HOW TO USE AROMA OILS
Essential oils can be used in various ways at home and places of work. Some of the common ways are:
Inhalation: Add 2-3 drops of essential oil, depending on which oil you have selected to the hot boiling water and inhale the steam by covering your head with a towel to stop the steam from escaping. Steaming also helps to open the pores of the skin, and thus, more oil is absorbed, giving the additional benefit of a facial.
The bowl, which has the hot water and the aroma oil, could be left under the bed so that the room is enveloped in aromatic fragrance. This could be done with the same bowl of hot steaming water and essential oil used earlier for inhalation. A drop or two sprinkled on a handkerchief can give a lasting benefit to the aroma oil. For a very peaceful and relaxed sleep, one or two drops of essential oils on a tissue kept inside the pillow or cushion could be used.
Diffusers and Vapourisers: Diffusers are generally made of ceramic or clay. The diffusers have a cave-like opening to house small candles or earthen oil lamps, and the top is shaped like a curved cup to hold a little water and a few drops of aroma oil. Fill the top cup with water, add a few drops of essential oils, depending on the oil chosen, and then light the candle or the lamp. For the oil lamp to last for a long duration, add castor oil to the earthen lamp because castor oil burns for a very long time compared to the other oils used to light a lamp. Once the water and oil heat up, evaporation occurs, and the atmosphere is filled with the aromatic scent. The process of evaporation continues for nearly five to six hours. This is ideal for presenting a conducive ambience during a gathering or even in bedrooms, hotels, living rooms, etc., and anywhere where scented air is required. One can get instant relief from pain; a relaxed and positive feeling prevails when the right oil is used. One needs to be careful in choosing the right essential oil.
Vaporisers are insect repellents used generally in the form of mats or other types of vaporisers kept for repelling insects. One could reuse the used mats by adding 2-3 drops of essential oil of your own choice and keeping them lit (electrically). Slowly the smell will get released, and the area will be filled with a soothing aroma. Lemon or rosemary are beneficial for offices, lavender for bedrooms, antiseptic tea tree for disinfecting a sick room and citronella for repelling insects.
Massage: The most common form of treatment is massage because the dual benefits of touch therapy and scent therapy are simultaneously enjoyed. Massage improves the circulation of the blood, tones the muscles, detoxify toxins, and releases trapped energy from tense muscles. The fragrance triggers a sense of pleasure and well-being. The penetration of essential oil through the skin during massages is high. Generally, carrier oils like sunflower, coconut, olive, sweet almond, sesame and vegetable oils are mixed with aroma oils. The aroma oils should not be used for massages directly without dilution. About 10 drops or 1 teaspoon of essential oil can be mixed with about 30 ml of carrier oil. This makes a very rejuvenating massage oil.
Baths: This is an easy way to relax using essential oils. Add the selected oil to your bathtub, stir the water well and spend 20 minutes in the tub. The aroma of oil enters the body through the skin to give lasting benefits. Just a few drops are required to be added to the bathtub. The essential oils can also be added to a bucket of water instead of a bathtub. Mix the oil in the water properly, as some of the aroma oils are insoluble in water.
Foot Bath: You can immerse your feet in a bowl of lukewarm water to which 2-3 drops of essential oil are added. This is a very refreshing experience after a hard day’s work, and if you have sweaty and smelly feet, then this foot bath is very profitable.
Pot Pourri: Potpourri, as the name suggests, is a mixture of dried flowers, herbs, grass and seed pods. A few drops of essential oil added to the potpourri and kept in a bowl would keep giving out an aromatic fragrance for 4-6 weeks. Another more effective method would be to keep the potpourri mixture after adding the essential oil in a closed container overnight so that the oil gets absorbed. The following morning the box can be kept open, and the lingering aroma would fill the area.
Bed Time: Sprinkle 2-3 drops on the pillow cover or on a tissue that can be placed under the pillow or cushion cover and inhaled just before sleeping or while sleeping. This can be very useful in treating headaches, stress, and tension and boosting confidence. Some of essential oils act as an aphrodisiac too.
Compresses: Both cold and hot compresses are profitable. Add 2-3 drops of aroma oil to a bowl of hot (depending on how much heat you can withstand) or warm water and dip a hand towel or piece of cotton to enable it to absorb the mixture, then squeeze out the excess water and place the towel or cotton on the area to be treated. Leaving the compress on the area for 2 hours is quite beneficial. Oil like lavender is usually used. This provides relief when used over bruises, skin problems and pre-menstrual syndromes. To make a cold compress, add 6 ice cubes to a bowl with 2-3 drops of essential oil. Dip a hand towel or a piece of cotton to absorb the mixture, then squeeze out the excess water and place the towel or cotton on the area to be treated. Cold compress is beneficial in treating burns, sore feet, hangovers, sprains and headaches. After a facial, the use of hot and cold compress alternately helps the skin to soothe.
Oral Intake: It is an accepted practice abroad to take essential oil orally as it is safe. However, care should be taken to take it only under the supervision or guidance of an experienced aroma therapy practitioner. Few oils can be taken internally in prescribed dosage for a particular problem like indigestion under the guidance of a qualified therapist only.
Room Sprays: There is a call for protecting the environment, and this is becoming a prime concern worldwide. Aerosols are being discouraged due to their ozone-depleting properties. Essential oils are natural; hence, they could be used liberally to deodorise a room, freshen and scent your bathroom, livingroom, bedroom, dining room, office cabin, etc. Merely add 10-12 drops of aroma oil to half a litre of water and spray the mixture with the help of a spray bottle. Oils like lavender, lemon, peppermint, pine and rosemary are best for this application. Cupboards and wardrobes can also be disinfected. If a room smells of dampness or there are moulds in the hotel rooms, houses, offices of factories and shops, the essential oil along with water can be sprayed.
Beauty Treatment: Aroma oils have been used as an application for the skin since immemorial. As they are highly soothing in treating and enhancing the natural beauty of the skin, they can be safely incorporated into facials, massages, manicures, pedicures, scalp treatment, hair wash, hair treatment, and other creams and oils. Rose, chamomile, lemon, lavender, geranium, and sandalwood are good oils for facials, irrespective of the fact that beauty treatment is given to regular, mature, dry, oily, sensitive or problem skin. One of these or a combination of two could be used. The carrier oils helpful in a beauty treatment are sweet almond, wheat germ, peach kernel, apricot kernel and sunflowers. Steam facials with essential oils are also rejuvenating and help improve skin texture.
Insect Repellents: Essential oils are excellent fragrant dispensers and non-toxic insecticides. Just 2-3 drops of essential oil can be used on pillow covers, mattresses or mosquito mats (this can be electrically reused) or applied to the exposed skin after blending with a carrier oil before going to bed to repel insects. Lemongrass is best for flying insects, tea trees for ants and fleas, thyme for crawling pests, camphor for moths and citronella for mosquitoes. Even delicate plants (both indoor and outdoor) can be protected from insects by spraying the above essential oils on the roots of the plant.
Miscellaneous Uses: Aroma oil can be added to the water used to clean the house. It can be used to wipe the kitchen counter, platform, dining tables, and babies’ nappies for disinfecting purposes and also to wash baths and toilets. Aroma oils have versatile applications and innumerable benefits and can be made a part of our daily routine.