Do Essential Oils Really Work?

Creighton University Medical Center School of Medicine is out to determine if alternative therapies actually work. Aromatherapy has long been recognized for the treatment of minor ailments as well as the promotion of emotional stability. But how does it actually work? The Medical Center reports that while there is widespread use, there is still not much scientific evidence to support claims of the ability to treat these ailments.

What studies have been done? The school has tested the lavender, chamomile, marigold and peppermint essential oils in several studies to see if there was a reduction in the perception of pain. Placebo tests were also performed in these studies as well. The results showed that there positive effects through the use of the essential oils although they were not conclusive. Does that mean that essential oils do not work? Absolutely not! What the studies do show is that there are positive physiological effects when aromatherapy was used as a complementary form of treatment.

The use of aromatherapy is rooted in our history with its use dating back some one thousand years. The Egyptians used essential oils for embalming the dead, but they also used them as medicines, for perfumes and as cosmetics. Throughout the centuries following the use of essential oils in medical treatments were refined through the use of improved distillation equipment and additional studies of plants. While the term “aromatherapy” is new, the practice of using essential oils as medicines is not.

We do know that aromatherapy combines uses the sense of smell to regulate emotional behaviors. We know that certain essential oils are known to induce feelings of peace, harmony, reduce stress, anger or fatigue as well as other emotional facets. Essential oils can also reduce anxiety or feelings of loneliness. There is an essential oil that can aid in the treatment of just about every negative emotion and enhance the positive ones as well. But how it all works has still not been proven.

We also know that essential oils used as a topical treatment have been known to exhibit anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic responses. Topical treatments are normally diluted mixes of essential oils with carrier oils such as apricot kernel oil or almond sweet oil. Essential oils have been used in the treatment of acne, athlete’s foot, eczema and other skin ailments. Essential oils have also been noted to reduce scarring tissue and stretch marks. Citrus oils have also been used to treat insect bites as well as act as insect repellant. There are so many uses!

While there still might be little evidence to support or validate the scientific processes of healing or emotional balance that take place within the body, we are still seeing positive responses! We are still seeing and experiencing the benefits of what aromatherapy can do when we add this to our regimen. Whether or not the use of essential oils is right for you, only you can decide. Take some time to consult with your doctor or aroma therapist and see how you can add nature’s benefits to your life!

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Creating the Mood of Your Home with Essential Oils

Looking to add a new dimension to your home? Scents are powerful! They can stir up memories of our childhood as we remember mom’s home cooking. They remind us of a place of comfort as we remember special moments in our lives.

Make your home your haven by adding the dimension of scent. Using essential oils in various places throughout your home can bring a sense of peace, tranquility, and refreshing. It can also bring a newfound zesty appeal and at the same time, help bring emotional stability in our minds. You can change the mood of your home easily by changing the blend of oils you use.

Add a happy, peaceful tone in your home. A few essential oils that would help to create that mood are citrus oils like grapefruit, lemon, and orange. Each has a different tone of citrus and can be used in different areas of the home for variety. The lemon or orange essential oils can be used in the kitchen (so as not to conflict with household cleaners) to promote a feeling of freshness and crispness. Use the grapefruit essential oil in the living areas to spice up these rooms. The invigorating grapefruit essence also helps to combat feelings of fatigue and exhaustion as well. What a great atmosphere to relax in after a long hard days work!

Okay, maybe we don’t want or need a scent in every room, but we just want to add a simple touch to our home environment. To create a calming peace and tranquil atmosphere, try lavender or roman chamomile essential oils. The scents can be added in a variety of ways – through candles, spritz sprays, and reed diffusers. You can also try adding a drop of the oil on top of your heater or to a hot light bulb (do not use a halogen bulb with this). You can also blend oils to change up the climate of your home. A personal favorite is the lavender and cedar wood blend of essential oils. You can blend these oils yourself or purchase pre-made products at a local retailer.

What kind of mood do you want to create? The essential oils mentioned above are quite popular, but there are many more oils available. Take a trip to your local retailer and see what oils are available. If there are no oils available, see what the scent smells like and if it appeals to you. A trip to a bath products or lotions store will most likely be helpful in identifying what scents you like before starting your online price search.

Choose the essential oils that fit you. Does the scent depict your personality? Does the scent reflect the mood you want to create? What kind of scents work best for my home? The answer to these questions is that it is all up to you. You decide which essential oils work for you and your home. You decide the tone of the environment in your home. The best way is to jump in and find out what you like. Start with a bottle or two and try them in various locations of your home. Have fun creating different scents for different occasions!

A Beginner’s Guide To Using Aromatherapy With Children

This article explains a few things about alternative medicine, and if you’re interested, then this is worth reading, because you can never tell what you don’t know.
A Beginner’s Guide To Using Aromatherapy With Children

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1655

Summary:
Reliance your instinct – a beginners guide to using aromatherapy with young:

Essential oils are pure aromatic plant essences they are distilled from flowers, fruit, leaves, resins, roots, seeds, and wood. The are used for their healing properties the world over in, for example, they are only available through licensed, qualified parishioners. In the United States, we have free access to essential oils but squirrel this comes with some important cautions: Only some of t…

Keywords:
needed oils, aromatherapy, how to, beginning, bulky, children, child, infant

Article Body:
Trust your instinct – a beginners guide to using aromatherapy with children:

Essential oils are pure aromatic plant essences they are distilled from flowers, flak, leaves, resins, roots, seeds, and wood. The are used for their healing properties the world over in, for paradigm, they are only available through licensed, qualified parishioners. In the United States, we have free access to fundamental oils but with this comes with some important cautions: Only some of the essential oils available are suitable for children; others are not pragmatic for children and some are even perilous to children ( children with epilepsy should not come in contact with stimulating essential oils ).

When used correctly however, essential oils can embody of great benefit, and cede not conflict with your childs medically prescribed drugs. Always research the oil of choice thoroughly before using with your unseasoned or child ask assist from a tried practitioner, or see the references at the end of this article.

That said, essential oils can be a wonderful way of supporting your child’s health, happiness and well – being. Fundamental oils can be very therapeutic and nurturing to both your daughter and you, the caregiver. Essential oils are used externally ( on the outside of the body ) in your childs bath, body lotions, oils, creams, gels, compresses, foot baths, or in a oil warmer. The effects of aromatherapy will often nosedive into one of three main categories: 1 ) Assisting in healing from minor illnesses and accidents, 2 ) Supporting your childs overall sense of well – being, and 3 ) Assisting your child in acceptance quality rest.

When using essential oils adumbrate your child, it is necessitous that you find a reputable supplier of therapeutic – grade essential oils, using organic or wildcrafted varieties when possible. Synthetic copies of oils commonly used in perfumery are not appropriate, and may even be harmful to your childs health. To maintain efficacy, essential oils should be kept in dark amber or cobalt glass containers, in a dark and algid location, away from the childs way. Wooden storage boxes from craft or ‘Pier One’ type stores can make a nice container for the bottles.

Methods of Using Essential Oils

There are two methods of using essential oils with your child INHALATION: complete a diffuser, nebulizer, or adding to a humidifier reservoir, and TOPICAL APPLICATION: diluting the essential oil in a carrier oil and applying topically. Adding essential oils to a bath combines the two methods, though we will cover undoubted under topical application.

For topical application, essential oils are diluted in varying strengths depending on the use and age of your child. The concentration can vary from one drop of essential oil per tablespoon of carrier oil, to a couple of drops per teaspoon of carrier more to a drawn bath, to an equal relationship of carrier and needed oil applied directly to your childs feet ( as in the case of gentle Lavender ). In other words, there is a huge variation in dilution levels depending on the circumstances. Mamas, do your research and then trust your instinct. Only you further your child little one know exactly what is right for your locus.

Habitual dilution rate guidelines of essential oils predominance one ounce of carrier oil:

Age of Child and amount of Essential Oil per Onliest Ounce Carrier Oil being Topical / Massage Application:

Newborn ( Consult primary disturbance physician before use )

1 – 3 drops essential oil / ounce
2 – 6 months
1 – 3 drops essential oil / ounce
6 – 12 months
1 – 4 drops essential oil / ounce
1 – 4 years ( unless very small )
5 – 8 drops foremost oil / ounce
6 – 7 years
5 – 10 drops essential oil / ounce
9 – 12 years
5 – 12 drops right-hand oil / ounce
12 years to young seductive
10 – 15 drops essential oil / ounce

DO NOT USE AN ESSENTIAL OIL NEAT ( undiluted ) on childrens skin, unless indicated to do so for a specific condition. If your son has very sensitive bill, it is important to test a small area before using a up-to-date single oil or blend. Keep essential oils away form the eyes. When using citrus oils – orange, bergamot, lemon, tangerine, mandarin, and lime – do not use where the skin will be exposed to sunlight for the next 12 hours. These oils are considered ‘phototoxic’, and can react from the sun’s rays. They may be used in a bath, however, where they will be washed off the skin when the bath is done.

Essential oils are not to be taken orally ( by mouth ). When your tot is taking medications, reduce the amount of capital oil by half the amount recommended for their age group.

Carrier oils for offspring

Sweet Almond oil is generally regarded now the safest and inimitable overall carrier oil for use with babies and children. Apricot kernel oil is further considered extremely safe cache children over 6. Jojoba oil responsibility be added at about 10 % concentration for any blend it has a soothing effect on the payment and is good for hair.

Topical Application – Nurturing Touch Massage Recipes

There is nothing better for any child than the loving, nurturing touch of a author. A educated hug, a smile, a kiss on the cheek all reassure the child and help the parent and child to bond. These everyday forms of connection are instinctual and children thrive from it.

Research shows that press can help childrens growth both physically and emotionally. In hospitals, studies done squirrel premature babys show that touch is an essential aspect of the childrens ability to thrive.

Using aromatherapeutic nurturing touch massage can be therapeutic to both the child and the parent. Using a light, conscientious tough you can massage your childs feet, arms, hands, back, abdomen, and even legs. The massage should always be done with loving essay and the work is done in the direction that the blood flows – from ankles to leg; from wrist to shoulder, etc.

Here are a few suggested blends for this outstanding method each is in one ( 1 ) ounce of Sweet Almond oil:

Restful Land 4 drops lavender, 2 drops Roman Chamomile

Happy Child 3 drops Rose, 1 drop Neroli

Mild and Relaxed 3 drops Petitgrain, 3 drops Neroli

Emotional Nurturing 1 drop Rose, 1 drop Vanilla, 2 drops Lavender

For a Baby oil blend, to be used as a moisturizer OR massage oil ( note: the frequent washing of a baby’s skin actually makes it difficult for them to retain vitamin C; application of a quality skin oil will help them keep operative supplies of this important nutrient ).

1 ounce of organic sweet almond oil or hazelnut oil
1 drop of certified Lavender requisite oil
1 drop of Vanilla essential oil

OR

1 ounce of uncondensed like sugar almond oil
2 drops of pure Lavender essential oil
1 drop of pure Chamomile ( German ) essential oil

The above blends answerability also speak for added to the bath. Individual teaspoon with the following amount of foremost oils added can be added AFTER the bath is filled, per the age of the child: 3 – 5 senescence, 2 drops; 6 – 8 years, 3 drops; 8 – 11 years, 5 drops. Perhaps the easiest way to do this would be to make a full endowment blend ( without carrier oil ) of your choice, then dilute as needed for the application.

Inhalation of essential oils

For inhalation, one can apply one or two drops to a handkerchief and inhale, or build in oils to a water misting bottle or humidifier. Calming essential oils that may be used are Lavender ( recommended for sleep one to four drops can be placed under the pillow ), Mandarin, Roman Chamomile, Ho Wood ( an ecologically friendly replacement for Rosewood ), Tangerine, Petitgrain, Vanilla, and Neroli. Use these oils singly, create your own blend, or use one of the body oil blends above without the carrier oil. A few drops per quart of water in a mister sprayed throughout a room or added humidifier resevoir will do.

For an anti – anxiety blend: Try 5 drops bergamot, 1 drop lavender and 3 drops geranium flood to 10 drops per pint of water for a room spray or purpose in a humidifier, or dilute to the appropriate level for your child’s age if using topically. For alertness, try lemon, bergamot, grapefruit or pine, either singly or importance a blend that pleases your senses ( usually the best way to melt is to trust your nose! )

Essential oils can also be used in a candle lamp or warmer with the oil gently evaporated from the surface of a small bowl of water by the heat of a candle. An intense nebulizing diffuser is generally not recommended for use with children, as the concentration of oils leadership the air can be too high.

Last but not least, essential oils are wonderful antiseptics.

Cuts and scrapes are simply a street of life for the little ones! A extreme blend for minor wounds is a 1: 1 mix of Lavender and Tea Tree oil. The lavender is soothing, resistive – inflammatory, and has regenerative ‘ketones’, while the tea tree is a strong antiseptic used for many generations by native Australians. Use this blend in the water used for cleaning wounds, again apply a few drops to the gauze of a bandage do not apply directly to the skin as it will reproduce unnecessarily irritating. On the bandage, however, it will be soothing and accelerate the healing process.

For this is a very brief overview of using essential oils duck children. Competent are many, many diverse applications for constitutive oils due to almost every conceivable minor ailment seen in childhood. The key is letters finding a good practitioner, or reputable resource for your needs. For further reading, books by Valerie Ann Woorwood are excellent: ” Aromatherapy for the Healthy Child ” and ” The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy “; owing to safety data, see ” Essential Oil Safety ” by Robert Tisserand and Tony Balacs. The essential oils mentioned within this article are recognized because safe for most humans if you or your calf are noted through having a specific illness, and / or are under a doctor’s regular care, please consult an appropriate practitioner before proceeding.

That said, aromatherpy can be a authentic fun again rewarding endevor for both you and your child. Prerequisite oils have benefited the lives of many the microcosm over, and have a little bit of plant magic available to everyone.

Of course, it’s impossible to put everything about alternative medicine into just one article. But you can’t deny that you’ve just added to your understanding about alternative medicine, and that’s time well spent.