Essential Oils & Aromatherapy

by Marlene Houghton

  Natural Aftershave Balm

  Make up an aftershave balm using a plain, unperfumed lotion with the addition of a few drops of essential oils of your choice. The masculine aromas of citrusy bergamot, pine-fresh juniper berry, and sweet, exotic, lingering sandalwood are good to use. This healing balm, with its natural restoring and conditioning properties, will leave the skin moisturized and feeling comfortable, especially if facial skin has become sore and dry from daily shaving. An added bonus will be the fresh, masculine aroma of this woody, peppery aftershave balm, blended with a hint of fresh-smelling citrus. These days, scent is considered unisex, so there are fragrances that appeal to both men and women.

  You may like to try adding other oils with a masculine fragrance to your natural aftershave balm. For instance, try black pepper, bay, vetiver, frankincense, and cedarwood. Have fun experimenting with different mixes until you find the one you like best! These aromas are wonderfully uplifting and mood enhancing.

  Beard Oils

  If you have a beard, there are a number of beard oils made up of nourishing base oils and essential oils with fragrances that appeal to men. A number of carriers can be used, according to your skin type:

  • Argan oil is valued for its nutritive properties.

  • Avocado is a rich base oil that works well blended with other base oils.

  • Sweet almond helps to soothe itching and sore skin.

  • Jojoba oil soothes skin and helps to unclog hair follicles.

  Choose an essential oil and blend it with one more base. Essential oils of earthy cedarwood and sweet, woody sandalwood go well together, or, if you prefer, add the fresh smell of pine. Lavender and rosemary are good partners and blend well. It is up to you; the main aspect of beard maintenance is to stop the beard looking unkempt.

  Mix the oils in a small, dark bottle that has a cap or eyedropper. Shake the bottle well. To apply, put a few drops into your hands, rub them together, and then rub the mixture through the beard and onto the cheeks.

  After your morning shower, sprinkle a few drops of the beard oil in your hands, rub together and apply. Just before going to bed at night, follow the same ritual, and your beard will benefit from the same conditioning benefits overnight that it did during the day.

  Bath

  Luxuriate in a warm bath after a tiring day at work, after a session at the gym, or after a sports day. Drop an essential oil mixed with a base oil into the bath water, then lie back and enjoy the soak. A good blend would be black pepper for its energizing properties (possible irritant; do not use in concentrations above 0.5 percent, and do a patch test). Use cedarwood with its soothing and toning qualities to help relieve aches and pains, or frankincense for its rejuvenating and energizing benefits. The green fragrance of cypress is also considered a “masculine” smell.

  Shower

  In the morning a quick invigorating shower with a few essential oils of your choice sprinkled on a sponge or washcloth will help to stimulate and revitalize you before you head out for the day. Use a light body lotion after every shower or bath to condition the skin and supplement your skin’s natural protection. You will notice a definite improvement with regular use.

  Hair Care

  Before you shampoo your hair, prepare the massage oil. Blend a mixture of sweet almond oil, good for all skin types and gentle on problem and sensitive skins, with jojoba oil suitable for hair preparations. Add a few drops of stimulating rosemary oil. Massage your head and scalp, using both hands and starting at the back of the head, and work around the sides and over the top. This will encourage blood circulation, treat dandruff, and also stimulate good hair development. Done regularly, this may help to prevent thinning, hair loss, and baldness, which are common problems for men that can result in a lack of confidence. Shampoo the hair and then rinse thoroughly. Massage the hair to remove the last bits of shampoo, and rinse twice more.

  Juniper oil has antiseptic anti-dandruff and sebum-regulating properties. Massaged into the scalp with a light base, it will encourage healthy hair.

  Essential oils are absorbed into the scalp. Add cedarwood essence to the blend, as this oil blends well with rosemary, and it will help to improve oily skin and itchy scalp.

  Regular use of these natural plant essences, combined with natural plant bases, will help keep hair and scalp healthy and smelling fresh and clean.

  Sports and Exercise

  After exercising or a sports day, massage is the traditional solution to muscular aches and pains. If you belong to a sports club, a massage by a professional masseuse would be a wonderful treat. If not, try a self-treatment with an invigorating muscle rub made up of a base oil and the essential oils of thyme, pine, and cedarwood. This moisturizing, warming, invigorating, and comforting balm will not only relax and soothe muscles, it will also improve well-being.

  Sleep

  If you have trouble sleeping at night, with your mind not turning off, worrying about work or any other problems, a couple of drops of calming lavender on your pillow will send you off into a soothing slumber ready to wake refreshed the next day.

  “Nature bestows her own, richest gifts and with lavish hands, she works in shifts.”

  Gertrude Tooley Buckingham

  Each season of the year relates to our health and well-being. Taking steps before the next season or during it will help us to live in balance with nature’s forces. Aromatherapy is one of the simplest and gentlest complementary therapies that can be used at home, in any season, to keep well. Poet Gertrude Tooley Buckingham was right when she said that nature works in shifts!

  Many health conditions are impacted by the seasons, and there is a seasonal variance in health and illness. With every changing season comes a shift of energy, and health-supporting essential oils can be used therapeutically and also as a preventative throughout the year. Energy constantly changes and flows, and the energies of the body also change with each passing season. So you should change your health regimen with the yearly energy flow—this way, the energy movements of the body can tune in harmoniously with nature’s yearly cycles. Just like the changing yearly energies, the body has its own cycles and rhythms. Following different health regimens at different times of the year will help attune our energies harmoniously with nature’s creative forces and changing weather patterns.

  Here are some of my favorite oils for each season of the year. You can use these as a starting point for your own experiments with aromatherapy. Always buy good-quality oils, because cheaper oils are often adulterated and will not work therapeutically. Many oils complement each other and can be mixed together to make creative blends.

  Spring

  At this time of the year, the dormant energies of winter gradually awaken into spring. The thrusting vibrant energies of springtime, a time of new beginnings, bring forth new life. It is a time of renewal, when all around young shoots and buds appear on plants and trees. Unfortunately, this is also the pollen season, and many people suffer from allergies and hay fever at this time. These are uncomfortable and debilitating conditions that can last for weeks, with sore, itchy eyes and endless sneezing. Prevention is the best cure, and the use of essential oils before spring arrives is the best method of helping to avert these problems.

  Oils to use before spring begins are chamomile, lemon balm, lavender, or pine in a soothing bath or in inhalations, as this can help with mucus and catarrh. If used regularly, this preventative measure may ease the misery of these conditions, as long as it is started early enough. If this does not help, then during the season, a blend of cleansing eucalyptus and calming lavender may prove helpful in a steam inhalation or as a massage blend, or you could sprinkle a few drops onto a handkerchief to be inhaled during the day. These conditions can also be helped with good nutrition and dietary changes.

  It makes sense to boost your immune system before the onset of the pollen season. Preparing the body with a course of bee pollen prior to the hay-fever season is sensible. Bee pollen is nature’s own balancing substance, a
nd it can be used as a de-sensitizing medium before the season begins, as it has been known to lessen symptoms. Hay-fever sufferers are allergic to inhaled pollens, but surprisingly, bee pollen, which is rich in vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, appears to be successful in ameliorating attacks during the pollen season. By taking bee pollen for a month or two prior to the hay-fever season, the body apparently becomes de-sensitized to grass pollens and clouds of flower pollens. Unless you are allergic to bee products, it might be worth a try.

  Detoxing

  Cleansing diets to rid the body of stored wastes can be used once or twice a year, and this season of new beginnings is the ideal time to start. After the comfort foods of winter, you should begin a healthful regimen to support the cleansing processes of the body of accumulated toxins. This is a time to get yourself in gear after the passive energies of winter when the body has usually been wrapped up in heavy clothing and the skin may look dull. This is the time to start a lighter, healthier diet full of fresh, wholesome foods that will help cleanse the body internally. You can also use various detoxing oils that help eliminate excess weight gain and improve skin tone, getting you ready to expose more skin as the weather warms up. You will enjoy wearing lighter clothes with confidence after a couple of weeks of detoxing with diet and aromatherapy.

  Used in therapeutic baths or massage blends, healing oils can help to free the body of impurities and improve health. After a detox, you will feel more energetic, your skin will look clearer and more youthful, and you will feel better. A detox may also encourage natural weight loss if weight was gained during the winter. You will enjoy increased vitality and increased seasonal well-being.

  To maximize the effects of the bath, dry-brush your skin with a natural-fiber brush before bathing to open up pores and remove dead skin cells. Spend a few minutes doing this before you enter the bath. Always work toward the heart area when brushing the skin. Now you will be ready to enjoy a good soak in the fragrant waters of the bath you have prepared. Use about four drops of essential oil in a bath filled halfway, or six to eight in a full bath.

  When you are submerged in the luxurious waters, massage your skin with gentle, circular motions to bring blood to the surface. In addition to improving circulation, a massage will tone muscles and energize the body. You can, if you wish, use a loofah or vegetable sponge; this is the dry, fibrous part of a gourd. It is a very effective way to cleanse the whole body, and, once wet, the loofah swells up and can thoroughly cleanse areas that are prone to spots, such as the chest and back.

  Give Yourself a Spring Clean

  Detox baths accelerate toxic elimination, removing wastes and cellular debris. Bathing can encourage your body to sweat the toxins out. Essential oils are highly concentrated, so always dilute them before using. Add oils to the bath water just before you get in; this way, they do not evaporate beforehand.

  Detox Bath Use a jar of plain bath salts or fine sea salts and add a few drops of detoxifying, regenerating lemon oil, along with a couple of drops of fresh, green rosemary oil. Grapefruit oil can be substituted for any one of these oils; it is diuretic and decreases unwanted mucus during detoxification. This oil may be an irritant for some, so do a patch test before use.

  Detox Bath Use a jar of plain bath salts or fine sea salts and add a few drops of lemongrass, an oil that is good for drainage of body fluids, and calming lavender oil. Do not bathe for longer than twenty minutes, as bathing for longer than this will dry out the skin. Avoid high concentrations of this oil.

  Detox Bath Juniper oil helps detox the body by ridding it of toxic wastes, improving elimination, and supporting liver function. Add it to a cup of fine sea salts, as these salts encourage sweating, which is another way the body eliminates toxins. Juniper is nonirritating in dilution.

  During the detox regimen, add two drops of juniper on the pulse points of the wrists each day and inhale its stimulating aroma. This oil helps tone up the glandular system, particularly the pancreas and adrenals.

  Caution Do not use juniper oil if you have a kidney disorder. You can try grapefruit oil, as it supports liver and lymphatic cleansing, but only use a low concentration.

  Essential oils for spring are uplifting, energizing, and stimulating. Lemon and lemongrass, with their citrusy aroma; marjoram, with its herbaceous scent; and melissa, known as lemon balm, with its lemony fragrance—all have a spring-like feel about them.

  A refreshing body massage during spring is perfect for anyone feeling tired and in need of revitalization. A special blend of mandarin, lemon, orange, or ylang-ylang in a softening carrier oil base that is massaged all over the body is a therapeutic experience, and you can concentrate on tired areas that need extra help. Absorption of the oils into the skin will enhance their therapeutic effect. You do not have to use all four oils in one blend; it is best to use no more than three oils, because the synergistic blend of too many oils can be unpredictable. Experiment with the blends, using oils with cleansing properties.

  Summer

  Summer is nature’s season of maturity—a time of the year when hot “yang” energies can be overwhelming, and we take a break from work with holidays and relaxation. It is a time when the driving energies of spring begin to mellow, but seasonal allergies can still persist during summer. Follow the detox regimen suggested for spring.

  Summertime is an uplifting season, when energies are bubbly and vivacious and we feel more alive. The hot sun makes people feel better and uplifted. A lot of recreational activities take place, people spend time basking in sunshine, and the outdoor life sustains us. During this time of year, vitamin D is created as the body synthesizes this vitamin from the ultraviolet rays that are absorbed into the skin. This is the season when vitamin D status is at its highest, but care must be taken to avoid staying in the sun without protection. This is also a time when plenty of salads and fruits are enjoyed, which makes weight loss easier.

  Summer requires aromatherapy oils to help the body cool off. Geranium oil with its fresh, cooling properties, or cooling, toning, and balancing palmarosa, can be used when taking a shower. Sprinkle a couple of drops of rose-scented geranium or sweet, musky palmarosa onto a washcloth or a sponge and take a refreshing shower during the heat of this season. Used in a a cream, this is a first-rate massage medium for those who prefer an alternative to massage oils during summer. The benefits will be felt both physically and mentally.

  This is the time of year when the solar energy beaming down on us makes us all feel better. Sunny days and balmy nights are a time when we feel carefree, a time when we are more active and likely to be living the outdoor life.

  Autumn

  At this the time of the year, summer’s strong energies are beginning to wane and a big shift in energy takes place. It is time to begin to get back to work after the lazy days of summer. Adapt your diet to suit this season of the harvest, and plan for the coming winter with a wholesome diet and strengthening oils to help build and prepare the body for the colder months to come. If you improved your vitamin D status during the summer months, this will help protect you during the coming months of colder weather. It is around this time that colds and coughs and other health conditions brought on by damp weather begin to appear. If you have kept in tune with the ebbs and flows of the changing year’s cycles, your immune system will have been strengthened. You will have prepared yourself for the shorter days of autumn with your cleansing regimens and detoxification, so you should get fewer colds and bouts of the flu, having primed up your immune system.

  Autumn oils that are strengthening can be used in baths, for massage or diffusion, or blended in base oil.

  Patchouli is a strengthening and stimulating oil with an exotic floral aroma. Use patchouli therapeutically during this season to help build up strength before the coming winter, so that you can fight off viruses and bacterial infections. If you do catch a cold or come down with the flu, a few drops of camphorated eucalyptus in a steam inhalation and as a chest and throat rub will help shorten the illnes
s’s duration.

  Keeping to a healthy whole-food diet with plenty of seasonal fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C and beta carotene will build up your immune system, which is so important at this time of the year. If you skip a few days without eating nutritious food, take a good-quality vitamin and mineral supplement made from a whole-food base to provide all the nutrients the body needs. You must keep your immune system fortified. This regimen will help build you up to face the winter’s coming cold temperatures and dark days.

  Winter

  During the winter months, our energies begin to wind down. This is a time of year when colds, flu, and cold “yin” illnesses are prevalent. Nearly everyone succumbs, but with seasonal preparation you should be able to avoid catching anything serious. Warming “yang” essential oils are ideal to be used throughout the winter.

  Winter warming oils have a lovely rich, spicy fragrance that helps to get you into the spirit of the winter season. Regular use of warming oils during the winter months will enhance your well-being, allowing you to enjoy this time of the year relatively problem free. Ginger is effective for winter chills and it is a healing balm for sore, aching muscles, bringing warmth when applied to a painful area. During this time of year when energies are low, ginger added to a diffuser will create a flow of spicy fragrance throughout the air. Ginger helps to move cold, “stagnant” energies, thus improving circulation. Do not use ginger on the skin undiluted or in baths as it can be an irritant.