Essential Oils & Aromatherapy

by Marlene Houghton

  Migraine This debilitating and painful condition afflicts many people. Add a suitable essential oil—Roman chamomile, lemon balm, lavender, sweet marjoram, peppermint, and clary sage all work well—to a damp washcloth and place this on the forehead as a cool compress. Use ice-cold water with four to five drops of the essential oil of your choice; dip in a cloth and wring it out. Place it on the forehead or the back of the neck. This may ease the headache and nausea brought on by this condition. Try to prevent an attack, but do not give treatment during one, as this condition tends to make people hypersensitive, and use of the oils may cause a reaction. Migraine sufferers usually know the symptoms of an impending attack.

  Aroma Helpers: Soothers clary sage and rosemary

  Neuralgia This condition is caused by pain arising along the course of a nerve, and the pain can be stabbing, dull, or severe. It can be triggered by a nerve becoming irritated or compressed, or there may be inflammation or infection present. Facial neuralgia can be set off by cold wind. This painful and debilitating condition is also aggravated by stress. Roman chamomile, eucalyptus, and marjoram are powerful analgesic and nervine oils that can be used to ease the pain.

  MOOD AND EMOTIONAL BALANCERS

  Aromatherapy has many oils that can help bring frazzled emotions back into a harmonious and balanced state. There are essences that can uplift, refresh, and relax. If an emotional boost is required, there are suitable oils to help energize a flagging system. Pick some plant oils from nature’s garden, mix them in a suitable carrier to create a blend that can promote a number of positive states, and enjoy their de-stressing benefits. Put a few drops into a bowl of water and place near a source of heat to fill the air with their wonderful fragrance. Alternatively, use a light bulb ring or essential oil burner to vaporize the oil.

  The oils listed below will help to create a mood-enhancing atmosphere, relieving a low mood and calming anxious thoughts and nervous exhaustion.

  • Refreshing: pine, lemon, peppermint, eucalyptus

  • Relaxing: clary sage, chamomile, lavender, neroli, sandalwood

  • Energizing: ginger, juniper, peppermint, pine, rosemary

  • Calming: chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, myrrh

  You can make a massage blend of any of the above essential oils. Or you can make a hot compress and place it over the affected part. Put drops into a diffuser or sprinkle a few drops in a stress-releasing bath.

  Aroma Helpers geranium and thyme

  Shingles This very painful nerve condition is caused by the herpes zoster virus that is also responsible for chicken pox. This virus lies hidden in the body, and at times when the immune system is weakened, usually as a result of emotional stress or age, it can reactivate and manifest as a blistering rash that normally occurs around one half of the midriff. The eyes, face, and neck can also be affected, as a result of inflamed nerve roots. Baths are the easiest way to treat shingles. These oils have been found to help ease the nerve pain of this extremely painful condition:

  Geranium: Its cooling and moisturizing properties, mixed with thyme oil in a base, will help to strengthen the immune response. This combination will create a healing mixture that can be dabbed gently onto the affected area. It is more helpful if this mixture is used at the first sign of a rash.

  Ravensara: Used for treating viral infections, this oil is a good rubbing oil for shingles. Ravensara’s warming action, blended with thyme—another warming oil—will create a potent healing mix that can help alleviate the acute pain of this condition.

  Any irritated nerves, including sciatica, can also be treated using nervines. Powerful analgesic and nervine oils are required to relieve the nerve pain caused by these conditions. Such oils are known to exert a soothing effect along the nerve pathways and are the “three stars” of the nervine group, offering some much-needed pain relief:

  Aroma Helpers: Pain Relievers Chamomile soothes sciatica and nerve irritation; marjoram has analgesic properties and is a good pain reliever.

  The Reproductive System

  This system consists of different organs in the male and female. It is concerned with the formation of cells involved in reproduction, the ovum and the sperm. This is an area in both women and men that needs care in order to prevent problems.

  Female System

  The female reproductive organs are prone to a number of problems, and orthodox medicine has a special branch that deals with all female problems.

  Endometriosis This is a poorly understood condition that causes pain and infertility. It is caused by tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus growing outside this organ. This tissue attaches to the pelvis, bladder, colon, and ovaries causing pain every month during the menstrual cycle. Endometriosis is not well understood by mainstream medicine but is believed to be caused by hormonal imbalances, genetics, or even stress.

  Clary sage is a hormone balancer that can be effective in reducing symptoms. For a massage blend, use two to four drops and 6 tablespoons (90 ml) carrier oil; apply topically over the abdomen. Another way to reduce symptoms is to apply a warm compress over the abdominal area during the menstrual cycle, particularly when the pain is most acute. Two other oils with hormone-balancing properties are rose and geranium, and either would be useful to try.

  Irregular Periods When the cycle has an irregular pattern, and if periods are delayed, cedarwood can stimulate late periods. Regular aromatherapy treatment with soothing oils can bring the menstrual cycle back to normal. A blend of chamomile, melissa, and rose is a known regulator of the menstrual flow.

  Period Pains and Cramps Many women experience painful cramps during their periods, and the intensity of the pain can vary from month to month. Unless there is an underlying problem that needs medical attention, the aromatherapy oils cypress, clary sage, and jasmine can reduce uterine cramps.

  Aroma Helpers: Balancers Lavender, rosemary, and marjoram

  Male System

  The prostate gland is the size of a chestnut and is situated just below the bladder. There are several aroma essences that can be rubbed into the abdomen to maintain overall prostate health.

  • Frankincense supports prostate health due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Blended with strengthening myrrh and cooling geranium and used as a massage with a base oil of your choice, or as a compress or bath, frankincense can help if you are experiencing discomfort.

  • Juniper berry oil has warming, stimulating, and toning action that supports urinary and prostate health.

  • Prostatitis is inflammation of this gland, which can lead to urinary problems. This condition needs a visit to your doctor. However, frankincense and cleansing thyme in a base oil used in therapeutic baths, massage, or compress, may help relieve symptoms. Keep in mind, though, that prostate problems can have serious underlying causes, so a visit to a medical doctor would be advisable.

  Aroma Helpers: Sedatives Orange and myrtle

  The Respiratory System

  This system involves the exchange of gases (carbon dioxide and oxygen) between the blood and air. The trachea, the tube that connects the pharynx and larynx to the lungs, is part of this system. This area of the body can be easily damaged by smoking and environmental factors. Since it is prone to chest infections, asthma, allergies, and some serious diseases caused by smoking or inhalation of chemicals, this system needs looking after carefully. Aromatherapy offers ways that this can be done with regular use of essential oils.

  Bronchitis Benzoin plus eucalyptus in a cream or carrier oil used as a chest rub can help free chest mucus. These are known as expectorants, which liquefy bronchial secretions.

  Chest Colds The same blend used to treat the symptoms of bronchitis can be used to free up the chest mucus that comes with chest colds. An aromatic chest rub made up of eucalyptus, rosemary, and tea tree oils in a base will help to soothe and ease minor coughs, colds, and stuffy noses. Apply this to the thoracic area daily. Keep in mind that peppermint’s strong smell may cause a headache in those who are susceptible. Ot
herwise, peppermint’s expectorant qualities help coughs that produce green or yellow phlegm, which are signs of infection.

  Sinusitis Inhalations through aromatic steam are helpful for this condition. Eucalyptus with its decongestant properties, along with peppermint, are ideal oils to use to help relieve a stuffy nose and sinusitis.

  An inhalation made up of niaouli with its strong camphorous aroma, and basil with its clearing properties, makes this an ideal blend with unique cleansing and decongesting abilities, helping to clear and maintain healthy sinuses. This mixture can also be used in an oil burner so that the vapors diffuse in the air.

  Aroma Helpers: Cleansers Eucalyptus, lemon, tea tree, and rosemary

  The Urinary System

  The kidneys and associated structures are part of the urinary system. They are involved in the removal of waste material in liquid form and also with keeping the body in a state of balance. The female urinary system is more prone to infections than the male system due to its anatomical structure.

  Cystitis This is caused by an infection in the urinary tract that women are more prone to than men. The symptoms are pain and frequency when urinating. Tea tree and sandalwood are oils that can be used with a hot compress applied to the abdominal area. Both have antiseptic properties. These oils can also be used in a bath, so bathe twice a day until the pain and burning has ceased. Along with this treatment, drink plenty of pure water and unsweetened cranberry juice. If there is no improvement, consult a medical doctor.

  A quick fix for cystitis is to drink a glass of water in which a half-teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate (baking powder) has been dissolved.

  Aroma Helpers: Toners Cedarwood, geranium, and juniper

  ““Aromatherapy is the skilled and controlled use of essential oils for physical and emotional health and wellbeing.”

  Valerie Cooksley

  There are so many oils to choose from for a home first-aid kit that, for a novice, this can be somewhat daunting. I suggest some of the oils that are easy to obtain, as many are not available to the public, but only to professional aromatherapists. Always buy your essential oils from a good supplier, as they can vary in quality, and keep in mind that only the best will act therapeutically. You can gradually build a home collection of aromatherapy oils as you become more experienced in their use. I have suggested ten easily obtainable oils to start you off. These everyday oils, kept in your home, will provide you with natural health care on a day-to-day basis, allowing you to act swiftly for any minor problem that occurs.

  Your first-aid kit will contain oils that help colds, headaches, sinusitis, insomnia, muscle aches and pains, stress, insect bites, and minor abrasions—any condition, in fact, that is suitable for self-help.

  Choose a few carrier oils to put in your home first-aid kit for therapeutic blending.

  The Ten Healers

  1. Chamomile Oil

  This gentle oil is useful for indigestion, irritability, and painful attacks of neuralgia or sciatica, all treatable by self-help.

  2. Eucalyptus Oil

  This is helpful to use for headaches, muscle and joint aches, and insect bites.

  3. Geranium Oil

  This emotional healer is calming during times of stress and anxiety. It helps mild gastroenteritis and is useful for relieving menopausal symptoms. It is also a good insect repellent.

  4. Juniper Berry Oil

  Muscle pains brought on by cold weather can be eased with juniper’s warming and toning action.

  5. Lavender Oil

  This highly versatile oil, which is almost a cure-all, can treat minor digestive problems that have a nervous origin and also nausea. Its mild analgesic properties make it a good first-aid remedy for headaches and also for abrasions, cuts, burns, stings, and insect bites.

  6. Lemon Oil

  During the winter, this oil will stimulate the body’s defenses if used regularly, helping to prevent bacterial and viral infections. This is becoming very important now that resistance to antibiotics is on the rise. Lemon oil is also good for corns, verrucas, and warts.

  7. Peppermint Oil

  This cooling oil is well known to be effective for digestive disorders and stomachaches and is also useful for relieving stiffness in shoulders and joints. Its cooling properties are helpful in bringing down fevers.

  8. Ravensara Oil

  An antibacterial powerhouse, this oil is useful during the cold and flu season. Its pain-relieving action on muscles and joints has a relaxing effect.

  9. Rosemary

  This reviving and invigorating oil reenergizes tired muscles and weary feet. Good for women’s health, rosemary oil helps relieve painful periods.

  10. Tea Tree Oil

  This potent antiseptic oil forms part of every aromatherapist’s first-aid kit. Useful for general infections, tea tree also treats nailbed infections due to its antifungal properties, along with cuts, mild burns, and cold sores. Blended with lavender, this synergistic mixture offers relief from itching.

  “I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.”

  The Book of Proverbs

  Nature’s cornucopia of oils can uplift you, invigorate your senses, and calm your soul. They can also act as an aphrodisiac, heightening passion and sexual desire. Ancient civilizations knew the power of these wonderful oils and how fragrance can enhance the senses. They have been used for centuries to attract the opposite sex. Used in the armory of seduction, they were potent weapons to use in the art of love. The canny ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans knew that aromatherapy oils and their arousing aromas can improve your love life!

  Aroma plays a fundamental role in human sexual response, which is why perfumes made with essential oils have been used for thousands of years and are still so popular today. The perfume industry is a multimillion-dollar business, and it knows how to exploit our love of fragrant aromas. The big perfume houses know that aroma—and the implication that a particular perfume will make you sexier and more attractive—sells. They know that our sense of smell is related to our emotions, moods, and sexual behavior, and that these areas can be stimulated through our sense of smell, linked to the primitive brain—the limbic system. The link between hormones and sexuality has been proven, and it appears that our sense of smell has developed for sensual purposes through the evolutionary process, as humans no longer need to “smell danger.” A beautiful fragrance can influence the deep emotional part of us, evoking memories, uplifting us, and filling us with pleasure. Everyone has a different fragrance to which they respond, and each oil smells different from one person to another.

  The beautiful Greek goddess Aphrodite, goddess of love, beauty, desire, and sexuality, gave us the word aphrodisiac. Her son Eros, god of love, passion, and fertility, gave us the word erotic, meaning “sexual love.” Aphrodite was a seductress no man could resist. She was knowledgeable and skilled in the art of using aromatic plants for sexual purposes, and that gave her an advantage over her rivals. She not only used her beauty—she had the help of a collection of magical oils as well! Like the goddess herself, you can use the sorcery of sensual scents to captivate your lover!

  Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile, met her new lover, Mark Antony, for the first time when she sailed down the River Nile with the purple sails of her flotilla of ships saturated in a heady mixture, believed today to have been a blend of rose and neroli, two powerful seductive essences. Redolent with the exotic, powerful, floral perfume of these seductive oils filling the air, Cleopatra would have been irresistable!

  No wonder the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans were such keen users of these wonderful oils! They knew the power the oils had to stimulate desire and inflame the passions. Known for their decadence, the Romans used them abundantly for pleasure and for their aphrodisiac qualities.

  It was not only the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans who utilized the power of these essential oils. A manual of erotic arts titled The Perfumed Garden, written in the fourteenth century by a Tunisian sheik named Nefwazi, is
the story of a man’s use of perfumes and aromas to seduce the woman he loved.

  Every partnership needs a boost now and again, and essential oils are renowned for having potent qualities that have the ability to excite the senses. Certain essential oils awaken and increase sexual desire. I have listed some below. Use them in the bedroom and find out for yourself! My list is only a suggestion, so you might, in time, come up with a list of your own.

  Use the essential oils of your choice in a blend for sensual, erotic massage. Sensual baths can be created by adding a few drops of any one of the oils mentioned below.

  Cedarwood Oil

  The amazing, warm, woody, balsamic aroma can be very exciting. This is a good oil to use if you want to attract a new partner and keep the attraction alive. In an erotic encounter, it will make you feel warm and sexy and it will stir your passions.