Simply put, Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils for therapeutic purposes, but it is so much more than that and if you ask me it is the gateway to Holistic Health. I’m sure many out there would argue it differently, but please allow me to explain my viewpoint. Essential oils are volatile organic compounds or VOC’s found in aromatic herbal plants; the fragrance that floats on the air and into your nostrils from plants growing around you contain essential oils and those compounds are extracted from the plant material and placed in bottles for your use.
Essential oils are created in the plant to draw you to them and entice you to explore. The ways essential oils can be used are as endless as the plants they are derived from and the more you get to know them, the more you get to know Mother Nature and how she works. This is how they drew me to them and how I entered the world of Holistic Health. There will be many more blogs in the future with recipes and helpful tips on individual essential oils, as well as blends but for now, let’s start simple with the moniker “less is more”.
3 Reasons Less is More
They are powerful and potent Keeping your dilutions of essential oil minimal for topical use, between .01-4%, is healthier for our bodies. Excessive amounts can lead to liver problems, allergies, and digestive issues. Dilution depends on many factors such as age, the essential oil being used and any others you may be using in the blend, health conditions, intended use, and many other individualized reasons.
They require a ton of plant material Loads and loads of plant material is used to create essential oils. Remember they are volatile organic compounds. In their natural state they are released as microscopic molecules into the air giving the plants they reside in their scent. You can imagine the environmental issues we face in the essential oil industry and this leads me to number 3.
We are practicing Holistic Health This means we are using multiple routes and routines to bring health into our lives. If we use essential oils in cleaning products, body and skin care, food and fragrance, as a natural pest repellent and on and on we already have them all around us. It just makes sense (or should I say scents?) to use them in the least amount necessary when we consider all of the conditions of their use.
Creating wellness with the use of Aromatherapy means we need to take careful consideration on how we use them and give them the respect they are due. Many studies have shown their effectiveness of use as antibacterials, antiseptics, antivirals, and antifungals. They have pain relieving properties, they calm nerves, aid in circulation really the list goes on and they don’t do just one of these things. They have the power to do many at once.
There is so much for us to yet discover through research, but I for one think it is simply magical.