The Season is once again upon us. So much to do, and so many people to take care of. Through all the chaos, we'd like to always to a little something special to bring extra cheer to our gatherings of friends and family...but how? Ever tried 'real' aromatherapy? Not just a potpourri in the bathroom, or lemon-scented detergent. Real aromatherapy with pure essential oils. It can make a difference, creating a warm, friendly, familial atmosphere inspiring a smile on everyone's faces. There may even be some health supporting side effects as well, just from smelling something good...
Folks have used essential oils and natural aromatics to brighten their surroundings and lift their moods for many, many years. And over the last decade, scientific studies have shown the simple inhalation of essential oils to have measurable positive effects on our health. Like you'd expect from the happy and calm feelings they can bring about, essential oils have been noted to lower blood pressure, decrease stress hormone levels and improve the quality of rest. The use of essential oils as anti-depressants is on the rise, as more people are using nature's pure perfumes to bring smiles to their faces. What better time of year to surround yourself and your family with theses natural wonders.
Using essential oils as means to create an uplifting atmosphere is very straightforward. Selecting the oils may be the hardest part, as there's so many to choose from (we'll look at a few effective ones shortly). You can get just a single oil, or mix and match several to your liking. You'll even find pre-blended ones that are popular this time of year. Beyond the oils themselves, you'll need an aromatherapy diffuser - something that evaporates the oils into the air. Diffusers are available in several varieties, from basic warming models, to high-end therapeutic units.
Warming diffusers do just that - warm the essential oils either from a cotton pad, or evaporate them from the surface of small bowl of water using a candle. These are inexpensive, easy to use, and make a smaller space smell wonderful. For a little larger area, a fan diffuser passes air over the oils and evaporates them more effectively. A little bit fancier still is an ultrasonic nebulizing diffuser, which is really a small humidifier specially made to make a mist of essential oils along with water. These are nice in dry areas or in homes with forced-air heat. Top-of-the-line are the cold-air nebulizing diffusers which make a mist of the pure essential oils themselves. Cold-air nebulizers can diffuse oils into a very large open area or at high concentrations if your therapeutic needs are such in the future.
And now for the fun part - the essential oils. There are SO many to choose from, and you may start by just browsing sites on the internet which will often have listings of over a hundred oils available. Here we'll have a look at just a few of the favorites for this time of year. Perhaps the most popular are the 'needle' oils, distilled from the needles and twigs of evergreen trees. Balsam Fir is especially nice, with a lightly complex aroma of both high and middle notes. Black Spruce is another favorite, much for the same reason - their sweetness is quite uplifting, and their complexity keeps us interested. Juniper berry, while not strictly a 'needle' oil is also wonderfully bright and uplifting. While some find it a bit strong on its own, it blends very well with other essential oils distilled from evergreens.
If you're wishing to bring a little more exotic scents into your home, the oils of Frankincense, Myrrh and Sandalwood are perfect choices - aromas that have been used extensively for both their psychological and physiological health benefits for ages. These are grounding oils, one's that are known for bringing peace and stillness. Frankincense is both bright and earthy at the same time, with its citrus and woody notes. Myrrh is more hypnotic and mysterious, useful in small amounts. Sandalwood is a classic favorite with both sweet and woody notes, with lovely varieties coming from India, Australia and the South Pacific. These oils can be blended together, or added in small amounts to one or more of the evergreen oils for a pleasant combination.
Perhaps you want to get a little more creative? Choose some of your favorite aromas and experiment. Citrus oils like Sweet Orange and Bergamot are excellent, uplifting scents. Small amounts of oils like Clove or Cardamom can be added to spice things up (Cinnamon is not generally recommended for diffuser use, as it can be too potent even in very small amounts). The common floral aromas of Lavender and Chamomile can be useful for soothing the young ones. If you'd like to create your own blend, but don't have a recipe, its often best to make a small amount first, counting by single drops the amount of each oil until you like they way they're blending. Then make a larger amount based on the ratios of the drops you've used.
Just a little essential oil can bring a new kind of cheer to you and your family this season. One small bottle is often enough to scent your home for several days - more potent oils will last even longer. As you become familiar with the array of aromas available, you'll be able to pick and choose oils particularly suited to your needs. The effects of aromatherapy may surprise you; maybe enough to get you hooked and keep you smiling through the rest of the winter. - 15359
Folks have used essential oils and natural aromatics to brighten their surroundings and lift their moods for many, many years. And over the last decade, scientific studies have shown the simple inhalation of essential oils to have measurable positive effects on our health. Like you'd expect from the happy and calm feelings they can bring about, essential oils have been noted to lower blood pressure, decrease stress hormone levels and improve the quality of rest. The use of essential oils as anti-depressants is on the rise, as more people are using nature's pure perfumes to bring smiles to their faces. What better time of year to surround yourself and your family with theses natural wonders.
Using essential oils as means to create an uplifting atmosphere is very straightforward. Selecting the oils may be the hardest part, as there's so many to choose from (we'll look at a few effective ones shortly). You can get just a single oil, or mix and match several to your liking. You'll even find pre-blended ones that are popular this time of year. Beyond the oils themselves, you'll need an aromatherapy diffuser - something that evaporates the oils into the air. Diffusers are available in several varieties, from basic warming models, to high-end therapeutic units.
Warming diffusers do just that - warm the essential oils either from a cotton pad, or evaporate them from the surface of small bowl of water using a candle. These are inexpensive, easy to use, and make a smaller space smell wonderful. For a little larger area, a fan diffuser passes air over the oils and evaporates them more effectively. A little bit fancier still is an ultrasonic nebulizing diffuser, which is really a small humidifier specially made to make a mist of essential oils along with water. These are nice in dry areas or in homes with forced-air heat. Top-of-the-line are the cold-air nebulizing diffusers which make a mist of the pure essential oils themselves. Cold-air nebulizers can diffuse oils into a very large open area or at high concentrations if your therapeutic needs are such in the future.
And now for the fun part - the essential oils. There are SO many to choose from, and you may start by just browsing sites on the internet which will often have listings of over a hundred oils available. Here we'll have a look at just a few of the favorites for this time of year. Perhaps the most popular are the 'needle' oils, distilled from the needles and twigs of evergreen trees. Balsam Fir is especially nice, with a lightly complex aroma of both high and middle notes. Black Spruce is another favorite, much for the same reason - their sweetness is quite uplifting, and their complexity keeps us interested. Juniper berry, while not strictly a 'needle' oil is also wonderfully bright and uplifting. While some find it a bit strong on its own, it blends very well with other essential oils distilled from evergreens.
If you're wishing to bring a little more exotic scents into your home, the oils of Frankincense, Myrrh and Sandalwood are perfect choices - aromas that have been used extensively for both their psychological and physiological health benefits for ages. These are grounding oils, one's that are known for bringing peace and stillness. Frankincense is both bright and earthy at the same time, with its citrus and woody notes. Myrrh is more hypnotic and mysterious, useful in small amounts. Sandalwood is a classic favorite with both sweet and woody notes, with lovely varieties coming from India, Australia and the South Pacific. These oils can be blended together, or added in small amounts to one or more of the evergreen oils for a pleasant combination.
Perhaps you want to get a little more creative? Choose some of your favorite aromas and experiment. Citrus oils like Sweet Orange and Bergamot are excellent, uplifting scents. Small amounts of oils like Clove or Cardamom can be added to spice things up (Cinnamon is not generally recommended for diffuser use, as it can be too potent even in very small amounts). The common floral aromas of Lavender and Chamomile can be useful for soothing the young ones. If you'd like to create your own blend, but don't have a recipe, its often best to make a small amount first, counting by single drops the amount of each oil until you like they way they're blending. Then make a larger amount based on the ratios of the drops you've used.
Just a little essential oil can bring a new kind of cheer to you and your family this season. One small bottle is often enough to scent your home for several days - more potent oils will last even longer. As you become familiar with the array of aromas available, you'll be able to pick and choose oils particularly suited to your needs. The effects of aromatherapy may surprise you; maybe enough to get you hooked and keep you smiling through the rest of the winter. - 15359
About the Author:
Many oils have profound health benefits, such as lemongrass essential oil and other pure organic oils.
