Essential oils stimulates the powerful sense of smell. It is known that odors we smell have a significant impact on how we feel. In dealing with patients who have lost the sense of smell, doctors have found that a life without fragrance can lead to high incidence of psychiatric problems such as anxiety and depression. We have the capability to distinguish 10,000 different smells. It is believed that smells enter through cilia (the fine hairs lining the nose) to the limbic system, the part of the brain that controls our moods, emotions, memory and learning.

Studies with brain wave frequency has shown that smelling lavender increases alpha waves in the back of the head, which are associated with relaxation. Fragrance of Jasmine increases beta waves in the front of the head, which are associated with a more alert state.

Scientific studies have also shown that essential oils contain chemical components that can exert specific effects on the mind and body. Their chemistry is complex, but generally includes alcohols, esters, ketones, aldehydes, and terpenes.

The sense of smell is connected to the sense of taste. Our tongue will only taste sweet, sour, salt, and bitter. The other tastes are in fact only odors. There are at least twenty sensations normally referred to as tastes that are really odors. Aromatherapy is one factor that is used in connection with sense of smell and taste.

With aromatherapy, the brain will respond to the aroma of the essential oil by using a past memory with the smell. If the aroma is not familiar, the brain will create a new memory with it. Different scents will activate certain brain waves, which are sensitive to the thought and the emotions that we have.

Essential oils are going to have so many aromatherapy benefits to the mind and the body. The will help with memory, clarity, and also help with pain. You will generally have a feeling of well being and relaxation that you are looking for.

There are so many different scents that you can use in aromatherapy. You will find that you can have different pleasures with the different essential oils that are available to you. There is no better way for a relaxing and enjoying experience than to have the essential oils that are out there. You will want to use all the techniques and uses that are available to you.

You can use the essential aromatherapy oils for a massage, a bath or in a diffuser. Any way that you decide to use these delicious smells will help you and give you body the benefits that you are looking for. You will have less pains and aches to deal with as well as give your body the defense that it needs against illness and other problems for the body.

Aromatherapy means “treatment using scents”. It is a holistic treatment of caring for the body with pleasant smelling botanical oils such as rose, lemon, lavender and peppermint. The essential oils are added to the bath or massaged into the skin, inhaled directly or diffused to scent an entire room. Aromatherapy is used for the relief of pain, care for the skin, alleviate tension and fatigue and invigorate the entire body. Essential oils can affect the mood, alleviate fatigue, reduce anxiety and promote relaxation. When inhaled, they work on the brain and nervous system through stimulation of the olfactory nerves.

The essential oils are aromatic essences extracted from plants, flowers, trees, fruits, bark, grasses and seeds with distinctive therapeutic, psychological, and physiological properties, which improve and prevent illness. There are about 150 essential oils. Most of these oils have antiseptic properties; some are antiviral, anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, antidepressant and expectorant. Other properties of the essential oils which are taken advantage of in aromatherapy are their stimulation, relaxation, digestion improvement, and diuretic properties. To get the maximum benefit from essential oils, it should be made from natural, pure raw materials. Synthetically made oils do not work.

Aromatherapy is one of the fastest growing fields in alternative medicine. It is widely used at home, clinics and hospitals for a variety of applications such as pain relief for women in labor pain, relieving pain caused by the side effects of the chemotherapy undergone by the cancer patients, and rehabilitation of cardiac patients.

Aromatherapy is already slowly getting into the mainstream. In Japan, engineers are incorporating aroma systems into new buildings. In one such application, the scent of lavender and rosemary is pumped into the customer area to calm down the waiting customers, while the perfumes from lemon and eucalyptus are used in the bank teller counters to keep the staff alert.

Aromatherapy had been around for 6000 years or more. The Greeks, Romans, and ancient Egyptians all used aromatherapy oils. The Egyptian physician Imhotep recommended fragrant oils for bathing, massage, and for embalming their dead nearly 6000 years ago. Imhotep is the Egyptian god of medicine and healing. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, used aromatherapy baths and scented massage. He used aromatic fumigations to rid Athens of the plague.

The modern era of aromatherapy is dawned in 1930 when the French chemist Rene Maurice Gattefosse coined the term aromatherapy for the therapeutic use of essential oils. He was fascinated by the benefits of lavender oil in healing his burned hand without leaving any scars. He started investigating the effect of other essential oils for healing and for their psychotherapeutic benefits.

During world war II, the French army surgeon Dr. Jean Valnet used essential oils as antiseptics. Later, Madame Marguerite Maury elevated aromatherapy as a holistic therapy. She started prescribing essential oils as remedy for her patients. She is also credited with the modern use of essential oils in massage.

Aromatherapy works the best when it works on the mind and body simultaneously.

Evening Primrose

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 Latin Name: oenothera biennis

Forms Available: oil

Evening Primrose Oil – Oenothera biennis – This is a pale yellow oil with a pleasant, light and nutty taste. Its color may vary based on growing conditions and batch. Extremely helpful in treating menstrual and pre-menstrual problems, eczema and psoriasis; useful in treating allergic skin problems. Add up to 10% of the carrier oil for massage and to any creams and lotions. Its healing action results from its high content of gamma linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid that is vital to cell and body functions and not produced by the body itself. It goes rancid quickly and should be stored in a cool place or refrigerated.

Aromatherapy & Health Uses: can be used in base oil in percentage of up to 10%

Fennel

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Latin Name: foeniculum vulgare
Alternative Name: fenkel, sweet fennel, wild fennel
Forms Available: essential oil, ground, whole, leaf, root, seed

Fennel – Foeniculum vulgar – Sacred to the God. This biennial or perennial herb has finely cut feathery foliage, umbels of midsummer flowers, curved, ribbed seeds and a thick root, all with a fresh anise seed flavor. The seeds are chewed to allay hunger and ease indigestion. They are brewed for constipation, to increase breast milk and regulate menstruation; with root extract, they are detoxifying and diuretic. Research indicates Fennel helps repair the liver after alcohol damage. Seed and leaf steam aids deep skin cleansing, and the essential oil is used in a muscle-toning massage. Fennel oil should not be used by epileptics or young children.
To help with indigestion and gas, pour boiling water over crushed fennel seeds -one teaspoon seed to a pint of water. The seeds are simmered in syrups for coughs, shortness of breath and wheezing. Powdered fennel seeds repel fleas from pets’ sleeping quarters. Place fennel inside a fish when you cook it to make it more digestible. The seeds and root help clean the liver, spleen, gall bladder, and blood. The leaves and seeds when boiled with barley increase breast milk. The tea and broth of this herb are said to help in weight loss programs. Fennel is eaten in salads, soups, and breads. Fennel oil mixed with honey can be taken for coughs, and the tea is used as a gargle. The oil is eaten with honey to allay gas and it is applied externally to rheumatic swellings. The seeds are boiled to make an eye wash: use one half teaspoon of seed per cup of water, three times a day, and be sure to strain carefully before use.

Aromatherapy & Health Uses: Bruises; Dull, Oily, Mature Complexions; Cellulitis; Obesity; Edema; Rheumatism; Asthma; Bronchitis; Anorexia; Colic; Constipation; Dyspepsia; Flatulence; Hiccoughs; Nausea; Menopausal Problems; Insufficient Milk in Nursing Mothers.

Other Uses: Hang over doors with St. John’s Wort at Litha to repel evil spirits. Carry fennel to influence others to trust your words. Use for: Protection; Healing; Health; Purification.

Feverweed

Latin Name: aureolaria pedicularia, gerardia pedicularia
Alternative Name: yellow false foxglove
Forms Available: leaf

Feverweed – aureolaria pedicularia – a sedative and diaphoretic herb. This herb induces perspiration and has been used, as such, in the relief of inflammatory diseases.

Aromatherapy & Health Uses: A sedative and diaphoretic herb. This herb induces perspiration and has been used, as such, in the relief of inflammatory diseases.