Homeopathy Haven

There are many ways of using aromatherapy so if you think inhaling it is the only way, think again because here are a few other options.

If you have muscle aches or pains, you can get a massage using one or two essential oils. You don’t even need a full body massage to feel its profound effect because you can apply it yourself especially when you have a terrible headache or have some pain in the arms or legs.

You can even bathe yourself in aromatherapy oils. All you have to do is fill the bathtub and add in 6 to 10 drops of the essential oil of your choice. If you don’t have any oils, try bath salts that are designed to dissolve once this is mixed with water.

For those who don’t like to apply this directly to their skin, they can also add aromatherapy oil to a hot or cold compress. To do that, you have to get a bowl and fill it with water. Once it is filled, pour in some essential oils and then soak a tea towel for a few minutes. After wringing out the excess water, you wrap this in another towel or a plastic wrap and then apply this over the affected area.

Some stains are hard to remove and when nothing else seems to work, perhaps some essential oil will do the trick. To do that, you simply mix the essential oil with the laundry, floor rinses, wash buckets or water misters. The outcome is a clean shirt and household.

Aside from keeping your clothes and house clean, aromatherapy oils can also help remove a stench even when it is coming from your shoes. To do that, you put a few drops of the oil in a pan if the smell happens to come from the kitchen and let it simmer for a few minutes. As for your shoes, you just put a few drops into the shoe.

You can even mix aromatherapy oils with some cosmetics. Some examples of these include body lotion, hair rinses, cold creams, perfumes and shampoo. When you do this, make sure it is 1 part essential oil to 9 or 10 parts of the base material.

Do you have a bad breath or a sore throat? An essential oil like clove or tea tree can aid after gargling it for a few seconds. If you don’t like the taste, try mixing this with plain water.

Aromatherapy oils are also great for burns, minor cuts, scrapes and scratches. To use it, you mix a few drops of the oil with some warm water. You then soak a clean cloth or a cotton pad then apply this over the affected area before putting a bandage.

There are a lot of ways to maximize aromatherapy and how it can be used depends on the type of oil that you have. While some will make you feel calm and relaxed others will make you experience a different sensation. The nice thing about using such oils is that it is safe for you to use.

For sure this will make your house clean and smelling great while at the same time make you feel good since there are no side effects unlike certain medication.

When you drop by natural health and aromatherapy stores, you are faced with choosing among the many ingredients you may employ to achieve a holistic treatment. Some of the items you may encounter include aromatherapy bath oil, aromatherapy beads, essential oils, carrier oils, fragrance oils and infused oils. Is this all confusing? Read on to differentiate one from the other, and get to know each one’s uses.

What Are Essential Oils

You might be surprised, but the so-called aromatherapy essential oils are not oily to the touch at all. Most of them are clear, but some come in amber or yellowish color, such as orange and lemon grass essential oils.

Essential oils are distilled, usually by steam or water, from various parts of the source plant such as leaves, stems, petals, roots and other parts. They are highly concentrated and contain no artificial fragrances. You can derive many physical and psychological benefits from these oils.

They are often sold in small bottles and can greatly vary in price, depending on the rarity of the plant, the amount of oil produced by the plant and other standards. Because they are in pure form, essential oils are often diluted with carrier oils prior to usage.

Carrier Oils

Since essential oils are very much concentrated and may cause severe irritations and other reactions in some people, carrier oils are used to dilute them. Carrier oils are made from the seeds, nuts and kernels, which are the parts that contain the most fat. Sometimes called vegetable oils, each one of them carries different therapeutic benefits, depending on what is being sought.

Carrier oils got scents of their own, although they may not be as strong as those from essential oils. Some of the natural lotions, body creams, massage oils, bath oils and other skin care products are made from carrier or vegetable oils. When essential oils are added to carrier oils, you will get differences in color, scent and shelf life of the final product.

Fragrance Oils

While essential oils are natural because they are made of the distilled essences of the plants where they came from, fragrance oils, on the other hand, are artificial scents – they contain artificial substances and are diluted with carrier oils. You might have also encountered items like perfume oils or potpourri oils, but they are basically just the same as fragrance oils, considering how they were made.

Unfortunately, fragrance oils do not carry the same therapeutic benefits offered by essential oils. Many scented cosmetics, candles, skin-care products like lotions and soaps, and others only contain fragrance oils or other synthetically-made fragrances. You have to read the labels carefully if you intend to use only natural ingredients in achieving relaxation and holistic caring.

Infused Oils

Infused oils are made by infusing carrier oils with herbs. These are usually intended for those plants that contain very small amounts of essential oils.

The good thing about using infused oils in aromatherapy than just plain carrier oils is that the combined therapeutic benefits of the carrier oils and the herbs infused into them are achieved. Infused oils may or may not feel oily, depending on which carrier oil is used with it.

Unlike essential oils, infused oils can go rancid over time, just like carrier oils.