed when they retire, because it is a major lifestyle change. Some people are just depressed because they are lonely. No matter what the reason for the depression, whether it is chronic or acute, aromatherapy may help. What can you use to help your depression? Room diffusers, air fresheners/room sprays, massage oils, and skin and hair … Continue reading →

Aromatherapy Massage

What’s better than a massage? How about an aromatherapy massage! Aromatherapy is the alternative medicine practice of using essential oils (made from volatile plant materials) to help your mental and physical health. Examples of essential oils include tea tree, sandalwood oil, lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint, clove, and sweet orange. Aromatherapy message is the practice of using essential oils during a massage. While you can perform this at home, there are also professionals that can use just the right essential oils to help improve your attitude and maybe even your health. If you try it at home, don’t apply too much pressure. … Continue reading →

The Scents of Romance

If you’re planning something romantic for Valentine’s Day (or any date night with your spouse), you can use aromatherapy to help set the mood. The right scent can help your loved one relax and enjoy the evening. Spicy and herbal, woodsy scents can mimic human scents — the pheromones that help make us attractive to others. Here are some scents you can try for your romantic evening! Anise — you may recognize it better as the smell of licorice — is appealing to both men and women, according to studies from the Chicago Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Institute. … Continue reading →

Essential Oil: Orange

Orange essential oil is relatively common — which means it is easy to find and very affordable. That’s a good thing, because orange essential oil is also very useful for a lot of different things! The orange tree is native to Asia, and was brought to the rest of the world by travelers and explorers. Orange trees can be found in groves around the world, including Israel, Spain, and the United States. Most of the world’s orange essential oil is produced in France, Italy, Israel, Cyprus, and the United States. The essential oil is cold pressed from the peel of … Continue reading →

Essential Oils: Ylang Ylang

Ylang ylang: a flower so nice, they had to name it twice. The name means “flower of flowers”. Ylang ylang essential oil falls in the middle of the price range: far less expensive than florals like rose and jasmine, but more expensive than the plentiful lavender. The ylang ylang tree originally comes from the Philippines, but is grown throughout tropical Asia for use in perfumes and in cooking! The sweet, yellow flower is used in beverages and desserts. Differences in climate can produce different grades of the essential oil that may smell very different from each other! If you are … Continue reading →

Essential Oils: Vanilla

It is the sweet, dreamy, warm scent of baking. Check your cabinets; you may have vanilla extract in the house from the last time you made a batch of cookies. Vanilla essential is slightly different from that vanilla extract, although they do come from the same place. Vanilla plantifolia is a climbing orchid with white or yellow-green flowers that is grown in Central America, Mexico, East Africa, and Indonesia — but the plant itself does not contain the essential oil. The oil comes from the vanilla beans: long, green pods filled with tiny seeds. The pods are fermented over the … Continue reading →

Essential Oils: Ginger

Looking for a little spice in your life? The scent of ginger is invigorating and energizing… but the health benefits of ginger essential oil go far beyond a quick perk up! The ginger plant comes from tropical areas. The knobby root is used in cooking and can be distilled into a pale yellow essential oil. Don’t know the scent of ginger? Open up a can of ginger ale or a box of ginger snap cookies. The scent, like the taste, is sharp, pungent, and warm. Ginger is a great choice for reducing inflammation because of its warming properties. Mix a … Continue reading →

Essential Oils: Geranium

Don’t get too excited — chances are that geranium in your garden isn’t going to be the cure for what ails you. There are more than six hundred different varieties of scented geranium. South African rose geranium is the main source for geranium essential oil. Geranium (or rose geranium) wasn’t distilled into essential oil form until the nineteenth century, making it a relative latecomer to aromatherapy. Geranium essential oil has a rose-like scent, and is often used in making synthetic rose oil and diluting or stretching true rose oil. The essential oil itself is a deep green in color and … Continue reading →

Essential Oils: Clove Bud

You probably know clove as a traditional holiday scent. But when distilled into essential oil form, you have one of the world’s most powerful natural antiseptics on your hands! You can use the essential oil from both clove buds and clove leaves. Yes, these are the same clove buds used in cooking. They come from evergreen trees found mainly in Indonesia and Zanzibar; the tree can bear cloves for a century or more. Clove bud essential oil has a component called eugenol that is often found in dental products. Both clove essential oil and eugenol alone are used for numbing … Continue reading →

Essential Oils: Basil

Across the Mediterranean, people have been using basil medicinally for centuries, even thousands of years. Basil (also known as ocimum basilicum) originally comes from India but is perhaps best known in Italian cooking. Pesto, pizza, sauces… but basil is much more than a seasoning! In the sixteenth century, basil was used as an antidepressant — herbalist John Gerard wrote that the herb “taketh away sorrowfulness.” Basil is still used in aromatherapy today to help ease negativity and mental fatigue. Use basil to help your mind stay sharp; the scent promotes circulation and can help you stay alert on a long … Continue reading →