Aromatherapy at home
People have been using essential oils for thousands of years to help treat medical conditions, relieve stress, promote wellbeing and aid sleep.
We take a look at the best aromatherapy oils and techniques you can use at home to harness the power of scent for calm and rebalance.
What is Aromatherapy?
Modern aromatherapy techniques and applications date back over a century. Aromatherapy uses pure oils, infusions and distillations drawn from leaves and roots, fragrant flowers, and raw crushed leaves.
The scent of essential oils kindles the part of your brain that deals with smell, and may help to make you feel happier, relaxed or stimulated.
There are a vast range of aromatherapy oils available, and treatment ranges from adding oil to bath water, massaging into your skin, using scented sprays, and inhaling through room diffusers, steam inhalers and oil burners.
Here’s our list of the top five essential oils you can use to help you feel relaxed and rebalanced.
Lavender
Lavender is well known for its therapeutic relaxation effects. The floral scent can help you to feel calm, and can ease the mind, reduce anxiety, and help you to relax before bed. It can also be used to sooth bruises, minor burns, stings and cuts.
- – To unwind and ease your muscles, run a warm bath, add some Epsom salts and a few drops of lavender oil, then lie back and enjoy.
- – If you have trouble sleeping, try sprinkling 3-4 drops of pure lavender oil on your pillow before you go to bed at night.
Peppermint
Peppermint not only smells fresh and clean, it can help to make the body feel good. It’s long been regarded as a natural remedy for digestive troubles, but can also help to clear the mind, reduce pain from headaches, and make you feel more alert.
- – Purchase a neutral base oil and mix it with a drop of peppermint oil, then apply the mix to your temples or sore muscles to relieve pain.
- – If you have indigestion or abdominal pains, try diluting a few drops of peppermint oil in water and drinking to sooth your stomach.
Lemon
Pure lemon essential oil has a beautiful citrus scent that can help to revive, uplift, and increase concentration.
- – Use lemon oil in an oil diffuser to reduce anxiety and make your mind more alert.
- – Add a few drops of lemon oil to water and drink to help aid weight loss, get relief from sore throats and colds, and boost your mood.
Chamomile
Lots of us are familiar with the soothing properties of chamomile tea, so it comes as no surprise that chamomile essential oil is good for relaxation and to help aid various conditions.
- – Sprinkle a few drops of chamomile oil on your pillow at night to help you relax before sleep.
- – Add several drops of chamomile oil into warm bath water and soak yourself to help relieve skin conditions such as haemorrhoids, blisters, and sunburn.
- – If you’re feeling sad or listless try mixing chamomile oil with a base oil and massaging into your skin.
Eucalyptus
The strong, fresh scent of eucalyptus oil is great to help you rebalance when you’re feeling under the weather, and can help with respiratory problems.
- – If you have a room vaporizer you can add eucalyptus oil to help relieve nasal congestion.
- – If you don’t have one, get the same effect by using the classic method of adding some oil to a large bowl of hot water, and bending over the bowl with a towel over your head so you soak up the vapours.
If you decide to purchase aromatherapy oils make sure you buy 100% pure oils, and always follow instructions for diluting and application so you don’t irritate your skin.
Have you ever tried aromatherapy?
Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor
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