Health benefits of aroma oils

Benefits of Aromatherapy

Imagine how incomplete our lives would be, if you could not smell food, enjoy the smell of flowers, and experience the fresh scents of nature, the sweet smell of a baby…yes!! that’s right they are too good to miss. Our nose provides us with a sense of smell, which is one of the five senses that a body experiences. Smell or aroma plays a significant role in our lives.

The aroma can also be used in a therapeutic way to heal and provide relief from a number of causes, be it beating stress, aiding peace & calm, inducing sleep, relaxation, cold or boosting the immune systems to name a few. Aromatherapy is an interesting approach to alternative healing. It requires little or no intervention from health practitioners and can be practised on your own.

Health benefits of aromatherapy include managing depression, reducing stress, beating anxiety, promoting peace & calm, pain management, migraine/headache reduction, aiding digestion and increase in blood circulation. Aromatherapy has been around for long, do you remember when our mother’s and grandmother’s used to make us inhale a few drops of eucalyptus oil for beating cold with or the use of incense sticks for prayers thereby creating a sense of calm or use of herbs for keeping the house free of insects and flies. That’s use of aromatherapy in our daily lives.

The advancement of science and technology has seen a tremendous facelift in the area of aromatherapy as well, oils and extracts of exotic plants and trees are now easily available in the markets. Aromatherapy has been used in India, parts of Europe, USAbut is now gaining popularity all over the world. The oils available in the market today are researched, patented and tested safe for use. They reach the markets after much deliberations and certificates of approval from the health & wellness government bodies.

Some benefits of aromatherapy in the following conditions:

1. Inducing sleep: A working day might seem endless when you are sleep deprived. People who get sound sleep are more energetic, high-spirited and zestful. For aiding sleep, one can use lavender oil, ylang-ylang oil, sandalwood oil, jasmine, chamomile oil.
2. Anti-stress: Stress is the most common complaint of people who have strenuous jobs or lives. It is a great relief that there is a range of anti-stress oils that are simple to use and very effective. Some oils that help in stress relieving are lemon, lavender, bergamot, peppermint, vetiver, ylang-ylang.
3. Headaches: Waking up with a headache or sinus induced headache, migraine, stress related headache are causes of great discomforts. Almond, avocado, coconut, sesame oils work wonders to treat a headache.
4. Memory booster: A good memory not just gets you good grades but is also helpful in building self-esteem. In grown-ups, Dementia and Alzheimer’s are more serious problems where recalling the smallest details becomes a difficulty. Aroma oils aid in boosting memory capacity and slowing the process of forgetfulness. Sage and almond oils are beneficial for memory.
5. Pain relief: Pain relief finds significant results in aromatherapy. Lavender, chamomile, clary sage, juniper, eucalyptus, rosemary, and peppermint are very effective in combatting pain.

How can these oils be used?

• Massage: A few drops of the concentrated essential oils can be added with olive/ coconut/ almond oil to dilute and use for massage purposes. The benefits become greater when combined with aroma oils.
• Inhalation: This technique can be used by putting a few drops in hot water for taking a steam or by dabbing a few drops on a handkerchief which you can sniff on.
• In baths: Aroma oils, when combined in baths, can leave you with a sense of relaxation and rest.

Aromatherapy is a branch of science which combines the essence of different plants, roots, flowers, herbs in the form of essential oils. These oils can be used to heal and treat a lot of common ailments or simply for relaxation.