“Aromatherapy is a very subtle form of healing and just a little goes a very long way. “
The Dictactory of Essential Oils – Wanda Sellar
Aromatherapy means the use of essential oils to help treat certain conditions. Stress is a very common condition nowadays for multiple reasons. Essential oils can be very efficient to find relief from anxiety, depression, insomnia etc
The therapist will pick 2 to 3 essential oils which are blended with a carrier oil then massaged onto the skin.
But...
…HOW DOES IT WORK?
Most of the time when people think of the word “aromatherapy” they think of “sense of smell”.
Indeed, aromatherapy can affect your mood positively thanks to it smell and help you to relax.
We all have strong olfactory memories. If you spent summer holidays in Mediterranean countries surrounded by lavender fields, you might find that Lavender essential oil will take you back to a wholesome memory and therefore will relax you. Or if your lovely grandmother was using rose scents cosmetics and her bathroom always smelled of rose fields then perhaps rose essential oil might be the one for you. Or if you travelled to India (or have been to any Indian-incense shops) then maybe Sandalwood oil is for you.
There will always an aroma, somewhere, which brings you back to a blissful memory. Well, you probably had a massage before? If so, you must know how relaxing it can be. In fact, getting massaged regularly can really help to lower stress and fight depression in the long term.
The other way the aromatherapy will affect you positively is thanks to its chemical composition.
In fact we all have our own chemical composition. When the essential oil penetrates through your skin thanks to the massage, it will enter your bloodstream and interact with your own chemical constitution. When you think about it, it is just how taking a pill would work.
Every chemical constituent have certain properties and effects on the mind, body and skin. For example, for stress related conditions, you will be looking for Anti Depressant oils, Hypotensive and Sedative Oils. The oil will remain in your bloodstream for about 24H, it is recommended to wait at least 24 to 48 h before being exposed to essential oils again.
OFFER
In order to continue the treatment at home, I offer my client to blend for them either a massage oil, a roller ball oil or an aromatherapy spray for an extra fee.
See the last chapter of the blog for more information about this offer.
So now...
Which are the best oils to help with Stress Related Conditions?
MY FAVOURITE OILS AND THEIR PROPERTIES:
What I would want for a stress relieving blend is oils with HYPOTENSIVE properties.
Hypotensive means lowering blood pressure.
Your body produces a surge of hormones when you're in a stressful situation. These hormones temporarily increase your blood pressure by causing your heart to beat faster and your blood vessels to narrow.
My favourite Hypotensive oils are Chamomile, Clary Sage, Ylang-Ylang, Rose and Lavender oil.
Other properties that I like to add into a stress relieving essential oil blend are “Anti-Depressant” properties.
Long term stress can often lead to depression. Anti depressant oils are uplifting and counteracting melancholies.
My favourite oils to help lifting depression are Bergamot, Clary sage, Geranium, Jasmine, Lavender, Patchouli, Neroli, Petitgrain, Rose and Ylang-ylang.
All Those oils listed above in the Hypotensive and Anti depressant Categories are considered SEDATIVE, which means they have a calming effect on the mind. Some other oils are also sedative, like Benzoin, Cerdarwood, Mandarin, Marjoram, Sandalwood and Vetiver.
“Healing comes through the therapist own intuition in pairing the oils with the client”
BLEND RECIPES TO HELP WITH STRESS...
A blend is usually a 2% dilution of 3 different oils, which means around 8 drops of essential oil into 20ml of carrier oil.
These are 3 blends examples that you can make at home to create a relaxing massage oil.
(For each blends, you need 8 drops diluted into 20ml carrier oil.)
• Orange Blossom: Bergamot – Neroli – Petitgrain
• The Earthy blend: Patchouli – Clari sage – Frankinsense
• The Flowery blend: Jasmine – Rose – Bergamot
CONTRA INDICATIONS ( + Recommendations post treatment )
• You must not use essential oils if you are pregnant are breast feeding or of young age. You must not use Hypotensive oils if you have heart diseases, a pace maker or low blood tension.
• You should wait 48H before getting being exposed to essential oils again, as the oils will remain active in your system for 24H, it is then good to allow your body to detox fully the oils.
• It is recommended to drink a lot of water after the treatment to flush out some toxins that certain oils might contain.
• For stress conditions, it is highly recommended to get a treatment every week or every other week.
PROMOTION
I am offering 4 treatments to use before the end of the year for £260 instead of £300 !!
Plus:
The sample to take home... (each Item = £10)
Massage Oil 50ml – Roller ball 10 ml - Spray 100ml
The Roller Ball and the Massage Oil contain rapeseed oil as a carrier oil + the selected essential oils.
The spray contains purified water and Witch Hazel ( Emulsifier) + The selected essential oils
The massage oil can be used for a massage or can be added to your skin care routine as a moisturizing and relaxing oi. It can also simply be used to be smelled at.
The roller ball oil can be used on wrists and/or neck as the aroma will support you through the day.
The spray can be used on pillows and any fabrics (depending on the essential oils chosen,) and as a room spray.
Using this sample at home will also allow you to reconnect with the relax state you experienced during your treatment.
For each unique blend I will create for you, I will explain how to use it.
