Tagged with 'aromatherapy'

Simmer pots are popular during the holidays, but this one works all year 'round. Pop it on the stove and let the enchanting scent fill your home.

Lemon, Rosemary & Vanilla Simmer Pot

1. Fill a large stainless steel pot 2/3 full with water.

2. Add 1 lemon, sliced into rounds, and a few sprigs of fresh rosemary.

3. Make a slit in 1 vanilla bean pod to expose the seeds (don't cut completely in half) & add to the mix.

4. Simmer as long as desired, adding more water as needed.

* Mix lasts up to 2 days. Vanilla extract, to preference, can also be used.

Recipe courtesy of One More Moore.

Aromatherapy goes far beyond using potpourri or burning a scented candle. It’s the use of essential oils created from the aromatic portions of a plant (such as the leaves, blossom, bark, or root) for psychological and physical well-being. The “aroma” of these essential oils is typically inhaled or applied to the skin.

How Does Aromatherapy Work?

It’s not entirely clear how aromatherapy works. Some experts believe our sense of smell plays a role, and other researchers think the molecules from essential oils may interact in the blood with hormones or enzymes.

The “smell” receptors in your nose communicate with the parts of your brain (the amygdala and hippocampus) that serve as storage areas for emotions and memories. When you breathe in essential oil molecules, some researchers believe they stimulate the parts of your brain that influence physical, emotional, and mental health. For example, scientists believe lavender stimulates the activity of brain cells in the amygdala similar to the way some sedative medications work, which makes you relaxed.

Incorporating Essential Oils

Essential oils can be incorporated via a massage, your bath, or by burning it using an oil diffuser.

When applied to the skin, the oils are absorbed into the bloodstream. It’s very important to note, essential oils should never be applied to the skin in their undiluted form since they’re so powerful and concentrated. To apply essential oils to the skin, they’re typically diluted into a carrier such as a vegetable oil or lotion. Common carrier oils include sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil and grapeseed oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil. The choice of carrier oil depends on the therapeutic benefit you’re looking for.

Aromatherapy massage is a popular way of using essential oils because it works simultaneously in several ways. Your skin absorbs essential oils and you also breathe them in. Plus, you experience the physical therapy of the massage itself.

Diffusing essential oils is another great way to receive their therapeutic benefits. When we inhale essential oils, they go straight to our brain and are sent directly to other parts of the body to regulate and modulate, such as reducing stress, and improving focus and concentration.

An aromatherapy car diffuser is an awesome way to incorporate essential oils into your day. Add some lavendar oil, and let the aroma fill the car. Lavendar's great for relaxation and de-stressing, which will feel great after a long work day. You'll also probably notice it helps your kids chill out while in their car seats.

Are Essential Oils The Same As Perfume?

It’s important to look at the ingredient label when looking for true aromatherapy products. Perfume oils (aka: fragrance oils) are not the same as essential oils, as they contain synthetic chemicals and don’t provide the therapeutic benefits of essential oils.

Therapeutic Uses for Common Essential Oils

Each essential oil comes with its own therapeutic benefits. Some oils are used to promote physical healing, such as treating swelling or fungal infections. Other oils are used for emotional value, such as enhancing relaxation. Orange blossom oil, for example, contains a large amount of an active ingredient that’s thought to be calming.

Here are some common therapeutic uses for a few essential oils:

Aromatherapy can be used for health or beauty purposes, and isn't only limited to your home. Use it in your office, clinic, or even hospital room! 

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

Every night before bed, I flip on the switch to the aromatherapy diffuser in my 2-year-olds bedroom. I add 5-10 drops of lavender oil and wait for the sweet, balsamic, floral aroma to fill his room. I was slightly skeptical initially, but I swear by this scent for helping my son relax while we complete his bedtime routine.

Lavender’s high concentration of volatile oils are responsible for its distinctive and pleasing fragrance. The relaxing experience of smelling lavender led to its therapeutic use in aromatherapy centuries ago.  As it turns out, lavender actually has many uses, and relaxation is one of its primary ones.

Other aromatherapy benefits include balancing, soothing, normalizing, calming, relaxing, and healing. Lavender is primarily used either dried or as an essential oil.

Anxiety and Depression

I don’t know many people who like going to the dentist so here’s something worth considering, and so simple…dental patients who smelled lavender prior to their appointment had a decrease in their anxiety levels (1).

A suggestion for improving mood is adding a 3 mL mixture of 20% lavender oil and 80% grape seed oil to daily baths. This combo produces small improvements in mood, compared with baths containing grape seed oil alone.

Calming and Soothing

Research has confrimed lavender produces a slight calming, soothing, and sedative effect when its scent is inhaled. In one study, a blend of lavender and bergamot (orange) oils proved effective for inducing a calm, relaxing effect on a person (2). This could be used before bed, in the car after a long day, at your office desk, or anyplace you want to find your zen.

Insomnia/Sleeplessness

Developing research suggests using lavender oil in a vaporizer overnight, or on a gauze pad left beside the bed, might help some people with mild insomnia. Short-term inhalation of lavender oil has also been used as a sleep aid (3).

Attention women transitioning through menopause; if you’re experiencing sleep problems, one study showed after 12 weeks of lavender aromatherapy, midlife women with insomnia had improvements in the quality of their sleep (4).

If you’re a mom of a newborn, bathing your very young infant in lavender-scented bath oil found babies cried less and spent more time in deep sleep after bath (5).

Agitation

Using lavender to reduce agitation has been studied in patients with dementia, and study results have been mixed. In one study, nightly use of lavender oil in a bedside diffuser for 3 weeks reduced agitation in patients with various types of dementia. However, in another study, continuous use of lavender oil on a pad attached to a patient's shirt had no effect in a small group of patients with advanced dementia. More research needs to be done.

Mix and Match

Lavender combines well with many oils including citrus, clove, patchouli, rosemary, clary sage and pine.

Considerations When Purchasing Lavender

Look for pure essential oils of the highest quality. Important criteria to consider when selecting essential oils include the following: 100% pure and natural, country of origin, growing season, extraction method (ie: distillation, expression), plant part used and the reputation of the company providing the oils.

Bottom Line: Considering we’re in the midst of a busy, often hectic holiday season, lavender would be awesome for staying sane and relaxed when needed.

In Health and Happiness,

Kelly Harrington, MS, RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for Healthy Goods

References:

1. Lehrner J, Marwinski G, Lehr S, Johren P, Deecke L. Ambient odors of orange and lavender reduce anxiety and improve mood in a dental office. Physiol Behav. 2005 Sep 15;86(1-2):92-5.

2. Hongratanaworakit T. Aroma-therapeutic effects of massage blended essential oils on humans. Nat Prod Commun. 2011 Aug;6(8):1199-204.

3. Wheatley D. Medicinal plants for insomnia: a review of their pharmacology, efficacy and tolerability. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 2005;19(4):414–421. 

4. Li-Wei Chien,Su Li Cheng,and Chi Feng Liu. The Effect of Lavender Aromatherapy on Autonomic Nervous System in Midlife Women with Insomnia. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012; 2012: 740813.   

5. Field T, Field T, Cullen C, Largie S, Diego M, Schanberg S, Kuhn C. Lavender bath oil reduces stress and crying and enhances sleep in very young infants. Early Hum Dev. 2008 Jun;84(6):399-401.