The practice of Aromatherapy uses essential oils for healing and repair. Aromatherapy and the usage of essential oils aim to heal the body and the mind by entering the body in three ways, applied to the skin, inhaled or ingested.
Aromatherapy works to improve and help stress, anxiety, insomnia, chronic or acute pain relief, arthritis, and rheumatism (sub-acute phase), chronic muscular or joint aches and pain, reducing inflammation, aid in the treatment of sprains, and repetitive movement injuries, and much more.
There are different application methods based on the essential oils usage, strength and contraction, the health issue, and the individual. For example, Aromatherapy essential oil blends can be applied topically using compresses for headaches or sprains, baths to relieve stress, or massaging them into the skin.
Integumentary System
The Integumentary System is what the medical community refers to the skin and its derivatives, the nails, hair, and glands. The skin is our largest organ on our body and performs many functions from regulating temperature control, protecting our internal organs to removing toxins from our bodies.
Essential oils are considered to enter the skin in different ways including through the hair follicles and sweat ducts. Many factors affect absorption of an oil molecule. To increase the skin’s ability to absorb the oil, consider a massage, exercise or a vigorous walk. These activities improve the body’s rate of circulation and the warmth of the skin thereby increasing the blood flow to the surface and in return increasing the skin’s ability to absorb the oil.
Why Use Essential Oils For The Skin?
Most Essential oils contain potent medicinal and cosmetic properties providing a versatile and complimentary medicine cabinet and beauty regime.
The effectiveness of essential oils is due to their ability to easily penetrate the skin. Essential oils have a small and simple molecular structure, and when applied to the skin, they pass into the fluid surrounding the cells beneath the skin’s surface. From here the oil molecule passes through the dermis, into the capillaries, and the bloodstream.
How Do I Select An Essential Oil?
The essential oil that you choose will depend on what you need to achieve. Perhaps you want to relieve stress, reduce inflammation or create an anti-aging serum; there are a variety of blends available for your particular purpose. You just need to take the time to read and become well-informed on each essential oil, its contradictions, cautions, properties and best application methods.
It is important to dilute the essential oils and to do a patch test to ensure no adverse effects. Even with the more widely used essential oils, like Lavender, it is still best to do a check beforehand.
Carrier Oils
Diluting essential oils with a carrier oil is necessary. However, when creating your blend consider the viscosity of the carrier oil you are using as well. For example, Sweet Almond and Grapeseed Oils are less viscous, lighter and will penetrate the skin more easily than Olive oil.
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