Aromatherapy, part two

Tags

aromatherapy, essential oils

With aromatherapy one of the first uses that often comes to mind for me is skin care. Probably because that is one of the first ways I used essential oils. And who doesn’t love a great feeling and smelling body lotion or a relaxing aromatherapy facial!

Yet there are many other uses for aromatherapy and essential oils.

Aromatherapy can help stimulate your circulation and the healing process for various areas of your body. Helping to release tension and aid with relaxation is a great way to use essential oils.

There are several ways that essential oils can be used so that they enter your body to help the healing process. Inhalation is a very easy way to work with essential oils. You can smell them straight from the bottle, make up a small inhaler to carry with you, or use a diffuser in your home or car. Another way to get essentials oils into your body is through your skin. Massaging in oils or lotions that have EOs added to them is not only an effective delivery system, it also feels good!

Remember to always consult a qualified aromatherapist before using any essential oil. They are powerful substances and should be treated as such. Keep them away from children and pets.

Aromatherapy, part one

Tags

aromatherapy, essential oil

There are so many uses for aromatherapy and so many ways to use essential oils! Over the next few weeks, I’ll talk about some of my experiences with essential oils.

Aromatherapy is often referred to as an art and a science. It takes the essence of a plant and uses it to promote healing in the body, mind, and spirit of a being. It can be used for preventative measures or for active treatment.

Herbal remedies in many forms have been around for a very long time. Both Egypt and China have written documentation in the use of herbs from the time written documents started to be made. Herbs and oils have been used for perfumes, in religious ceremonies, and for healing in many cultures over many millennium. As with many things, it has drifted in and out of popularity. And not everything has worked.

There are, however, many documented things that have worked. French chemist Rene-Maurice Gattefosse is the person who started the term aromatherapy. He investigated the antiseptic properties of essential oils and, because of his work, a lot of interest in and study of essential oils started in France in the 1920s.

Dr. Jean Valnet is another person who helped validate the field of aromatherapy. He used essential oils on the battle field during WWII and documented many of his results. I highly recommend his book, The Practice of Aromatherapy, if you are interested in learning more about essential oils and aromatherapy in general.

One of my first experiences with essential oils was in the cosmetic classes I took a few years ago. I had heard of them but hadn’t used them much. Getting into the cosmetic making classes opened up a whole new world for me! The cosmetic uses for essential oils are many. They offer great benefits for your skin. You can find many posts from me on skin care here https://lazycatoils.wordpress.com/category/skin-care-2/ Or ask me a question directly if you are curious about something specific!

Taking some more classes!

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aromatherapy, classes, cosmetics, essential oils, health, Jan Benham, learning, pet care, Qi Drop Therapy, Reiki, skin care

I have always enjoyed learning. Aromatherapy and essential oils have given me a chance to explore something entirely different in the past couple of years.

I have the immense pleasure of taking classes with Jan Benham. I started my formal studies in Aromatherapy back in May 2012 and, in September 2012, I was able to do some hands on training in Jan’s cosmetic making classes. It was great fun as well as being informative. As many of you know, it also prompted me to create many items for my Lazy Cat Oils line.

Jan is back in Toronto this September running classes again! If you are interested in how cosmetic products can be made you can check out her class schedule for September 2013 here: http://www.makeyourowncosmetics.org/schedule-for-classes-and-workshops-89-c.asp

I am looking forward to taking her Holistic Skin Care classes. How can I not – a few days of working on spa-type facial treatments! And I know that Jan’s classes are very hands on so we’ll be trying out everything. I can’t think of a better way to spend a few days!

There are two other classes with Jan that I’m looking forward to this September – Qi Drop Therapy and Pet Care.

The Pet Care class is pretty straight forward. Jan teaches a class about using essential oils with your pets. While I currently do not have any pets, I know many people who do and who would prefer natural products for their pets.

Qi Drop Therapy is a treatment that applies specific essential oils directly to your skin on your spine, legs, and feet. The end goal is to bring balance to your system. This is another energy treatment which I suspect will be a great complement to my Reiki training. I’m looking forward to learning some more new things!

And rest assured – I’ll be blogging about my experiences with all of the above afterwards!