| Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that | | | | cosmetic, massage, and olfactory. Of the three, the |
| espouses the belief that aromatic smells or fragrances | | | | best practice of taking advantage of essential oils is |
| influence the brain and alters the mood of the client. | | | | through massage. |
| This practice which traces its origin to ancient times | | | | When the oils are blended together and massaged |
| uses essential oils for treatment and or prevention of | | | | onto the body, it immediately influences the brain |
| diseases. | | | | through the olfactory glands or the sense of smell. The |
| Essential oils are the basic requirement in an | | | | scent of the oils work by activating the limbic system, |
| aromatherapy treatment. These oils are extracted | | | | the part of the brain that influence emotion, long-term |
| from plants or their parts by using any of the following | | | | memory, heart rate, and blood pressure. |
| methods: cold expression, fixed oil extraction, steam | | | | The benefits of an aromatherapy therapy massage |
| distillation, and alcohol extraction. | | | | are the following:a) It relieves insomnia and stress.b) It |
| These oils are are highly concentrated therefore | | | | decreases anxiety, tension, and depression.c) It |
| therapists will not use this directly on the skin. To | | | | increases white blood cells and blood circulation.d) It |
| reduce their potency they are diluted through what is | | | | relaxes muscles and promotes faster healing of |
| called aromatherapy blend or through synergy. | | | | strained muscles and ligaments.e) It reduces the |
| In a blend 3 to 5 essential oils are combined and added | | | | formation of scar tissue in the muscles and reduces |
| to the carrier oil (or massage oil) or lotion. An example | | | | pain and swelling.f) It moisturizes the skin while relaxing |
| would be combining the following oils: geranium, | | | | the whole body. |
| lavender, and clary sage to an apricot carrier oil. In | | | | Before starting a massage session using oil blends, the |
| synergy, essential oils are also combined but the carrier | | | | therapist should start with clean hands and does a |
| oil is omitted. | | | | patch test to determine how a client's skin will react to |
| Here are two recipes for using oil blends for massage: | | | | the oils. Next he makes sure that the room and his |
| As basic massage oil, you can blend 8 drops of | | | | hands are warm and asks the client if he feels |
| essential oils to an ounce of sweet almond oil as | | | | uncomfortable. |
| carrier oil. For relieving stress mix the following essential | | | | Finally aromatherapy massage is not advisable for |
| oils: 5 drops of clary sage, 2 drops of lavender, and 2 | | | | those who have skin diseases, rashes, open wounds, |
| drops of lemon to an ounce of sweet almond carrier | | | | those who have epilepsy, and those who suffer from |
| oil. | | | | asthma. |
| The types of therapy that uses essential oil blends are: | | | | |