Aromatherapy characteristics

Contents

1 What is aromatherapy?

What is aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils for the well-being and enrichment of the body and mind. The main application methods are massages, sprays and inhalations, and baths.

What are essential oils?

Essential oils are the natural fragrances of specific aromatic plants. These aromas are created by the plant itself, that is to say, they are never manipulated. The oils have to be extracted by a special process for use in aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy can work in conjunction with various therapies such as herbal medicine, reflexology or lymphatic drainage.

When did aromatherapy begin to be used?

The term Aromatherapy is modern, but the use of essences has been linked to man since the beginning of civilizations. All of them have resorted to the properties of essential oils.

* More information: History of essential oils

Tips when using essential oils

Essential oils are the most concentrated part of the plant. It is an extraction with a high content of active ingredients, which should be used with caution:

Schematic drawing of the different essential oils that make up a perfume and their properties (© Botanical-online.com)

Essential oils should always be diluted in a carrier oil or base oil. The base oil serves as a diluent and transporter for the medicinal components of essential oils.
Practical example on how to make lavender oil: Mix 20 drops of lavender essential oil (1ml) + 100ml of almond oil = lavender oil.
The cosmetic or massage preparations have an optimal conservation of four weeks, that is why it is advisable to prepare them according to the use and frequency that we give them. If we keep them in the refrigerator we can win two more weeks.
Essential oils should not be confused with synthetic ones, as their quality is much lower and they can cause problems such as hypersensitivity.
Most essential oils should never be applied in their pure state, as they are highly concentrated and could cause burns.
There are photosensitive essential oils, especially citrus, if we have used them we should not expose ourselves to the sun for at least 12 hours after application as sun spots could appear on the skin.