Tag Archives: essential oil

Aromatherapy and Sense of Smell

Do you know……..today, when I was searching TED talk, came across, ‘The Historical Significance of Smell’ by Caro Verbeek. Yes! You guessed it right, being an Aromatherapist, I immediately opened it and was amazed to hear her talk about Neroli, Myrrh, Fran

Aromatherapy and Sense of Smell

kincense Essential Oils and the way she diffused oils for her audience.

Smell is one of the five senses (taste, sight, touch, smell, and hearing) that we all have. If one sense is not working due to an accident or illness, then other senses take over or become stronger to make up for the missing sense and give us clear picture of the things around us. Helen Adams Keller, an American author, political activist, and lecturer, who was deaf-blind said, “Smell is a potent wizard that transports us across thousands of miles and all the years we have lived.” Our nose is an important protrusion on our face that is used to smell. Our sense of smell allows us to learn, to taste, to protect and alert from danger (gas leak, spoiled or burnt food, fire), to enjoy our world. In addition to being the organ for smell, the nose also cleans the air we breathe and impacts the sound of our voice. Dogs have a more sensitive sense of smell than human.

It’s beyond the scope of this article to discuss the anatomy of nose and the physiology of olfaction. But, for our simple understanding; inside of the nose is lined with mucous membranes (secretes mucus that captures dust, germs, and other small particles that could irritate your lungs) that have millions of tiny odor receptors, connected to olfactory nerve. When odor molecules of various substances that travel through the air into our nose, these odor receptors are stimulated and send signals that travel along the olfactory nerve to the olfactory bulb. The olfactory bulb is underneath the front of your brain just above the nasal cavity. Signals are sent from the olfactory bulb to other parts of the brain to be interpreted as a smell we may recognize and identify with our environment. The sense of smell is sometimes lost for a short time when a person has a cold and we can’t taste the food during that period. Many people who have smell disorders also notice problems with their sense of taste. Problems with the sense of smell increase as people get older, and they are more common in men than women.

In 1991, laureates Richard Axel of Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Linda Buck at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center discovered about 1,000 genes that encode for olfactory receptors inside the human nose. They also found that each receptor is tuned for only a small number of odors.

Scientists regarded Limbic System of the Brain, as playing a major role in controlling our mood, memory, behaviour and emotions. Given that our sense of smell plays an important part in our psychological make-up, in Aromatherapy, we use fragrant Essential Oils with their individual specific smell and chemical (therapeutic) properties to balance and establish harmony between body-mind-soul. In modern Western health care facilities, Aromatherapy is often used as a holistic approach to conventional medicine. Different Oils are recommended to remedy different ailments and symptoms. eg:

Bergamot Essential Oil:  for stress, depression, anxiety, anorexia

Eucalyptus Essential Oil: for respiratory issues, antiseptic, decongestant, Stimulant
Jasmine Essential Oil:  for depression, childbirth, stress, libido
Lavender Essential Oil: is one of the most popular essential oils, Stress, sleeping, antiseptic, sedative, anti-inflammatory
Lemon Essential Oil: digestion, circulation problems, immunity booster, mood enhancer
Peppermint Essential Oil: cooling agent, sharpens focus, congestion, digestion.
Tea tree Essential Oil: immune booster, skin conditions, burns and cuts, insecticide, anti-viral, anti-bacterial

 

Om Healing………..Uma
(Founder of AromaWellness)
visit aromawellness.net, to order
Call 414-793-8645, to schedule your consultation appointment

Aromatherapy for Our Well-Being

Do you know………I was visiting a health club and saw this written on their entry way, ‘Fitness is not about being better than someone else, rather being better than what you used to be’. We can take it physically, mentally, or emotionally being better than in past.

Together with regular exercise, healthy diet, and positive mental attitude, Aromatherapy through the use of Essential Oils with their diverse therapeutic properties, could be our best friend for the maintenance of our well-being. Essential Oils are pure natural aromatic essence of plants that have been used since centuries to heal and cure different ailments. Specific aroma has profound impact on our brain and can invoke long-term memory that could be relaxing, upsetting, stimulating, or stressful to our mind-body-spirit. As people are opting for natural, holistic lifestyle, Essential Oils are gaining the popularity. They can be applied with proper dilution (refer to aromawellness.net); Topically, Inhaled, Steam Inhalation, in Bath, in Massage, in Room Spray, in Diffuser. Popular Essential Oils used are:

Happy young woman relaxing in a field.

 

Lavender – stress reducing, calming, helps with insomnia, soothe burn or sting

Eucalyptus: invigorating, upper respiratory track problems.

Tea tree: is antiseptic, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal.

Geranium: helps with PMS system, eliminate body odor, and bloating, skin moisturizing dry skin, reducing scars, acne.

Lemongrass: support digestive health and soothe aching muscles.

Cedarwood: calming and relaxing to both mind and body, support respiratory system.

Ginger: for cough, pain and nausea, calms the digestive system.

Peppermint: improves focus, boosts energy, alleviates muscle pain and headaches.

Rosemary: uplifting, improves brain function and memory.

Sandalwood: grounding, eases tension, calming.

Rose: helps with depression and anxiety, aphrodisiac.

Citrus Oils like; Grapefruit, Lemon, Mandarin, Orange, Tangerine: uplifting, immunity boosting, cleansing, refreshing, boosts creativity.

Jasmine: general tonic

 

Om Healing………..Uma
(Founder of AromaWellness)
visit aromawellness.net, to order
Call 414-793-8645, to schedule your consultation appointment

Essential Oil for Stretch Mark

Do you know……… Women are more prone to stretch marks than men  and Pregnancy is a very common time for women to experience stretch marks, because the body size grows faster than skin (middle layer-dermis) and becomes overstretched to the point of  tearing that causes scars. This scar  medically referred to as Striae Gravidarum. This skin stretching could also occur during the growth spurts of adolescence, after weight gain or weight loss and usually develop on the:

   Essential Oil for Stretch Mark

breasts

buttocks

hips

stomach

thighs

upper arms

Although stretch marks can fade and become less noticeable over time, they do not disappear. There is no miracle treatment, but Essential Oils (Argan, Rosehip, Lavender, Frakincense, Geranium) are a nice aromatic way of reducing stretch marks visibility by helping the cells to regenerate.

Stretch Mark Cream:

1 Tbsp Aloe Vera gel

8 ml melted Coconut Oil

7 ml Olive Oil

8 drops Lavender Essential Oil

6 drops Frankincense Essential Oil

4 drops Geranium Essential Oil

6 drops Vit E

Mix everything in a 30ml glass jar, close, label, use on affected area daily with recommended precaution.

People who are pregnant or breast-feeding should avoid the use of essential oils on the skin until the baby is born and/or done with breast feeding schedule, unless advised differently by their doctor.

Om Healing………..Uma
(Founder of AromaWellness)
visit aromawellness.net, to order
Call 414-793-8645, to schedule your consultation appointment

Lice Treatment with Essential Oil

Do you know…….Lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) are tiny, wingless parasites that feed solely on human scalp and survive on minuscule amounts of blood. An adult louse can be light brown or grey, is two-three millimeters long. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), 6 to12 million elementary school-aged children get lice each year in the U.S. Head lice can be contagious, but do not carry disease and do not pose a medical threat of any kind. Adults and children get infected primarily through head-to-head contact with an infected child-adult who has either lice or their eggs (nits), or through sharing items like hats, combs, pillows, bedding, scarves, and towels.

Wet combing using a fine toothed comb is the easy, cheap, effective, but time consuming method of treating head lice or can use over-the-counter medicated shampoo. For non-toxic natural alternative to treat lice use Essential Oil which is plants natural defense against pests and pathogens. That is why they can be an effective treatment for head lice. Essential oils that are effective against lice are:

            Lice Treatment with Essential Oil

Tea tree Essential Oil

Lavender Essential Oil

Neem Essential Oil

Clove Essential Oil

Eucalyptus Essential Oil

Aniseed Essential Oil

Peppermint Essential Oil

Thyme Essential Oil

Nutmeg Essential Oil

Rosemary Essential Oil

Lice Treatment Blend

10 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil

8 drops Lavender Essential Oil

8 drops Peppermint Essential Oil

4 drops Rosemary Essential Oil (for child 2-5 yrs, substitute Thyme Essential Oil)

1.5 oz (45 ml) Coconut Oil

0.25 oz (7.5ml) Olive Oil

0.25 oz (7.5ml) Neem Oil

Melt Coconut Oil in a 4oz glass jar in a hot water pan, remove the jar, add Olive Oil, Neem Oil and all Essential Oils, mix, close the lid, label.

Dampen hair and massage the Lice Treatment blend into the scalp and hair upto edges. Comb through the hair with a fine tooth comb, cover head with a shower cap and allow to sit for 2-4 hours. Carefully remove shower cap, and dispose in a sealed zip lock bag. Comb hair once again, Rinse with a mixture of equal parts of Apple Cider Vinegar & water and Shampoo. Repeat every 4-5 days for 3-4 wks.

Om Healing………..Uma

(Founder of AromaWellness)
visit aromawellness.net, to order
Call 414-793-8645, to schedule your consultation appointment

Aromatherapy and Essential Oil

Do you know……………Aromatherapy is an art and science of using Essential Oils for our physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing, while Essential Oils with different therapeutic properties are the natural, concentrated, volatile, extracted product of the plants and its parts. Aromatherapy is a form of alternative, holistic medicine that can be used in conjunction with allopathic/conventional medicine to alleviate physical and emotional ailments.

Essential oils have been used for centuries as healing agents, fragrance for promoting health and relaxation, as well as antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antiseptic agents. The term Essential Oil means that it carries a distinct essence of plant and has been referred as ‘Liquid sun energy’ by Ayurvedic medicine. Since ancient times, the aromatic plants have been used in herbal medicinal healing in; India, China, Egypt, Greece, France, and by Native Americans. The modern day Aromatherapy was accidentally discovered by a French Chemist, Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, in 1910, when he got burnt while working in the laboratory and dipped his hand in the basin of a liquid, which turned out to be the Lavender Essential Oil. His work was published in 1937 under, ‘Aromatherapie’, followed by Dr. Jean Valnet, an army physician (1920-1995), and Marguerite Maury, a nurse, did several research on Essential Oils and her book, ‘Le Capital Jeunesse’ was published in 1961. Throughout World WarII, Essential Oils were used to treat wounded soldiers. In recent times, Robert Tisserand, often called,‘The Father of Modern Aromatherapy’, who translated the first two Aromatherapy books into English and later wrote his own book, ‘The Art of Aromatherapy’.

Essential Oils are generally inhaled or applied topically with proper dilution (refer to aromawellness.net) on the skin, but oral use is permissible in France, Germany, and Switzerland. Just like any other medicine, proper safety and precaution must be observed during the application of Essential Oils.

Natural Winter Air Freshener Recipe:      

Aromatherapy and Essential Oil

12 drops Orange Essential Oil

10 drops Lavender essential oil

8 drops Cinnamon Essential Oil

8 drops Clove Essential Oil

5 drops Pine Essential Oil

5 drops Ylang ylang Essential Oil

3 oz. distilled water

1 oz. Alcohol (Vodka)

Add essential oils to a 4oz. glass spray bottle, pour distilled water and alcohol into the bottle, cover, label, and mix well. Spray in room or surrounding as desired being careful around those with sensitivities or allergies or pregnant women). Shake well before each use.

Om Healing………..Uma
(Founder of AromaWellness)
visit aromawellness.net, to order
Call 414-793-8645, to schedule your consultation appointment

Goodbye to Negativity with Aromatherapy

Do you know…………Have you ever met Mr./Ms. Downer, who takes you to negative lane when you are trying to change your track? Negative energy in our space and aura, is not beneficial and can leave us more exhausted, stressed, anxious, and grumpy. We even forget to savor the everyday beauty in life. Our emotions are deeply embedded in our cells and based on how we process our emotions, our thoughts, we create negativity. Which means, our DIS-EASE, becomes the cause of our DISEASE. Signs of negativity:

Anger, usually directed at someone else

Fear of Abandonment

Anxiety, irritability

Fear of Failure

Low self esteem

Grief

In Ancient Egyptian and European cultures, in Eastern cultures and Native American cultures, it is believed that the built up negative energy in homes, spaces, body, and mind can be cleared with smudging rituals utilizing herbs and essential oils. Burn herbs like, Sage smudge sticks, Hyssop, Rosemary and fumigate your living space and yourself or simply sprinkle sea salt or put a bowl of sea salt in the corner of the room as salt crystals absorb negative energy (research the proper process of smudging).

Essential Oils are nature’s magic that have been used since ages can help create the environment conducive to living a happy, healthy, peaceful life by directly stimulating the limbic system of our brain, the “EMOTIONAL BRAIN”. Essential Oils have empowering, spiritual benefits to combat daily negativity with their natural chemical therapeutic properties:

Palo Santo (holy wood or sacred wood)

Cypress, Juniper Berry, Cedarwood

Grapefruit, Lemon

Frankincense, Myrrh

Sage, Basil, Fennel

Lavender, Patchouli

To remove negative thoughts and emotions:

First de-clutter your space to get rid of the mess around you.

Take a cold or warm shower as water have healing properties and helps to wash away the energetic mess that formulates around your body.

Practice regular Meditation and Yoga.

Diffuse and Inhale Essential Oils with loving intentions for calm and peace. Add few drops of Frankincense and Patchouli oils in your body lotion for amazing beauty benefits as well as a protective shield against negativity and peace of mind.

Om Healing………..Uma
(Founder of AromaWellness)
visit aromawellness.net, to order
Call 414-793-8645, to schedule your consultation appointment