aromatherapy

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aromatherapy benefits

Aromatherapy is the controlled use of essential oils to maintain and promote physical, psychological and spiritual well being. Essential oils may be used on the young or old with a variety of methods: massage, inhalation, burners or candles, bath and sauna but to name a few. Although they are the tools of a gentle therapy, essential oils have the power to reach deep into the psyche to relax the mind and uplift the spirit. It is a holistic therapy that should not be used to replace orthodox treatment, but to complement it.

Essential oils are highly fragrant fluids extracted from a variety of plant life - flowers, seeds, wood, leaves, roots and grasses - using methods such as distillation, expression and extraction. There are around 300 oils in use around the world today with many properties, for example anti-bacterial, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory and diuretic. Most importantly, essential oils are in harmony with people AND the planet - this means no pollution!

How essential oils work

As the name would suggest, one of the most effective mechanisms of aromatherapy is through the sense of smell. The sensitive olfactory nerves in the nose carry the smell to the brain, where it registers with the limbic system. This is our most primitive region of consciousness, assoicating memory with smell - a smell remembered from a pleasant childhood experience will be beneficial for the patient in the present.

Each essential oil has a unique theraputic signature, a vital force reflecting its affinity with a system of the body. The aroma of essential oils and fragrances are broken down into three components: top, middle and base notes. Top note oils, such as grapefruit and peppermint, are light and fresh in aroma and the first that the nose discerns. These oils evaporate most quickly.

Middle notes, that hold the top and base together, are the fixative oils. These are more floral and stay longer in the body than top note oils. Lastly, base notes are heavy in character and the last to emerge from the scent. These tend to be woody in smell and evaporate most slowly from the body.

Aromatherapy Massage

The application of essential oils through aromatherapy massage is a method enhanced by the physiological benefits of massage itself, in it's ability to promote the flow of blood and lymph around the body. The therapist uses long massage strokes along the lymphatic system of the body, always toward the heart and main lymph nodes, thus aiding the cleansing and elimination of toxins.

Aromatherapy Massage has a therapeutic effect on the skin, often with different formulas being blended for the face and body. Essential oils work cosmetically and as anti-ageing agents, stimulating skin cells into reproducing at a quicker rate. Skin treated with essential oils thus becomes stronger and more dynamic, circulation is removed and unfriendly bacteria neutralised. Their action on the peripheral nerve endings helps to relieve the stress and tension that so often leads to sensitive and damaged skin.

Lastly, some essential oils help maintain the bounciness of collagen, upon which the outer layers of skin rest, and encourage the regeneration of new cells - the key to youthful looking skin.