Aromatherapy has been practiced intensively for the last few hundred years to say the least however this type of medicine can officially be documented around 1000 years ago when distillation based on steams was first discovered while making it possible to extract the oils from plant parts and to use them for medical purposes.

Ever since that moment this practice became bigger and bigger and today we get to enjoy a strong market based on natural methods aiming to assist in treating and helping us. Below we’re going to identify the most important Aromatherapy oils and uses for us consumers.

How exactly do Aromatherapy benefits work on us?

First of all, Aromatherapy focuses on treating us as individuals before focusing on any condition that we could be facing. This means an aromatherapist will apply his or her knowledge to find out the source of our discomfort before prescribing any treatment for a specific condition. Your medical history, your lifestyle and any other concerns will be rated before beginning the treatment so get ready to connect with the person in front of you and don’t expect to receive your typical medical care.

It’s hard to standardize how Aromatherapy essential oils uses work because there is more than just one method of applying this practice. If you make a mix and apply the treatment on your skin, the essential oils with get through the skin and treat the area in cause or maintain your body’s healthy. If you decide to inhale the substances, our smell receptors will do the job for us.

Receptors are able to communicate with our brain and the brain will respond with memories and emotions. If you simply breathe in the oil, your brain will pick up the information and stimulate a well-being state for our brain and the rest of our body. Just to give you a quick example, it was proven that certain oils are able to stimulate the activity of the brain in the amygdala in a similar way that pharmaceutical sedatives do. Other studies prove that the exact same molecules are able to interact with hormones and enzymes.

Another known treatment involving essential oils aromatherapy uses is performing full-body massages. During this type of session your skin will absorb the oils and you can also inhale them for a full effect on your body. Obviously the massage will also help you relieve stress and relax your muscles if you have a demanding lifestyle.

So what really happens during an aromatherapy session?

First off, we need to make clear that Aromatherapy sessions can only be held by a qualified personal. Only professional aromatherapist experienced in performing this type of treatments or therapies, qualified medical nurses, qualified therapists or licensed massage personal are able to recommend this method of treatment. No one that doesn’t stand as a trained professional can perform Aromatherapy and only a qualified professional can get to advise you when it comes to ingesting the oils.

It’s also necessary that the aromatherapist or the person in charge with your Aromatherapy session gets to communicate with you about past medical problems, symptoms and your lifestyle as well as any scents that you feel appropriate for you. This could mean that your brain already made some choices for you and the whole treatment could be based on those specific choices.

You will most likely be asked to smell a few essential oils before beginning, and your practitioner will continue by diluting the oils and applying them on your skin. This will help him or her to identify how your body performs when in contact with this type of substance and if there are any risks of having unwanted or unpleasant reactions.

After these stages are done, your treatment will begin and you will get to enjoy all the great wonders of Aromatherapy. It is recommended that you take at least two sessions per month but your aromatherapist will offer more details and explain how many sessions you need to obtain noticeable results. Either way, you’ll be heading for one of nature’s hidden gems that will definitely offer you a different perspective on medicine and on finding your body’s natural balance.

How can essential oils and their benefits help me?

Aromatherapy can provide valuable help in several treatments and religious rituals aiming to treat spiritual and physical issues. In general, essential oils are aiming to help us get rid of pain, lift our mood when we’re feeling down and to relax us when our mind is not able to find its natural balance. Just to give you a quick example certain oils are scientifically proven to battle stress, anxiety and depression.

There are clinical studies suggesting that when certain essential oils are being used pregnant women feel less nervous during birth and they also get more confident without requiring so many pharmaceutical medications during labor. Several women have also reported that peppermint oil is able to help with nausea during labor. All of this seems amazing considering that fact that all you need to do is expose your body to the essential oils, substances that can only help you get better without harming you.

Massage therapy, combined with medication and therapy, may help us in the battle with depression. The scents of essential oils will stimulate a well-being in the part of our brains that generates emotions and you will get an overall feeling of relaxation and balance through the massage of your muscles. Exposing yourself to this type of therapy can only come with great benefits considering the fact that stress is among top conditions faced by today’s society.

A study found that Neroli oil, for example, can help with anxiety among people that go under surgery. Applied on test tubes, essential oils have the ability to kill bacteria and fungi. Other evidence shows that citrus oils strengthen the immune system while helping us lose weight by taking care of our digestive system. Oils also have compounds similar to estrogen and that can offer valuable help in relieving pain when it comes to menopause.

Other conditions treated by essential oils and their uses and benefits are:

• Alopecia areata – commonly known as hair loss. Several essential oil are able to keep our scalps clean and improve the blood circulation while protecting our hair follicles.
• Agitation – if you’re feeling agitated during a certain event, inhaling essential oils will help you calm down and find your best state of mind.
• Constipation – using an essential oil during Aromatherapy and combining it abdominal massage will help you get rid of constipation and improve your digestive system functioning.
• Insomnia – common problem especially if we have to face huge amounts of stress on a daily basis. Essential oils are able to improve our sleep while getting us more rested for the next day.
• Pain – certain types of pain are able to be relieved with Aromatherapy. We can name rheumatoid arthritis, headaches or even tooth ache if we’re facing an emergency.
• Itching – as we all know if we scratch a certain part of our body, the itch will only get worst but essential oils are able to stop this horrible feeling while curing our skin.

What should I pay attention to?

When applied topically most oils represent no harm whatsoever to our bodies. The only severe concern should be taking essential oils orally, and in this situation you absolutely need to get in touch with someone qualified first. Some essential oils are not safe for oral consumption. Considering this you should but safety first before anything else.

Rarely, essential oils can come with side effects but to avoid finding yourself in this type of situation you should test the mix you plan on applying on a small portion of your skin before going on with the rest of your treatment. Let the treatment sink in and if nothing happens in 2 or 3 hours you’re safe to apply the rest of the mix on your skin.

Essential oils can also irritate skin. This is why you never apply the essential oil on your skin without diluting it in a carrier. This will help the oil spread its entire concentrations equally on your body and all you need to be aware of in this case are the areas around your eyes. Eyes can get highly irritated from this type of use so avoid the areas around them just like when applying any type of cosmetics.

This type of product is also highly inflammable so avoid putting essential oils in places that are exposed to sun light or potential fire. The active ingredients of this type of product can cause side effects when being used with certain pharmaceutical medications so if you plan on getting yourself an Aromatherapy treatment you should inform your doctor first and wait for him or her to decide if this is the best case scenario for you. In some cases Aromatherapy should be avoided entirely and in other cases it could represent the solution you were actually looking for.

Is Aromatherapy meant for everyone?

The answer to this question is actually no. If you’re pregnant or you have severe asthma or allergies you should avoid using essential oils or take them only under severe guidance from a person that’s qualified in this area of expertise. Essential oils can cause certain dysfunctions with your hormones if you’re pregnant and exposing yourself to Aromatherapy can trigger severe asthma if you’re suffering from this condition. Therefore, administration under severe medical care is recommended or no usage at all.

How can a find an aromatherapist?

Currently there are commissions to approve professional aromatherapists in United States. However, professionals are part of organizations that state their level or knowledge and skills. In order to find a professional aromatherapist around your area you can get in touch with N.A.H.A.

You should also be aware that many specialists are trained in different types of therapy but all of them will include Aromatherapy in their practice. This means you need to research for someone that specializes in your health problem or accept recommendations to obtain the best results possible.

What will happen with Aromatherapy in the near future?

Despite having only a few studies that prove the positive effect of essential oils on people and their well-being, Aromatherapy is on a constant development while claiming its spot even in traditional medicine in countries such as France or the U.K.

Oils have been used for hundreds of years in several healing methods and any concern about quantity or specific usage can be cleared by a professional aromatherapist. In the near future we predict that people will get more concern about the composition of industrial beauty products and everyone will start making their own products at home just to be in control of every substance that touches their skin so essential oils will most likely win more ground in the world-wide market.

Seeing that essential oils are cost effectively and not harmful for our bodies more people will begin to trust Aromatherapy and this alternative medicine method will begin to claim even a stronger spot in modern medicine. Finding and using Aromatherapy products online as a complementary method to classic medicine or for prevention purposes will also become more popular so patience will require this type of treatment during birth, depression, anxiety, stress and minor injuries on the skin knowing that essential oils will not harm them.          

There you have it - our guide to Aromatherapy benefits and precautions is now completed. Hopefully we provided enough information for you to get initiated in this practice and in the near future you will be able to find treatment for an issue that was not resolved until this point. Looking to try Aromatherapy on your own? Start with homemade beauty products to make sure your body reacts well to this type of compounds. Carry on by consulting a specialist before performing other treatments on yourself and remember: safety first!