This week is Aromatherapy Awareness Week (8th – 14th June, 2015). As many of you know, I like to incorporate essential oils into as many of my treatments as possible. Whether it’s a specially mixed blend for your massage or finishing off a treatment with a massage candle…aromatherapy is an important part of the treatments I give.
So what is aromatherapy? Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils, which are extracted from plants, for healing and therapeutic purposes. They work on an emotional and physical level.
Emotionally the aromas tap into our memory, mood and emotion which is why it’s important for you to like the smell of any blend that has been mixed. An essential oil may have the perfect properties to aid relaxation but if the aroma reminds you of an unpleasant experience then that particular oil will never work for you.
However, aromatherapy is about a lot more than just smell. Physically, essential oils are made up of tiny chemical molecules which penetrate into the blood stream in a similar way to common medications such as hormone or nicotine patches. Each chemical molecule has different properties. For Example; esters are anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral; oxides have expectorant and antiseptic qualities. It is the chemistry behind the essential oils that ensures you’re benefiting from your treatments hours after the actual massage has finished.
So that’s my geeky love of aromatherapy peeking out to give a small insight for Aromatherapy Awareness Week. Any fellow geeks may like to read the articles I’ve linked to or click here for more details of my aromatherapy treatments.
Further reading ‘The Power of Smell’ , ‘The Chemistry of Essential Oils‘
Image: Copyright: shikibu / 123RF Stock Photo
