Tag Archives: aromatherapy

Aromatherapy for an Upset Stomach

Oh, indigestion, how do I hate thee? Let me count the ways. You give me pain, you make me feel uncomfortable, you rob me of sleep, and often you bring me gas. Oh, the burning! Oh, the agony! Oh, the melodrama! Aromatherapy can help ease the discomfort of indigestion and other stomach upsets. You can sniff, sip, or rub your pains away very easily! The same herbs that made that meal taste so good can actually help relieve the pain of indigestion afterwards. Sniff some spices from your spice rack — rosemary, sage, anise, dill, cumin, or fennel! The scent … Continue reading →

Aromatherapy and Arthritis

Arthritis is a painful swelling in the joints; aromatherapy can help ease the two major symptoms: inflammation and the pain that comes with it. Remember: essential oils are not generally intended for undiluted use. Mix a drop or two of the oils you wish to use into a carrier oil (like jojoba, sweet almond, grapeseed, etc) or a cream or lotion base. You can often find unscented lotion at your local drug store; just add your own essential oils for a scent all your own! For arthritis, try mixing your essential oils into a base of aloe vera gel — … Continue reading →

Carrier Oils for Aromatherapy

Essential oils are concentrated plant essences that can be very beneficial to your health and are easily absorbed through the skin. However, most essential oils should not be used undiluted on the skin. So before you start that nice, relaxing aromatherapy massage, you’ll need a good carrier oil. Some of the more popular carrier oils — like jojoba, grapeseed, and sweet almond — can be found at your local health food store. Prices, types, and sizes available will vary from store to store, but you can generally find 8 or 16oz bottles. Expect to pay between $10 and $20 (and … Continue reading →

Ten MORE Things to do With Essential Oils

1. Make your own potpourri. Gather dried flowers, pinecones, dried leaves, whatever you like! Arrange them in a bowl, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, and stir. You will need to add more oil occasionally to refresh the scent. Try orange and cinnamon for a nice fall scent, or lemon and lavender for spring freshness. 2. Clear kitchen odors easily! If you can boil water, you can fill your home with your favorite scents. Fill a small pot with water and a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Heating the water will release the scent to … Continue reading →

Ten Things to do With Essential Oils

1. Add a few drops to your bathwater for a fragrant, skin softening experience! Try lavender if you need to unwind, or a citrus scent to energize. 2. Put a drop or two on a cotton ball and tuck it into your clothes drawers. 3. Have a humidifier? A drop of essential oil near where the mist comes out will make the air lightly fragrant. You shouldn’t add the oil directly to the water in the tank; humidifiers are designed to process only water! 4. Mix up a quick air/body spray! Fill a bottle with 4oz water and add 4 … Continue reading →

Aromatherapy Safety Basics

You might think that because essential oils are natural, they couldn’t possibly be harmful. But just like any medicine, essential oils can be harmful if they are not used carefully or properly. Here are some things to keep in mind: 1. Essential oils are highly concentrated plant essences. Do not use them undiluted on the skin. Mix a drop or two of your desired essential oil into a carrier oil or lotion. 2. Do not take essential oils internally. They are not food! They are not drink additives! They are for external use only. 3. Be sparing with your use … Continue reading →

Essential Oils: Eucalyptus

Did you know? Some Australian Aborigines bind serious wounds with eucalyptus leaves. Eucalyptus essential oil is beneficial through scent alone. You know those “menthol-lyptus” cough drops that soothe your sore throat, ease your cough, and help clear your stuffy nose? Just the scent of eucalyptus is enough to cut through the most stubborn congestion! Even the least sensitive nose could probably pick eucalyptus out of a lineup. It has a sharp, medicinal smell that can bring tears to your eyes! If you prefer a less overwhelming scent, try lemon eucalyptus. It has many of the same properties with a gentler … Continue reading →

Essential Oils: Tea Tree

Tea tree essential oil is one no home aromatherapy kit should be without! It is a great all-around oil with antiviral, anti-fungal, anesthetic, and antibacterial properties. Tea tree is also a great natural deodorizer. You may find the scent of the essential oil a little medicinal, but you can always combine tea tree with one or two of the other oils in your kit for a more pleasant smell! NOTE: There are artificial products that have greater antibacterial or anti-fungal properties, but as far as natural remedies go, you can’t beat tea tree oil! Tea tree is one of the … Continue reading →

Essential Oils: Lemon

A great oil for your aromatherapy starter kit is lemon essential oil. If you love the bright, fresh scent of citrus fruits, you will love using lemon oil! It takes a lot of lemon rinds (about 1,500 lemons worth) to make a pound of lemon essential oil, but lucky for us, lemons are abundant! You should be able to get 10 milliliters of lemon essential oil for less than five dollars. Personally, I like shopping at Soapbox U.S.A. for my essential oils. Aromatherapy Properties Lemon (and the other citrus scents like lime, grapefruit, and orange) are uplifting and energizing. Studies … Continue reading →

Essential Oils: Lavender

When you’re stocking up your aromatherapy starter kit, one of the first oils to add to your collection is lavender. It’s affordable! Because lavender is easy to grow and harvest, the essential oil is very inexpensive. It takes around a hundred pounds of flowers to produce one pound of oil… compare that to jasmine, that needs more than a thousand pounds of flowers to produce one pound of oil! You should be able to get a 10 milliliter bottle of lavender essential oil for under five dollars – and its cousin lavandin will be even cheaper. Lavandin (spike lavender) has … Continue reading →