Essential Oils & Aromatherapy Reloaded: The Complete Step by Step Guide

Janet Evans

Description

Essential Oils Are a Natural and Effective Way to Look beautiful and claim your perfect health! Do you want to find out how to create a healthier lifestyle for yourself and your family by using essential oils? Essential Oils & Aromatherapy Reloaded: The Complete Step by Step Guide is a book containing practical and easy-to-understand form, detailing every conceivable use for essential oils and aromatherapy in everyday life. Pick it up Today!

Sujets

• Médecine
• Holisme
• Science
• Massage
• Body
• 454 Life Sciences
• Acupuncture
• General
• Chemistry
• Alternative medicine
• Biochemistry
• Homeopathy
• Reference work
• Social sciences
• Organic
• Life science
• General officer
• Physical exercise
• Holism
• Healing
• Inorganic compound
• Body (disambiguation)
• Alternative therapy
• Biology
• Aromatherapy
• Masaje
• EDUCATION

Informations

• Publié par: Speedy Publishing LLC
• Date de parution: 05 septembre 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9781628844962
• Langue: English

Extrait

Essential Oils & Aromatherapy Reloaded: The Complete Step by Step Guide
Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - From Essential Oils to Base Oils: The Power of Natural Healing via Aromatherapy

Chapter 2 - Basic Essential Oil: Aromatherapy for Minor Illnesses and Skin Care

Chapter 3: Essential Oil Aromatherapy for Travel-Related Health Problems

Chapter 4 - Essential Oil Aromatherapy for Work-Related Health Problems

Chapter 5 - Essential Oil Aromatherapy for Sports- and Dance-Related Health Problems

Chapter 6 - Essential Oil Aromatherapy for Mother and Baby Care

Chapter 7 - Essential Oil Aromatherapy for Elderly Care
Chapter 1 - From Essential Oils to Base Oils: The Power of Natural Healing via Aromatherapy


Beginnings


The origin of the term aromatherapy and the beginnings of the legendary healing efficacy of essential oils are literally ages apart. Terminology-wise, aromatherapy is a concoction of the modern world, particularly among Europeans during the early 20 th century. The French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé published the first book that mentioned aromathérapie to describe how he successfully treated a serious burn injury with the use of lavender oil, an essential oil. In contrast, the application of essential oil for healing is as old as time. Essential oils hold the distinction as mankind’s first medicines.


There were historical and biblical accounts of how essential oils were used during the ancient times. These references include Egyptian hieroglyphs and hundred of references in the bible. God himself figured prominently in the biblical references. Particularly, one of the first step-by-step instructional guides for the preparation of anointing oil from known essential oils of the modern world was attributed to God.




It is the position of this book that the efficacy of any medicine that weathered the test of time, over two centuries at that, cannot be questioned. Notwithstanding criticisms that the therapeutic effects of essential oils have no basis, 2,000 years of unrecorded but successful results cannot be dismissed. The tradition of using essential oils as home remedies for common minor afflictions would not have been propagated through word-of-mouth if its vaunted effects were all folkloric hype.

The reintroduction of the healing effects of essential oils in the early 1900s was spearheaded by learned men in the person of European scientists. Knowing how rigid men of science are in adhering to the scientific method of inquiry fanned the flames of interest in this author’s heart to write a book that compiled the natural healing power of essential oils. These super oils may be ancient in origin, but have you ever wondered why people then enjoyed longevity more than the modern man who has synthetic pharmaceuticals in his medicine cabinet?




Therapeutic Effects of Essential Oils


There is a myriad of healing benefits which can be derived from essential oils. Some of these benefits are:

Air purification Detoxifying properties Emotional and physical healing Facilitation of nutrient transport in the body Multi-“anti” capabilities, starting with it being an antiseptic. Essential oils also fight:
Bacteria Cancer Fungi Infection Microbes Parasites Tumors
Penetrating power to the skin owing to its small molecular size, which enhances efficacy of the intervention Purification of air Regenerative, oxidative, and immune defense properties


There is growing research with positive indications that sesquiterpenes , which is found in some essential oils, is able to pass the so-called blood brain barrier. With this development, essential oils are also being eyed as effective treatment for the following illnesses: Alzheimer’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, multiple-sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease. The bio-electrical frequency of essential oils has been documented in research to be a potent factor in restoring the human body to a normal, healthy level.



Pure Essential Oils


Essential oils refer to volatile liquids which are distilled from plants and plant parts to extract their essence for therapeutic applications both on the physical and the psychological realm of healing. Source plants for these oils range from plants, shrubs, and trees to grasses. Essential oils are extracted from various plant parts including the bark, flower, fruit, leaf, root, and stem.


They are called essential oils because of how ancient doctors or medicine men, as well as pharmacists of the olden times (called apothecaries or more specifically, alchemists), perceive these plant extracts as the essential life force of plants. Mystics even believe in their magical healing powers. However, as man continued to benefit from their therapeutic applications, they also came to realize that essential oils indeed heal, but not because of magic.


Contrary to popular belief, the essential oils used by reputable professionals in the modern world who engage in aromatherapy and massage therapy are not pure essential oils. This is not, however, a bad thing at all. Technically, essential oils cannot and should not be used in their pure form because these will cause severe skin irritation and/or reactions for most individuals. The same is true for essential oils used in aromatherapy because the nasal lining is more sensitive than the external skin.


The Need for Base Oils


Essential oils are distilled from selected plants mostly via steam or water. Being volatile in nature, these oils have concentrated aroma but evaporate over time. It is standard practice to dilute essential oils using carrier oils. Carrier oils are derived from the fatty portion of plants such as the kernel, nut, or seed and do not have the strong aroma of essential oils, but they do not evaporate. Carrier oils are important in aromatherapy and are used to dilute essential oils to prevent irritation or other adverse reactions.


Carrier oil is the general term used in aromatherapy to dilute essential oils prior to application. Base oils are practically the same as carrier oils, but the former term finds more frequent use in skin care, specifically when referring to natural methods of caring for the skin. This book adopted the term base oil grounded on the fact that aromatherapy dilutes pure essential oils to prevent skin irritation, and thus, is an effort to effect natural skin care.


However, base oils are not simply dilution agents. They provide distinct characteristics and healing properties. Aromatherapy practitioners therefore select particular base oils in terms of the therapeutic goal of the procedure. Base oils are also interchangeably called fixed oils or vegetable oils, although the latter may present some confusion. Not all base oils are extracted from plants although many of them are.


Base Oils Used in Aromatherapy


The following base oils are used in aromatherapy:

Apricot kernel oil is extracted from the kernel (apparently) of the fruit and exhibits a pale yellow color. It contains vitamins and minerals. This oil is generally used for all skin types and is best for dry, prematurely aging, sensitive, and/or swollen skin.

Avocado pear oil is sourced from the flesh of the fruit itself and is, therefore, dark green. It has fatty acids, lecithin, proteins, and vitamins A and D. This oil is used as an additive to base oil at 10% to 20% dilution. It suits all skin types and is best for dry or dehydrated skin. It is effective against eczema.


Avocado pear oil has exhibited therapeutic properties for use in rejuvenating skin and as a restorative tonic. It is also known to be vulnerary (i.e., effective in healing wounds). However, extra care should be taken with this essential oil during pregnancy because it is reported from anecdotal history of its use to be an abortifacient (i.e., induces abortion), although there is no clinical basis yet. Clinical research on the effect of Avocado pear oil on the liver is inconclusive because both positive and negative effects were reported.

Borage seed oil has a pale yellow color. It is a very expensive aromatherapy oil because of its rich health enhancing and therapeutic constituents including omega-6 essential fatty acid (EFA) gamma linoleic acid, as well as other minerals and vitamins. As base oil, it is used at 10% dilution. It is known for its efficacy in skin care, but it is also used to sooth premenstrual tension (PMT) and other conditions affecting women’s health. There are some accounts that this oil has beneficial effects for cardiovascular diseases and multiple sclerosis. However, its vaunted efficacy is in the treatment of skin problems like eczema, premature skin aging, and psoriasis. It may be applied to all skin types.

Carrot oil is orange in color and is extracted using steam distillation. It is an essential oil at the same time, but because of its strong and not too pleasant aroma, it is usually used as base oil. Its primary constituents are beta carotene, minerals, and vitamins. It is commonly used in skin care. It facilitates healing of dry, itchy, prematurely-aged, and scarred skin, as well as for eczema and psoriasis. It is also good rejuvenating oil.

Corn oil is naturally pale yellow. It contains vitamins, minerals, and protein. It can be used as base oil without dilution (100%), although some practitioners recommended 10% dilution. It soothes all skin types and is effective in m