Are you new to using essential oils?

Not sure where to begin?

Here's a little primer to help acquaint you with essential oils.

What is Aromatherapy & Essential Oils

Aromatherapy is the applied use of pure essential oils to enhance physical, mental or spiritual wellness. Essential oils are distilled plant essences that may be utilized in hundreds, even thousands of ways to help make our lives better and help us feel better inside and out. The term Essential Oil comes from the Latin word 'essentia' meaning 'essence' and are volatile, meaning 'to fly' because they are a liquid that rapidly becomes gaseous. Essential Oils are highly concentrated and potent oils extracted from plants, trees, shrubs, flowers, leaves, resins, bark, etc. I like to compare them to blood as the blood in our bodies carries life giving nutrients and oxygen through the entire body, so like the essential oil is to the plant, its life-blood, or 'soul'.

Aromatherapy is the process of using pure essential oils and thus the plant essences, which can be absorbed through inhalation, one of our innate senses...the sense of smell. Smell has an effect on our perceptions, how we react physically, emotionally and mentally to our surroundings. It is part of the Limbic system in our brain. The Limbic system regulates and discerns our memories and emotions. The limbic system also maintains homeostasis in the body -  body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar levels, controls appetite and sleep cycles, and is strongly linked to emotional reactions that have to do with survival. The Limbic system also sets the emotional tone of the mind, filters external events to internal states (creates emotional coloring), ear marks events as internally important, stores highly charged emotional memories, modulates motivation, promotes bonding, modulates the libido and directly processes the sense of smell (which is why aromatherapy can be so very effective). The limbic system has two key components: The hypothalamus and the pituitary gland.

Q. Why are they so expensive?

A. read below

Essential oils are very expensive to produce, some more so than others, due to the labor -
 intensive process and the quantity of the plant required to produce the oil. Approximately 400kg of Thyme would produce 1kg of essential oil, 2000k of rose petals to make 1kg of Rose essential oil, 6 tons of orange blossoms to produce 1kd of Neroli, and about 4 million Jasmine flowers to produce 1kg of Jasmine absolute. WOW! No wonder certain oils are so expensive!

Q.  So, that is what they are, now how do I begin using them?

A.  Easy! Just read below

Here are some ways to use essential oils:

• Use a few drops in your bath water
• Use in a diffuser made for essential oils
• Dilute with a carrier oil such as sweet almond oil (almost odorless) or jojoba  and use as a massage oil, body lotion or sore muscle rub
• Make your own scent or perfume by diluting with a carrier such as sweet almond oil or whatever you choose as a base oil
• Use a few drops mixed with water in a mister, shake well before misting around the home or on your sheets before bedtime.
• Add a few drops to your shampoo or conditioner
• Add a few drops to your skin care, exfoliator, lotions or creams (use ones that have little or no fragrance)
• Add drops to warm water and soak your tired feet
• Apply to a piece of cloth and allow it to slowly diffuse and fill your room with a calming, cleansing, or invigorating scent
• Add a few drops to a cold vaporizer (eucalyptus works particularly well if you have the flu as does a mix of rosemary, tea tree a.k.a. melaluca and lavender) (( I also have created a FIGHT-A-FLU blend which contains all the most immune stimulating and best flu helper-remedies available, just ask me about it)
• Add a few drops to a pot of boiling water to naturally freshen a room or add a few drops to organic cotton balls and put them around the house
• Add a few drops to massage oil and work into the skin
• Mix your own combination to make your own ALL NATURAL and PURE  nontoxic perfume
• Add a drop or two of your favorite essential oil to your vacuum bag or air filter and fill your house with the lovely scent while you clean
• A great sleep aid and wonderful helper for children is Roman Chamomile, Tangerine and Lavender put on a cotton ball or diffuser in their rooms.

CAUTIONS & WARNINGS FOR USE

• Essential Oils usually require dilution in carrier oil if not already diluted
• Do not use oils near eyes
• If hands have been in contact with oils, do not touch face, mucous membranes, nose or sensitive areas
• Keep Essential Oils out of the reach of children and if using on children dilute more
• Be cautious using essential oils during pregnancy
• Avoid sun exposure when using Citrus oils
• Sensitivity to oils may vary considerably. Its best to start with lower dose or dilution and work up. Sensitivity may vary according to herbs or oils used. some herbs have a mild effect while others may have a very strong effect and should be use carefully.
• Read cautions and directions for each separate oil.

I sincerely hope you find a way to use essential oils as they are a wonderful way to enhance anyone's life. And I also hope this guide will help point you in the right direction. Feel free to email me with any questions, as I always give Free Consultations.

thanks for reading!