Aromatherapy, for me is like magic – its mysterious, ancient, thought provoking and reveals the earths natural powers. I love it, and practising the art of aromatherapy is an opportunity for me to let my inner green witch run wild.
The term aromatherapy is used to describe treatments that use essential oils for phychological and physical well-being. Essential oils are aromatic liquid substances found in very low concentrations in certain species of flowers, fruits, leaves, roots and trees. They are extracted through different methods such as solvent extraction, distilliation and expression. These highly concentrated liquids are nature in its most powerful form, and they are indispensable to the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.
There are about 400 essential oils in use today, and many of these are the active ingredients in medical drugs, or at least, their unique chemical compositions are copied. In the cosmetic industry, essential oils are used by many high end and respected skin care brands.They are appreciated for their powerful beautifying abilities, such as, their anti bacterial, cell-rejuvenating, anti-ageing and fat cell busting properties. You can use these natural plant oils for the same purposes as medical and cosmetic professionals, and make your very own and extremely effective health and beauty products. The use of certain essential oils can help combat ageing, balance dry or oily skin, treat broken capillaries and banish cellulite.
Essential oils are the true essence of the plant it was obtained from and each essential oil has a unique chemical composition and therefore, unique therapeutic properties. Like most things worth understanding, the chemistry of essential oils is complex. It is the chemical composition and aroma of the essential oils that, once entering the body through the skin or nose, induce many positive effects to the mind, body and spirit.
Specific essential oils are chosen for their unique chemical compositions which induce various physiological effects which make them useful in treating physical conditions, such as burns, headaches and period pains. Alternatively, they may be chosen for their phychological benefits, and used to reduce anxiety and stress, promote relaxtion or to uplift the mind.
In therapeutic aromatherapy practices, the essential oils are generally diluted with a carrier oil, such as jojoba oil, and applied to the body using massage techniques. Other methods of use include, inhalation, compressions, sprays and baths.
AromaChemistry
Below is a list of the most common chemicals found in essentials oils together with their general properties:
Aldehydes
• Relaxing
• Sedative
• Hypnotic
• Cooling
• Soothing
• Common – Citronellal – found in lemon scented oils.
• Strong aroma
• Cools internally – Temperature reducing
• Anti-inflammatory
• Anti-septic
• Acts as a ‘pick me up’
• Use to treat headaches, colds, flu
• Good for reducing stress, anxiety/ irritability
Ketones
• Clears Head
• Sedative effect of nervous system
• Mucolytic - Clears Mucous
• Anti-spasmodic
• Cicatrisant – healing
• Aids break down of fat cells – Good for treating cellulite
• Calming
• Analgesic
• Emmenagogue – Can stimulate menstruation
• Use to treat headaches, cellulite, sinus problems, chest infections
• Good for reducing anxiety/ irritability and depression
Esters
• Balancing on nervous system
• Anti-inflammatory
• Anti-spasmodic
• Cooling and soothing
• Sedative
• Analgesic
• Effective on skin rashes including heat rash
• Good for reducing anxiety/irritability
Sesquiterpenes
• Calming to skin
• Relaxing
• Immune stimulant
• Anti-phlogistic – moves fluid
• General tonic
• Anti-spasmodic
• Anti-inflammatory
• Anti-carcinogenic
• Anti-histamine
• Anti-allergenic
• Use to treat muscle aches and cramps
• Good for reducing stress, anxiety/ irritability
Sesquiterpenol
• Decongestant to circulatory system – detoxing
• General tonic
• Anti-bacterial
• Anti-viral
• Non – irritant - skin friendly
Monoterpenol
• Stimulating and warming to blood
• Energising
• Stimulating
• Anti-bacterial
• Anti-viral
• Anti-infectious
• Toning
• Balancing
• Hypotensive (lowers the blood)
• Antiseptic
• Good for slow circulation, cold hands and feet, facial blends, colds
• Very safe oil
Monoterpenes
• Energising
• Stimulating
• Anti-bacterial
• Anti-viral
• Anti-infectious
• Toning
• Balancing
• Hypotensive (lowers the blood)
• Antiseptic
• Good for slow circulation, cold hands and feet, facial blends, colds
• Very safe oil
Monoterpenes
• Stimulates nervous system
• Uplifting
• Analgesic
• Mucolytic
• Lymph Stimulant
• Heat internal
• Diuretic
• C.V. Stimulant
• Antiseptic
• Anti-bacterial
• Common – Limonene – 90% citrus oils
• Improves blood and lymphatic circulation
• Good for asthma, headaches, flu, chest infections
Oxides
• Calming on nervous system
• Stimulates blood circulation
• Warming
• Diuretic
• Highly effective mucolytic -
• Stimulates blood circulation
• Warming
• Diuretic
• Highly effective mucolytic -
useful in coughs, colds and congestion in respiratory tract
Phenols
• Pain relieving
• Heat External, Warming
• Clearing
• Emmenagogue
• Powerful antiseptic, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal
• Stimulating and warming to the nervous & immune system
• Heat External, Warming
• Clearing
• Emmenagogue
• Powerful antiseptic, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal
• Stimulating and warming to the nervous & immune system
Here are a few examples of the basic chemical compositions of some of my favourite oils:
Ylang Ylang: 55% Sesquiterpenes; 30% Monoterpenol; 15% Esters
Lavender: 50% Esters; 40% Monoterpenol; 4% Monoterpenes; 4% Ketones; 2% Aldehydes
Bergamot: 55% Esters; 45% Monoterpenol
If you want to know more on the chemical compositions of essential oils, I recommend reading Aromatherapy for Practioners by Ulla Maija Grace . Two other must reads for the aspiring aromatherapist (or green witch) are The Fragrant Pharmacy and The Fragrant Mind both by Valerie Ann Worword - they are the most delightful and informative reads.
Please come back soon for more aromatherapy related blogs, I will now be posting regular blogs on different essential oils and their uses, plus blending techniques, interesting facts and recommended suppliers. For your free copy of a table of the most commonly used essential oils and their basic chemical compositions please email me on unsocialgraces@london.com (Please put FAO Green Witch + Essential oil table as subject heading).
Love and Light
Green Witch xx
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