A Practical Guide to Herbology
Lesson Two: Healing with Aromatherapy
Among our senses, one of the most-looked over and powerful is our sense of smell. Aromas can help us recall happy memories - baking cookies with loved ones during the holiday season, the perfume or cologne of a loved one - as well as unpleasant memories. Through psychology, we’ve proven that, when recreating a scene, scents can be our most powerful allies in recalling past events in our lives.
Aromatherapy is the art of using scents to heal the body, mind and soul. We use scents in healing rituals, magic and spirituality frequently - it even manifests in religious practices such as Christianity when a pastor cleanses a space with incense.
Working with essential oils is really quite easy, but here are some precautions to take.
It’s important to dilute your essential oils in a carrier oil before using them therapeutically. You should rarely apply an undiluted essential oil to your skin.
By diluting your essential oils in a carrier oil, you get a lot more use out of them and you also prevent skin irritations. Some common types of carrier oils are grapeseed, olive, flaxseed, almond and sesame oil. Use 30mL (2 tbsp) of carrier oil per 5-10 drops of essential oil.
Essential oils need to be kept away from light and air. It’s best to store them in dark-tinted bottles to prevent light penetration. With proper storage, most essential oils can last 1-2 years. However, citrus oils should not be used after 6-9 months.
Before working with essential oils, be sure to do a skin allergy test. Many people have sensitive skin and it’s important to take precautions and avoid allergic reactions to both essential oils and carrier oils.
To test for allergies, simply place a drop of your chosen carrier oil on your skin. Check and see if there is a reaction over the course of 12 hours. Place one drop of essential oil in 15 drops of carrier oil and apply to your chest. Check and see if there is a reaction over the course of 12 hours. If there is no reaction, then you likely have no allergy to the plant or the oil.
Please avoid essential oils if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Specifically, avoid: cardamom, coriander, geranium, ginger, grapefruit, lavender, lemon, lemon balm, lemongrass, lime, mandarin, neroli, palmarosa, petitgrain, spearmint and ylang-ylang.
If you have sensitive or dry skin, it is best to avoid the following essential oils: black pepper, cinnamon, clove, grapefruit, lemon, lemon balm, lemongrass, lime, mandarin, orange, peppermint and spearmint.
Healing with Essential Oils
When starting out with using essential oils for health purposes, it’s important to address one symptom or issue at a time. Limit your selection to a few different oils until you become more familiar with your tools. Once you get comfortable, start experimenting with making your own blends. As time goes by, you’ll see what works best for your body and you!
Stress often has the side effects of anxiety, upset stomach, heart palpitations and rapid breathing. One of the most common essential oils used to alleviate stress is peppermint - it relaxes the mind and body. Lavender is another good choice as it relaxes muscles and the vapors help regulate breathing.
Muscle tension and pain are something most of us are familiar with. When using essential oils to address this particular issue, it’s best to create a massage oil to rub the affected area. If you’re trying to relax muscles and ease pain, allspice and geranium are great choices.
Flus, colds, respiratory illnesses - we’re no stranger to those during the winter months. To use essential oils to treat this, apply a few drops of diluted oil across the chest and massage into the skin. I tend to use eucalyptus, but thyme is another great choice!
Everyone experiences difficulties with focus and concentration; stress, lack of sleep, anxiety and depression are just a few possible culprits. To use essential oils for this, apply a few drops to the temples, middle of the forehead and the base of the neck. Rosemary and spearmint are great choices for this as they help you relax while improving mental clarity.
At the end of the day, many of us feel exhausted from school, work and just life in general. To help with this, place a few drops of essential oil on your wrists and rub them in. Citrus oils like lemon and lime work really well since they uplift mood, relieve fatigue and provide mental clarity and focus.
Sometimes we just can’t fall asleep. Place a few drops of essential oil on your forehead and at the base of your neck. Lemon balm and ylang-ylang are good choices for this as they promote restful sleep and reduce stress and anxiety.
This issue typically involves both the physical and mental parts of the body. To help alleviate anxiety, place a drop of essential oil on the forehead, base of the neck, wrists and along the collarbone or upper chest. Chamomile, lavender and lemon balm are excellent choices.
Anxiety Relief
5 drops chamomile oil
5 drops lemongrass oil
2 tbsp carrier oil
Stress Relief
5 drops peppermint oil
5 drops lavender oil
2 tbsp carrier oil
Muscle-Tension Relief
½ tbsp ground allspice
½ tbsp ground nutmeg
5 drops geranium oil
½ cup carrier oil
Muscle Pain Relief
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp ground turmeric
5 drops rose oil
5 drops tea tree oil
½ cup carrier oil
Chest Congestion Relief
5 drops eucalyptus oil
5 drops pine oil
2 tbsp carrier oil
Mucus Killer
2 tbsp nettle leaves
5 drops frankincense oil
2 cups carrier oil
Focus and Concentration
½ tbsp ground myrrh
5 drops rosemary oil
2 cups carrier oil
Mental Strength and Clarity
1 tbsp dried rosemary
5 drops peppermint oil
5 drops spearmint oil
2 cups carrier oil
Energizer
½ tbsp dried juniper berries
5 drops thyme oil
2 cups carrier oil
Citrus Energy
5 drops lemon oil
5 drops lime oil
2 tbsp carrier oil
Sleep Easy
5 drops lemon balm oil
5 drops ylang-ylang oil
2 tbsp carrier oil
Digestion Relief
½ tbsp dried catnip
5 drops ginger oil
5 drops spearmint oil
2 cups carrier oil
Common Essential Oils for Health and Wellness
Allspice: Reduces stress, calms, relaxes tight muscles, uplifts mood, improves digestion, natural disinfectant
Basil: Calms, relieves pain, relieves fatigue, improves mental clarity, purifies the body
Cardamom: Relieves pain, uplifts mood, improves digestion, improves mental clarity and memory
Catnip: Anti-diarrheal, relieves indigestion, relieves anxiety, uplifts mood
Chamomile: Reduces anxiety, promotes restful sleep and relaxation, relieves pain
Cinnamon: Relieves pain, uplifts mood, relieves fatigue, natural disinfectant, improves digestion, increases appetite
Clove: Relieves pain, uplifts mood, improves mental clarity, improves digestion, natural disinfectant
Coriander: Relieves pain, relieves fatigue, improves digestion, improves mental clarity and memory
Eucalyptus: Breaks up congestion, relieves pain, natural disinfectant, vapors help with breathing (asthma)
Frankincense: Anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent, diuretic, improves digestion, expectorant, sedative
Geranium: Relieves stress and tension, uplifts mood, anti-inflammatory, soothes itchy skin
Ginger: Relieves pain, uplifts mood, relieves fatigue, improves digestion, increases appetite
Juniper berries: Relieves pain, energizes, improves mental clarity and memory, anti-inflammatory, repels insects, soothes insect bites
Lavender: Relieves stress and anxiety, promotes restful sleep, uplifts mood, balances mood swings, vapors help with breathing, improves digestion, natural disinfectant, breaks up congestion
Lemon: Balances the nervous system, uplifts mood, relieves fatigue, improves mental clarity and memory, natural disinfectant
Lemon balm: Relieves anxiety and stress, promotes restful sleep
Lemongrass: Calms, balances nervous system, uplifts mood, anti-inflammatory, vapors help with breathing, improves digestion, natural disinfectant, repels insects
Lime: Relieves fatigue, uplifts mood, natural disinfectant, improves mental clarity and memory
Mandarin: Reduces stress and tension, calms, uplifts mood
Myrrh: Helpful in meditation, uplifts mood, anti-inflammatory, aids in healing skin
Neroli and Orange blossom: Removes nervous tension, promotes restful sleep
Nutmeg: Relaxes tight muscles, relieves pain, improves digestion
Palmarosa: Relaxes tight muscles, relieves pain, uplifts mood, helps regenerate skin, anti-inflammatory
Peppermint: Relieves pain, uplifts mood, relieves fatigue, breaks up congestion, anti-inflammatory, vapors help with breathing, improves digestion, increases appetite, soothes itchy skin, improves mental clarity and memory
Petitgrain: Reduces anxiety and stress, promotes restful sleep, uplifts mood, improves mental clarity and memory
Pine: Lessens pain, uplifts mood, relieves fatigue, breaks up congestion, natural disinfectant, improves mental clarity and memory
Rose: Relieves pain, uplifts mood, anti-inflammatory, aids in healing skin
Rosemary: Relieves pain, stimulates nerves, relieves fatigue, vapors help with breathing, improves digestion, improves mental clarity and memory, natural disinfectant, repels insects
Spearmint: Relieves pain, uplifts mood, relieves fatigue, breaks up congestion, anti-inflammatory, vapors help with breathing, improves digestion, improves appetite, improves mental clarity and memory, soothes itchy skin
Tea Tree: Relieves pain, natural disinfectant, aids in healing skin, vapors help with breathing
Thyme: Relaxes tight muscles, relieves pain, uplifts mood, breaks up congestion, anti-inflammatory, improves digestion, increases appetite, improves mental clarity and memory, natural disinfectant
Ylang-Ylang: Relaxes tight muscles, relieves pain, promotes restful sleep, uplifts mood, natural disinfectant
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Images are under the Creative Commons License. Information is from a variety of books, websites and my personal experience working with essential oils.
Updated 7 March 2018 to include more warnings and to be consistent with other posts in this series of lessons.
Do not apply undiluted essential oils directly to your skin. They are incredibly potent and are likely to cause irritation, burns and permanent scars. You must utilize an appropriate carrier oil for dilution - water is not acceptable.
Essential oils are not edible - DO NOT INGEST THEM. They are not used in tinctures, extracts or anything meant to be taken internally.
Diffusing essential oils can be toxic to your pets. Please do extensive research on which types of oils are not harmful to your pets.
Do your own research regarding medicinal plants and usage, especially if you are sensitive or have allergies of any kind. If you are on medication(s), consult a doctor before use.
Finally, aromatherapy is not a substitution for professional medical and psychiatric aid. If you are experiencing any prolonged health and/or mental health issues, SEE A DOCTOR.
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