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A plant’s scent is created by special oils called essential oils. To find plants that possess these oils, just smell the plant. If the plant has an aroma, it contains essential oils. Roses, violets, and even Christmas trees all owe their distinct scent to essential oils.

 Essential oils are removed from a plant by various techniques. After it is extracted, a pure essential oil is somewhat oily to the touch. Even though it is officially an oil, it is much thinner than vegetable oils we use in cooking, such as canola oil or olive oil.

Essential oils are made up of such tiny compounds that the oils not only feel thin, but they seem to vanish when you rub them between your fingers. They also do not stain when you put them on cloth, and they evaporate quickly into the air. Because they disperse so rapidly, a different name for essential oils is volatile oils.

 Special scent glands in a plant create these essential oils. These glands may appear anywhere, but are most likely in the flowers and leaves and least to be expected in the stems. Essential oils perform many important functions for the plant:

•  They attract bees and other pollinators.
•  They keep away harmful bugs.
•  They repel other plants so that they don’t take up all the space.
•  They kill bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.
•  They close up the plant’s wounds.
•  They make the plant water-resistant.
•  They increase the plant’s resistance to disease.

 The beauty industry welcomes aromatherapy because essential oils improve the health and beauty of skin, hair, and nails. As an extra fringe benefit, they smell terrific when you apply them to your skin. Essential oils assist the human body in many of the same ways they help the plants they come from:

•  They kill bacterial, viral and fungal infections.
•  They cure wounds.
•  They decrease inflammation.
•  They regulate hormones.
•  They tone up and moisten your skin.
•  They stimulate the immune system.
•  They repel bugs.

 Here are a few additional things they will do for your body:

•  They heat up your skin when you apply them in a warm massage oil or liniment.
•  They help blood flow and digestion.
•  They reduce sinus and lung congestion.

The information for this post was taken from: Kathi Keville. Aromatherapy for Dummies. Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc, 1999

Your skin is a lovely cloak that you show off night and day. It shares your beauty and wellness with the world around you and at the same time guards your internal being. Your skin is an actual living organ that also consists of your hair, nails, various glands, and many types of cells that feel heat, cold, pressure and so forth. It does nine vital jobs for your body. The skin:

•  Aids in protecting you from physical, chemical, biological, thermal, and electrical injury.
•  Helps your body keep a stable temperature.
•  Works as a moisture control device, preventing extreme entry or loss of water.
•  Stops undue loss of minerals.
•  Changes ultraviolet rays into vitamin D3 that aids you maintain strong bones by helping your body take in calcium and other minerals.
•  Acts as a very sensitive organ, reacting to heat, cold, pain, pleasure, and pressure.
•  Stores fat or burns it for heat or energy.
•  Produces sebum, an oily lubricating material.
•  Assists elimination of salts, urea, water, and toxins via sweating.

 Normally, your skin is intended to keep out more things than it lets in. However, it has a number of sweat pores and follicular openings in its surface. These entrances allow your skin to take in stuff you put on it (such as creams and lotions).

 Your skin has three layers. The epidermis is the outermost and thinnest layer. It shows the world your wrinkles, break-outs, dry flakes, laugh lines, sunburns, blisters, age spots, and freckles. These are the product of genetics and your way of life.

 The second layer is the dermis. It lies just below the epidermis and is a strong, elastic layer of connective tissue. Its rich blood supply gives your cheeks a rosy glow and makes your skin look vital and young. This sturdy, yet pliable, layer retains your internal organs, bones, fluids, and so forth.

 The two major elements of the dermis are collagen and elastin. These fibers add toughness and bounce to your skin. Without enough moisture, this collagen and elastin pattern loses its capability to keep skin toned up and pliable.

 The third layer of skin is the subcutis layer. This is a fatty layer that lies below the dermis and joins to the muscle tissue that lies underneath. Fat supplies a sturdy base for your skin and works as a shock absorber and insulator guarding your internal organs. The fat in this layer also furnishes your body with a storehouse of essential energy reserves. As you grow older, the subcutis becomes thinner, resulting in flabby, unsupported skin.

 The information for this post was taken from: Stephanie Tourles. Organic Body Care Recipes. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, LLC, 2007

As its name implies, aromatherapy is a therapy that uses aroma for healing. It can treat emotional as well as physical troubles, assist you think better, and enhance your athletic performance. Aromatherapy can even improve your love and your sex life.

 No wonder such a large choice of fragrant creations is now obtainable. Everything from candles to facial creams to room fresheners guarantee to bring aromatherapy into your life.

 Simply because you are reading this post you likely can’t help wondering what all this excitement about aromatherapy is. Perhaps you’re lacking something that could likely be a benefit in your life. In any case, the idea of adding a little zest to your life with sweet smells sounds like fun. But this brings up some questions in your mind: Can this hurt me? Is this is actually a therapy? How does it work? What will my friends say? Will they think that I will go off the deep end spraying odd vapors into the air or walking around smelling as if I tripped into a pool of exotic perfume?

 Aromatherapy is not a replacement for professional medical advice or treatment. You can utilize some suggestions that you discover in this blog in combination with other treatments for serious health problems, but only do this under your doctor’s care. Your body is different from everyone else’s, so when you get sick, the best treatment for another who has the same thing may not be just right for you. The common guideline is:  when in doubt, don’t. If you’re not certain what you have or you don’t know how to care for it, seek expert counsel. Always keep in mind, don’t take any risks with your health!

 Aromatherapy is closely related to herbalism. These two fields employ many of the same healing herbs. But aromatherapy concentrates on plants that are scented. Both aromatherapy and herbalism pursue the philosophy of holistic medicine. This means they study the whole individual and take into consideration not just your symptoms, but also your whole person. This includes your emotional self, how you lead your life, how you think, what you eat, how much you exercise, what brings you joy, and what stresses you out.

 It is likely that you have already been exposed to aromatherapy. If you’ve ever tasted a cup of chamomile tea, smoothed on a rose or lavender-scented hand cream, or smelled a cinnamon roll, you’ve encountered aromatherapy by now. It is an adventure that unites inviting aromas with good health.

The information for this post was taken from: Kathi Keville. Aromatherapy for Dummies. Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc, 1999