How scent can change your life

Most of us have scented candles, air fresheners or other sources of pleasant fragrances in our homes. We have particular scents we prefer and even choose the times we use fragrance to promote relaxation, revitalization or other effects that might be desired. You may not know it, but you are using aromatherapy. While it might not be the practice of aromatherapy by the strictest definition, it is still the use of scent for an advantageous result.

Aromatherapy is defined as the breathing in and/or bodily use of essential oils derived from aromatic plants to bring about balance, relaxation, restoration, and rejuvenation or to heighten the mind, body and spirit. An essential oil can be drawn from various parts of the plant including the flower, seed, leaf, root, bark, twig, berry, rind and other parts. The basic fundamentals behind the use of aromatherapy are to strengthen the individual healing actions by indirectly stimulating the immune system. The degree to which people use essential oils is broad and can range from deep and permeating therapeutic uses to the utmost refinement of an unequalled fragrance.

Each person is different and therefore because the aromatherapy is so sensitive it can work on a person at one time of the day and then have no effect with that same person at another time. It is all to do with the mood and surroundings and the oil that works with one person may have no effect on the same problem with another but could help to alleviate a totally different problem that they have.

Aromatherapy is used through massage, cosmetically or through the nose (olfactory) but the key thing to remember is to reduce the concentration of the essential oil by mixing it either with a carrier oil or with water. The carrier oils are simple oils like, sweet almond, avocado, cocoa butter, grapeseed, olive or even sunflower oil and each oil has a different quality that may or may not appeal to its user.

Massage aromatherapy benefits the client in two ways, firstly the healing, soothing massage and then the added benefit of the essential oils. When used for cosmetic purposes the oils are combined with skin or hair care products and olfactory aromatherapy brings the essential oils into the body through breathing them in. The oils are usually placed in a small dish, mixed with water and heated above a candle or light bulb and the odours given off help to relax the body and mind.

The concept of using oils goes back as far as we can trace history and there are examples of plants and oils used for ceremonies, medicine or for cosmetic purposes right back to ancient Egypt. They were actually at the heart of many of the important trade routes in the world and wars have literally been fought over them.

If you require aromatherapy make sure that you choose someone who knows exactly what they are doing and are qualified to give you the best advice and support.