Change Your Life With Aromatherapy Chapter VII

Aromatherapy Infusion

While the previous chapters talked about using aromatherapy on your skin, many people who have sensitive skin may think that they cannot enjoy the healing benefits of this art because of a sensitive skin condition.  Wrong! If you have sensitive skin, you can still enjoy aromatherapy as it was truly meant to be enjoyed - just by scent.

We talked about using aromatherapy in perfumes as an aphrodisiac. Not only does the perfume cause the person who is using it to become aroused, but it can cause others who catch the scent o also become aroused. In this way, another individual is responding to aromatherapy through scent. 

You have probably noticed different oils in the store that claim to give the benefits of aromatherapy.  Most of these oils are synthetic and do little more than cosmetically cover up odors in your home.  While having your home smell nice is a good bonus, it is not main use of aromatherapy.

When inhaled into the lungs, essential oils cause the same reaction in an individual as they will when applied to the skin.  This means that you can just enjoy heating the oils in an infuser and breathing them in to cure what ails you. Infusers are sold in a variety of different places.  Essentially, they are containers that can heat oil and send it wafting throughout the room. They can be heated either by candle or by electric.

Years ago, when ill, people would heat “vapors” in a pot, put a towel over their head and breath in the fume.  The vapors were usually camphor.  This would promote easier breathing and clear up congestion in the head and lungs. 

Today, people who get sick rush to the drugstore and buy synthetic pills to ease congestion.  No one ever thinks of home remedies that had been used for generations to cure minor ailments.

This is not to say that someone with pneumonia or a serious illness should ignore medical advice and try to cure themselves using essential oils.   That would be irresponsible and foolish.  However, someone who has a stuffy nose does not have to rush off and take pills.  There are other avenues that are more natural and even more effective.

The same goes for depression.   Chronic depression or depression that lasts for more than two weeks is a serious illness and should be treated by a physician.  Someone who is suffering from anxiety attacks that are causing them to miss work or hyperventilate should seek medical help. Someone who has a broken leg or infected finger should go to a doctor. 

That being said, someone who is a little bit upset because they broke up with a boyfriend or girlfriend or may just be suffering from the blues does not need to rush to the doctor to get on SSRIs.  Someone who is a little anxious about taking an exam for school does not need tranquilizers and someone who is sore because they work out a lot should not resort to addictive pain medication or even abuse over the counter pain pills.  There is another way to treat minor ailments and conditions and that way is aromatherapy.

Furthermore, there is nothing to say that using aromatherapy in conjunction with medications cannot do wonders.  Many people are enjoying the benefits derived from this alternative medicine that has been effective for thousands of years. 

When using aromatherapy as a mood enhancer in an infuser, you do not need to dilute the oils.  You can use any oils that you want, or a combination of oils, to set the mood.  Here are some ways you can use aromatherapy in a variety of different infusers:

Aromatherapy Mood Enhancer Recipe

5 drops of orange 5 drops of jasmine

sure that you do not use the scents that are sold in the craft stores as they are usually not true essential oils but synthetic scents. Follow the directions on the box to make the candles.

Put them into an infuser that is either plugs into an electric socket or is heated by a candle and allow the scent to permeate the room. 

Aromatherapy Romantic Mood Enhancer

This is simple - put a couple of drops of patchouli, jasmine or Ylang Ylang on the light bulb in your room.  The light bulb can be used to heat the oil and will spread the scent in the room.  All of these oils are potent aphrodisiacs. 

Aromatherapy Relaxing Infusion

Get an electric infuser that is used to heat potpourri oil and put it in your room on your dresser. Add the following:

10 drops chamomile 2 drops vanilla 2 drops lavender

This will allow you to really relax as the scent takes over the room. 

Scent has quite a bit to do with how we feel. The scent sends a signal to our brain and releases endorphins.  You can actually put yourself in a better mood by scent, which is the basic concept of aromatherapy.

When we talk about aromatherapy today, we are discussing the use of essential oils to promote healing.  However, the scent is a vital aspect to the healing powers involved in this alternative medicine.  Even when you are using essential oils in a topical way, you are still breathing in the scent and getting the full effect of the true treatment.

You do not only have to use aromatherapy to heal.  You can just use the essential oils as a way to make your home smell nice for all who visit. Because they are so concentrated, essential oils work well in homes where there is smoking or pets.

Other ways to use essential oils as an infusion method is to make your own candles.  Candle making is not difficult.  You simply need to melt wax and add color and scent.  The color is actually optional.  You have to put the melted wax into a container or mold with a wick so that it can be lit.

Making your own candles using essential oil is one of the best ways to continue to get the same effect of the oil.  To make your own candles, go to a craft store such as Hobby Lobby or Michael’s and pick up a large brick of wax along with some wicks and wick holders.  Wick holders are little metal fragments that keep the wick affixed in the mold.  You can keep the wick straight by tying it around a pencil and laying the pencil across the top of the container.

 You will have to heat the wax in a pot on the stove or, preferably, over a double boiler.  The wax will seem like it is taking forever to melt, but once it starts, it melts very quickly so be prepared to remove it from the stove as soon as it melts all the way.  You will see that the white chunk of wax is now clear.

You can then add about 10 drops of your essential oil to about every cup of wax.  There are also dyes you can purchase to color the candles.  Blend it with a spoon and pour the wax into jars or a mold. Allow the candles to set in room temperature over night.  Make sure that the wicks are standing up straight before the wax sets.  A candle without a wick is useless. 

When you light the wick, it will begin to melt the wax and the scent will be given off into the room.  You can light the candle any time you want and begin to get the effects of the essential oil immediately.

If you have never before made candles, get a candle making kit. Candle making with essential oils not only promotes healing, but can be a fun thing to do for the entire family.  Young people in particular like to make candles. One  of the first crafts that kids make in school is the old “milk carton candle.”  Your children and you will not only enjoy making the candles, but also be able to benefit from the pleasant and healing scent that they emit. 

9 i e `� .� sooth aching feet by rubbing firmly with your thumbs into the souls of your feet as well as the heel.

This aromatherapy massage treatment can also be used on the body and is especially good at relieving joint pain for arthritis sufferers.

There are many other uses for aromatherapy massage.  Once you become familiar with the concept of aromatherapy and the different uses for essential oils, you can make your own blends and treat a variety of minor ailments such as:

•                    Insomnia

•                    Menstrual cramps

•                    Bruises

•                    Mild depression

•                    Stress

•                    Memory improvement

•                    Anger relief

Aromatherapy massage is one of the most effective alternative healing methods used today.  Although it has been used for centuries, the demand for massage therapy has doubled in the past decade.  It looks as if many people have discovered the benefits of healing through aromatherapy massage treatment and are on their way to feeling good naturally. 

Change Your Life With Aromatherapy Chapter VI

Aromatherapy To Treat Acne

Acne is a scourge that mostly affects younger people.  It is usually caused by an imbalance in hormones and has nothing to do with eating chocolate, contrary to popular myth.  The treatment of acne generally entails going to a physician and getting medication such as tetracycline, or using over the counter ointments. You can use certain essential oils that have been used for centuries to heal cuts and infections, to treat acne breakouts. 

When using aromatherapy to treat acne, you will want to make sure that you use a light carrier oil.  There are light vegetable oils on the market today which work better than a heavy oil.  The essential oils that promote healing for acne include lavender, which is pretty much a cure-all for everything, bergamot and tea tree.

Because it is one of the few essential oils that is safe to use directly on your skin, you can use lavender alone and put a drop on the affected area.  Or you can use this recipe:

Acne Treatment Aromatherapy Recipe

1 ounce of carrier oil 15 drops lavender 4  drops bergamot 2  drops lemon

Like tetracycline,  an oral drug often used to treat acne, bergamot is also photo toxic.  This means that exposure to the sun after use can have adverse affects.  If you have ever taken tetracycline to combat acne, you know that you need to stay out of the sun while on the medication.  The good thing about using bergamot, however, is that you need only stay out of the sun for about 12 hours after use. 

This means that you can put the treatment on at night before you go to bed and then rinse off in the morning before going out.  It is a lot easier to use than tetracycline and just as effective.

Treating acne also involve healing from the inside.  In addition to creating a topical ointment to combat acne, you can eliminate stress by using aromatherapy.  There are some indications that some acne breakouts are caused by stress.  Use aromatherapy as a means to relax yourself, either in the bath or as a massage treatment. 

Change Your Life With Aromatherapy Chapter V

Aromatherapy Beauty Products

Once you discover the world of essential oils and aromatherapy , there is no end to what you can do.  You will most likely want to incorporate this ancient healing art into every aspect of your life, including your beauty and hygiene routine. 

The great thing about using essential oils is that they are 100 percent natural.  No synthetic ingredients.  This not only makes them safer for you, but also safer for the environment.  You can learn to use aromatherapy in much of your beauty routine.

One way to have instant, shining hair that is lightly scented is to sprinkle a couple of drops of sandalwood on your hairbrush.  Brush your hair as usual and the scent will remain.  Sandalwood is one of the more expensive of the essential oils but has a pleasant, woody scent. You can also substitute rose for sandalwood if you want to go a more inexpensive route. 

Perfumery is a science.  Making your own perfume with essential oils, however, can be fun.  Today’s perfumes are made with synthetic copies of essential oils as real oils would be too expensive to use in the mass production of perfume. 

Most perfumes on the market today are diluted with alcohol and water. You can also use oil to dilute your perfume, although using alcohol will make them last longer.  When making perfumes, you will want to experiment with a variety of different fragrances.  Most perfumes fall into one of the five categories:

•                    Woodsy

•                    Floral

•                    Oriental

•                    Spicy

•                    Citrus

It takes a bit of experimenting with essential oils to get the scent that you want. Most perfumes are usually a blend of three different “notes.” They contain one or more from each of the above categories. There is a base note,  a mid note and a top note.  The top note is the first to evaporate on your skin.  It is also the first impression that you have of the fragrance.  The mid note stays on a little bit more and the base note is what will remain on your skin for hours.

The base note will react with your skin to form a scent of its own.  This is why no two perfumes smell exactly alike on any two people.  It is also the reason why you should test out a perfume for about a half an hour by putting a dab on your wrist, doing your shopping and then taking a sniff to see if you still like the scent. 

The nice thing about using  aromatherapy perfumes that you make yourself is that the essential oils can actually help heal anything troubling you, or even give you energy, while also giving you a pleasant scent. Because they are made with synthetics, regular perfumes cannot boast of this power.

You will want to store your perfumes similar to how you store your massage oils  - in dark colored glass bottles with tight fitting lids. There is quite a difference when it comes to ratios when making perfumes, however, and they are meant to be used sparingly.  You will only be diluting the perfume with one tablespoon of carrier oil or alcohol to about 30 drops of essential oils.  As you can see, the ratio between essential oils and either carrier oil or alcohol is almost equal. 

As when using any essential oils, do a brief test on your skin before using.  Then you are ready to blend.

For floral notes, you can use rose, lavender or geranium.  For woodsy notes, you can use sandalwood, myrrh or frankincense.  For Oriental notes, use Mandarin, Jasmine or Ylang Ylang.  Spicy notes can be ginger, neroli, or nutmeg.  The citrus notes are orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit.

It takes a bit of experimenting when making perfumes at home. Perfumery is an art unto itself and takes years to practice.  Perfumers today still practice this art and make scents that fail.  It is all a matter of personal taste and seeing what blends well with what.

One nice perfume recipe that you can use is very simple and combines woodsy with Oriental:

Basic Perfume Recipe - Oriental

1 tablespoon of carrier oil 15 drops of sandalwood 5 drops of jasmine 4 drops of Ylang Ylang Watch out - this is quite a romantic perfume!  Perfumes were often used as aphrodisiacs and to attract a mate.  This one is no different. It has a unique scent a pleasant base note, but again, perfume scents are very subjective.  Be sure to experiment a little before you decide to open up your own perfumery.

You just need a little bit of this perfume on your wrists and behind your ears to carry the scent with you through the day.  Because the essential oils are so concentrated in this blend, you do not want to use too much.  There is an old saying that your perfume should not walk in the room before you do.  You want people to remember pleasant scent, not be overpowered with fragrance.

In addition to being a pleasant perfume, the above aromatherapy fragrance also works to promote energy as well as putting you in a mood for romance.  Both jasmine and Ylang Ylang are powerful aphrodisiacs, so only use this one with caution and when you are in the mood for amour.

By the above example, you can probably figure out what type of perfumes to use to relax you as well.  The benefits of using aromatherapy in your own perfumes are the following:

•                    Completely natural products and non toxic

•                    Have healing powers as well as a pleasant fragrance

•                    You can have a scent that no one else has (don’t underestimate this one - there are people who pay plenty to create their own scent at perfumeries in Paris).

•                    Much less expensive in the long run.

The disadvantages?  You have to play around with scents for a little bit before you hit on what you like.  Make sure that you write each ratio of every essential oil used in a particular scent as nothing can be more frustrating than actually coming up with the fragrance of your dreams and then not remembering how you ended up making it.  

Change Your Life With Aromatherapy Chapter IV

Aromatherapy In The Bath

Now that you have a concept of how to use aromatherapy as a massage treatment, you can probably imagine using these precious essential oils in the bath.  Aromatherapy bath products include bath salts and oils.

Aromatherapy bath oils can be used to treat you in the same manner as massage oils.  The concept is basically the same - you take a warm and relaxing bath with water that contains about a quarter of a cup of aromatherapy bath oil.  The oils go to work when they penetrate the skin. 

Again you will want to test the bath oil to make sure that it does not cause an allergic reaction.  If you want a truly relaxing bath, use lavender or vanilla as both of them are among the safest and most mild oils to use.  Rose also makes a good bath oil. 

Making your own aromatherapy bath oil is simple and economical. Yes, essential oils can be costly, but  as you only need a few drops, it can last quite a long time.  Again, you will want to use carrier oil, but vegetable oil is very inexpensive.  You will also want to use the glass eye dropper and the dark colored bottles that you can purchase online.

You can make enough bath oil to last for a few baths by doubling the recipe and adding two ounces of carrier oil to 20 drops of essential oil. The ratio for the bath oil is roughly the same as it is for massage oil, but you can add a couple more drops of the essential oil as it is also being diluted into water.  On the average, add 10 drops of essential oils to one ounce of carrier oil. 

The bath oil should be store in a cool, dark place.  Most likely, you will want to put it in your bathroom cabinets.  As is the case with all products that you make, keep the bottles away from children. 

A popular recipe for a relaxing bath oil is as follows:

Aromatherapy Relaxing Bath Oil Recipe

2 ounces of carrier oil 12 drops of lavender 6   drops of rose 2   drops of tea tree Be sure that you blend the oils properly as you would for massage oils and only use about a quarter of a cup of oil in the bath.  Lavender, rose and tea tree are all very pleasant and will provide you with soothing relief in the bath.

If you are having menstrual cramps or any sort of stomach pain, you can also use the following:

Aromatherapy Pain Relief Bath Oil Recipe

2 ounces of carrier oil 10 drops of rose 4   drops of peppermint 6   drops of chamomile

Soaking in a warm tub is one way to relieve stomach cramps caused either by stress or your menstrual cycle.

The bath oil will have a shelf life of a year. Once you have experimented with taking an aromatherapy bath, you will probably toss away all of the synthetic chemicals you have been using in your bath water and begin enjoying a true, natural healing bath.

If you want to make bath salts to put into the bath, you can also do the same.  You will need Epson salts or Dead sea salts.  Both are available online and Epson salts are very inexpensive and available at your local drug store.

The ratio for the bath salts are three cups of salts, one tablespoon of carrier oil and about 20 drops of essential oil.  These are mixed in a bowl with a spoon or a fork until very well mixed.  Then you can put them in a jar with a tight fitting lid.  Store them in a dark place.  You can put about a half a cup of the salts into the tub under warm running water and wait for them to dissolve when you step in.

Bath salts are very popular because they store easier and you don’t have to worry about spilling.  You can use the above recipes for bath oils for bath salts by just making the proper substations. 

If you want to color the bath oils to make them look pretty, you can use exotic salts such as Hawaiian Red Sea salt which has a natural salmon color.  You can even mix these with the Epson salts. Commercial producers of bath salts usually use a mica powder to color the salts that are also used in color cosmetics.  You are better off, however, leaving the bath salts in their natural state so as not to cause any skin irritation.  Do not use vegetable oil food dyes to color the salts as they can turn the skin that color in the bath and will take a few washes before rinsing out of the skin. 

Another recipe for bath salts that is good for general relaxation and to help you settle for sleep is as follows:

Calming Bath Salts Aromatherapy Recipe

3 cups of Epson salts 1 tablespoon carrier oil 10 drops chamomile 5  drops lavender 4  drops tea tree 1  drop lemon 

You will enjoy taking a bath in aromatherapy bath salts that can cure aching joints and bones, ease tension, relieve cramps and sooth you prior to going to bed.  Once you begin making bath oils and bath salts, you will most likely give them as gifts to friends who can also enjoy their helpful benefits.  

Change Your Life With Aromatherapy Chapter III

Aromatherapy Massage Oils

Aromatherapy massage oils are derived from a blend of essential oils. In order for the aromatherapy to work properly, the essential oils have to be 100 percent pure.  Do not be fooled by synthetic products that claim to be “aromatherapy.”  True aromatherapy massage oils are100 percent natural and contain only pure essential oils.

We all know how soothing massage therapy can be.  Just the massage alone, in most cases, is enough to calm and relax us.  When aromatherapy is incorporated into the massage, it doubles the effect.

As the essential oils are absorbed into your skin, they find their way into your blood stream and begin to soothe and heal. Aromatherapy massage oils can be used for a variety of purposes.  The three most common uses for an aromatherapy massage are:

•                    Relaxation

•                    Sexual stimulation

•                    Pain relief

Depending upon which essential oils are blended as well as the massage techniques will determine the outcome. 

Although many people seek to get an aromatherapy massage by a licensed massage therapist for relaxation, this is something that you can do at home. You can actually make your own aromatherapy massage oil if you know which type of blends to use and how to use them.

Before you begin making aromatherapy massage oils in your home, it is very important that you observe the following rule:

Never use essential oils directly on the skin.  Essential oils are very concentrated and should always be diluted with a carrier oil when being used in massage therapy.  There are exceptions, such as lavender and vanilla, but as a rule of thumb, dilute essential oils with a carrier oil before using directly on the skin.

That caveat aside, you can easily make your own massage oil at home and begin incorporating aromatherapy into your daily life.

You will want to make sure that the essential oil that is used is 100 percent pure essential oils.  Again, most products that claim to be aromatherapy are not.  The one way you can be certain of getting true aromatherapy massage oil is to actually make it yourself.

There are a variety of different outlets where you can purchase pure essential oils.  Some of them are very inexpensive, such as lavender, while others, such as sandalwood, can be costly.  Check out the glossary at the end of this book for a list of online retailers that sell pure essential oils.

In addition to the essential oils, you will also need a carrier oil. Because the essential oils are so highly concentrated, you only need about eight drops of the oils to one ounce of the carrier oil.  Popular choices for carrier oils include:

•                    Apricot kernel oil

•                    Sweet almond oil

•                    Common vegetable oil

Yes, common vegetable oil can be used as an effective as well as very inexpensive, carrier oil for an aromatherapy massage oil.

Storing massage oil should be done in dark colored bottles with a seal. Most places that sell aromatherapy products online, such as essential oils, also sell bottles and other supplies.  It is important for you to store the aromatherapy massage oil in a dark glass in a cool, dark place as the oil can lose its effectiveness if exposed to light. 

The aromatherapy massage oil can be directly mixed in the bottle where it will be stored.  Simply measure an ounce of the carrier oil, pour it into the bottle and then add about eight drops of your blend of essential oils.  If the essential oil does not come with a glass dropper, you need to purchase one of these products.  A glass eyedropper is necessary when working with essential oils as a plastic dropper will react with the oil. 

The glass dropper that you use should not have a rubber top.  Rubber can also react with the essential oils.  Again, most places that sell essential oils online also sell the proper supplies that you need to use the oils. 

Once you have added the two oils together, seal the bottle and roll it around in your hands gently to mix the oils thoroughly.  You should make sure that you do this before each and every use. Do not shake the bottle vigorously, but gently roll it to mix the oils. 

You can pour a little bit of the oil into a bowl and heat it in the microwave for a few seconds prior to use.  You must make sure that it is not too hot before applying the blend to the skin.  Massage oils feel better on the skin when used warm.  No one likes cold oil drizzled on them as it can be a bit unpleasant.

Prior to using aromatherapy massage oils, do a test patch on the skin. Some people have very sensitive skin that can have an allergic reaction to the oils.  Make sure you test it out prior to putting it all over your body or that of someone else to make sure it does not cause an allergic reaction.

The massage oil can be used on the torso, arms and legs as well as the head and neck area.  Avoid the eyes, ears, mouth and genital areas as well as any areas of inflammation or broken skin.  The oils will begin to work upon being absorbed into the skin and entering the blood stream.

While you may think of massage as something that you need to have done by another person, or do to another person, you can also treat yourself with aromatherapy massage oils.  For example, you can rub your temples with a lavender massage oil to ease a headache.  You can also rub your feet and hands with massage oil. 

There are various types of massage techniques that you can learn, although true massage therapy is actually studied and is a healing art all unto itself.  For an amateur, however, learning to rub certain areas of the body is not difficult.  The back is a primary source of tension and an aromatherapy back rub can do wonders to relieve stress. 

As the cells that promote healing within our immune system are found in our upper digestive system, rubbing the front torso with healing aromatherapy oil can also be beneficial.  For a sensual massage, you will want to rub the legs, buttocks and chest area. 

• Mild anxiety Following are three popular recipes that are commonly used for relaxation, sexual stimulation and pain relief:

Aromatherapy Massage Recipe For Relaxation


1 ounce of carrier oil 5 drops of lavender 3 drops of sandalwood

You can also substitute Rose or Mandarin for Sandalwood in the above recipe.  By reading the glossary of essential oils contained in the book, you can learn which oils can do what. 

For relaxation, make sure that you also set the mood.  Light some candles and play some soothing music.  Massage your partner with warmed massage oils beginning at the base of the neck and working your way down his or her back.  Rub shoulders and muscles throughout the back and allow the magic of the healing oils to go to work.

Aromatherapy Massage Recipe For Sexual Stimulation


1 ounce of carrier oil 6 drops of jasmine 2 drops of bergamot

Jasmine is a safe and effective way to promote confidence and stimulation.  For a loving treat, use an aromatherapy massage on your partner to help him or her relax and enjoy lovemaking.  Speak soothingly and lovingly to your partner as you use this tried and true blend.

Aromatherapy Massage Recipe For Pain Relief


1 ounce carrier oil 4 drops chamomile 4 drops tea tree

A deep tissue massage, or a Swedish massage, is one way to alleviate pain that is caused by physical activity.  You can use this recipe blend to sooth aching feet by rubbing firmly with your thumbs into the souls of your feet as well as the heel.

This aromatherapy massage treatment can also be used on the body and is especially good at relieving joint pain for arthritis sufferers.

There are many other uses for aromatherapy massage.  Once you become familiar with the concept of aromatherapy and the different uses for essential oils, you can make your own blends and treat a variety of minor ailments such as:

•                    Insomnia

•                    Menstrual cramps

•                    Bruises

•                    Mild depression

•                    Stress

•                    Memory improvement

•                    Anger relief

Aromatherapy massage is one of the most effective alternative healing methods used today.  Although it has been used for centuries, the demand for massage therapy has doubled in the past decade.  It looks as if many people have discovered the benefits of healing through aromatherapy massage treatment and are on their way to feeling good naturally. 

Change Your Life With Aromatherapy Chapter II

History Of Aroma Therapy

Aromatherapy dates back to ancient cultures more than 5,000 years. In continents like Africa, certain plants were eaten by warriors before going into battle.  Most of the time, the healing powers of the plants or barks were observed after animals had consumed the foliage or fruit. The animal’s behavior was observed and humans found that they, too, could get the same effect. 

Horny goat weed is an example of a plant that has been used for ages to increase fertility in men.  Despite the funny sounding name this natural derivative was discovered after horned goats were found getting very frisky and having high energy levels after consuming the plant. It has been used for centuries as a product to treat impotence. 

While herbal remedies have been used in most countries for thousands of years as a way to stay healthy and combat illness, the concept of aromatherapy, which is using the scented oils derived from the plants to cure and heal, got its roots, so to speak, in the far East.  

Lavender is a pleasant scented flowering plant that is grown all over the world although it grew naturally in warm climates.  Lavender is grown widely today for the oils that are used for everything from sweetening certain dishes to being used as an antiseptic. 

The essential oils derived from this plant can be used to treat headaches, as a cure for insomnia and to promote relaxation. Lavender is one of the few essential oils that is safe to use directly on the skin and can also be consumed.   Essential oils are not made for oral ingestion,  but lavender buds are sold as a tea in some health food stores. Lavender has been used for thousands of years to treat everything from insect bites to anxiety.  

Because it has an antiseptic quality, lavender was also used to disinfect floors in hospitals.  Today, most  disinfectants are chemically produced and toxic to both those who use them as well as to the environment. 

It was the Ancient Chinese who first discovered the many healing powers of the various essential oils and gave it a name. Herbal medicine is still practiced in the far East today and many people from the west travel to countries such as Thailand and Singapore to find relief in natural herbal remedies and treatments. 

Thousands of years ago, villagers would visit someone in the village who knew all about the different herbal remedies and would treat them accordingly.  Most people also had some knowledge of the different plants that grew around them and how they could be used to benefit their lives.  Today, however, most people have no idea how to even use simple herbs to add flavor to a recipe, let alone use them for healing. Most people in the west pay little attention to the plants and nature around them or any healing powers that those plants may contain.  This is gradually beginning to change.  Many people today, thanks to the internet, are beginning to understand a little about herbal remedies and aromatherapy.  

As the ancient Chinese used scents to heal, the concept was delivered to the ancient Egyptians who created mixtures of the scents and made perfumes. The scents were not only used to heal illness, but also as an aphrodisiac.  The ancient Egyptians incorporated aromatherapy into their daily rituals and were the first perfumers.  In ancient Egyptian, it was once a requirement that everyone perfumed themselves at least once a week and people often took three baths a day in perfumed water. 

Sandalwood is used in incense for its pleasant scent and the Ancient Egyptian women would use the oils from Sandalwood in their hair for the scent.  Other scents were also discovered that were both pleasant and healing. 

Throughout centuries, different cultures used the essential oils derived from nature for a variety of products and healing ointments.  Herbal remedies were also very popular treatments for ailments until the discovery of penicillin.  Penicillin was derived from mold, also a natural substance, and was used to treat bacterial ailments and infections. Today, penicillin remedies are known as antibiotics and are produced in laboratories with synthetic materials.  

The history of Aromatherapy may date back to ancient times, but it was widely accepted in all cultures until chemicals began replacing the natural essential oils.  Today, aromatherapy is considered alternative medicine that many people are finding a better choice than a dependency on synthetic chemicals.  

Change Your Life With Aromatherapy Chapter I

You may have heard of Aromatherapy but you probably have no idea what it is or how it can change your life. Perhaps you’ve seen ads for aromatherapy massage or even purchased what you thought were aromatherapy candles in the store. Most likely, you don’t understand much about aromatherapy or the wonderful healing powers possessed by true aromatherapy.

What Is The Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is an ancient Eastern art that has been practiced for thousands of years. Although it is hardly anything “new” it sometimes takes a little bit of time for people in the West to discover such things as natural healing, especially when it is not in the best interest of the very powerful medical and pharmaceutical communities.

Those of us who live in the West have an entirely different mindset than those in the East. In the West, when someone gets ill, they go to the doctor who more often than not, prescribes medication to treat or cure the ailment. The medication is produced in a laboratory and contains synthetic chemicals. Pharmaceuticals are big business and doctors are often courted by sales people from the companies to prescribe their product.

Go to a doctor in the West for a bit of anxiety and they will prescribe anti depressants such as Zoloft. Chances are your doctor will have a prescription pad in his or her hand when they walk into the room. Zoloft is among the many different anti depressant medications that are relatively new on the market and lumped under SSRIs. The long term side effects of these drugs are not known, although they will most likely cause liver damage after long usage.

No doctor in the West will prescribe any alternative treatment, such as aromatherapy. Some might tell you to exercise and take vitamins to combat anxiety, but most won’t even do that. The medical community dances on the strings held by the pharmaceutical companies and the name of the game in pharmaceuticals is to give people synthetic drugs that are addictive and costly so that they can make money.

One hundred years ago, heroin was used as a cough medicine for children. Cocaine was put into Coca Cola and arsenic was considered “good for the complexion.” Perhaps, one hundred years from now, our descendants will be talking about how people were prescribed lethal substances to “cure” them from various ailments.

Aromatherapy is not a “new drug” just off the market. Aromatherapy is all natural. It consists of using essential oils in various ways to promote healing.  Essential oils are derived from all natural products such as plants, trees, fruit, etc.  There are over 100 essential oils commonly used today and they are used to treat a variety of different maladies, just as they have been for thousands of years.

Bunk?  Most doctors will tell you that aromatherapy is a crock, even though the essential oils have been used for such a long time and have been imitated in synthetic products produced by laboratories.  It is not in the best interest of the medical community for you to stay healthy. They want you to keep coming back to get those pills for minor ailments.

The pharmaceutical companies are very powerful in the West.  They fear aromatherapy and will denounce it.  They would rather have you buy their chemicals for $2 a pill than use something from nature that costs hardly anything at all. 

But when you look at aromatherapy with logic and understand where how it works, it makes perfect sense.  Everything we need to survive is found in nature.  We have food, water, air - all from nature. Take a look at the way a trees and plants give off oxygen and grow with carbon dioxide.  See how human beings do the opposite. Everything in nature is very well balanced.

It makes sense that nature would also provide us with cures for any ailments our bodies or minds may suffer.  While many in the medical community feel that depression and anxiety are a result of a chemical imbalance in the brain, why can’t those chemicals be balanced with the use of natural products?  Why do we always rush first towards synthetics?

In the West, we are of a mindset to turn away from nature, rather than embrace it.  Things are different in the East.  This is why the life span of those in Eastern countries is longer than those in the West, despite the fact that they do not visit the doctor as often as we do and many of them smoke.  Rates of cancer in the West are much higher than in the East as well.  Why?

The practice of aromatherapy involves embracing nature at its best. Using essential oils in your every day life, not only to heal, but to maintain good health in both body and spirit.  Essential oils are pure and natural and most have a pleasant scent.  When you incorporate aromatherapy into your daily life, you can change your life for the better.

In the next few chapters, you can learn all about how to use aromatherapy in variety of different ways.  You will also learn some simple recipes to make with essential oils as well as where to purchase essential oils and the different types of products you can make.  You’ll even learn how you can use aromatherapy in your own business, or even start a business using this Eastern healing art.

Whether you want to stay healthy or cure a minor ailment, aromatherapy can help.  Using this timeless art can really make quite an improvement in your every day life.