Aromatherapy

Learn about essential oils and aromatherapy.

• Course on aromatherapy offered online
• Discover essential oils through independent study

Learn the basics of how to use aromatherapy oils safely and how they are made. The goal of this course is to introduce students to the fundamentals of aromatherapy. It is appropriate for individuals who want to learn how to use aromatherapy at home or for those who work in a related field.

Aromatherapy involves using plant names that are taken from their botanical names. The most frequent names for essential oils are Lavender, Thyme, and Eucalyptus. For instance, there are several different species of the plant known as lavender, and lavender oil is made from several of these species. The purest kind of lavender oil is that which is extracted from Real Lavender, or Lavandula angustifolia. Nevertheless, Lavandula latifolia and Lavandula x intermedia can also be used to distil lavender. Even an experienced aromatherapist may find it difficult to distinguish between the three due to their similar scents, but Lavandula angustifolia has a significantly superior chemical make-up to the other two species, making it a far superior therapeutic oil.
In the course, each of these topics is covered in detail and with exercises.

One of our Aromatherapy students said about the course:

“This course was very interesting, challenging and very worthwhile” N. Mills

WORKINGS OF ESSENTIAL OILS

Essential oils can enter the body and start to have a therapeutic effect in one of two ways. These two methods are inhalation and bloodstream absorption.

Inhalation
Exceptional things are scents. A scent that we were accustomed with as children can make us feel cosy and warm. Often, the fragrance of food alone might make one feel hungry. We need to quickly examine what happens when we breathe in order to comprehend how smell functions and how it creates these kinds of reactions.

Together with oxygen, when we inhale we also take in molecules that stimulate the cilia, or microscopic hairs, in the nasal canal. The hypothalamus, or the brain’s control centre, receives a message from these cilia in response to the fragrance they have detected. With the electronic signals it delivers to the neurological system, the hypothalamus regulates the body and its responses. A response is then produced by the neurological system, which might be physical or involve a change in the kind and quantity of hormones released into the bloodstream.

Absorption
The skin is another route by which essential oils can reach the body. The oil’s molecules are often small enough to pass through hair follicles and sweat glands to reach the skin’s outer layer. The dermis, a fat layer, is reached once it has penetrated the outer layer. As essential oils are fat soluble, or able to dissolve in fat, they are further broken down and absorbed into the bloodstream once they reach the dermis. Once in the blood stream, they behave similarly to how a hormone behaves towards blood cells, aggregating with specific cells and prompting the cells to respond. The lymph, which is the system that removes pollutants from the body, reacts with the molecules of the essential oils as well.

The response that occurs in the blood stream when essential oils are applied to the skin correctly, in the right amount, and in combination with a carrier oil, lotion, or cream is advantageous. However, a dosage that is excessive or given improperly may result in discomfort or irritability. Most frequently, this discomfort manifests as a skin reaction, particularly if the essential oil is applied too thickly (i.e., without a carrier and unable to penetrate the skin). Although though these reactions are typically brief and don’t have any negative long-term impacts, they are unpleasant.

Amounts to utilise
Not all essential oils are created equal. The quantity required to be effective varies depending on the quality of the various brands. The best approach to judge the quality of oil is with a trained nose. You will likely be able to identify the quality of an essential oil by its fragrance once you have used them regularly and tried a variety of brands. But until then, following the label’s directions is the best approach to figure out the usage rate.

What is the suggested frequency of use?
This ought to have specific instructions on how many drops to use. The maximum dosage recommended for truly good grade oil is 6–8 drops per day for an adult who is fully matured. Check the dosage suggested before choosing your oils. You might discover that the less expensive oil suggests using it much more frequently, which is a solid sign of the oil’s quality.

which kind of oil
Is it a pure essential oil? – Essential oils can be applied topically to the skin or inhaled after being diluted with a carrier. Although fragrant oils have a scent that is very similar to essential oils, they are typically blended with other “fillers” and do not have any therapeutic benefits. Some oils are sold as essential oils even though they are actually carrier oils that have been diluted with essential oils. These oils can be applied directly to the skin; however, they do not require blending with a carrier oil and should not be used in an oil burner.

Rose oil is an excellent illustration. Pure Rose essential oil, also known as Rose Otto, is made from a lot of rose petals, which drives up the cost to about $150 for 3ml. It is not unusual to discover Rose oil on the market at a substantially lower cost. However, upon careful examination of the label, it is frequently discovered that the oil is either scented rose oil or has been diluted, for example, 25% rose oil in a jojoba carrier. In the bottle, the smell of pure rose oil is incredibly potent, even offensive.

It smells like oil
What does it smell like? Reputable wholesale and retail providers will have samples of the many brands and types of oils they sell. Inhale and contrast. The oil is more likely to be of higher overall quality if the smell coming from the bottle is stronger.

According to the information above, an adult should use 6 to 8 drops of high-quality oil daily. The ratio to use for blending a bottle of lotion, cream, or carrier oil should be about 3 drops per 10ml of carrier. In the dilution described above, a person using 3 drops in a bath, 4 in an oil burner, and 2 applications of lotion would receive around 8 drops of oil every day.

When two things are combined, “the whole is bigger than the sum of the parts”
This is an excellent approach to describe synergy. In aromatherapy, employing a combination as opposed to just one oil might produce significantly better results. Take lavender as an example. Lavender is well known for promoting sleep and relaxation. Lavender can be used to treat these issues, however doing so may just address the symptoms. A blend of balancing Clary Sage, sweet marjoram, which eases muscle tension, and calming lavender would generally be more useful than lavender alone if a person is having problems relaxing due to anxiety or tension. Sandalwood, which is calming and grounding, peppermint, which relieves mental weariness, and lavender would be required if the relaxation was more likely the effect of depression.

For use at home, it is worthwhile to attempt to look behind the symptoms and see what the cause may be, even though you may not be a skilled therapist. This will enable you to select the ideal blend for use. But keep a mind that a blend won’t result in more drops being needed. Most adults will require 6–8 drops, or 2 drops of each, of the mixture.