Aromatherapy Questions

What is aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy is the use of therapeutic oils extracted from natural plant matter in order to encourage good health and well being. These therapeutic oils are often referred to as essential oils and fixed (or carrier oils). Essential oils are extracted from trees, flowers, shrubs, and herbs from all over the world and have their own unique chemical makeup. Fixed oils are extracted mostly from nuts or vegetables, and are composed mostly of fatty acids.

The term aromatherapy can be very misleading. Products in our stores with labels like mango shampoo, strawberry candles, honeysuckle bubble bath, and others profess to be aromatherapy products just because they have a scent. A true aromatherapist would question the ingredients. Most are made with fragrances. Fragrances are synthetic materials made in laboratories. Essential oils are not synthetic, but come from real plants, usually through steam distillation.

What is a certified aromatherapist?
As of yet in this country,like in most alternative or complementary therapies, there is no legitimate board for aromatherapy certification. In Canada, England, and parts of Europe there are schools one can attend. Training can take 2 to 4 years. In America, by reading books, anyone could call themselves an aromatherapist. Recently the term "certified" aromatherapist has become popular to counter this. The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA) has set up guidelines on becoming a certified aromatherapist. Gritman's Essential Oil School has taken these into consideration. Certification can vary greatly. It the responsibility of the students to weigh all of their options to see what program serves them best.

What are fixed or carrier oils?
Aromatherapy is not only about essential oils. Aromatherapy, especially in massage, involves the use of fixed oils. In aromatherapy, vegetable oils are called "fixed" or "carrier" oils. These are the names given to vegetable oils usually expressed from the seeds, fruit, or nuts of a plant. These oils are not volatile and are fatty. Examples are olive, safflower, and sweet almond. Fixed oils, by themselves, have their own set of values and therapeutic properties, and can be used with or without essential oils. If you blend essential oils with fixed oils, the fixed oils should constitute the bulk (90-95%) of your blend.

How do you use essential oils in aromatherapy?
Essential oils enter the body in several different ways. They are absorbed through the skin passing into the circulatory system. They can also be inhaled, passing into the blood stream through the lungs or through the nose to the brain causing signals to be transmitted directly to the limbic system in the brain. Smelling or diffusing the oils into the air is a basic way to transmit the oils. Massage is also a very popular method of working the oils into the body, but a fixed oil is needed.

How do essential oils work?
Essential oils enter the body in several different ways. They are absorbed through the skin passing into the circulatory system. They can also be inhaled, passing into the blood stream through the lungs or by causing signals to be transmitted through the nervous system directly into the limbic system of the brain. Smelling or diffusing the oils into the air is a basic way to transmit the oils. Massage is also a very popular method of working the oils into the body, but here a fixed oil is needed.

What is therapeutic blending?
Most of the time when discussing blending, it is in reference to perfume making. But there is a tremendous difference between perfume blending and therapeutic blending. Whereas perfume blending is most concerned with the final resulting scent and has no concern to therapeutic value; therapeutic blending focuses on creating a blend that will aid with a particular emotional or physical condition. It concentrates more on the final result than on the aroma of the blend.

How do you blend?
Start creating blends using essential oils only. After you have finalized the blend, then you can dilute it by adding the carrier oils.
When starting a new blend, start out small. Use 5, 10, 20, or 25 total drops of essential oils. By starting small, the risk of wasting essential oils is lessened.
Keep a notebook of all blends you make. List each oil you used, how many drops of each oil, the date you made it, how long you let it sit, and any other information about the blend you made. Don't throw any of it away. Keep a record of every blend you make, even the bombs.
Label each blend clearly. If you don't have enough room on the label to do so, label it with corresponding numbers on the label and in your notebook.

Blending Percentages:
When working with blends, in order to assure your clients' safety, never use more than a total of 10% of essential oils in your blend. This is the percentage used in commercial massage blends. In sprays, lotions, and other products, the essential oil percentages can be as low as 1%. 1/3 oz bottles have approximately 250 drops in them.

Amount: (Total Blend) 5-10% Dilution: (Essential Oils to Add)
1/6 oz (125 drops) 6-12 Drops
1/3 oz (250 drops) 12-25 Drops
1/2 oz (375 drops) 25-37 Drops
1 oz (750 drops) 37-75 Drops
2 oz (1500 drops) 75-150 Drops
4 oz (3000 drops) 150-300 drops
8 oz (6000 drops) 300-600 drops

What are some common ways to use essential oils in aromatherapy?
Massage oil is created by mixing a fixed oil or prepared massage cream and essential oils. This can be applied as full body, hand, or foot massage. The ratio is usually 1oz of oil or cream to 25-30 drops of oil. You will find that with most of your clients, 1 oz of a fixed oil will be more than enough for the massage, and you will actually have some massage oil left over.

Compresses are cloths soaked in about 15 drops of essential oil and hot or cold water. Wring the cloth and place it on the area needing healing. Hot compresses are used for muscular pains and cramps, and cold compresses are used for swelling and headaches.

Diffusing is dispersing minute particles of essential oils into the air by heating water that contains essential oils. You can usually buy diffusers from your essential oil supplier. However, this can easily be done by simmering a pot of water on the stove and adding your essential oils to the warm water.

Misting is combining water and essential oils to a spray bottle. Shake and spray the air in your home, work, car, or on your animals and yourself. The ratio is usually 1 oz of water to 25-30 drops of essential oils.

Steam Inhalation is used to help breathing. Take a bowl of hot water, add 4-8 drops of essential oil to a bowl of hot water, place a towel over your head, and breath deeply for about 5 minutes.

Bath therapy is adding the essential oils to your bath water. Draw a warm bath, and add the blend before you get into the water. Stir the water vigorously to mix the oils with the water. It is best not to use soap, just the oils, as you will soak and breathe the oils. The oils are also absorbed through the skin.

After Shower Spray a form of misting, and is used when the client doesn't’t want (or cannot) lay in the bathtub. After the client has showered, take your mister and spritz the body with the blend.