The first part of the term aromatherapy is just a little misleading. Aroma is usually associated with the sense of smell but aromatherapy is more that just smell. Although it is true that one method of delivering the medicinal properties of the essential oils used in aromatherapy is through smell, they are also delivered by being massaged into the skin. Sometimes...VERY rarely....they are ingested. Ingestion of an essential oil should never be undertaken except under the direction of a trained aromatherapist.

There are over 500 different essential oils that are extracted from the leaves, stems, root or bark of various flowers, trees, plants and shrubs. Each essential oil is different and useful for fighting different diseases or different physical and emotional situations. Some essential oils, for example, promote healing by reducing swelling or fighting fungal infections. Other essential oils are used to relieve depression, anxiety or fear. Some essential oils calm while other essential oils stimulate.

The essential oil that is derived from oranges contains a very large quantity of ester which has a calming effect. An Orange blossom bouquet carried by a bride represents the peace and harmony that she will bring to her new home.

Research is being conducted but there as yet is not a definitive answer as to just how aromatherapy works or why. The sense of smell is one of the five senses that most humans are born with but it is also the one that is the most underdeveloped and underused. Researchers have concluded that certain aromas affect our brains in various ways. It is easier to see why aromatherapy that is applied by the means of massage into the skin has a direct effect on the body than why inhaling the scents has such a direct effect. But it is a fact that both methods of delivery have proven to be effective even if the reason remains elusive.

Almost all modern day prescription medications have some basis in ancient herbal medicine. In our modern world, scientists have learned how to reproduce the properties of herbal plants that have been used successfully for thousands of years artificially. They can make synthetic copies of the elements that make herbs work. The problem with these copies is that they often cause many unpleasant or even dangerous side effects that the natural versions do not cause.

In our very modern twenty-first century world, many people are returning to the use of the herbal versions of the synthetic medicines prescribed by physicians in order to avoid the undesirable side effects. Aromatherapy is one of the ways that these herbal remedies can be used.

One thing that aromatherapists and those who use aromatherapy are very grateful to modern science for is that better, more efficient methods of extracting the essential oils from the plants, flowers shrubs and trees have been developed.

Hospitals as well as health spas are making use of aromatherapy's healing properties today and there will be more every day. Aromatherapy is used for such diverse purposes as treating bacterial and fungal infections to easing the pain of labor and hastening birth.

Stress! Our worlds are just full of the stuff! Daily stress begins when our eyes open each morning and never stops until we fall into our beds at night....at least we all HOPE it will stop when we fall into our beds at night after a long hard and stress filled day. However, the lingering effects of stress can also interrupt a much needed night's rest.

Stress comes in many forms and from many different sources in our lives. Stress can take the form of anger or anxiety. It can be in the form of depression or insomnia. Or stress can manifest itself in the form of exhaustion or just nervous tension.

Some people show outward signs of stress for all the world to behold while others keep stress buried deep inside themselves and appear to be perfectly calm and in control to the rest of the world.

There is a multitude of ways in which we are told that we can regain a sense of peace and well-being and defeat the stress that fills our lives. We are told to create for ourselves an imaginary peaceful place and learn to take our minds to that peaceful place when we get stressed. That sounds pretty good but not getting all stressed out in the first place sounds like a better idea to me.

Instead of using our imaginations to restore peace and tranquility, we can use scents to MAINTAIN a sense of peace an tranquility. Of course aromatherapy can also be used for reducing stress after it happens. Scents are a wonderful thing. They are multi faceted. They can be used to prevent as well as to sooth and to cure.

The scents that are most often used in aromatherapy to relieve, reduce or to prevent stress are Lavender, Chamomile, Geranium, Clary Sage, Sandalwood, Juniper Berry, and Sweet Marjoram. Rosemary is sometimes used as a stress reducer because it stimulates the mind and mind stimulation can reduce stress.

To relax and relieve stress use Lavender.

To stimulate and sharpen the mind use Rosemary.

Chamomile and Geranium both reduce stress.

To just relax use Clary Sage.

If sleeplessness and depression are the problems use Sandalwood.

If you are angry or anxious use Juniper Berry or Sweet Marjoram.

All of these oils can be used either separately or together to relieve the problems that stress can cause. Just add a few drops of these essential oils to a base of regular massage oil then put a little on a cotton ball and inhale to promote immediate calmness.

These oils can also be added to a warm bath and you can inhale the soothing aromas as you soak in a deep warm bath.

Even Johnson and Johnson of baby-products fame has discovered the magic of aromatherapy. They are now producing a baby bath product that is lavender scented to help get babies to go to sleep easier.

Candles that contain these oils are also available. You can keep candles burning in your home or office to maintain your sense of peace and well-being and prevent stress before it begins. 

*Note: Essential oils should not be used to make tea. Use the herbs rather than the oils for tea making.

More and more businesses are discovering the power of aromatherapy. Takasago is Japan's biggest producer of fragrances. The company has been carrying out experiments that relate to the performance or workers, as well as customers in various types of business and public places over the years. Takasago research has revealed that when an office is scented with lemon, those who type make 54% fewer errors. When the office was scented with Jasmine the error percentage dropped only 33 % and when the air was scented with lavender there was only a 20% reduction in errors.

For years now, Shimizu, the third largest construction company in Japan has been putting diffusers in the air conditioning ducts of the building they have constructed. The scents are chosen based upon the use of the building. Anti-stress scents are used for offices, anti-bacteria for hospitals, and relaxing essences for train stations and airport terminals.

Many workers are required to work at stress filled jobs and in environments that only add to the stress of the jobs that they do. There are many contributing factors of environmental contributors to the stress levels of many workers. Harsh lighting, noise, chemicals, and lack of sunshine are just a few,

Stress in the workplace results in more sick days being taken, headaches, lethargy, and a loss of the sense of humor, irritability and depression. Stress increases errors, reduces productivity, and stifles creative thinking. Workers who are stressed have a problem working with their coworkers in cooperative ways that promote peace and harmony in the workplace.

Many farsighted companies in the world are beginning to recognize and appreciate the power of aromatherapy in the workplace. Sometimes nothing can be done about noise levels, computers, harsh lighting and such but the right scents can reduce the effects that these things have on the stress levels of employees. Aromatherapy can increase productively, lessen the number or errors that are made by employees, promote harmony among coworkers, and inspire creative thinking.

The right essential oils can inspire customers to buy more. Some essential oils can help to prevent the spread of disease in hospital or clinic settings. Essential oils can help to reduce the stress levels of those who must wait in busy public places like train stations and airports.

There are companies springing up out in the brick and mortar world as well as in cyber space that are dedicated to helping businesses learn how to use and implement the use of aromatherapy in their places of business. Aromatherapy experts will assess a situation and make recommendations as to scents that would be of the most benefit and how best to deliver those scents.

Recommendations are based upon the kind of business, the size of the building and whether the scents are to be directed at workers, customers or the general public.

Yes, aromatherapy is a powerful tool that has only recently been recognized by the world of business, both private and public. This is only the beginning.

Aromatherapy is used for many things. It can excite the mind or it can calm the brain. There are more than 500 different essential oils that are recommended for various reasons by aromatherapists to address various issues.

As humans we can become stressed and agitated by many outside forces. There are things that we have absolutely no control over than can make us become anxious, fearful or just stressed. Many times there really isn't much we can do to change these events that bring on our stress, anxiety or fear but there is something that we can do to help us cope with these feeling and calm ourselves and even the people around us. Sometimes calming the people around us helps to restore calmness to ourselves.

Bergamot is a calming essential oil. It will stop those butterflies from flitting around in us or in the tummies of a stressed out child. Just a few drops on a cotton ball or tissue can make those butterflies be still.

Bergamot is not only calming for humans both large and small; it is also calming to animals. A dog that is agitated can be quieted by sniffing bergamot. Bergamot is often used to quiet temperamental and stressed out horses. Just a few drops of bergamot that has been diluted in carrier oil on the hand of an owner or trainer can quiet the fears of an animal when the animal smells the hand.

Frankincense is another calming essential oil. Frankincense possesses the unique ability to clear the energy field of memories of past hurts and fears. It has calming and relaxing properties that will help to easy the anxiety of a stressful situation for human adults and children as well as for animals.

Other essential oils that will help to restore calmness are juniper, lavender, chamomile, orange, basil, lemon and cypress.

Juniper helps to relieve a worried mind.

Lavender soothes frazzled nerves.

Chamomile provides deep relaxation.

Orange helps to promote self assurance.

Basil, lemon and cypress all help to provide focus which has a calming effect.

Often when people think of aromatherapy they only think of it benefiting human adults but this is far from the truth. Actually humans have the least developed sense of smell that almost any other animal on earth. Animals can be calmed with aromatherapy just like humans. Human children will react to aromatherapy in the same way that adults do. The same essential oils that will provide calming to a human adult can also provide calming to children and to animals.

If you can quite a dog that is anxious and barking, you will restore calmness to yourself as well and possibly to the neighborhood. If you can quiet a child that is agitated fearful and crying, you will also restore calmness to yourself and to the household. Never discount the value of aromatherapy for yourself as well as for those around you. Aromatherapy is powerful. It has the ability to restore peace and harmony that has been lost and restore calmness to all.

Unfortunately, space that humans live in must be cleaned and on a regular basis. That has been the necessary but pretty unglamorous job that has fallen to wives and mothers historically. Husbands and fathers have been getting into the cleaning routine in the last few years as more and more wives and mothers are working full time outside the home.

Where in the past, very harsh chemicals were regularly used to eradicate germs, dirt and odors, today younger generations are becoming more and more aware of the way these harsh chemicals affect their families and the environment in which we all live.

Many modern-day households use nothing but ?green' cleaning products. These are products that are made from natural ingredients that are safe for use around kids and pets and are also biodegradable and harmless to the environment. Many household have quit buying cleaning products that contain harsh chemicals altogether.

Some households even make their own cleaning products using natural ingredients like baking soda and vinegar. While it is true that almost every cleaning job in the home can be accomplished by using one or the other of these natural products, there isn't a nice clean scent left behind once the cleaning task has been accomplished.

Once households that are very concerned about avoiding the use of harsh chemicals in cleaning products discover the essential oils that are used in aromatherapy, they never look back. Many of the scents of the essential oils are used in commercial cleaning products. They are what give the products the nice clean smells of pine and lemon for example.

You don't have to give up nice clean smells when you switch to natural cleaning products. You can enhance the cleaning and disinfecting properties of natural cleaning products by adding essential oils to them and get that nice clean smell as a bonus.

Tea Tree oil is a good example. Tea tree oil has a medicinal scent that is sharp and practically screams clean AND disinfected. Add just a few drops to that vinegar/water spray that you use to clean the bathroom. Tea Tree oil is a disinfectant that will kill germs in your bathroom and leave a nice clean scent behind.

Eucalyptus is another essential oil that is a disinfectant. Adding a few drops to your wash will kill dust mites in sheets and pillowcases and leave behind a nice clean scent as well.

The essential oils of orange, lemon and pine all have cleaning properties. You can add a few drops of orange or lemon to a little olive oil and make furniture cleaner that is next to none and have a nice clean scent to boot. Pine essential oil can be added to water used to wash floors and other surfaces. The scent will be wonderful and you get added cleaning and disinfecting as well.

Just because you want to be environmentally correct and just because you want cleaning products that are natural and safe to use around kids and pets doesn't mean that you have to deny yourself the pleasure of clean aromas.

Love, it has been said, is what makes the world go around. Love is that intangible that all humans seek and very few find in its purest form...unconditional love. Dogs, of course, do give unconditional love but humans very rarely do...if ever.

Love between a man and a woman always starts with physical attraction. First they must be physically attracted before their minds, hearts and souls can fall into real love. There is never any certainty that physical attraction will develop into real love but the physical attraction comes first and that is where aromatherapy can help.

Women and men are equally affected by smell. A woman may be attracted to a man by other senses. She can like the way he looks. She can be attracted by the sound of his voice. She can love the feel of his touch. The same senses can attract a man to a woman. He likes the way she looks, sounds and the way she touches him.

You will notice that we haven't mentioned the other two senses yet...taste and smell...but I am getting to that now.

The breath should always be fresh. We can all agree on that. Breath that will attract the opposite sex, though, needs to be more than just fresh. The scent of vanilla, orange and rose are the most sensual ones to use for your breath. This is true for both men as well as women. Remember that essential oils should never be taken internally. The ONLY exception to this hard and fast rule is peppermint and it is not a scent that is sensual. Breath mints can be purchased in health food stores that will provide you with the scent of vanilla, orange or rose for your breath. Edible massage oils can be purchased as well.

When you are preparing to meet a person to whom you are physically attracted and wish them to be equally physically attracted to you, you should take the time to prepare yourself and your home for the meeting.

The scents that are aphrodisiac in nature are: Sandalwood, vetiver, elemi, patchouli, rose, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, coriander, ginger, neroli, and ylang ylang.

Take the time to assure that your body is clean and that it has been massaged with any of the above listed essential oils. Don't forget your hair. It needs to be clean as well and it also needs to have been infused with one of the aphrodisiac scents.

Musk is a scent that is attractive to both men and women. Bay is a scent that is especially attractive to women and rose is a scent that is especially attractive to women.

Candles that contain essential oils can be purchased at most stores that sell aromatherapy products both online and off line. You can light these candles and infuse the scents into the very air that you and the ?somebody' will be breathing.

Remember, that physical attraction is only the very fist step in the long (and sometimes painful) road that leads to long and lasting love.

The average American household could hardly be described as a Mecca of peace and harmony. The typical American household is a beehive of activity. Family members all have schedules that are so busy that they border on frantic and often overlap which creates anything but peace and harmony.

In a ?normal' household, both parents hold at least one full time job each and the children are involved in a multitude of activities other than just attending school and getting their homework done. Mothers, fathers and kids are all stressed. This IS normal. It isn't an unusual situation. It is a daily way of life.

Most families do what they can to reduce the stress that is so abundant in modern busy households. Schedules are made. Cleaning assignments are handed out. Chores are assigned. All of these measures are designed to help make the household run like a well-oiled and efficient machine but rather than that happening, the household most often runs like a banging, clanking machine in need of some serious repair.

Nerves get tense, tempers flare, and harsh words are spoken more and more often. So what can be done to help alleviate the situation? The answer in a word is aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy is gaining a wider and wider acceptance as a means to help provide emotional stability and calmness in public places as well as in private homes. Even giants of industry are beginning to recognize the value of aromatherapy in the work place and in public facilities. If aromatherapy can help to maintain peace and harmony in a busy train station, it can most certainly help to promote and restore peace and harmony in a busy household.

Only recently has any research at all been done to investigate the effects that aromas have on the brain. We are in the infancy of research to discover the ways in which essential oils can be absorbed into the skin through massage or warm baths and the effects they have on our physical bodies and our emotions and moods. They most certainly do have effects. The research will eventually catch up to what people have learned over the centuries.

Meanwhile, you can use aromatherapy in your own home to help keep family members calm and living in harmony even under stressful daily schedules. The calming anti-stress essential oils of Bergamot, Spikenard, Jasmine, Orange, Apple, Camphor and Comfrey can be added to the air in a home by placing cotton wool balls with a few drops of any in the air conditioner and heat vents of each room.

Calming essential oils can be used in every room of the house. A few drops of lavender or citrus can be added to carrier oil and used in nightly baths for every family member.

Candles that contain essential oils can be burned as needed during particularly stressful times to help the busy family members stay calm, focused and in harmony with one another.

Aromatherapy can help to restore peace and harmony to even very busy American households!

Ah! Shopping! When we go shopping in brick and mortar stores or on the Internet we usually know precisely what we are shopping for. We are rarely just browsing while looking for a trinket that might catch our eye. We shop with a purpose usually. Not always, of course, I've been known to just browse and so have you but that isn't the usual way we shop.

We look for items that meet our personal specifications. If we want white heels, black flats won't do. If we need a dress for a formal affair, there is no point in wasting time on sports wear. If we are looking for a product that will take a stain out of carpet, we aren't likely to be side-tracked by bathroom cleaning products.

The reason that we are such good shoppers is because we know what we want. We have had experience with particular brands or know someone who has. We know what we want the products to do for us. In other words, we are INFORMED shoppers. We are informed shoe shoppers. We are informed clothing shoppers. We are informed cleaning product shoppers.  

To purchase the aromatherapy products and supplies that will provide you with what you want and need, you need to be an INFORMED aromatherapy shopper.

The first and maybe the most important piece of information that you need in order to be an informed aromatherapy shopper is this: essential oils are pure. They contain nothing but the essential oil. There are no additives. If any essential oil that you are considering buying has anything in it other than the essential oil it is not a pure essential oil product. Avoid products that say, ?contains essential oils'. Buy real and pure essential oil. There are many brick and mortar stores that sell essential oils and they can also be purchased online. The key word is PURE...don't settle for less.

Carrier oil comes in many varieties. Carrier oil can be nut based. There are pure carrier oils that contain nothing but pure oil and then there are carrier oils that contain other ingredients. This choice is yours to make. The pure oil will add nothing but you may not wish to have anything added. Some people are highly allergic to nuts, for example, and you may wish to avoid any carrier oil that is nut based. You may not even need to purchase carrier oil at all. Olive oil makes wonderful carrier oil and you can purchase it in any grocery store.

Cotton balls are cheap. You can buy them in any grocery store, pharmacy, or discount store in America for very little money. But don't be fooled here. Cotton balls are not the best way of delivering aromatherapy. Cotton wool balls are much better. They are softer and they will absorb essential oil much easier. Cotton wool balls are not all that expensive. Spring for the good ones. You'll be glad that you did.

Be a well informed aromatherapy shopper. Do your homework before you buy.