Aromatherapy is a term that you are probably familiar with by now, especially with the many varieties of aromatherapy massage now popularly sold at leading salons and spas all over the world. However, what you may not have realized is that aromatherapy is an age-old practice that can be used at home to treat a number of common and even serious ailments.

Aromatherapy is a healing therapy that uses the essential oils of plants to soothe and treat countless illnesses. The first recorded use of essential oils was more than 6000 years ago as a staple of the Egyptian culture and healing system. Today, aromatherapy is becoming popular for providing the same benefits in our culture, with one of the most common uses being for relaxation and stress relief.

To get you started on your home aromatherapy treatment, here are the top seven benefits that you can expect from using aromatherapy:

1. Improved mood. Rosemary is an essential oil that has been proven to boost the mood and offer feelings of contentment. Even better, this essential oil provides a positive benefit in overall mood and performance by reducing the stress hormone cortisol in the body. At the very least, rosemary in aromatherapy can be used on a regular basis to relieve stress, induce relaxation, and prevent anxiety.

2. Get a better night’s sleep! If you find yourself tossing and turning every night and even sleeping pills won’t help you to relax, aromatherapy may be the answer that you have been looking for. Aromatherapy is quite helpful for treating sleep disorders, and it is one of the fastest growing alternative therapies in the Western world. The topical use of essential oils will stimulate the limbic system in the brain that controls emotion and mood, meaning that aromatherapy can effectively induce calm, relaxation, and a deep sleep so that you can wake up feeling refreshed.

3. Improve your complexion. Many aestheticians would agree that aromatherapy is a powerful tool to alleviate a number of skin conditions, especially dry and flaky skin. If dry and flaky skin is left untreated, it can cause premature wrinkling and signs of age. For this reason, aromatherapy is helpful to keep the skin youthful, moist, and balanced, and it will also improve even more serious conditions of the skin, like eczema and psoriasis. Many essential oils provide anti-inflammatory benefits to reduce dryness and irritation and calm red and rough skin.

4. Relieve chronic asthma. If you are having difficulty with constant wheezing and coughing caused by asthma, when used wisely and under professional care, aromatherapy can often free asthmatic lungs of irritation. Wheezing is caused by pushing air through swollen bronchial passages, which frequently results in an asthma attack. Professional aromatherapy treatment can provide asthma relief in between these attacks by rubbing anti-histamine and decongestant essential oils, like ginger and peppermint, directly on the chest.

5. Treat nausea and stomach problems. If you suffer with constant digestive issues, like stomach pain, intestinal gas, belching, and nausea, all of the above can be quickly relieved with aromatherapy. In fact, using essential oils for stomach issues in children is a helpful home remedy for any young kids who have difficulty swallowing medicine. Aromatherapy targets the first stage of digestion by signaling the brain that food is on the way to create the immediate response of flowing digestive juices to alleviate a number of stomach issues. Aromatherapy also provides the added benefit of relieving stress and anxiety overall, which is often the cause of nausea and a queasy stomach.

6. Reduce the symptoms of PMS. PMS is something that many women struggle with on a monthly basis, and it can often cause a series of emotional and physical problems. PMS symptoms vary individually from woman to woman, and if you have very severe symptoms around the time of your period, aromatherapy may be the perfect answer. It is helpful to take an aromatic bath or get a massage with essential oils to reduce symptoms like depression, mood swings, irritability, and even bloating and tenderness.

7. Get rid of a bladder infection. Bladder infections are more common than you may realize, especially in women. Fortunately, aromatherapy provides several essential oils to take care of this issue, such as sandalwood, chamomile, tea tree, and juniper berry. However, it is important to use trained aromatherapy techniques for this treatment because treating with too much juniper berry could cause irritation to the kidneys if administered incorrectly. A bladder infection can be quickly treated using aromatherapy by applying the essential oils in a compress over the bladder or taking an aromatherapy bath scented with essential oils.

As you can see, aromatherapy is a legitimate and effective alternative healing therapy. If you are struggling with any of the above issues and are sick of taking medications or using other forms of treatment, aromatherapy offers a gentle substitute that will alleviate numerous illnesses and concerns. Even more importantly, all of the benefits of using aromatherapy listed above are just the beginning since aromatherapy has been proven to treat countless physical and emotional issues!

It is highly important to have legitimate training for the use of aromatherapy since using some essential oils improperly could cause sickness or irritation. Perhaps the simplest way to benefit from aromatherapy is in the form of a massage or bath, which will also provide you with a multitude of relaxation benefits. If you are new to aromatherapy, you can first try out aromatherapy massage from a massage therapist, which will integrate specific essential oils to target any physical or emotional problems you may be struggling with. On top of that, you will receive the anti-stress benefits of massage to relax your muscles, improve circulation, and flush dangerous toxins from your body.

Aromatherapy is a versatile and user-friendly form of healing that offers a long list of home remedies to maintain your health without paying for expensive medications or doctor’s visits! Additionally, aromatherapy will also give you the much needed stress relief that you have been looking for to relax and improve your health from the inside out.

Some people might think that aromatherapy is replacing traditional medicine. Although it is an alternative method of practicing wellbeing, let it be known here and now that aromatherapy is in no way a replacement for modern medicine. Instead, see it as a tool that helps enhance your wellbeing both physically and psychologically using scents to stimulate certain responses. When performing aromatherapy, your goal should be to use the essential oils to shift your mental state and assist your body’s natural ability to regulate, heal, and balance itself.

How Does It Work?

Aromatherapy works as you inhale certain scents to stimulate your hypothalamus. Your hypothalamus is what regulates important bodily functions, like sleep and emotional responses. Once it reaches your hypothalamus, the stimulus of the scent travels through your limbic system and into the hippocampus, which is a part of your brain that’s crucial for memory. Not only does this help us associate a certain scent with a specific memory, but this is also what allows the body to react to the healing scents of aromatherapy.

Who Can Benefit?
Aromatherapy has endless benefits and isn’t exclusive to any one group of people. If you’re easily stressed or tend to feel out of balance, using aromatherapy might be a way to combat these involuntary feelings. Even those with respiratory concerns may be able to find an essential oil that soothes them. Overall, aromatherapy can be used by anyone who want to experience the holistic powers of essential oils. Just remember, it’s not meant to replace traditional medicine.

If you want to know for sure whether or not aromatherapy is right for you, ask yourself the following questions:

* Do you suffer from joint or muscle pain?
* Do you regularly have trouble sleeping?
* Are you experiencing depression, chronic stress, or anxiety?
* Do you experience PMS or menopausal symptoms?
* Do you have skin concerns, including acne or cellulite?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should consider exploring your options with aromatherapy. What have you got to lose?

How Can I Use Aromatherapy?

You can get creative with your use of aromatherapy once you understand its properties and benefits. Here are a few ways you can try out aromatherapy in your everyday life.

* Adding it to a diffuser and inhaling the steam.
* In a foot and hand bath.
* Direct application onto the skin (always remember to use a carrier oil or other form
of dilution to prevent any discomfort on the skin).
* With a compress.
* As a chest rub to support your respiratory system.
* On a pillow for soothing effects to help you fall asleep faster.

Now that more and more people are becoming familiar with the benefits of aromatherapy products, you can find aromatherapy being practiced almost everywhere you go these days. Spas, massage centers, and yoga studios are incorporating this style of relaxation to further improve the mental welfare of others. Many aromatherapy fanatics claim that it can help awaken your senses and boost your cognitive function, including improved memory and an overall more relaxed state of mind. If you’re looking for these types of effects, you can read more about aromatherapy to better understand the products you can use to get the most out of this holistic practice.

What are some useful aromatherapy products?

Aromatherapy uses essential oils and a variety of aromatherapy products like candles and aromatherapy diffusers. Candles and diffusers are great aromatherapy products and allow you to change the type of oil you want to use, so they’re versatile and convenient.

Before you purchase your aromatherapy products, make sure that they’re made especially for this purpose. This relates more to the essential oils than anything else. There are some products that can be labeled as aromatherapy products but might not actually be built to provide the benefits you’re looking for. Some products might contain artificial ingredients, which can actually cause more harm than good in most cases. Be sure that you’re using aromatherapy products that were built for the purpose of providing the calming and stimulating effects of aromatherapy.3

Where can I find aromatherapy supplies?

There is no shortage of places to find aromatherapy supplies. With its popularity surging and no signs of it slowing down, you can grab as many essential oils and aromatherapy supplies as you need, regardless of y