I have been learning about essential oils because massage
therapists can incorporate aromatherapy in their practice. I haven’t used it in my practice yet
because I want to ensure safety for my
clients. Some oils and scent could trigger negative responses in
people with certain conditions such as pregnancy, high blood pressure and
epilepsy. I myself have acute
sense of smell, and my skin is relatively sensitive, so I understand popular
oils may not be beneficial for everybody.
If you would like to experience aromatherapy by somebody else, I would
recommend you find a “certified”
aromatherapist.
I first started using essential oils in cleaning and laundry
(I make homemade cleaning supplies such as cleaning sprays and air
freshener). It is amazing how many
important properties essential oils have. Here are main properties of some of the essential oils I have.
- Clove: antifungal, antiseptic, antiviral,
- Eucalyptus: anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, expectorant
- Lavender: analgesic, antifungal, anti-infections, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic
- Tee tree: antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, insecticidal, antiseptic, expectorant, stimulant
I refer to this website
for my personal use. It’s based on
the book Modern Essentials and
describes oil properties and application information for children/sensitive
skin and pregnancy (guide). It is important to know your conditions (allergy, skin type and etc.) and try a patch test before applying oils.
As I wrote in the post about massage products, I care about anything I use for my body (and clients’). There are many brands of essential oils,
and the quality varies by companies.
Make sure that they are NOT
“fragrance” oil, cheap, or from a drug store as the website above warns (more information). I also found this article about what’s the best brand of essential oils, and I would like to
try their products.
I haven’t still learned how to mix different essential
oils. I normally use one or two
oils because I like to smell individual distinguished scent. I have noticed that mixing several oils
cancels out their scent and becomes totally different, sometimes unpleasant, or
one dominates others. But, maybe
that’s the fun part of mixing essential oils to make your own blend. I will keep learning!