How Does Aromatherapy Work

How Does Aromatherapy Work


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	How Does Aromatherapy Work? The effects of aromatherapy on the human system... essential oils and their uses How does aromatherapy work? What are the effects of aromatherapy and what should you know about how to use essential oils to support your health and happiness? To answer these questions, let's start by taking a look at Essential Oils, which are the heart and soul of aromatherapy. What Exactly Are Essential Oils? Essential oils are microscopic molecules of "oil" extracted from the flowers, leaves, stems and/or roots of trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers and herbs. Simply speaking, essential oils contain the distilled essence of the plant. For example... If you were to simmer a big pot of lavender flowers on the stove for a while, you'd start to notice little blobs of oil forming on top of the water. This is the essential oil - the essence of the lavender flowers. Note: This is not a good method of extraction because the essential oil quickly goes moldy due to the presence of water. Plus, it takes A LOT of lavender flowers to make even the tiniest amount of oil. It's just not worth it - there's so many other great things you can do with lavender! Essential oils have microscopically small molecules. There are approximately 40 million trillion molecules in one drop of essential oil. Their tiny size makes it very easy for our skin and our lungs to absorb them. That's why the effects of aromatherapy are so powerful. How Does Aromatherapy Work its Way into My System? When essential oils are absorbed through the skin, such as with massage, they travel into the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system then circulates them into the bloodstream. Once the oils are circulating in the blood, they really get to work, reducing inflammation, fixing imbalances, fighting infection and so on. Even when you simply inhale an essential oil, such as with a diffuser, the oil is absorbed through the mucous membranes of your respiratory tract and lungs. From there, it's transferred into the bloodstream to work its healing magic. How Does Aromatherapy Work On My Body? Essential oils contain hundreds of natural chemicals. Although each oil has its own unique chemical components, what makes all essential oils special is something called "terpenes". Terpenes do a lot of work in our bodies. They create an environment unfriendly to viruses, bacteria and fungi. This is why they're called "antiseptic" (which basically means germ killing.) Some powerful antiseptic essential oils are Lemon, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Pine and Lavender. That's why you see them in home cleaning products! They help reduce inflammation. Symptoms of inflammation include pain, redness and swelling. Some good anti-inflammatory essential oils are Chamomile, Lavender, Sandalwood and Benzoin. They reprogram our cells so they function and replicate properly. For example, essential oils such as Basil, Pine and Rosemary restore function to the adrenal glands. They're sedative. They relax our nervous system and our muscles, which helps ease pain, tension, cramps and muscle spasms. Sedative essential oils include Lavender, Clary Sage, Geranium and Ylang Ylang. How Does Aromatherapy Work on My Emotions? Inhaling essential oils stimulates the olfactory nerves (sense of smell), which send signals to the brain's limbic system (sometimes called the "emotional brain".) The limbic system controls heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory and hormone production. When the limbic system receives signals from the olfactory nerves, it triggers an emotional, physiological and endocrine (hormone) response. For example, when you smell Lavender essential oil, its microscopic chemicals immediately trigger your emotional brain to calm your nervous system and relax your muscles. These combined effects of aromatherapy reduce your stress and help you sleep. How Can I Use Aromatherapy to Feel Better? Aromatherapy is especially well known for its stress-relieving powers. You can use it in a hundred different ways to calm your nerves, ease your anxiety and relax your muscles. You can also use essential oils to clear up acne, revitalize your hair or relieve your aching muscles. It's surprisingly easy (and a lot of fun) to make your own bath, body and massage oils, bath salts and body lotions. Even make your own aromatherapy candles! You simply need a little knowledge and a few basic ingredients. Try it! I promise you'll have fun, save money and smell fabulous! What Next? Why not take a look at some of these related pages for more interesting facts and aromatherapy recipes... Aromatherapy Benefits Find out how to use aromatherapy's natural healing powers to support your everyday health and happiness. Mixing Your Own Aromatherapy Oils Learn six simple secrets for mixing your own aromatherapy oils. An excellent follow-up to How Does Aromatherapy Work. Essential Oil Use Chart A quick reference guide to choosing essential oils for conditions ranging from acne to weight loss. Aromatherapy Remedies Aromatherapy recipes and remedies for stress, colds and flu, insomnia, snoring and more. Go to Aromatherapy Recipes home page from How Does Aromatherapy Work	?] Subscribe to This Site's Feed
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