About Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy 101 - What is Aromatherapy?
Simply put, Aromatherapy involves the use of aromatherapy essential oils for therapeutic benefits and effects. When thoroughly defined it is the skilled and controlled use of aromatherapy grade essential oils for physical and emotional health. Our goal is to provide you with aromatherapy products that you will enjoy using in a casual setting that will enhance your life and provide enjoyable, pleasurable, and beneficial effects. Although Aromatherapy has been used by many cultures to physically treat and heal many medical and emotional conditions, something modern science is now beginning to confirm, we are NOT offering Aromatherapy products or advice to treat any medical or emotional problem.
Origins of Aromatherapy:
Aromatherapy has been used by the most ancient civilizations and is reputed to be at least 6000 years old. It is believed that Aromatherapy has its origins in Egypt. As far back as the fourth century BC, Hippocrates wrote about the benefits of burning certain aromatic substances.
What are Aromatherapy Essential Oils?
Aromatherapy Essential oils are extracted from certain species of flowers, grasses, fruits, leaves, roots, and trees. Each individual oil has its own properties and qualities and is used for many diverse purposes. It takes a great deal of work to produce a tiny amount of essential oil. Sixty thousand rose blossoms are required to produce one ounce of rose oil, whereas in the lavender plant the essential oil is more abundant and 220 pounds will provide 7 pounds of oil. In the case of jasmine, the flowers must be picked by hand before the sun becomes hot on the very first day they open, whereas the sandalwood tree must be at least 30 years old and thirty feet high before it can be cut down for distillation. Between these extremes, a whole range of growing and picking conditions apply to the plants that will ultimately provide the precious essential oils. The price of each oil reflects these conditions, and because it takes eight million hand picked jasmine blossoms to produce 2.2 pounds of oil, you can understand why it is one of the most expensive oils on the market.
How do Aromatherapy Essential Oils work?
Aromatherapy Essential Oils penetrate the body in two ways, through the nose and through the skin. Our sense of smell is often underestimated, but it is approximately 10,000 times more sensitive than any other sensory organ we possess, and skin is the body’s largest organ. Some people will consume/digest essential oils, but unless you are under the supervision of a certified Aromatherapist, we don't recommend trying this. The effects of essential oils can be felt simply by breathing in the aromatic vapor. The aroma molecule that we breath in is translated into a signal in our receptor cell in the nose. This signal is sent to the olfactory bulb and then on to the limbic and hypothalamus parts of the brain. These are the parts of the brain that regulate hormonal activity in our body. The second way for essential oils to penetrate the body is through the skin. Because essential oils are organic in nature, and have a very inherently low molecular weight they are absorbed through the pores and hair follicles of the skin.
Essential Oil Blends (Synergy Blends):
Essential Oil Blends are a mixture of two or more pure essential oils. By mixing these oils together a new chemical compound is created that is different than its essential oil components. Using recipes from reputable aromatherapy books and other sources we have created some marvelous synergy combinations. These synergetic blends are very particular and powerful. Since these recipes are made from pure aromatherapy essential oils without a carrier oil they can be used in aroma lamps & diffusers, in the bath, or simply applied to a cloth, pillows, sheets, etc.. Or, one may choose to mix them with a carrier oil and massage onto the skin.
Carrier Oils:
Carrier Oils are vegetable, nut, or seed oils. Unlike the oils in supermarkets which have been processed with chemical agents, carrier oils used in aromatherapy are cold pressed. Since essential oils are so concentrated they usually need to be diluted for use directly on the skin. The natural vegetable oils which have therapeutic and nourishing properties of their own make them ideal carriers. Carrier oils are excellent for massage oils and for skin care. Keep your carrier oils in a dark & cool place.
How do I know if it’s the real thing?
You should always look and make sure that you are buying “pure essential oils”. All of our oils are genuine, pure aromatherapy grade essential oils. We stock our oils in bulk directly from an international company that sources and purchases the oils directly from the reputable manufacturers at the source in various countries. If you are shopping around in other stores or websites - use caution because “Perfume Oils”, “Fragrant Oils”, or any "Aromatherapy Oils" that do not call themselves “Essential Oils” often are not pure at best and most are either cut/stretched and adulterated with added ingredients, or are they are synthetic. If you can detect a gaseous, harsh, alcohol-like odor from the bottle, the oil may have been stretched with an alcohol. "Fragrant Oils" may smell nice, but they are not natural and don't have the therapeutic benefits that real Aromatherapy Essential Oils have.
How long will essential oils last?
Unfortunately essential oils do not have date stamps when sold, so it is impossible to tell how old they are when you buy them. With careful attention through our inventory/sales management we can assure you that you will not receive any ‘old’ oils. The therapeutic life of essential oils is about two years, though some experts say it is much longer than this.
How/Where do I can keep essential oils?
Essential oils should be sold/purchased and stored in dark-colored glass bottles such as cobalt blue or amber. All of our bottles are either cobalt blue or amber glass, have tight seal caps, and orifice reducers (droppers). The dark glass protects the essential oils from the light but you need to store them away from direct sunlight and away from any heat source, preferably in a cool and dark cabinet or storage box. Your oils can evaporate so always keep the cap on when not using them. Also, be cautioned that essential oils can harm some varnished wood surfaces and some plastics such as Plexiglass. Note: always store your oils out of the reach of children and pets.
General Safety Information:
Do not take any oils internally without consultation from a certified aromatherapy practitioner. Most essential oils should be diluted before applying them to the skin. If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use oils only under the proper guidance of a certified aromatherapy practitioner. Use extreme caution when using oils with children and give children only the gentlest oils at extremely low doses. It is safest to consult a certified aromatherapy practitioner before using oils with children. The best way to test an essential oil for allergy interactions with your body is with a skin patch spot test. If you have a known allergy to a plant or fruit, most likely you will be allergic to its essential oil. Essential oils are very concentrated oils and ‘more is not better’ in their application. In higher proportions they can have a counter-effect to the intended use. Read about an essential oil before applying it and take extra care to read about the safety precautions of each oil. Do not apply citrus essential oils, especially bergamot, before direct exposure to the sun. These essential oils increase photosensitivity to the sun and tend to be highly irritating to the skin. Essential oils are not soluble in water. Make sure you dilute or fully disperse them before getting into the bath. If you should ever experience an irritation to the skin from an essential oil, do not rub the area with water. Doing so will cause the irritation to spread. Apply any vegetable/carrier oil to the area; this will cause the essential oil to be absorbed and should ease the irritation within minutes. Always avoid contact with the eyes. Keep essential oils out of the reach of children and animals. This information is not intended as medical advice. If medical attention is needed please consult a physician or health professional.
Disclaimer:modern medical research has not been conducted to affirm or disprove the effectiveness of essential oils in treating certain medical conditions. This website and the contents of its web pages are not intended to diagnose or treat any medical or emotional conditions, nor provide any medical advice or medical remedy. If medical attention is needed, please consult a doctor or medical specialist. We are not able to respond to email or telephone inquiries regarding specific medical issues. None of our staff at AromaTherapyWebsite.com has a medical license.
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