Essential Ideas of Aromatherapy

Welcome reader, to the relaxing Aromatherapy Corner. As the name suggests, this blog is dedicated to sharing information regarding this practice. If you want to learn more about this topic, you are in the right place. 

Image from Freepik

Each post is going to focus on one type of aromatherapy. If you have any recommendations on the types of practices you are interested in learning more about, comment them below. All comments and suggestions are welcome!

Continuing with the post, aromatherapy has been getting more popular for helping to reduce stress, pain and promoting relaxation. Resulting in individuals incorporating this practice into their daily lives. 

What is aromatherapy and how does it work?

Aromatherapy is the practice of smelling or massaging areas of your body with essential oils. These oils are created from plant concentrations and vary in different scents, like lavender, eucalyptus, lemon, etc. 

Each scent serves a specific purpose, such as alleviating pain, improving your mood and promoting better sleep. 

Researchers have found a relationship between aromatherapy scents and the brain. When an individual is smelling specific scents, like peppermint. Then the scent will trigger areas of the brain to reduce stress and increase relaxation. 

As reported by the John Hopkins Medicine website, the scent molecules travel from the olfactory nerves to the brain and can influence the amygdala. Also known as the emotional center of the brain. 

What is it used for and what are the benefits?

Essential oils can be used in different ways and serve varying purposes. For instance, they can be used to alleviate symptoms of migraines, anxiety and relax tense muscles. 

As noted in Camille Noe Pagán's article on WebMD, some of the benefits of this practice include easing the side effects of cancer treatments, helping to reduce stress and anxiety. Which in turn improves sleep and quality of life. 

Bath salts, image from Etsy

Adding this practice to your routine is simple because essential oils are included in products. Many stores, like Walmart or Target, sell bath bombs, salts and soaps that have lavender or other types of essential oils. Using these products can be a form of aromatherapy and can help you relax after a stressful day. 

Individuals can also purchase a diffuser with different aromas or diffuser sticks.

Which essential oils are good for what?

If you want to start incorporating this practice into your routine but do not know what essential oils to purchase. Here are a few oils to do some research on. 

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• Lavender: helps with relaxation, decreasing stress and anxiety
• Citrus scents: like grapefruit and lemon have demonstrated to improve mood 
• Peppermint: is a refreshing scent that helps relax tense muscles
• Tea Tree: is often used to treat skin problems like insect bites, scrapes, etc. 
• Eucalyptus: is used when an individual is sick to help open up their lungs
• Ylang-Ylang: is another essential oil that can help treat skin issues and tense muscle

Disclaimer: If you are sensitive to scents or have a skin sensitivity, aromatherapy might not be the best option of relaxation for you. 

Remember that aromatherapy is just one of the many forms to relax and find peace. If this does not work for you, there will be another alternative that does.