Archive for April, 2011

Massage Oils and Lotions | Massage Therapy Oils

Thursday, April 28th, 2011

Aromatherapy has gained tremendous popularity over the recent years worldwide. In aromatherapy, a number of essential oils and massage lotions are used for treating various ailments. The use of massage oils and lotions in aromatherapy depends on the ailment or disorder to be treated. It is not only the medicinal properties of the massage lotions and oils but also the aromas of these oils play an important role in healing and curing the ailments.

The essential oils possess the inherent natural fragrance of the plants or herbs from which they are extracted. For making massage lotions and oils, essential oils are first blended with some carrier oils such as olive or almond oil in order to dilute them as most essential oils are very strong in nature and can cause skin irritation if used directly without dilution. These days artificially scented massage oils are also available in the market. Therefore, while buying massage therapy oils you must ensure that you are choosing the natural ones.

You yourself can make aromatherapy massage oils at home. Some excellent recipes for massage oils and lotions are mentioned hereunder.

  • Mix six drops of lavender essential oil in three tablespoons of olive oil. This massage oil has a great soothing and calming effect on the nerves. This property makes it popular as an excellent stress reliever. A massage with this oil makes you feel refreshed and stress free. You can also use patchouli essential oil, clary sage oil, germanium essential oil and ylang- ylang oil for the purpose of relaxation. These oils are also well known for their calming and stress-relieving properties.
  • Blend eight to ten drops of avocado essential oil in four tablespoons of almond oil. This oil is very rich in vitamin A, vitamin B and vitamin D. Regular massage with this oil will not only solve your problem of dry skin but also helps in gradually eliminating the wrinkles.
  • For treating ailments such as the common cold, flu, and disorders of the respiratory system, you can prepare the massage oil by mixing five to six drops of eucalyptus essential oil in four tablespoons of olive oil. If you happen to suffer from cold or chest congestion, massage with this oil on your forehead, chest and back before going to bed.
  • A pain relieving massage oil can be made by mixing one drop each of chamomile oil, eucalyptus oil, helichrysum essential oil, six drops each of marjoram oil and lavender oil, and two teaspoons of olive oil. This oil has the great ability of relieving muscular as well as rheumatic pains.

Despite all the great benefits of aromatherapy massage oils and lotions, you should consult your health care provider before using them.

Essential Oils and Massage Therapy Benefits

Thursday, April 28th, 2011

Aromatherapy, one of the most popular alternative therapies for treating several common and chronic ailments makes use of a number of essential oils. These essential oils, sometimes used as massage essential oils, are extracted by steam distillation of various plants, herbs, and shrubs that possess medicinal and therapeutic properties. These days, essential oils and massages have become the complimentary terms. In order to prepare the massage oils for therapeutic use, essential oils are blended with carrier oils such as jojoba oil or olive oil. You should never use an essential oil without diluting it with some carrier oil as it may result into irritation of skin; this is because these concentrated essential oils are very strong in nature.

Massage therapy has the tremendous potential to treat a number of ailments and disorders. In fact, essential oils are the major tools of modern aroma therapists. The selection of the massage essential oil is done depending upon the ailment to be cured. Some of the benefits of massage therapy are as mentioned below.

  • Cures the problem of poor blood circulation.
  • Massage therapy reduces mental stress and strain by calming your nerves. This is one of the greatest oil massage benefits. The essential oils used for the purpose of inducing relaxation and sleep include lavender essential oil, germanium essential oil, sandalwood oil and ylang- ylang essential oil, among several others.
  • Another great benefit of essential oil massage is that it makes your skin healthy and helps in keeping it young for a much longer period by nourishing the skin tissues. The most commonly used essential oils used for skin care are lavender oil, tea tree essential oil, rose essential oil, and many others. These oils not only make your skin healthier but also help in treating problems such as acne and pimples.
  • Oil massage therapy has a great effect in relieving you from fatigue and feeling of tiredness.
  • Another of the benefits of massage therapy is its pain relieving capability.
  • Massage oil prepared by using eucalyptus essential oil can be used to treat problems related to the respiratory system such as common colds, chest congestion, sore throat, flu, and even sinusitis.
  • Another great benefit of essential oil massage is that it detoxifies your body by removing harmful toxins from the body.

These are the most common benefits of massage therapy. If you opt to undergo massage therapy, you must undertake the services of a qualified and experienced aroma therapist only.

Is Essential Oils Works for Diabetes?

Thursday, April 28th, 2011

Diabetes is referred to as a medical condition in which the glucose levels in your bloodstream get elevated much higher than the normal levels. This condition occurs due to inadequate secretion of insulin by the pancreas. Insulin is a hormone that is secret by the pancreas and which regulates the blood glucose levels in your body. Diabetes is a dangerous disorder that can lead to several other serious complications such as heart attacks, kidney failure, vision-related problems, and various disorders of the skin, including disintegration of the skin.

In general, there are two types of diabetes as mentioned hereunder:

  • Type 1 diabetes is insulin dependent diabetes that usually begins at an early age, even childhood.
  • Type 2 diabetes also referred to as diabetes mellitus in medical terms usually occurs at middle age. This type of diabetes is non-insulin dependent and is less severe as compared to the type 1. Type 2 diabetes is very common worldwide.
  • A third type of diabetes that only occurs during pregnancy is known as gestational diabetes.

Some of the symptoms of diabetes are as follows:

  • Loss of weight
  • Frequent thirst and urge for urination
  • Excessive hunger
  • Weakness, dizziness, and laziness
  • Wound healing takes a long time.

Some of the causes of diabetes are as under:

  • Family history of diabetes
  • Bad food habits
  • Unhealthy lifestyle such as excessive drinking, overeating, and lack of physical movement
  • Persistent anxiety and mental strain

For the treatment of diabetes, there are several alternative therapies also in addition to the usual medical treatment. There are a number of herbs for diabetes that are administered in several ways for the natural treatment. The most commonly used herbs for diabetes are bitter melon, fenugreek, blueberry and banaba.

Many aroma therapists also claim to cure diabetes by making use of certain essential oil. Apparently, there seems to be no relation between aromatherapy and diabetes. Although diabetes cannot be cured by aromatherapy, there are some essential oils for diabetes that can be used to reduce the affects of diabetes such as stress and strain and certain disorders of the skin. Some of the popularly used essential oils are lavender oil, germanium oil, sandalwood oil, and tea tree essential oil.

For a natural cure for diabetes, you consider the following:

  • Performing regular workouts is one of the best ways for keeping blood sugar under control. In yoga, there are several exercises particularly meant for diabetes control. For this, do consult a yoga instructor.
  • Brisk walking in the morning as well as in evening.
  • Proper dietary plan.

How to Treat Foot Blisters | Prevent Foot Blister

Thursday, April 28th, 2011

Blisters on the feet, though not very serious in nature, can cause a lot of discomfort and pain. Since it is the feet that bear the whole body weight when you stand or walk, the condition becomes even worse when these blisters start bursting. Before knowing how to treat foot blisters, you should understand the causes and steps to be taken for prevention. The common causes for foot blisters are as under:

  • The first and the most common cause is the friction between your feet and inner side of your shoes. Consistent friction results in heating of the skin, which ultimately causes blisters on the feet. This usually happens due to tight-fitted shoes.
  • Another common reason for occurrence of foot blisters is moisture. If your socks are wet due to water or sweating, the skin of your feet gets softened and makes it more susceptible to the formation of blisters.
  • Wearing too small or oversized socks may also sometimes lead to foot blisters. Large-sized socks may get bunched up under your feet and result into friction while walking.

For preventing foot blisters, you should take the following steps:

  • Always wear perfectly fitted socks and shoes only and ensure that your footwear is not moist.
  • If your socks get damp due to sweat, change them immediately. In order to prevent sweating, you can apply some talcum powder on your feet before going out for a walk.
  • Do dry your feet before putting on your socks and shoes.

Now you might be keen to know how to treat foot blisters? There are many foot blister remedies that you may use for the treatment of blisters on your feet. Some of the most effective home remedies are as mentioned below:

  • Soak your feet for nearly 15 minutes in comfortably warm water preferably at night before going to bed and dry by gently pressing with a towel. This softens the blisters and helps in quick healing.
  • Take some aloe vera juice and apply it on and around the blisters twice a day. This is a very good home remedy for curing foot blisters. If you are unable to get aloe vera, you can apply olive oil instead.
  • Soaking your feet in cold salt water for 10 minutes will give you considerable relief from the pain caused by food blisters.
  • If your blisters burst, apply some antiseptic gel so as to prevent any bacterial infection.