❤ World Of Scents

My fascination with the world of scents began when I used to watch my grandmother make floral waters using roses and lavender buds she picked from her garden, and one of the many pleasures of visiting my grandmom was the regular jaunts into the garden to smell things (flowers from cedar trees, rose bush, rosemary and various plants she had growing in her garden). She constantly told me the purpose of the smelling sessions she took me on, was for me to learn to override my sense of sight, and train the nose to detect a smell rather than let our eyes decide what we're smelling.

Sense of smell has a very profound influence on our well being. Believe it or not sense of smell in humans is very strong. This is the reason why a smell from childhood days can open floodgates of memories and emotions. Aromas can effect mood as well. This is the reason why supermarkets pump smell of freshly baked bread through the ventilation system.

Essential Oils and Aroma Therapy
Essential oils play a central role in aromatherapy. Aromatherapy oils are used to treat;
-Aging and wrinkled skin
-Loss of skin elasticity, tone and contour,
-Skin pigmentation
-Dry and oily skin among other things

The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) has defined aromatherapy as 'the art and science of utilizing naturally extracted aromatic essences from plants to balance, harmonize and promote the health of body, mind and spirit.  It is an art and science which seeks to explore the physiological, psychological and spiritual realm of the individual's response to aromatic extracts as well as to observe and enhance the individual's innate healing process'.

Essential oils, are botanical extracts of various plant materials that is generally distilled by steam or water from the leaves, stems, flowers, bark, roots, or other elements of a plant. Essential oils are important because of their power to rejuvenate, heal, and detoxify.  Below are 5 ways you can use the power of aromatherapy and essential oil in daily life.

Use Essential Oil For Your Bath
Before adding any essential oils to your bath, make sure that you’ve drawn the bath first and the water level is where you like it. You add the oils right before you climb in, this is because essential oils are volatile, which means that they evaporate easily. So if you add them as the water is still running, it’s guaranteed that they’ll be gone by the time you finally disrobe and immerse yourself with an “Ahhhh.”

Secondly, you can either add the essential oils to the bath “neat” or as part of a blend using a carrier oil. “Neat” means undiluted…if you want to go this route, just sprinkle 6-7 drops into the fully drawn bath and get on in. Or, if you want to go the other route, you can add a dropperful of your blend to the fully drawn bath for a little hydration as well (carrier oils tend to leave your skin more soft and supple).

Essential Oil To Treat Dry Skin 

A dry skin condition can mean rough, cracked hands and a flaky complexion that could eventually lead to excessive wrinkling. Skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema often go hand in hand with dry skin. For any dry skin product, choose essential oils that balance the production of oil on the skin and also are anti-inflammatory so that they'll reduce irritation and its characteristic puffiness. If your dry skin is also mature skin, the historic "anti-aging" essential oils -- lavender, geranium, neroli, rosemary, and rose -- are particularly suitable. These essential oils are also thought to rejuvenate the skin by encouraging new cell growth.

 Massage With Essential Oil
The use of essential oils in massage is a fantastic way to maximize the healing power of the massage itself. When combined with essential oils, a massage can have a powerful calming or energizing effect, depending on the oil chosen and the strokes of the masseur (quick movements will stimulate and slow movements relax).

When using essential oils in massage, always dilute the oils in a carrier oil prior to applying on the skin as essential oils are very powerful concentrates and should not be directly applied to the skin.  Use about 20ml of base oil and add a few drops of essential oil to it. Then massage this blend all over the body. The best time to use these aromatic massage oils is after a bath.

Essential Oils As Natural Room Deodorizer
This is a really cool use of essential oil. Put a few drops of essential oil blend on a source of heat. This could be a light bulb or a small bowl of hot water. The oil evaporates and perfumes the air.

Essential Oil As A Room Spray
Add a few drops of essential oil blend to 100 ml of distilled water. Keep the mixture in a dark air-tight bottle, shake the bottle well before use and spray around the room.