Blending Aromatherapy Essential Oils

Blending aromatherapy essential oils into a well balanced mix is talent and can some time patience and practice, but once perfected can be extremely beneficial to your well being. Aromatherapy blends that complement your daily routine are among the fastest growing uses of aromatherapy today.

An essential oil blend is created for a number of different therapeutic benefits including stress relief, relaxation, a quick uplift, or even pain relief. No special skills are required to produce a successful blend but a thorough knowledge of oils will help, along with a clear understanding of the intended use of the blend. A sensible aromatherapy blend employs all-natural, pure essential oils and delivers a clear benefit. The oils combined in it should be synergistic and harmonious enough to support and enhance oil’s effect.

Before starting your blending work, it’s very important to understand essential oils in general, as well as the specific parameters and aroma profiles of the oils you want to work with.

Essential oils are essentially very volatile. When you uncap a bottle of essential oil and expose it to the air, its aroma profile immediately begins to spread, develop and change. It undergoes certain defined morphological changes during its life span.

The three main stages of these changes are known as the top note stage, middle stage, and dry out stage. These stages of volatility coincide with three characteristics of the aroma profile known as top notes, middle notes and base notes. The top note stage appears first and corresponds with the most volatile, productive and unstable aroma compounds of the oil.

The aromas of these compounds are very subtle, smooth and fleeting, sometimes lasting just for a few seconds before dissipating. As the top notes evaporate very gradually, the oil enters its middle stage, in which the aroma body is most developed and balanced. A portion of the top notes remain, the middle notes are most apparent and sensible while the base notes are beginning to develop slowly.

As the middle stage progresses slowly, the base notes become visible and more noticeable, because they consist of compounds that are slow to volatilization. When the base notes finally evaporate, a faint but light dry out note can remain. The aroma profile of the dry out stage is thin, sometimes pungent, and suggests the presence of the oil. The dry out component can be thought of as the matrix or the soul of the oil.

Based on their individual aroma profiles, oils can be categorized into top notes, middle notes and bottom notes. A very delicate, highly volatile oil like bergamot is considered top note oil. Well balanced oil like sage would be known as middle note oil. Deep, rich, very tenacious oil like patchouli is considered base note oil.

When creating an aromatherapy essential oil blend, attempt for balance between top, middle and base note oils. Well balanced oil has a complex aroma profile and maintains the aromatherapy benefit throughout the various stages, although the characteristics of the scent may change. It is more stable and its usage spells a clear motive and defined benefit.

Before blending aromatherapy essential oils, analyze the various aroma profiles of the oils by dispensing a drop of oil on blotter paper or unscented tissue. Concentrate, inhale and note your impressions. Write notes and build notes for future reference. Trust your impressions and experience of the oils. Try to be connoisseur of smell. What do the different aromas remind you of? How do they under go change and develop throughout the various stages? How does the oil’s fragrance make you feel?

As you develop a definite picture of the oils, visualize how they’ll work with each other in a blend. Just decide about the part of the oil to be used, which effects are to be enhanced and which harsh characters needs to be toned down.

Two of the most relaxing essential oils are chamomile and lavender. Uplifting oils include bergamot and lemon. A careful blend of these oils would produce a light, sweet aroma with complex top and middle notes. The bergamot, lemon and chamomile oil components would lend this blend a fruity sweetness. The lavender would make the sweetness a wee bit more floral-botanical.

If you need the blend to be a little less sweet and more stimulating, a little amount of herbaceous, yet penetrating rosemary could be dispensed. The relaxing, spicy-woody oil of rosewood will serve as an effective base to this blend. If you observe, all essential effects of these oils are purely complimentary and in no way conflicting!

Try and learn which essential oils would match the benefit and aroma you’re after. Then begin an experiment with various quantities and combinations, until you create the blend you want. Always try to keep notes on what you’re doing, so upon a perfect blend you can repeat and make it more perfect.

A workout blend would inspire a perfectly positive attitude about improving health and physical appearance. A perfect blend is invigorating, inspiring and uplifting and such properties of essential oils can help you boost confidence and commitment all through the day. Some oils are activating, others soothe and calm, and still others fight workout odors. Some work like catalyst, while others are purely energizing.

Relax With an Aromatherapy Massage

Have you been looking for a new way to pamper yourself? If so, I would highly recommend that you look into getting an aromatherapy massage, as it can be a very rewarding experience. Once you give it a try, I can almost guarantee that you’ll want to go back for additional massage therapy sessions.

For those of you who may not be familiar with what aromatherapy massage is all about, I will be more than happy to explain it you. Getting an aromatherapy massage is a lot like getting a regular massage but with one major difference. In this particular type of massage, various scented aromatherapy essential oils are added to the massage lotion. For those of you who aren’t familiar with essential oils, they are plant extracts that are made up of bark, leaves, roots, flowers and seed resins. The reason these scented essential oils are used is because they are believed to have healing properties.

For example, if you are in need of stress relief, lavender or chamomile works great for this. If you have been feeling exhausted lately, using rosemary oil during your massage will work great to help perk you up. If you’re going through a bout of sadness, a massage with rose or neroli oil can work wonders to help lift your spirits. Also, if you’re suffering from a bad cold, eucalyptus and/or tea tree oil has excellent decongesting properties. There are even certain essential oils that can help you to focus and concentrate better such as basil and angelica.

Therefore, getting a massage with those particular oils shortly before a big test may actually help to improve your overall performance! As you can see, aromatherapy massage can help to improve a number of different conditions.

You may be wondering what to expect during your first aromatherapy massage visit. For starters, the massage therapist will generally consult with you to find out what kind of problems you’ve been having. That will then help to decide which essential oils would be of the greatest benefit to you. They will then mix these essential oils in with the massage lotion. They will then get started with the actual massage. Not only will the massage itself feel great, but you will also be able to enjoy the lovely scent of the essential oils that are being used on you.

Best of luck to you, and I hope that you enjoy your aromatherapy massage!

Natural Aromatherapy and Its Many Uses

Natural Aromatherapy works by the sense of smell, it triggers signals in the brain to influence the way you feel. You can test all the many different essential oil fragrance to see which one is more beneficial to you. There have been studies that state natural aromatherapy and the smells of the essential oils can  help you solve problems relating to the aches and pains associated with colds, influenza, arthritis, depression, anxiety, insomnia, stress, weight loss and many others.

Some oils are excellent for use with children and pets; however, you need to practice care while treating either with aromatherapy products. Some of them are safe to use while pregnant. However, as with anything else you may decide to use you do need to do some research into which aromatherapy essential oils you my consider and you should consult your physician before using them, especially if you are already taking prescription medications.

Some aromatherapy essential oils are excellent for use as natural insect repellents, room freshening, and other household uses. For instance, you can use a few drops of these oils to freshen up your laundry, your closets and drawers as well as your vacuum clear bags and the trash can. Other means of using these special oils and scents may be to include them in any homemade aromatherapy products you make yourself, such as scented baths products, hair care items, skin care items and even in perfumes.

One thing is certain when you use aromatherapy essential oils, when you use them they can influence the way you feel, while enhancing your sense of health and well-being no matter where or how you decide to use them.

Aromatherapy History- A Comprehensive View

Aromatherapy and essential oils are the use of volatile plant oils for enhancing the physical and psychological well-being. The use of aromatherapy is centuries old, although the use of the term did not surface until the 20th Century. In particular, the use of essential oils dates back nearly a thousand years ago.

One of the first cultures to make use of aromatic oils to enhance well-being may very well be China. They found burning incense helpful for creating balance and harmony.

Soon after, the Egyptians invented a simple crude distillation machine for extracting the oil from cedarwood. Some consider that India and Persia also invented crude distillation machines.

The Egyptians used cedar wood, cinnamon, myrrh, clove and nutmeg oils to embalm the dead. Traces of these herbs were discovered with portions of the intact body, when in the early 20th century a tomb was opened. The scent was still noticeable, although it was faint. Other oils used by the Egyptians were more than likely infused oils; the oil of cedarwood was distilled using a crude distillation process.

Infused oils and herbal preparations were often useful to the Egyptians for medicinal, cosmetic, fragrant and spiritual applications. It is possible that the Egyptians coined the word perfume, from the Latin word per fumum that translate into as through the smoke. Egyptian men made use of fragrance as eagerly as the women of that time did. The men often would fragrance themselves by placing a solid cone of perfume atop their heads; gradually it would melt and then cover them with the fragrance.

Although, Greek mythology credits the gods for the gifts and knowledge of perfumes, Greek Amphora for Perfume the Greeks learned a great deal of information from the Egyptians. The Greeks were keen to recognize the aromatic and medicinal benefits of plants. Hippocrates the father of medicine used both medicinal and aromatic fumigations. Megllus, a Greek perfumer created a perfume he called megaleion. Megaleion included myrrh in a fatty oil base and it served various purposes: 1) for its anti-inflammatory properties on the skin, 2) because it heals wounds and 3) for it aroma.

The knowledge of the Egyptians and the Greeks was useful to the Roman Empire. Discorides wrote a book titled De Materia Medica. It described the properties of roughly five-hundred plants. Reportedly, Discorides also studied distillation. However, distillation of that time centered on extracting aromatic floral waters and not that of essential oils.

During the 11th century, the invention of a coiled cooling pipe was a major event in the distillation of essential oils. Avicenna, a Persian by birth invented a coiled pipe that permitted the vapors and steam of plants to cool down more efficiently than any previous distillers using a straight cooling pipe did. The contributions of Avicenna lead to a more focused concentration of essential oils and their various benefits.

During the 12th century, Hildegard, an Abbess of Germany grew and then distilled lavender for its medicinal properties.

The pharmaceutical industry was born during the 13th century and this event promoted a significant distillation of essential oils.

The Burning of Natural Aromatics

The Black Death occurred during the 14th century and killed a multitude of individuals. Herbal applications were useful for helping to fight this devastation. Many believe that the majority of perfumers avoided this plague because of their continual contact with natural aromatics.

More plants were distilled to create essential oils during the 15th century. They included such plants as sage, rose, rosemary, frankincense and juniper. Later in that same century the number of books, about herbs and their various properties increased. An alchemist, medical doctor and radical thinker by the name of Paracelcus, is credited for coining the word Essence. His studies challenged the nature of alchemy, while he concentrated on the use of plants as medicine.

During the 16th century, many more essential oils came into production and they were purchased at an apothecary.

Perfume became more clearly definable as a field of its own, during the 16th and 17th centuries, while being considered as an art form.

Perfume was a prosperous industry during the 19th century. Many women commissioned their jewelers to make special bottles to hold their treasured perfumes. During this time, some of the major components of essential oils became inaccessible.

The knowledge of separating the components of essential oils was useful during the 20th century to create various synthetic drugs and chemicals. At that time is was considered that separating the major components and them making use of the components alone or in synthetic forms was most beneficial in the sense of economy and therapeutics. These discoveries lead to synthetic fragrances and modern medicine. Actually, this weakened the usefulness of essential oils for aromatic and medicinal benefits.

Fields of Lavender

Ren-Maurice Gattefoss a French chemist became interested in the use of essential oils for their medicinal uses, near the beginning of the 20th century. Although, he first concentrated on essential oils aromatic uses, his interest in their medicinal uses increased after an accident. He had suffered a very bad burn while working and on reflex, he submerged his burned arm into the closest liquid, which was that of a large vat of the essential oil lavender. His burn healed rather quickly and left no scarring. He is credited for coining the word aromatherapy in 1928 in an article that he wrote supporting the use of whole essential oils rather than breaking them down into primary components. He also wrote a book in 1937, titled Aromathrapie: Les Huiles essentielles hormones vgtales. Later, it was translated into English and titled Gattefoss’s Aromatherapy. It is in print and widely read today.

Robert B. Tisserand, Madam Marguerite Maury and Jean Valnet were other highly respected aromatherapists of the 20th century. Jean Valnet made use of essential oils to treat injured soldiers during the war and wrote a book titled The Practice of Aromatherapy. Madam Marguerite Maury, a biochemist, studied, practiced and taught about the uses of aromatherapy for cosmetic purposes. Robert B. Tisserand, an aromatherapist is responsible for introducing aromatherapy to English speaking nations. In 1977, he published a book titled The Art of Aromatherapy.

The use of essential oils for aromatic, cosmetic and therapeutic applications has increased from the late 20th century and into the 21st century. The use of essential oils never stopped, however their popularity and use dropped during the scientific revolution. Today, the use of essential oils for fragrant, cosmetic, therapeutic and spiritual use is on the rise with the available aromatherapy information found in books and online.

Aromatherapy Essential Oils

The art of using aromatherapy essential oils has been around since the time of the ancients. The uses for such oils has been popular in various cultures for centuries, some more so than others. It is the use of various plants, herbs, flowers, roots and bark of particular plant life that are processed in various ways to extract the specific healing properties of such plants. These oils are most useful for healing various mental and physical health problems.

The Beneficial Influences of Aromatherapy Essential Oils

Most often, aromatherapy oils are useful for their therapeutic influence over the sense of smell yet some are useful as massage oils applied directly to the skin. However, they are useful in other forms such as aromatherapy candles, diffuser oils and soaps just to name a few. Such items can help you relax, and treat other problems such as relieving stress, anxiety, depression, insomnia, headaches and many other problems. Aromatherapy can influence the way your feel by increasing blood circulation, enhancing you immune system and oxygenating your blood. All of these things can aid you by rejuvenating your body.

You can use aromatherapy essential oils to enhance and heal your physical and psychological well-being. Aromatherapy, which is the practice of using volatile plant oils, is beneficial in various ways. These various types of essential oils have healing properties that include being antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic.

You Get What You Pay For with Aromatherapy Essential Oils

When you are interested in purchasing aromatherapy essential oils, you need to make sure that you are purchasing a product from a reputable company and that the label clearly lists the ingredients contained within. Sure, you may be able to find something that costs less; however, you want to make sure to get the most benefits by using 100% essential oils, since they can offer you the best advantages of using aromatherapy.