Aromatherapy is a type of medicine based on the use of essential oils. Aromatherapy has generated a lot of buzz over the past few years as stress levels have collectively risen.
Many curious minds are wondering if this naturopathic remedy is really helpful or if it’s just new age chatter. Here’s a complete list of what aromatherapy is, how it works, and whether it’s right for you.
Aromatherapy dates back thousands of years to the time of the ancient Egyptians. Since then, essential oils have been used in a wide variety of fragrances, as well as for hygienic, therapeutic and spiritual purposes.
However, modern additional processing applications were not thoroughly explored until the 20th century.
Essential oils as the basis of aromatherapy
Ask what’s the difference? Essential oils resulting from expression are said to have a more natural scent, but also tend to have a shorter shelf life and may have some residue in them that can stain fabrics. It should also be noted that oils derived from chemical processes are not considered true essential oils.
How does aromatherapy work?
Aromatherapy is the inhalation of essential oil vapors by one of two methods:
- Inhalation: directly or indirectly, as is usually done with diffusers.
- Topical application: applying the oil concentrate directly to the skin or diluting it in a lotion or bath.
These messages target the limbic system, or the part of the brain that controls emotions. A potential benefit from topical application is that the oils may have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects in addition to olfactory stimulation.
Stress Relief Research
Animal studies have shown sedative, stimulant and immune-boosting effects of a limited amount of essential oils. Human studies, including MRIs, support claims that aromatherapy affects the brain’s emotional pathways.
Such clinical studies have focused predominantly on critically ill and hospitalized patients, as well as on the treatment of stress and anxiety. Lavender oil is one of the most commonly cited essential oils used for stress relief.
It is important to note that numerous studies and medical associations support the use of essential oils for stress relief. But, if you are pregnant or planning to use essential oils for your baby, discuss your options with your doctor first.
Lastly, allergic reactions to essential oils are always possible, so consider doing a topical test on a small area with just a couple of drops.
Aromatherapy for weight loss
Andrey Maryanovsky, MD, specialist in physiology, applied immunology, and traditional medicine, explains
The recent months of self-isolation have again reminded us that movement is indeed life. Active gym goers looked forward to getting back to training, walkers took daily mini-walks, and even the most non-athletic among us mastered simple home exercises.
Although the regime of restrictions is a thing of the past, let’s hope that the habit of regular classes will continue. After all, in addition to a slender figure, we get a lot of bonuses from sports – the muscle corset is strengthened, stress hormones are metabolized and excreted faster, the immune system is strengthened.
Fortunately, there are a lot of opportunities to move, and everyone can find the most suitable option for themselves. You can practice outdoors or indoors, in a club or at home. At the same time, the general principles of training remain the same: move from simple to complex, evenly distribute the load on different muscle groups, protect the body from injuries. This is where natural aromatherapy can be of great help.
Citruses for motivation
All of them are rich in light monoterpenes, primarily limonene, therefore they are able to quickly tone up the nervous system and provide emotional uplift. Aroma experts consider grapefruit essential oil to be the best sports motivator, which activates the adrenal glands and other endocrine organs, enhances detoxification and lipolysis processes, and reduces appetite.
Let’s start with a warm-up All classes begin with energetic, but smooth kneading movements. At the same time, blood enters the tissues more actively, the ligaments become more elastic, and the risk of “pulling” the muscles decreases. It is recommended to apply warming oil to the hips, calves, shoulders and other areas of the large skeletal muscles before training and vigorously rub the body. The composition of the warming oil, for example, may include essential oils of wintergreen, juniper, black pepper, and as a base it is good to take vegetable oils based on healing herbs – for example, St. John’s wort oil or arnica oil.
Wintergreen is a unique plant of the heather family, whose essential oil is rich in natural methyl salicylate, a chemical compound with a pronounced anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. Juniper and pepper have a slight irritant and warming effect, stimulate blood circulation in the muscles. Both herbal oils – arnica and St. John’s wort – are macerates, that is, they are obtained by infusing herbs in transport oil (for example, jojoba or almond).
At the same time, active wound-healing components of herbs, including vitamins A and E, pass into the oil, since they are fat-soluble. Taking care of muscles and joints As a rule, on the second or third day after an effective workout, the muscles begin to ache – there is a soreness, also known as delayed muscle soreness syndrome (delayed onset muscle soreness, DOMS).
It is believed that this phenomenon is due to the accumulation of metabolic products in the muscles, including lactic acid. In older people, after exercise, not only muscles, but also joints often make themselves felt. The fact is that over time, our connective tissue, which forms joints, ligaments and fascia, becomes less elastic and more fragile, as the body synthesizes less and less of the main moisture-retaining compound – hyaluronic acid.
The range of motion in the joints decreases, the risk of microtrauma and inflammation increases, which increases with a significant impact load (running, jumping, playing sports).
Pain Relieving Oil After Workout
Combine 50 ml of St. John’s wort oil and essential oils:
- 5 drops of Caiusputa essential oil
- 5 drops of rosemary camphor essential oil
- 5 drops of lavender essential oil
- 1 drop wintergreen essential oil
- 5 drops of rosemary essential oil
Apply to problem muscles and joints, rubbing gently.
Yoga Mood
Yoga has gained immense popularity in recent years. You can do it almost always and everywhere – for this you need only a mat and a minimum of free space. Most yoga asanas can be performed without additional equipment, using your own body weight.
At the same time, the extensive and ancient tradition of yoga offers the best options for difficulty for any level of physical and spiritual fitness.
Street sports allow not only to get the maximum oxygen, but also to enhance the joy of movement with the pleasure of communicating with nature and like-minded people. Many sports and dance schools now offer their own open-air activities. Important points are the correct equipment “according to the actual weather” and mandatory skin protection from the sun.
In experienced runners and skiers, the skin often becomes “tanned”, rough, rough and acquires a persistent red-brown hue. This is a natural sun protection mechanism, in which the stratum corneum of the epidermis noticeably thickens, the production of the skin pigment melanin is activated. To protect your skin from UV damage, you can use a home remedy based on aloe vera oil.
Sun protection for athletes
Combine 30 ml of aloe vera base oil and 30 drops of lavender essential oil. Then add 70 ml of lavender flower water to the bottle. Shake the mixture well before each use. Can be sprayed directly on the skin.
Sport club: etiquette and safety
In the situation of the ongoing coronavirus threat, we must pay special attention to the disinfection of those surfaces that we touch with our hands, especially in public places.
Natural disinfectant: Combine 10 ml of natural apple cider vinegar and 4 drops of essential oil (your choice of orange, lemon or lavender). Add 2 liters of hot water. Apple cider vinegar has disinfectant properties, but it does not affect the skin barrier as much as alcohol.
For skin lifting
Do you work out hard and have already noticeably built up? Do not be upset if at this moment the skin does not look elastic enough. This can happen when weight loss occurs quickly and skin “excess” is formed. To make the skin tighten, even out and gain elasticity, use the following recipe.
Citrus detox body peeling Mix 25 g of almond base oil, 6 drops of lemon essential oil and 3 drops of cypress essential oil. Combine this mixture with 125 fine sea salt, stir well and let it soak in. To enhance the citrus flavor, add the zest of 1 organic lemon or orange. Apply with vigorous circular motions to problem areas such as thighs and buttocks.
