Aromatherapy can do wondrous things to energize, calm, or help beat the winter blues. Essential oils stimulate the sense of smell and can stimulate our memories, emotions, and instincts. The aromas can affect our entire being and psyche. However, it is not a substitute for proper medical care and should not be used as such. It can, however, be a complement to traditional medicine as well as being used in a non-medical way.

One of the most common herbs used by people with mild depression or winter blues is Lavender Officinalis. It has a calming effect on emotions as well as helping to bring clarity of thought. Lavender essential oil is considered to be one of the safest oils used for aromatherapy and can reduce tension, hysteria, and help you sleep. You might notice that lavender is used in some children’s bath wash or powder products as a means to help children relax so they, and their parents, can get some rest.

To make your own aromatherapy oil blends, you’ll want to have an unscented lotion or carrier oil as a base, such as olive oil, almond oil, or jojoba oil. Add a few drops of one or two essential oils to the carrier oil. You can also prepare larger quantities by adding a total of five or ten drops of essential oil to eight ounces of carrier oil. These oils can also be added to shampoo, conditioner, bubble baths, and Epsom salt.

Petitgrain, bergamot, lavender, and lemon are used to help brighten your mood and calm you. Mix together:

25 drops of petitgrain
30 drops of bergamot
20 drops of lavender
25 drops of lemon

This mixture can be stored in a 5 milliliter bottle. Put five to eight drops on a room diffuser, breathe from the bottle, add it to carrier oil, or add it to bath salts.

Citrus blends like the one above are particularly effective for brightening a person’s moods. Here are a few other blends you may want to try.

* For emotional wellbeing: 2 drops Clary sage, 2 drops Frankincense, and 1 drop Sandalwood. Blend this with one tablespoon almond oil and use it for a relaxing massage.

* To beat the winter blues: 4 drops Bergamot, 4 drops Lemon, and 2 drops Ylang-ylang. Can be added directly to bath water or mixed with unscented bubble bath.

These aromatherapy oil blends may not bring people with severe depression out of it, but they can do wonders for those who are mildly depressed or simply have the blues. Give them a try; you may have found an easy method for brightening your mood during the long and cold winter months.

You will need these ingredients: 1 ounce carrier oil like sweet almond,10 drops roman chamomile, and 5 drops of lavender. Mix them all together and put them in a clean dark glass air-tight container. You can use this as a foot massage to gently rub into your feet to help be calm.

1. Besides relieving stress, aromatherapy and its essential oils are very effective for calming the nerves and stopping anxiety. It is also known to help relieve muscular and rheumatic pains although not much medical research has been done on this.

2. To ward away ants from getting into your food, use lemon or peppermint essential oils on the door frames of your cupboard or around your table.

3. You can make an air freshener out of an essential oil by dropping a few drops into a spray bottle with water. Shake the bottle and then spray on polished surfaces. This will give scent to its surface and fill up the room.

4. Make your own cabinet fragrance with an essential oil in cotton balls. Place it in a corner and then close the cupboards. You will find that the scent will emanate from the interior.

5. Essential oils particularly lavender can help ease headaches and muscle pains. Just rub a drop of the oil onto your temples and then massage.

6. Give lasting scent to your clothes. While they are in the dryer, put a drop of essential oil into it. The dryer will help set the scent into the clothes.

7. Ordinary candles can turn into aromatherapy candles when dropped with some essential oils. Do this before you light it though.

8. Use a drop of your essential oil to revive old potpourri that has lost its fragrance. You can even choose the fragrance that you want and perhaps even mix and match the scent.

9 Got really bad smelling shoes? You can freshen them up with the use of lemon or geranium oils. You can leave it overnight to make the effect more lasting. After all aromatherapy is not just for the body, it can also be for your shoes.

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So, you may be asking yourself, what exactly are aromatherapy booties? Well, they’re quite a simple and ingenious invention, and are just about what you would think they are from the name. You simply take these small booties and slap them in the microwave for about half a minute to a minute. The heat they exude from this should awaken the senses in your feet, but that’s not even the best part. The heat also draws out the natural essential oils from the booties and puts the aromatherapy to work. So, while you’re relaxing after a hard day at work, not only do you get to pamper your feet, but you get to enjoy the soothing scents of natural aromas. If you’re a victim of dry feet, you can enhance the booties by rubbing some lotion into the product before putting them on.

If you feel like you would rather have a moister experience, you can take a spray bottle and work the booties over with some water before putting them in for their microwave time. This will moisten the booties and create an altogether different experience when you wear them. Not only can that, but the addition of the water help to lengthen the life of the booties. This is because the water actually helps to preserve the state of the oils in the booties, and lengthening the time the aromatherapy works.

The next time you come home from a hard day at work and put your feet up, think about how much of your tension and aches emanates from your feet. This will be particularly true if you work a job that requires standing or walking for great lengths of time. If your feet are a constant source of stress, you might think about trying these aromatherapy booties, and seeing what a difference they can make.

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Aromatherapy also advocates practices of taking bath using one of those exotic essential oils; for many of us, a hot and relaxing bath is both a way to calm down tired bodies and relieve stress. Further more, a few moments to think, ponder, contemplate and meditate can create wonders for the mind and body. A hot bath with one of your favorite oils adds a new experience to your life, which is otherwise straining and equally boring. Essential oils also called “oil of life”, is soothing and refreshing, when added to your bath tub. Thus, these oils compel us to think over using them at least once a day to feel invigorated. Using the bath as an innovative way of administering Aromatherapy is one of the best for numerous reasons.

Your entire dull skin gets a layer of pure essential oils. The misty vapors rising from the hot water enters your olfactory system and lungs. Your mind will be clear and calm, allowing you to concentrate on yourself and the essential oil treatment. It means essential oils bring a celestial experience to your bath room. The hot bath now makes you, in fact, makes you sweat and tired added with a treatment of oils.

Mandatory sleep or renewed vigor will soon follow such a refreshing treatment. Apart from these soothing effects, you can even adjust the level of essential oils to treat some of your skin conditions like acne and scabies. Another advantage of using aromatic oil is relieving your nervous conditions by making your mental constitution stronger and calmer. Some essential oils are known to be very romantic in nature; few drops your favorite oil will help you and your spouse to relax allowing passionate moments to overflow. It can also simply be used to aid in your enjoyment of your bath, to feel the balminess of flowing water.

Using essential oils in the bath is as simple as adding 10 drops just before you enter the tub. You can add, perhaps, lavender or Rose oils or intricately add concocted bath oil containing a number of oils. It is purely personal and you can choose your favorite oil. Floral oils like jasmine or rose oils, usually make perfect bath concoctions, but one can feel free to use a particular oil or blend for conditions they wish to help.

The good effects of aromatherapy bath directly seeps in to respiratory, skin and nervous system to reduce problems. It is also discovered that joint problems and muscle pain can also be greatly helped.

Though soaps and candles containing real, pure aromatic oils can be beneficial too, nothing compares the advantage of direct contact of essential oils with the bath water. You must note its high volatility and instability, so it is prudent, when using them in the bath and add those drops just before you are ready to enter. You must also trap all those steam vapors by making sure that you draw close the shower curtains. This single action will make sure you are reaping the benefits of the essential oils before they evaporate with the hot steam.

Any bath oils containing extracts of Vitamin E, when added to your favorite aromatic oil, can help the essential oil to linger on the surface of the water faster and usually can be placed under hot running water. If you want to create a lively bubble bath setting or special bath, add a bit of dried milk, a bit of good quality hand soap and fresh rose petals plus your oil. Women will find bathing in rosemary water to be particularly beneficial after a stressful day and/or PMS symptoms. Men can use a pungent orange or ylang-ylang, especially in the morning to get them started for a day of work.

Aromatherapy oils and their usage are gaining lots of popularity among beauty conscious people of the world; many personal care industries are using more essential oils in their bathing products, than ever before.

Find more great aromatherapy information at http://www.essentialaromatherapy.co.uk

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Today the use of aromatherapy extend to all walks of life and is used to not only relieve pain, depression, stress, and other symptoms, but it can offer a more soothing alternative to ordinary house hold fragrances. If you want to use them for more medicinal purposes then you will find that the herbal pillows work wonders. They can be used to put on your eyes for calming and soothing them after a long day in front of the computers, and you can get a peppermint one that will help you to breathe better if you struggle with sinus problems at night.

These aromatherapy pillows will ensure that you get a good night’s sleep and wake up feeling wonderful. They are mostly made from a combination of natural herbs like buckwheat and flax, and you will usually get an extra bottle of the pure essential oil to drop on the pillow to strengthen its scent. You can also benefit from the peppermint aromatherapy oil if you suffer from motion sickness, so be sure to take your pillow on the plane, in the car or on the train with you when you go on a vacation.

These products are also safe and perfect for everyone to use, although there are certain oils like peppermint that must not be used if you are pregnant. All in all the herbal properties combined with the healing power of the aromatherapy oils makes for a rejuvenating experience no matter where you rest your head.

As you discover the wonderful benefits that you can get from a simple bottle of essential oils, you will soon begin to use them everywhere in your home. They can offer you relaxation and rejuvenation as well as helping you with minor body ailments and aches and pains. You will find that your aromatherapy pillows will help you to sleep better at night and sooth and relax you on long journeys.

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THE BENEFITS AND WORKINGS OF AROMATHERAPY

The benefits of aromatherapy have been documented throughout the centuries. These benefits range from the emotional and psychological to the physical healing properties of these therapeutic essential oils. In order to focus on alleviating the stress of this holiday season we will highlight the benefits of aromatherapy in the emotional and psychological realm.

It is important to first understand how aromatherapy works in order to utilize this form of stress therapy to relieve the anxiety and tension associated with stressful situations.

Our sense of smell is controlled by our olfactory organs and the pathway for aromas begins in the nasal cavity travels through the olfactory bulbs and finally these sensory impulses reach the olfactory tracts which are directly tied to our limbic system. The limbic system is the portion of the brain which is the center for memory and emotions. This is why, you might notice, that you become nostalgic over a scent from the past. This input into the limbic system is also why odors can alter mood so easily. So, by drawing in the fragrances of aromatherapy candles we can directly and immediately alter our mood, thus relieving stress and anxiety and replacing those emotions with calm and serene.

VARIOUS FRAGRANCES USED IN AROMATHERAPY

There are many aromatherapy fragrances and each have their own special properties, but I would like to point out a few that are excellent at mellowing out your moods and restoring a calm demeanor.

Lavender, which is probably the most well known, it provides a calming and relaxing aroma and is excellent for sleep and aids in the relief of headaches. Jasmine is another very sensual, calming, and relaxing fragrance. The striking woody base note of Sandalwood is extremely calming and relaxing and is a wonderful antidepressant. One of my favorites is Ylang Ylang, this scent is strongly sedative and can easily lull you to sleep. I feel this fragrance is one of the best at relaxing the mind and body.

If you want to de-stress and have a more relaxed holiday season I strongly suggest you have aromatherapy candles in your arsenal to protect you from high-anxiety throughout the Christmas season.

So, relax, light a candle, and have a very merry Christmas!

Martha is the owner of http://delightfulscentedcandles.com and has a fascination with the connection between fragrances, memories, and emotions. Specializing in aromatherapy candles, scented soy candles, and scented jar candles.

Thankfully, these gift baskets make the perfect present for so many people; it can even be turned into your signature gift. Your friends and family will adore it, and your presents will be looked forward to for the rest of the year. Of course, these baskets don’t necessarily have to be given as gifts. With their eclectic assortment of products, they might just tempt you to buy one for yourself instead.

One great thing about these baskets is that they can be personalized and unique for each person that you choose to buy them for. Do you have a friend who loved the scent of vanilla? Make sure you stock their basket with scents of that sort. Another friend who loves the smell of raspberry? You know what to do. There are so many different aromatherapy scents out there; you can customize each basket so that it is just right for the person you’re buying for.

Beyond simply the array of scents, there are lots of different products to choose from to fill up the basket. Aromatherapy gift baskets can be filled with shower gel, good smelling bail oils, lotions, and more. There are also plenty of relaxation accessories that would go nicely with a basket of this sort. Maybe you could include one of those CDs that play the sounds of nature, or the relaxing cds
of soft classical music.

Most of these baskets are usually baskets in the true sense of the term, and they can be purchased at nearly any big box retail store, as well as smaller craft stores. Simply pick up a nice wicker basket and then fill it to your heart’s content. You can also save on wrapping paper, as a wrapped basket of this sort would simply be awkward. Slap a bow or a ribbon on the basket, and the present is good to go.

Whether you’re buying a basket for a friend’s birthday or for your wife on the occasion of your anniversary, these gifts of relaxation are rarely unappreciated. Everyone could use some time to sit back, relax, and get away from it all. The items you put into your basket could be just the tools they need to relax and pamper themselves for a change. The products to put in them can be found all across the internet, in the bigger retail chains, and in your natural wellness stores. For your next gift giving occasion, pick up and make one of these aromatherapy gift baskets and see if it’s not the best present someone ever received.

The first element of aromatherapy is how the aroma or scents of the essential oils influence our brain. Through the olfactory nerves in our nose, the aroma travels up and to the limbic system of the brain. The aroma from the essential oils functions like a catalyst that makes the brain release certain chemicals that create a feeling of well being.

Our sense of smell is complex. We have five senses, and there are times that we prefer not being able to smell rather than being blind or being deaf. But the truth of the matter is, having no sense of smell accounts to having the same disability as losing the other senses.

If our tongue influences the way we eat, our sense of smell is responsible for us enjoying that singular moment. Without our sense of smell, we cannot truly enjoy the sweetness of candies, the bitterness of chocolates, or even the sourness of home-made Italian pasta.

This shows that our sense of smell is a vital key in aromatherapy. The aromas that we inhale from a blend of essential oils offer both psychological and physical benefits. It is believed that the natural chemicals in the essential oils can be absorbed through the aroma by the lungs and distributed throughout the body resulting to some physical benefits.

Essential oils can be used or applied on the skin as well. Although, this procedure can be quite unsafe when done improperly, the benefits of applying essential oils on ones skin is for physical benefit and can improve the physical health, appearance and even the constitution of an individual. The proper way of using essential oils for applications like massage and therapeutic baths is by the mixing it with carrier oils like sweet almond and apricot kernel oils.

Combined with different techniques of relaxation and treatments, like massages, shiatsu, acupressure, reflexology, or light therapy, aromatherapy becomes a powerful technique to achieve positive results from treatments.