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Diffusing Essential Oils

A waft of scented air: 5 tips to choose the right diffusers for essential oils

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Essential oils are best dispersed into the air through diffusers. If selecting an essential oil for a diffuser involves a lot of work, selecting  an appropriate diffuser for your essential oil blend is a bigger job. This is because only good and apt diffusers can do the diffusing job well. You need to use a particular diffuser for an enclosed space and a different nebulizing diffuser for a large space. Choice of diffusers also depend on the hours you want the diffuser to function, the Notes of the essential oil blends used and the nature of the space in which the diffuser is used (car, home or patio). This article will explain in detail the things to note while choosing essential oil diffusers.

Why essential oil diffusers? Aromatherapy enhances health in a lot of ways and diffusing oils into the space you live is one way to using aromatherapy for your utmost benefit. Diffusing essential oils do not just create a scented atmosphere, but also pave way for a healthier you, through its healing properties. As the sense of smell inhaled is directly connected to the limbic system of the brain, aromatherapy makes physical, emotional and psychological improvements and changes possible. Diffusing essential oils also aid with respiration and breathing and cleanses your environment off impurities, germs and viral/bacterial contagions (like H1N1 flu or other flu symptoms).


The trick to getting to all these benefits is to use an appropriate diffuser for the purpose. But it is not that easy and the below points will explain to you why it is so:

1. First steps: Where do you want to use your diffusers? In your car or your toilet or living area or patio? You need to decide that first. Based on the space of the room and the purpose of the diffuser and diffusing oil, you can choose your diffusers. Some essential oils work well only with certain types of diffusers. Some others have very low diffusing ratios and can work even for 6 to 7 hours. Before choosing your diffuser, decide on the following: the space in which your diffuser is to be used, diffusing blend (its notes, evaporation quotient etc), the numbers of hours you want your diffuser to work (or scent to be prevalent).

There are several types of diffusers present in the market. Below are some of the most popular of them:

2. Jar, Reed, Smelly Jelly diffusers: Least expensive but most efficient. They work great with small enclosed spaces, but the scent throw is not far or expansive like in other diffusers. With Jar diffusers, we need to change the reeds too often. Smelly Jelly diffusers work only in stable environments and hence are not suitable for use in car.

3. Candle diffusers, aroma lamps: Ideal for small spaces. But these diffusers need watching as candle flames are involved. These work by diffusing essential oils by the heat of a tea light or similar heating device. If you use a heating device, you need to add water so that you can get the steam of oils used. Diffusers of the light bulb kind of rings also fall under this category. Used for tiny spaces, they must be refilled constantly.

4. Electric and fan-based diffusers: These are some of the expensive diffusers in the market. A car diffuser of this kind involves adding a few drops of the essential oils to a tissue and plugging into the car dash cigarette lighter. The diffuser heats up the scented cloth and diffuses aromas into the car space. Peppermint, Grapefruit, Lemon and Ginger work well as car diffusers. In case of fan-based diffuser, you can plug into your room and use it for 3 hours.

5. Nebulizing diffusers: These are diffusers for large spaces. Most of them are hand-blown, glass nebulizers that are attached to a motor and work by dispersing aromatic molecules into air. Since they don’t use heat to disperse oils, the oils remain unchanged and retain their therapeutic value. But these are also the most expensive of all the diffusers in the market.



Aromatherapy Facts

Touchstone techniques: 4 ways to test the quality of essential oils

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Determining the quality of essential oils is not easy even if you have been an aromatherapist for years. This is because essential oils come from various parts of the world and companies/manufacturers acquire oils from farmers, small-scale essential oil distillers, wholesale aromatic oil suppliers etc. Since essential oils are complex structures with many constituents, it is tough to determine the quality or quantity of chemical substances present in them. There are also several possible adulterants along the way. Essential oils can become impure on account of conditions in every other stage of its development – harvesting, distillation, handling, storage and packaging. Some manufacturers sell oils as “pure” even after diluting or cutting or extending their aromas and chemical properties.

Essential oils quality – what should you know? You should understand certain basic things about essential oils before you opt to buy and use them. Some oils change as they age. While a few oils like Rose, Patchouli, Spikenard, Myrrh and others improve as they age, a few like Citrus oils oxidize and grow toxic as they age. Apart from this, you need to understand why is it important to know if your oils are of high quality or not. If you use synthetic aromas instead of pure essential oils, you may end up experiencing toxic reactions. Impure essential oils also do have any therapeutic effect on you and maybe a waste of money when used. All these factors prove that it is important to know the quality of your “pure” essential oils before applying them in home or domestic use or for healing or aromatic purposes.


Below are a few tips to know the quality of essential oils:

1. Regulation of Essential oils: The FDA regulates essential oils through the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act and Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. This Act regulates all food, food additives, cosmetics and dietary supplements. According to this act, the FDA sees essential oils based on their use – for healing or cosmetic purposes. For instance, if a perfume manufacturer, sought a quality essential oil, the FDA would grade the oil based on its specific use in perfumery. In the same way, the FDA would regulate an oil as drug if it is used an aid to quit smoking or for curing or preventing any disease.

Other than the FDA, there are foreign bodies which regulate essential oils. These include, AFNOR or Association of Francaise de Normalisation  and ISO or International Organization for Standardization.

2. Know the Latin names: If you plan to buy an essential oil, you need to inquire the manufacturer a few things: the Latin name of the plant (used to prepare the oil); the farming methods and practices used; check for the name of the country or region in which the plant has been grown etc. Spend time familiarizing yourself with essential oils and learn to identify between pure essential oils and synthetic fragrance oils.

3. Test the scent of oils: You can test the aroma essential oils if you learn to identify the top, middle and end notes of an oil. Put one drop of an oil on a perfume test strip, a cotton swab or a scrap of paper towel. Smell the aroma periodically. An essential oil’s aroma is pretty complex and changes with every stage of evaporation. This is not the case with ordinary fragrances. Also, a pure, undiluted oil will never leave an oily or greasy spot on the strip.

4. Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy (GC/MS): These are two lab tests which can help you determine an essential oil’s constituents and quality. Each oil is passed through the chromatograph, after which, the ionized constituents are amplified and detected by Mass Spectroscopy.  Though a GC/MS is an effective method, it cannot determine the synthetic and natural diluents of the oil. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is another method used to analyze the constituents of essential oils.



Diffusing Essential Oils

DIY diffusers: How to make essential oil diffuser kits at home

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Many want to buy and try using essential oils. But the problem is, they do not know where to start. Though they know and have heard about the benefits of essential oils and aromatherapy, they are hardly ready to take the risk of buying and using oils. What stops them is their lack of knowledge in the subject and the fear that essential oils may inflict harm on their body or upset their living environment. To eliminate all your fears and take a small step toward aromatherapy, you can try making diffuser oils and kits at home. You can make essential oils for diffuser by mixing your favorite oils with mineral oil. You can make diffuser kits with just simple glass bottles and reeds. Here’s how to do it.

Aromatherapy oil diffusers – How to do them? Aromatherapy starts with your knowledge of essential oils. You should be completely aware of the basic properties you plan to use and also why you want to use them. If you want to use essential oils just for the sake of their aromas, you can as well try out synthetic fragrances. On the other hand, if you are interested in curing or healing your problems through aromatherapy, you need to learn the properties, reactions and therapeutic-grade levels and usages of essential oils you plan to use in diffuser kits. Added to that,  you need to know the contraindications of essential oils you plan to apply.


Below is a step-by-step guide on how to make diffuser oils and diffuser oil kits:

1. Glass bottles: Collect used or new glass bottles. Let the bottles be dark, have small mouths and wide bases. You actually don’t need a stopper for a bottle as the reeds will replace the stopper. However, for blending purposes and self safety, you can have a stopper.

2. Buy the supplies: Preparing a diffuser oil is not that easy. You need to get familiar with the basics of essential oils, contact your health care provider and buy all the essential oil ingredients. You can buy the oils at a craft store, a local chemist or botanist or manufacturer or even at an online essential oil depot. Do ask the buyer for the uses of every other essential oil you buy and also, ensure that you buy only therapeutic grade essential oils. You can use a variety of essential oil blends, which include –  Lavender, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Citrus, Chamomile and other blends for relaxation.

3. Make the diffuser oil: Mix all the ingredients of the essential oils in a diffuser kit and blend well. You need to add a few other things like dipropylene glycol and mineral oil. While the mineral oil blends the ingredients well, the dipropylene glycol will help with diffusion through reeds. The mineral oil, if efficient, will also make the essential oil better and last longer.

4. Shake the ingredients: Once you have done collecting your ingredients, blend them well by pouring them on to the chosen aroma bottle. You can press your thumb over the stopper-less bottle without spilling the oils or shaking them out of the bottle.

5. Make your reed diffuser: When you are done with the blending, bring your reeds and place them inside the mouth of the bottle. Use about 10 to 15 reeds. If the reeds are lengthier, cut them short to make them diffuse scents quicker and easier. It is enough if the reeds protrude about 6 inches from the mouth of the bottle. Since reeds are porous, they absorb the oils and yield the maximum effect.



Diffusing Essential Oils

Fragrant homes and aromatic living: 6 steps to make aromatherapy diffuser oil

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Do your family members have health problems? Is stress, tension and misunderstanding a constant in your family? Do you suffer from disruptions in family relationships, lack of happiness or gloomy, restless atmosphere? If your home or family environment is imbalanced, you can bring in health, wealth and joy into your family through aromatherapy.  You can achieve the desired result by choosing from the multifarious aromatherapy blends and diffusing them on to your living atmosphere.

Diffusing essential oils is useful as it benefits everyone in the room or space where the oil is diffused. However, preparing a diffuser quality blend is not easy and demands patience and knowledge. This article will elaborate in detail on the steps  to create an aromatherapy diffuser oil at your home:


1. Get to know about essential oils: Before you start off experimenting with essential oils, get to know about them as much as you can. Read about which essential oils are good for health, which treat the ailment you are suffering from, which alleviate stress, reduce pain or bring in happiness and peace. For example, Peppermint and Citrus oils are said to be very uplifting on account of their refreshing properties, while Lavender and Chamomile are thought to encourage relaxation due to their soothing properties.

2. Purchase essential oils online or at store: You can purchase oils at natural food store, fragrance shop or online. Choose scents that you would enjoy for a long time. This would be specially helpful when you diffuse oils as you would need to breathe them for a long time. See to it that your family members too like the aroma if you plan to place the diffuser in your living area. Better to go for general healing aromas.

3. Start blending: Once you are done with choosing your essential oils, add 20 to 30 drops of each of your chosen essential oil in a dark glass bottle. If you use just a few scents, it is important to use 40 to 50 drops of each scent. If you are using multiple oils, you can use fewer drops. You can test essential oils by adding them on to a tissue and inhaling them before buying or diffusing them.

4. Shake vigorously: Screw the lid on to the bottle and shake it vigorously. See to it that the ingredients mix and blend well.

5. Add more oils if required: Once the blending is complete, inhale the essential oils and check if you like the aromas. If not, add your favorite oil to balance the fragrance and then, consider it for use in a diffuser.

6. Use oil in diffuser: Once everything is perfect, add 5 to 10 drops to the diffuser to generate a lovely scent for the entire room or space where you keep the diffuser. You can also add the oil to a bubble bath or to a massage oil and use it for personal care.



Emotional Well-being, Personal Care

Celebrate love, honey: 5 sensual aromatherapy tips for lovers

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Love is an inherent drive to great accomplishments. It animates and ushers joy into our lives. It brings a sense of physical and psychological well-being, easing out even the stressed and troubled mind. To honor your love and your loved one is an act of gentle warmth and affection. Aromatherapy can help you do that in the best way possible.

Essential oils to increase libido: Sometimes we hardly remember the magic of love. We forget the pleasure we derive in the presence of our loved ones. In this maze of routines, 9 to 5 jobs and fast-paced life, we forget the excitement and euphoria that love brings. Aromatherapy can pep up your mood toward love and sensual enjoyment and open up your body and mind to sex. Tapping into your senses, you can reawaken your libido using sensual aromatherapy recipes. Since smell is connected to the limbic system, there is an instant emotional and physical response from your body. This can change your moods and switch your gears from work to play. Some of the essential oils that can be used in aromatherapy are – Black Pepper, Cedarwood, Clary Sage, Clove, Jasmine, Orange, Ylang Ylang, Neroli, Pine, Rose, Sandalwood, Vetiver and Patchouli.


You can use these oils in many ways – as incense, in the diffuser, as bath oils, massage oils, as face and body tonics etc. Below are a few aromatherapy tips to reawaken your libido and enjoy private time with that special someone:

1. Sensual Bath: You can use essential oils to prepare an aromatic, sensual bath for the two of you. Bathing relaxes you and sets you in mood for love. For inducing your sense of mischief and playfulness, use 1 drop of Rosemary with 1 drop of Patchouli, 2 drops of Bergamot and 2 drops of Orange. For tuning yourself and your someone into love and romance, add 2 drops of Rose with 4 drops of Sandalwood. This blend contains oils that are aphrodisiacs that work in harmony to induce the masculine and feminine energies in you and your partner.

2. Seduction Lotion: Take an un-perfumed body lotion and add a few drops of your chosen oil to it. Rub on your body slowly and steadily to relax and soothe your tensed muscles. If you want to the lotion to be more seductive, add 3 drops of Orange, 3 drops of Neroli and 1 tbsp of Sweet Almond.

3. Passion Lotion: Love without passion is nothing. To bring in moods of passionate love, combine 2 drops of Bergamot with 1 drop of Black Pepper, 1 drop of Patchouli, 2 drops of Sandalwood and 1 tablespoon of Sweet Almond oil. When used on the body, this lotion will set in a mood of passion and boost your libido energy.

4. Sensual Massaging: Nothing works sensually like a massage. The very act of massaging can make you sensual and in mood for love. To relax and reconnect to your sensual side, use the following aromatherapy massage blends on your body. For softer breasts, massage a blend combined with 1 drop of Ylang Ylang and 1 teaspoon of Sweet Almond. For hand-holding, add 1 drop of Rose to 1 teaspoon of  Jojoba oil. To play footsie, add 1 drop of Jasmine with 1 drop of Ylang Ylang and one teaspoon of Jojoba oil.

5. Scent your bedroom: Scent your room with aromatic sensual oils for a romantic and blissful evening. Combine 3 drops of Lavender with 3 drops of Marjoram in an oil burner or diffuser.



Aromatherapy Facts, Blending Essential Oils

The art of synergistic blending: Blend classifications of essential oils

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Blending essential oils is an art. Whether you do it for therapeutic purposes or for the simple pleasure of creating an aromatic blend, you have to be careful and cautious while using essential oils. True. Some essential oils have strong chemical properties which can harm you or your skin. Essential oils like Bergamot has to be handled with caution as its phototoxic properties can be hazardous to you. Some oils can be contraindicated for ailments and that can cause havoc to you. So, when you are sure that you are perfect with your materials and know what is the byproduct of your creativity, start blending your oils.


Blending classification of essential oils: Essential oil blends work well if they are blended properly. To accomplish this, you need to know a few basic things regarding which oil to be used first, second or third in a blend. For instance, if you are making a therapeutic blend for headache cure, and you are required to add Lavender, Peppermint and Eucalyptus, if you use the oils in the wrong proportion or add them in the wrong order, you will end up making a chemically useless blend that has no effect on your headache. This is why you need to follow a sequence in blending your oils. The four blending classifications of essential oils are Personifiers, Enhancers, Equalizers and Modifiers. Let’s take a look at them in detail:

1. Personifiers: These are essential oils which have a sharp, strong and very aromatic scent. They usually form 1 to 5% of an ideal blend. Their dominant properties react on ailments and induce a powerful therapeutic action in your body. Oils that come under this category are: Angelica, Birch, Cardamom, Cinnamon Bark, Clove, Clary Sage, Coriander, German Chamomile, Ginger, Mandarin, Neroli, Nutmeg, Orange, Peppermint, Rose, Tangerine, Spearmint, Wintergreen, Ylang Ylang and others.

2. Enhancers: These are essential oils which enhance the blend with their blending properties. They do not have sharp scents like Personifiers, but blend well with other oils to induce and enhance their properties. They generally form 50 to 80% of the blend so that they can balance the oils in the blend and make them heal better. Basil, Bergamot, Birch, Cajeput, Cedarwood, Dill, Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Geranium, Hyssop, Grapefruit, Jasmine, Lavender, Lemon, Lemongrass, Lime, Marjoram, Melissa, Myrtle, Orange, Oregano, Palmarosa, Petitgrain, Ravensara, Roman Chamomile, Spruce, Thyme, Rosemary and Wintergreen.

3. Equalizers: These oils form 10 to 15% of the blend. They are useful in creating synergy and balance in the blend. They equalize the blend and do not have sharp or strong aromas like Personifiers. Essential oils that are classified in this category – Basil, Bergamot, Cedarwood, Cypress, Fennel, Fir, Frankincense, Geranium, Ginger, Juniper, Lavender, Lemongrass, Marjoram, Tea Tree, Myrrh, Myrtle, Neroli, Oregano, Pine, Roman Chamomile, Rosewood, Sandalwood, Spruce, Thyme etc.

4. Modifiers: Essential oils of a mild and short fragrance are classified as Modifiers. They usually form 5 to 8% of the blend as they bring in harmony to the whole blend. Some of the oils under this category include: Angelica, Bergamot, Cardamom, Eucalyptus, Fennel, Grapefruit, Hyssop, Jasmine, Mandarin, Melissa, Neroli, Petitgrain, Rose, Rosewood, Sandalwood, Ylang Ylang.



Aromatherapy Facts

A peek into aroma families: 8 major categories of essential oils

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Essential oils are sources of great well being. An essential oil is nothing but a plant extract which is concentrated and highly rich in healing and aromatic properties. Often volatile liquids, these essential oils contain small oil-like molecules produced by plants during photosynthesis. It is these extracts which are present in plant cavities like roots, petals, seeds and peels, that protect the plant from various infections, parasitical hindrances and other environmental issues, making it grow without trouble. The same valuable volatile liquids act wonderfully to prevent and treat ailments in human beings too. This makes them special and this is why these essential oils are used to heal/prevent/treat many health disorders in people.

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Aroma families: There are a whole range of essential oils in the market. Some are grouped as just fragrances, some act as herbal liquids, while some serve the purpose of treating ailments. One classification of essential oils is based on notes – Top Notes, Middle Notes and Base Notes.


Essential oils classified under Top Notes normally evaporate faster and tend to be more antiviral, invigorating and refreshing. They are highly volatile and hardly last long. However, they make their mark with their aromas and light nature. Middle Notes oils have a balancing effect and normally take a couple of minutes to establish their scents. This is because they are warm and soft fragrances which are a bit heavy than the Top Notes variants. Base Notes essential oils are very solid and strong in their aromas. They last a long time and even slow down the evaporation of the oils mixed with them. Heady fragrances that relax the body mark the Base Notes category.

There is also yet another way of classifying essential oils other than the one based on Notes. A broader classification can be made based on the aromas of the oils. Some people have even classified oils depending on the reaction they have on people. But the below categorization is a different one based on the aromas of the oils:

1. Citrus oils: Essential oils that have a distinct citrus flavor fall into this category. Bergamot, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Orange and Tangerine are some of the Citrus oils.

2. Herbaceous oils: Oils that are extracted from plants which are otherwise most useful herbs are called Herbaceous oils. Basil, Chamomile, Melissa, Clary Sage, Hyssop, Marjoram, Peppermint and Rosemary are some of this kind.

3. Camphoraceous oils: Essential oils which have particular healing properties and camphor-like aromas are grouped under this category. Some of these essential oils are – Cajeput, Tea Tree, Peppermint, Rosemary and Eucalyptus oils.

4. Floral oils: Oils made from floral parts or which carry the floral essence of plants fall under this group. Geranium, Jasmine, Lavender, Rose, Neroli, Chamomile, Ylang-Ylang etc. are some of these oils.

5. Resinous oils: Essential oils extracted from the resins of plants. Benzoin, Elemi, Frankincense and Myrrh are more resinous than others.

6. Woody oils: Essential oils that are woody in aromas or extracted from the barks and other woody parts of plants are termed Woody oils. Cedarwood, Cinnamon, Cypress, Juniper Berry, Pine and Sandalwood etc are some of these oils.

7. Earthy oils: Essential oils that have a distinct earthy aroma or are extracted from plants’ roots and other earthy parts are grouped here – Angelica, Patchouli, Vetiver and Valerian are some of these oils.

8. Spicy oils: Oils extracted from spices or spicy plants. You can know it from their names itself. Aniseed, Black Pepper, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Coriander, Cumin, Ginger and Nutmeg are some of these oils.



Aromatherapy Facts

On the wisdom of the ‘smell brain’ and how aromas affect our body

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The sense of smell is one of the most neglected senses of the body. We heed our nose for everything, but we fail to recognize its specialty and role in our day to day activities like eating, remembering and even emoting. Aromatherapy touches this particular sense of the body and evokes the desired response from an individual. But how is this possible? How can a mere sniff affect a whole lot of emotions and regulate bodily functions? This article has answers to all questions on how aromas work and have the power to alter almost anything in the body.

The smell brain and the limbic system: Let us go technical and look into details on how we perceive and respond to smell. Though the nose is said to be an organ of smell, it is just a mere organ, engaged in nothing but being a passage to the brain. Olfaction or the sense of smell does not begin at the nose, but the brain or the olfactory bulb. Each of the nasal passages contain about 50 million sensory receptors waiting to carry ‘odor’ messages to your smell brain. When the receptors or neurons sense odorous molecules coming through the nasal passages, they send their axons to the olfactory bulb, a projection of the brain on the upper part of the nose. Specific odor molecules bind to their respective chemoreceptors. The process then moves into the limbic system of the brain, where memory is used to recognize and sort out the odors as pleasant, unpleasant, old, new or recent.

The limbic system is one of the oldest parts of the human body and was initially referred to as ‘rhinencephalon’ or ‘smell brain’. It is the smell brain which plays a vital role in making aromas effective. Since the limbic system is also the seat of emotion, memory and important body parts, smells are associated with memories, so much so that particular smells evoke particular memories from the  past. Basically, the memory aroused will evoke an emotional response depending on the experience associated with the memory. A simple example would be, if you had a bad experience with beef tallow in your young age, the smell of tallow would evoke an unpleasant response from your limbic system. This, in turn, will set off a series of unpleasant sensations and unhealthy changes in the parts of the body controlled by the limbic system.

Aromatherapy and emotions: Aromas can have a huge impact on your emotions. After being processed through the olfactory bulb, aromas enter the limbic system and affect your emotions, moods and even your health quotient. The concept of aromatherapy is pivoted on one basic fact – changes in emotion/mood can help relieve the symptoms or disorders caused by a disease. As the limbic system or smell brain controls other regions also, it regulates bodily functions too.

Mood-effects and Hedonics in aromatherapy: Not all essential oils are liked by everyone and not all aromatherapy sessions suit every patient. Only specific oils, scents and herbs work well with regard to particular ailments. This is because of a factor called Hedonics – the personal degree of pleasantness a person would place on a specific odor or smell. Research reveals that smells can effect mood-swings and alter health conditions in a person. This means, a pleasant smell can increase your health ratio while an unpleasant odor can take you toward disease and ill-health. Since odors can create or alleviate stress, aromatherapy or essential oils can influence a person’s positivity and self-confidence levels.

In brief, the limbic system or the smell brain is more than just a brain. It is an integral part of the human body, which creates a profound effect on your body cells. When treated with aromas, the smell brain responds instantly (unlike drugs or medications) and cures immediately, without side effects or other medical issues. With aromatherapy, nothing chemical happens as everything is 100% natural and effective.



Aromatherapy Facts

What happens in a therapeutic aromatherapy session? An insight

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Aromatherapy, as we know, is a holistic medicinal system, which uses oils extracted from plants, herbs and scrubs for treatment. These oils, the “life-force” of plants, are used in appropriate proportions and are either massaged on to or inhaled into the body. Essential oils are never ingested unless approved and prescribed by an expert aromatherapist. For all the talk we do about aromatherapy, there is no sufficient information on how an aromatherapy session takes place and how a client is handled by the aromatherapist within four walls. This article will provide insight on what is an aromatherapy session is and how it is conducted for a new customer.

Aromatherapy for beginners: The first thing that is daunting to beginners is the question of trust. A novice customer maybe worried about the safety, confidentiality and the modesty of an aromatherapy session. Understand that all reputed aromatherapists respect your modesty and keep customer’s interests first. And every customer’s personal wishes would be addressed in the session. So, if you prefer massaging only certain body parts, your aromatherapist will definitely address your wishes and act accordingly. You should be frank and open with your therapist as the therapist has your best interests in mind.


Start of an aromatherapy session: How does an aromatherapy session begin? An aromatherapy session begins with an analysis and examination session with your aromatherapist. Your expert aromatherapy practitioner will analyze you for the following:

  • Existing body condition
  • Current ailments
  • Current treatments
  • Any previous treatment through aromatherapy
  • Your sensitivities & vulnerabilities
  • Root cause of your problem

After thorough examination, the aromatherapist will check which essential oils have a positive effect on you and to which scents you respond well.

Initial Massaging: Based on the above analysis, your aromatherapist will choose five essential oils and a carrier oil and will blend them together. Then, the oil blend is massaged on to the affected areas of your body to stimulate a positive effect. If your body responds well, you will notice a relaxing effect and a pleasant feeling. Basically, the oil blend will aim to do the following:

  • Improve your blood circulation
  • Increase supply of oxygen & nutrients to cells
  • Improve tissue drainage
  • Reduce harmful stress hormones
  • Enhance immune system
  • Stimulate energy and have a relaxing effect

If your response to the oil blend is positive, the same approach is adapted during the next session. If it is negative and you have a distaste or unpleasant effect toward the blend, another set of 5 oils will be tried on you. The duration of sessions and the number of times the sessions ought to be carried out may vary depending on the ailment addressed. If you find relief in the very first session, you may not have to go in for more sessions. Generally, it is considered best to do more than one session over a period of time to alleviate the symptoms of any ailment.

Things to follow during aromatherapy: Aromatherapy is not like visiting your hairdresser. You cannot go through an aromatherapy session without preparation. You need to free yourself from regular chores on that day and spend your time only for the therapy. This will not only set you in mood for a session, but will also make your therapist’s job easier. In the same way, you should take rest after a session. You should not travel nor take bath. This is because the essential oils applied will take about four hours to be absorbed into your body. Since the absorption time varies with several blends, it is better to leave a gap of four hours of rest after the session.



History of Essential Oils

Aromatherapy101: 24 common aromatherapy terms you MUST know

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Aromatherapy is a vast medicinal system comprising of many terminologies, extraction procedures and blending methodologies. Though not everyone can know everything about aromatherapy (but for an expert and licensed aromatherapist), as a beginner, you may need to know certain things about the science. This article will explain in brief the common terms used in the world of aromatherapy and essential oils.

Aromatherapy is a science of essential oils. As you know, there are many different kinds of essential oils in vogue right from the ancient times. Most of these oils are extracted by several types of methods. Some oils are called by unique names based on their properties or components. Here’s a glimpse of all of them:

1. Absolutes or concretes: Absolutes are essential oils in their pure form. They have strong aromas and are highly concentrated.

2. Botanical Names: A botanical name is the Latin name given to a plant species. Since there are  millions of species, botanists use botanical names to identify one species from another.

3. Common Name: The name in which an oil is addressed in common practice. Lavender, Basil, Bay, Hyssop etc. are common names.


4. Carrier Oils: Carrier oils or base oils or fixed oils are vegetable or plant oils that are used to dilute pure essential oils.

5. Hydrosols or Flora waters: These are by-products during extraction of essential oils. They too have medicinal properties and are used for general, less-severe treatments.

6. Dram: Unit of measurement which equals 1/8 of an ounce, used in aromatherapy.

7. Fragrance oils: Called perfume or potpourri oils, Fragrance Oils contain artificial fragrant substances, whereas essential oils contain only the pure essences of plants.

8. Infused oils: Carrier oils into which few medicinal herbs are infused (for extra therapeutic effects) are called infused oils.

9. CO2s: Oils which are extracted by using carbon dioxide are called CO2s.

10. Orifice reducer: A small, clear insert-like dropper used in essential oil bottles for easy dispensation of oil.

Essential oils are often referred to as stimulants, analgesic agents and ones with diuretic properties. Though these are medicinal terms and can be guessed by most of you, when it comes to aromatherapy, it is better not to make assumptions. Here are a few terms that describe the properties of essential oils:

11. Abortifacient: An oil which can cause abortion in a pregnant woman. Toxic oils are often abortifacients.

12. Analgesic: Oils that relieve pain and cause a soothing effect are analgesic

13. Anodyne: Oils that calm restless mind and iron out disturbed feelings or emotions and also offer pain relief are said to have anodyne properties.

14. Aphrodisiacs: Certain oils are used to arouse sexual desires. Such oils are referred to as aphrodisiacs.

15. Carminative: Carminative oils relieve gas in the digestive tract and also reduce bloating of stomach

16. Cicatrisant: Is an agent for healing wounds, cuts, gashes etc.

17. Depurative: Depurative oils are highly efficient in cleansing the blood. They combat and eliminate impure elements and toxins in the blood.

18. Diuretics: Used in people who have problems with urination. Diuretic essential oils increase discharge of urine.

19. Emmenagogue: Essential oils that assist with PMS, menstruation or menopausal symptoms are referred this way.

20. Expectorant: These expel phlegm and mucous from the body

21. Febrifuge: Some oils are successful in combating fevers and are referred to have febrifuge properties.

22. Parturients: Oils which ease symptoms of pain in pregnant mothers and also aid in childbirth are said to have parturient properties.

23. Stimulants: Essential oils that invigorate or energize a body are called as stimulants.

24. Tonics: Essential oils which have a restorative and replenishing effect on the body are called tonics.