I think it is very important to understand the basics about Aromatherapy so you can start using it with success and confidence.
What is Aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy is the use of all-natural plant products to create formulations that have a strong and effective impact on health and beauty concerns. Aromatherapists have been using essential oils literally since the beginning of time. Essential oils are components that are extracted from plants. Some people consider them to be the plant’s blood stream because they contain all the nutrients that sustain the plant.
How Can Smelling Something Heal You?
I would much prefer to call this Essential Oil Therapy because it is the chemical compositions of the essential oils that we rely on for physical, mental, and emotional healing. No matter how much you smell an aromatherapy blend, that method of using essential oils will never help lower back pain. But when you mix several oils that have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, and massage that blend into the back, then you are going to get some great results.
Did You Just Say Chemical?
How can I talk about essential oils being natural and yet still having chemical composition and properties? We, as consumers, associate chemicals with synthetic and often harmful chemicals, but if we remember back to our high school chemistry class, not all entities that have chemical composition are synthetic. You do need to understand that essential oils are extremely concentrated and as such, should not be over used. More is not better when it comes to essential oils.
Why Use Aromatherapy?
Some people will start using essential oils because they want to take care of their family, even pets using natural products. Other people are going to love the idea that it makes financial sense. For just pennies, okay maybe dimes if you prefer the expensive oils, you can literally replace your basic skin care products, cleaning supplies, and many of your medications with aromatherapy solutions that are just as effective.
How Do I Get Started with Aromatherapy?
With all of the aromatherapy products that we see in department stores, pharmacies, and other retail stores, you would think it would be easy to get started with aromatherapy. However, unfortunately, about 90% of the products that you see in these places do not contain one drop of essential oil. Therefore, these are not aromatherapy products at all, but rather products that have nice aromas.
The best way to get started with aromatherapy is to learn. There are several good books on the market about aromatherapy and essential oils. But be warned; an certified aromatherapist like myself is required to take at least 600 hours of study to become certified. A person who is an essential oil distributor is not required to take any hours of study. You want to get the most reliable information from aromatherapists.