Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that espouses the belief that aromatic smells or fragrances influence the brain and alters the mood of the client. This practice which traces its origin to ancient times uses essential oils for treatment and or prevention of diseases.
Essential oils are the basic requirement in an aromatherapy treatment. These oils are extracted from plants or their parts by using any of the following methods: cold expression, fixed oil extraction, steam distillation, and alcohol extraction.
These oils are are highly concentrated therefore therapists will not use this directly on the skin. To reduce their potency they are diluted through what is called aromatherapy blend or through synergy.
In a blend 3 to 5 essential oils are combined and added to the carrier oil (or massage oil) or lotion. An example would be combining the following oils: geranium, lavender, and clary sage to an apricot carrier oil. In synergy, essential oils are also combined but the carrier oil is omitted 새티스파이어.
Here are two recipes for using oil blends for massage:
As basic massage oil, you can blend 8 drops of essential oils to an ounce of sweet almond oil as carrier oil. For relieving stress mix the following essential oils: 5 drops of clary sage, 2 drops of lavender, and 2 drops of lemon to an ounce of sweet almond carrier oil.
The types of therapy that uses essential oil blends are: cosmetic, massage, and olfactory. Of the three, the best practice of taking advantage of essential oils is through massage.
When the oils are blended together and massaged onto the body, it immediately influences the brain through the olfactory glands or the sense of smell. The scent of the oils work by activating the limbic system, the part of the brain that influence emotion, long-term memory, heart rate, and blood pressure.
The benefits of an aromatherapy therapy massage are the following:
a) It relieves insomnia and stress.
b) It decreases anxiety, tension, and depression.
c) It increases white blood cells and blood circulation.
d) It relaxes muscles and promotes faster healing of strained muscles and ligaments.
e) It reduces the formation of scar tissue in the muscles and reduces pain and swelling.
f) It moisturizes the skin while relaxing the whole body.
Before starting a massage session using oil blends, the therapist should start with clean hands and does a patch test to determine how a client’s skin will react to the oils. Next he makes sure that the room and his hands are warm and asks the client if he feels uncomfortable.
Finally aromatherapy massage is not advisable for those who have skin diseases, rashes, open wounds, those who have epilepsy, and those who suffer from asthma.