Aromatherapy

Sound like Greek? Not surprising, that is a very vague definition, and that's for a good reason - Aromatherapy has more applications than one can summarize into a short definition.

First off, let's define "essential oils." These are liquids stored in various places in plants, that can be removed from the plant using steam distillation, cold pressing, chemicals, or fat-absorption. These can be stored in the peel of a fruit (which is where citrus fruits hide theirs), in the petals of a flower (like the fair rose), in the bark of a tree (the magnificent evergreens, for example), or its leaves (as the eucalyptus does), in the sap of a plant (the strong myrrh bush does this), or, in some rare cases, outside the plant itself (according to Marcel Lavabre, in the Aromatherapy Workbook put out by Healing Arts Press, a member of the Myrrh family does this, to protect its leaves from the burning sun of the harsh desert. This, he says, was the Burning Bush Moses saw in the Old Testament. How he accounts for the voice of God, I'd like to hear). After the extraction, you have the very very concentrated essence of the plant. For most if not all applications, one only needs to use a maximum of six drops. These oils are volatile - meaning that they are easily destroyed, not that they burn easily :> - and so must be carefully stored. These oils, once extracted, have applications in health (mental, spiritual, and physical), beauty, cooking, and cleaning (both of the body and of the house).

Health

Aromatherapy can be used to combat most illnesses and infections, in first aid, as a mood enhancer, sleep aid, and for many other things. I personally can vouch for the ability of a little inula graveolens oil in a humidifier to clear up a sinus infection - or any other sort of congestion. As a former roomate of mine, who was at one time an employee of Kentucky Fried Chicken, can tell you, lavender oil is very good when applied directly to a burn - they heal quickly and don't scar. It also works well on cuts and scratches. You can even use the oils you use for your own first aid on your pet. And I've found bergamot to be quite the pick-me-up - all the more reason for another cup of Earl Grey tea! Geranium baths are the only thing that helps my migrane headaches. Oh, and then there's Ylang Ylang which - well, let's just say that I think Chloe was concieved after I'd taken a bath with a little Ylang Ylang in it... And lavender pops up again as a great way to relieve insomnia. And I know several people who won't meditate or do biofeedback without a little myrrh or frankincense going in a nearby diffuser.

Beauty

Well, the oils are the basic element of perfume. But aside from just smelling good, they can be used in lotions and cleansers. A little rose oil mixed in a base of a vegitable or nut oil, or even an unscented lotion, is great for wrinkles and dry skin. Lavender (again!) is wonderful for pimples. Juniper (in a base) is a great tonic for oily skin, and a spray bottle with a citrus oil and pure water is a great refresher in the summer time (unless you live in one of the warmer climates, in which case you get to use it year round!). Clove oil mixed with a little high proof vodka or brandy makes a great mouthwash, or put it undiluted on a sore tooth. Baking soda and sage oil is a good tooth powder. Mix a one or more of your favorite oils into a vegitable or nut oil base, or into vodka, perfumer's alcohol, or unscented lotion, and they make a good perfume. Comb some rosemary (if you're a brunette) or chamomile (for the blonds) through your hair to help improve the shine, and to heal split ends.

Cooking

Without knowing it, you've eaten essential oils. They are widespread in the confectionry industry (ever had a peppermint? I rest my case). I've found, but haven't tried, a recipe for an Indian desert that calls for rose oil. And what else gives lemon scented chicken its scent? Many of the essential oils have uses in cooking. I've used rosemary oil on chicken when I ran out of the dried herb, put citrus oils in deserts and on meats - and lemon is great on zuchinni! Almost all of the oils one can use in cooking, cinnamon and clove especially, are wonderful in breads, and, as I mentioned before, Earl Grey tea would be just tea without its drop of Bergamot oil on the tea bag.

Cleaning & Household

A great number of the oils are at least one, in many cases more, of the following: antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, and antiviral. Which pretty much leaves which one you use up to your personal taste. Personally, I'm a fan of the citrus scents, because they aren't too flowery or strong, and I've been nicely trained by things like Lemon Scented Joy to associate citrus smells with clean smells. Which is probably why I have a hard time eating oranges. I've found a few drops of lemon in a vinegar and water solution to make a great glass and surface cleaner, and I frequently put a drop or two in my dishwater. Mix a little eucalyptus in some baking soda and sprinkle it on the carpet before you vacuum and it helps to dispel odors (even strong ones, like wet dog and tobacco smoke) and, as an added plus to pet owners, fleas have a very strong hatred of eucalyptus.

Diffuser

A diffuser is a small machine which electronically disperses a vapor of the oil into the room (and the ones I've seen run about sixty dollars). You can also use a simmering pot on the stove, a ceramic bowl with a candle underneath, a cotton ball with a few drops of oil placed on or very near a light bulb, or a humidifer (hot or cold). Keep in mind, though, that heat tends to destroy the therapeutic virtues of the oils, so don't use these methods unless you are just going for the scent (which is valuable in and of itself). These sorts of applications are great in sick rooms as anti-everythings (especially lavender and eucalyptus), or when you are using the oils as mood-enhancers (like the bergamot, ylang ylang, frankinsence and myrrh I mentioned earlier), especially for more than one person, or simply to fragrance a room.

Baths

Since your skin aborbs essential oils a phenominal number of times faster than it does water bathing is, in many cases, the prefered method of using the oils. A few drops of oil added to your bath, either straight or mixed with a vegitable or nut oil, milk, an egg, or an unscented bubble bath, can work to help wake you up (rosemary), put you to sleep (lavender), improve your mood (bergamot), or soften your skin (rose). This application is also helpful to ease strained muscles (lavender, again), relieve headaches (geranium), fight infections and illnesses (eucalyptus and lavender). Please, please, don't use this as a method of applications with any of the warming oils - like clove, cinnamon, and oregano. They are warming oils. As in, burning on tender portions of your anatomy! I can speak from experience here - cinnamon, definitely, does not belong in a bathtub!

If you are unfortunate enough not to have a bathtub in your home, two or three drops on a wet washcloth used right before you get out of the shower, or in a bowl of water used to rinse with, will also do the trick. Baths, however, are more effective.

Internal

As a general rule, if it's not in cooking - where you only get a tiny bit of an oil in a serving - don't take essential oils internally. Yeah, it can be done, and no it won't kill you, but it could very well make you quite sick, especially if you get too much. I've heard stories of people who take a teaspoon of peppermint oil to ease an upset stomach and get an even more upset stomach than it was to begin with.

Topical

This is the prefered method for cuts, scratches, and burns. Lavender oil, undiluted, will help to fight infection on even the worst cuts, as well as speed healing and minimize scarring. It's also great for burns. Please remember two things: there are very few oils that can be applied to your skin undiluted (lavender is the safest of these). And, if you are seriously injured, even lavender won't be able to keep you from bleeding to death. Seek emergency help if it's bad.

This is also an ideal method for cosmetic purposes. Mix a little oil into an unscented lotion or cleanser, and use as normal.

Miscellaneous applications

The oils can be used to scent a piece of fabric and used as a dryer sheet in the laundry, or put some on some cloth or paper and place in a sealed bag with your favorite stationary for a week or so, put some in your writing ink (if you're old fashioned enough to use dip pens or refillable fountain pen cartridge), on a tiny pillow tucked in a drawer or hung in your closet, refresh old potpourri, or just about anything your creative mind can come up with!

Essential oils, used wisely, can be used in every facet of your life. Please do use them wisely. Store them in a cool dark place to maintain freshness. Check that your source uses only pure oils and doesn't dilute the oils with anything (essential oil being actually a misnomer - if it feels oily, its probably been diluted), and try to avoid a manufacturer who uses chemical distillation - turpentine in eucalyptus is not very helpful in the sick room. Essential oils vary widely in price - lavender and eucalyptus tend to cost about $5.00 an ounce, while rose and jasmine are more than $250.00 an ounce! The cost reflects the type of distillation, and the ratio of plant matter to oil yielded. Please, I can't emphasize this enough, please, if you are using essential oils to treat a serious or chronic illness or injury, seek professional help as well. As wonderful as the oils are, they are not miracle workers.

You can email-me for information on the school that credentailed me (Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy, now on the web at http://www.pacificinstituteofaromatherapy.com/, my sources, good books to read, or anything else.

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