Essential oils are natural, however with anything in life, one must be careful. I want to make sure you have an enjoyable experience when using EO's so here are some guidelines.
~Read the labels! Of course this applies to any product we use...which sounds like a future blog topic.
~ Always test for skin sensitivity. You can test an oil by placing a drop or two on the inside of your upper arm and wait 30 minutes. If there is no discomfort then continue with other oils. If there is any discomfort or skin irritation use a pure vegetable oil or massage oil base to dilute the EO.
Water does not help.
~ Keep EO bottles away from children, tightly closed and stored in a cool location. If a child swallows an EO, give them milk, honey, or soy or rice milk. Seek emergency medical attention if needed.
~ Keep EO's away from your eyes and ears. Do not handle contact lenses or rub you eyes with EO's on your fingers. Always wash your hands after using oils if you're going to handle your contacts. If you get oils in your eyes, flush with oil, not water.
~ Pregnant women, people with high blood pressure or epilepsy should consult their health care provider before using EO's.
~ Citrus oils should not be used on the skin if it is going to be exposed to the sun or UV rays within 72 hours.
~ Keep EO's away from open flames, sparks, or electricity because some of them are potentially flammable.
~ EO's may react to the synthetic chemicals in cosmetics, personal care products, soaps, and cleaners causing headache, skin irritation, or nausea. They can also react to the toxins stored in your body. If you have any adverse reactions of this kind you may want to discontinue use for a while and consider doing a detoxification program.
I'm sure there are more precautions I will learn about. And when I do, I'll be posting them here for you. Until then, enjoy using essential oils everyday.
Be well!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Your First Oil and How to Use It
Now that you know what aromatherapy is, where should we start? A good place to begin is with how to use essential oils (which I will refer as EO's) and which EO is the first to have in your medicine cabinet.
There are three schools of application:
The English model uses EO's topically, diluting them with vegetable oils and using them for massage. Using them enhances your massage experience in numerous ways.
The French model uses EO's undiluted (neat) and prescribes ingestion. A common way to do this is to place a drop or two on a spoon of agave, honey, or vegetable oil, or on a piece of bread. Hey, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.
The German model is where we get the name "aroma" therapy from as they support the inhalation of EO's. Smells affect the brain. Think about it, when you smell something bad, like the long forgotten milk in the fridge, you turn up your nose. When you smell something good, like lilacs in spring or a freshly peeled orange, it lifts your spirits.
The EO I believe every home should have is:
Lavender! It's been called the "Swiss army knife" of EO's because it is one of the most versatile of all essential oils. Lavender has so many uses I won't overwhelm you with all of them now. However I'll give you a good start.
Lavender
1. Calming: rub a drop of oil on feet or pulse points; inhale.
2. Allergies: diffuse; put a drop or 2 in a small glass of water and drink.
3. Minor Burns: put 2 - 3 drops on burn.
4. Sunburn: "Spritz several drops of Lavender oil mixed with distilled water on sunburn to decrease pain."
5. Deodorant: rub 2 - 3 drops in armpit
6. Scar tissue: "to reduce or minimize the formation of scar tissue, massage Lavender on and around the affected area".
7.Bee sting / Insect bite: a drop on the sting or bite to stop itching or swelling.
These are just a few of the reasons I not only have Lavender in my medicine cabinet but carry a small bottle of it wherever I go. You never know when you might need it!
Be well!
There are three schools of application:
The English model uses EO's topically, diluting them with vegetable oils and using them for massage. Using them enhances your massage experience in numerous ways.
The French model uses EO's undiluted (neat) and prescribes ingestion. A common way to do this is to place a drop or two on a spoon of agave, honey, or vegetable oil, or on a piece of bread. Hey, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.
The German model is where we get the name "aroma" therapy from as they support the inhalation of EO's. Smells affect the brain. Think about it, when you smell something bad, like the long forgotten milk in the fridge, you turn up your nose. When you smell something good, like lilacs in spring or a freshly peeled orange, it lifts your spirits.
The EO I believe every home should have is:
Lavender! It's been called the "Swiss army knife" of EO's because it is one of the most versatile of all essential oils. Lavender has so many uses I won't overwhelm you with all of them now. However I'll give you a good start.
Lavender
1. Calming: rub a drop of oil on feet or pulse points; inhale.
2. Allergies: diffuse; put a drop or 2 in a small glass of water and drink.
3. Minor Burns: put 2 - 3 drops on burn.
4. Sunburn: "Spritz several drops of Lavender oil mixed with distilled water on sunburn to decrease pain."
5. Deodorant: rub 2 - 3 drops in armpit
6. Scar tissue: "to reduce or minimize the formation of scar tissue, massage Lavender on and around the affected area".
7.Bee sting / Insect bite: a drop on the sting or bite to stop itching or swelling.
These are just a few of the reasons I not only have Lavender in my medicine cabinet but carry a small bottle of it wherever I go. You never know when you might need it!
Be well!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
What is aromatherapy?
As some of you know I have started my training to become a Certified Clinical Aromatherapist. That being so, I decided to start a blog to share some of the wonderful information I'm learning as I believe using essential oils in our everyday lives can "balance, harmonize, and promote the health of body, mind, and spirit".
Aromatherapy... most folks understand the "aroma" part however they miss the "therapy" part. Therapy is actually the treatment of a health issue, be it physical, emotional, or spiritual. As we take responsibility for our treatments it behooves us to know not only what we're putting in our bodies but to also know what we're putting on our bodies. (Remember, your skin is your largest organ.) You may be thinking I'm only talking about the physical, however it cannot be separated from the emotional and spiritual. Which is one of the things I love most about essential oils; they work on multiple levels.
Now, even though the "aroma" part seems obvious, I must take a moment to say that there is a difference between fragrance oils and essential oils. If you truly engage in using oils therapeutically then you must use therapeutic grade essential oils. The reason is that most fragrance oils are essential oils that have been altered or mixed with other oils to make them cheaper; some are not even oils but synthetically produced to "smell" like an oil. By buying an inferior grade oil you will not receive the healing you desire.
And guess what? Your nose knows. Yes, it knows the difference between the two. Ever get a headache from a scented candle shop? That won't happen with therapeutic grade oils.
So, what is aromatherapy? It is a natural, non invasive use of therapeutic grade essential oils to assist our body's "natural ability to balance, regulate, heal and maintain itself". As it is making a world of difference in my life, I would love for you to experience the benefits of aromatherapy in yours.
If you have any questions about how to use therapeutic grade essential oils or where to purchase them, feel free to contact me at:
libbygatlin@gmail.com
Be well!
Aromatherapy... most folks understand the "aroma" part however they miss the "therapy" part. Therapy is actually the treatment of a health issue, be it physical, emotional, or spiritual. As we take responsibility for our treatments it behooves us to know not only what we're putting in our bodies but to also know what we're putting on our bodies. (Remember, your skin is your largest organ.) You may be thinking I'm only talking about the physical, however it cannot be separated from the emotional and spiritual. Which is one of the things I love most about essential oils; they work on multiple levels.
Now, even though the "aroma" part seems obvious, I must take a moment to say that there is a difference between fragrance oils and essential oils. If you truly engage in using oils therapeutically then you must use therapeutic grade essential oils. The reason is that most fragrance oils are essential oils that have been altered or mixed with other oils to make them cheaper; some are not even oils but synthetically produced to "smell" like an oil. By buying an inferior grade oil you will not receive the healing you desire.
And guess what? Your nose knows. Yes, it knows the difference between the two. Ever get a headache from a scented candle shop? That won't happen with therapeutic grade oils.
So, what is aromatherapy? It is a natural, non invasive use of therapeutic grade essential oils to assist our body's "natural ability to balance, regulate, heal and maintain itself". As it is making a world of difference in my life, I would love for you to experience the benefits of aromatherapy in yours.
If you have any questions about how to use therapeutic grade essential oils or where to purchase them, feel free to contact me at:
libbygatlin@gmail.com
Be well!
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