Archive for March, 2011

Aromatherapy for Respiratory System Disorders

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

Respiratory system diseases usually occur due to viral or bacterial infections. We all have suffered from respiratory system problems of some kind at some time or the other. The common causes of respiratory system disorders are mentioned hereunder:

  • One of the most common causes of respiratory disorder is the common cold. It occurs from a viral attack in which your upper respiratory tract gets affected.
  • Bacterial infections are another major cause for the respiratory system diseases such as pharyngitis, bronchitis, and laryngitis. These respiratory system diseases affect the entire respiratory system including the lungs.
  • Environmental hazards also cause respiratory problems; if you need to work in a dusty or smoky environment, it may lead to the disorders of the respiratory system.
  • Allergies to certain conditions such as dust and pollens from plants and grasses are another common reason for respiratory disorders.
  • Family history of some chronic respiratory disease such as asthma.
  • Smoking is another major cause of the respiratory disorders worldwide. It not only affects your upper respiratory tract but also seriously harms yours lungs.

The symptoms associated with respiratory system disorders include difficulty in breathing, where sometimes the wind pipe becomes so narrow that a snoring sound is produced while breathing, recurring cough, restlessness and discomfort, and nausea and vomiting.

There are several alternative therapies for curing respiratory system diseases. Aromatherapy is one of them. Aromatherapy uses several essential oils that are obtained from various herbal plants. In aromatherapy, there are a number of natural remedies for respiratory problems. Some of the most effective aromatherapy remedies are mentioned below:

  • Add two drops each of thyme essential oil, ravintsara essential oil, lemon oil, and fir essential oil in one tablespoon of honey, and mix in one glass of hot water. Drink this concoction twice a day. This is a wonderful remedy for respiratory system diseases.
  • If you are suffering from severe nose and chest congestion, add two drops of eucalyptus essential oil in a mug of steaming hot water and inhale the vapors. It is essential that you cover your head with a towel so that vapors do not escape. This will instantly decongest the blocked nose and relieve chest congestion.
  • Add 5 drops each of germanium oil, lavender oil, and patchouli essential oil in 50 ml of jojoba oil and mix thoroughly by shaking the bottle. Massage with this oil on the chest and back before going to bed.

If the ailment persists for over 3 days, you must consult your doctor for treatment.

Diluting Essential Oils for Safe and Effective Aromatherapy

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

Essential oils are one of the components used in aromatherapy. Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts that are used to cure ailments naturally. Essential oils are highly concentrated and strongly aromatic. As such, essential oils must be diluted before topical application on skin as the usage of concentrated essential oils on skin can lead to adverse consequences. This is referred to as sensitization. Skin sensitization that develops as a result of the usage of essential oils without dilution leads to allergic skin reactions, causing irritation, inflammation and rashes.

Essential oils can be diluted with carrier oils to prevent adverse reactions. Carrier oils, also referred to as base oils, are vegetables oils that are extracted from the fatty portions of plants like seeds, nuts, and kernels. Some of the essential oils that are commonly used for diluting essential oils are jojoba oil, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, almond oil, calendula oil, walnut oil, sesame oil, wheatgerm oil and hazelnut oil, among others.

Dilution of essential oils is pretty simple in that you just need to mix essential and carrier oils. However, various essential oils require a specific type of carrier oil and dilution proportions also vary. When you are preparing a blend of essential and carrier oils, you must prepare a simple blend with just one type of essential oil and carrier oil. Also, you must know the recommended proportion of dilution for essential oils. Some of the imperatives of essential oil dilution process are listed as under:

  • First and foremost, you must choose a carrier oil that is apt to be used for diluting essential oils.  You should not randomly use any carrier oil to dilute an essential oil.
  • The second most important tip for diluting essential oils is to understand essential oil dilution ratios. The dilution ratios vary with the aim of the aromatherapy and consequently the type of essential oil being used. However, if you are not sure about dilution rations, you can opt for a 2% dilution, which is the safe way out. You can make a 2% dilute preparation by blending 15 drops of essential oil in 30 ml of carrier oil, the latter being cold pressed.
  • You must avoid essential oils that cause sensitization. Such essential oils lead to adverse results even when used in diluted form.

These are a few ways to dilute essential oils for safe and effective aromatherapy. However, it is always best to consult an aromatherapy specialist for advice on usage of essential oils and dilution ratios.

Aromatherapy Lotions | Aromatherapy Skin Care

Wednesday, March 16th, 2011

In recent times, aromatherapy has become a very popular alternative mode of therapy worldwide. Today, it is widely used for the treatment of several common and chronic ailments. Aromatherapy is mainly used for treating pains and disorders of the skin and nervous system. It makes use of the essential oils derived from a number of plants, herbs, and flowers that possess certain medicinal properties. Aromatherapy essential oils are very strong in nature and should never be applied directly to the skin as these can result in irritation of the same. Essential oils are always used after diluting with some carrier oil such as coconut or olive oil.

Aromatherapy uses several techniques such as aromatherapy baths, massages, and inhalation of the vapors of the essential oils. For skin care, aromatherapy baths are very popular in an aromatherapy bath, you need to add a few drops of essential oil of your choice or as suggested by your aroma therapist to the bath water. Taking regular aromatherapy baths has a positive effect on your skin. It not only helps treat skin disorders such as acne or dry skin but also makes your skin healthier, giving it a glow.

For aromatherapy skin care, several popular brands of creams and lotions are also available in the market which is referred to as aromatherapy lotions. You can also make aromatherapy lotions at home. Some popular aromatherapy lotion recipes are as follows.

  • If your skin is sensitive and you often experience skin irritation, prepare a lotion by adding eight to ten drops each of lavender essential oil and tea tree essential oil to 100 ml olive oil, and mix the contents thoroughly by shaking the bottle. This is a great aromatherapy body lotion for sensitive skin. Apply this lotion on your body at least twice a week half an hour before taking a bath. This will make your skin soft and youthful.
  • For dry skin, you can prepare a lotion by adding eight to ten drops of patchouli oil and ten to fifteen drops of sandalwood essential oil to 100 ml olive oil. This is a great formulation for dry skin.
  • If you have acne or pimples on your skin, you can prepare a lotion using chamomile oil, jojoba essential oil, and lemon essential oil.

While these recipes for making aromatherapy lotions are popular and are used at home, it is advisable that you consult your aroma therapist before making and/or applying any lotion, as the wrong ingredients or incorrect proportions could damage your skin significantly.

Aromatherapy Soaps | Aromatherapy Skin Care

Wednesday, March 16th, 2011

Aromatherapy has emerged as a popular alternative mode of therapy during the recent years. In aromatherapy, essential oils of various plants and herbs are used for the treatment of several disorders and ailments. These essential oils possess excellent medicinal properties in addition to the characteristic natural aroma of the plants, flowers, and the herbs from which these essential oils have been extracted.

In aromatherapy, essential oils are used in a variety of ways such as aromatherapy massage, vapor inhalation, and aromatherapy bath. For aromatherapy bath, few drops of essential oils are added to the bath water. It can be a single essential oil or a blend of two to three essential oils, depending on the disorder being treated. Aromatherapy bath also makes use of special soaps; these are referred to as aromatherapy soaps. Aromatherapy soap is made by using some specific essential oils for specific purposes. Since they are made from natural ingredients, aromatherapy soaps are mild on your skin. Nowadays, aromatherapy skin care has gained tremendous popularity among the masses worldwide. Uses and benefits of some aromatherapy soaps for skin care are mentioned hereunder:

  • To soothe an occasional skin irritation, you should use lavender soap. It has an extremely soothing and rejuvenating effect on your skin.
  • To pacify sunburns due to excessive exposure to sun, use peppermint soap while bathing. This soap has the ability to treat sunburns.
  • If you suffer from dry skin which seems to worsen during the winter, you should use the patchouli soap. It not only moisturizes your skin but also makes it tender and glowing. Sandalwood soap too is  a wonderful aromatherapy soap for dry skin.

Some other great benefits of aromatherapy soaps are as mentioned below:

  • Fragrance of some essential oils such as cardamom essential oil, jasmine essential oil, chamomile essential oil, and several others has the ability to uplift your mood and spirits. Such essential oils are used in making several aromatherapy soap formulations. These soaps are greatly used for the treatment of mental stress, hypertension, insomnia, and other disorders of the nervous system.
  • For relief from fatigue, aromatherapy soaps made from ginger oil, grapefruit oil, jasmine oil and peppermint oil are widely used.
  • Aromatherapy soaps for memory enhancement are made from cypress, rosemary, basil and lemon essential oils.

You can consult your aroma therapist for helping you in selecting the aromatherapy soap for your specific requirements.