Welcome to Essential Aromatherapy

. . . . the aromatherapy blog devoted to all things aromatherapeutic !!

The term aromatherapy refers to the use of essential oils. Essential oils are the highly concentrated, and potent, form of a plant’s active ingredients. Each essential oil has its own distinct signature — its unique chemical composition which determines the ways that particular plant is beneficial to the system. This unique signature has other elements as well, such as color, fragrance, viscosity, potency, volatility (these are oils, after all). Studying the properties of the essential oils you intend to use is an important first step to using the oils to enhance your physical and/or emotional well being.

There are many different ways of dispersing essential oils. Mastering the various ways of utilizing these gifts from nature is another important learning step in aromatherapy.

Here are some ways of using essential oils for your body:

Bath: Add 5-10 drops of essential oil to a warm (not too hot) bath and soak for 10-20 minutes. Many essential oils do not disperse well in oil, which is why they are often added to a carrier oil (almond, olive, sunflower) first. For more information, refer to Aromatherapy for the Bath.
Body Mask: Once a week, treat your skin to a body mask.
Body Oil: Add essential oils to a carrier oil to nourish your skin or massage your body. Please refer to Aromatherapy for Massage.
Compress: Soak a clean wash cloth or handkerchief in warm water to which 5-10 drops of essential oil have been added. Squeeze some of the moisture out of the cloth and apply until cool. A compress is useful to treat bruises, headaches, and sprains and strains. For hot flashes, make it a cool compress.
Facial Cleanser: Create your own facial cleaner formulated for your skin type. Oily skin needs cleanser that will remove excess oil, dry skin a cleanser that will moisturize.
Facial Mask: 5 drops of essential oil added to cosmetic clay, ground almonds or oatmeal, fruit (banana, avocado) even honey or yogurt makes an effective facial mask.
Facial Mist: Add 5-10 drops of essential oils to an herbal infusion, hydrosol, or plain distilled water. Spray your skin throughout the day to replenish moisture lost to the atmosphere. You might enjoy this Floral Facial Mist recipe.
Facial Oil: Add 10-15 drops of essential oil per drop of carrier oil. The essential oils as well as the carrier oil should be chosen for your specific skin type or condition.
Facial Steam: 3-5 drops of essential oil (chosen for your skin type or condition) in a large boil of hot water. Use a towel over your head capture the steam and hold it in. Follow with a facial mask.
Facial Toner: 5 drops of essential oils per ounce of toning liquid. This is most often rosewater, a herbal infusion, or a hydrosol blend formulated for your skin type.
Foot Soak: 5-15 drops of essential oil such as lavender, peppermint, rosemary, or thyme dispersed into a gallon of water with 1 cup of epsom salts mixed into it makes a delightful foot soak. For a rejuvenating foot soak, try this recipe.
Hand Soak: Before your manicure, add 3-5 drops of essential oil to a small hand bowl in which distilled water, flower water, or a hydrosol has been added. Soak for 5-10 minutes.
Hair Mask: Dry, damaged hair will really benefit from a hair mask. Try this Dry Hair Pack recipe.
Hair Oil: 10-20 drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier oil, such as olive or jojoba makes a marvelous hot oil treatment for your hair. Add essential oil to carrier, and warm in microwave. Use a cotton ball to apply to hair and scalp.
Hair Rinse: All hair should be treated to a hair rinse to remove any soap residue, add shine, and restore the proper ph balance. Both apple cider vinegar and beer are tried and true hair rinses. If you have oily hair, you might be interested in this recipe.
Jacuzzi or Hot Tub: Add 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil or blend.
Lotion and Moisturizer: You can add essential oils to a base skin product or create your own. Although creating your own creams and lotions takes times to master, knowing you are in control of the ingredients makes it worth the effort. This is especially true if you have mature, aging skin that needs plenty of TLC. For dry, chapped skin try Shea Butter Hand Cream.
Manicure/Pedicure: 5-10 drops of essential oil in one ounce of apricot kernel oil makes a great masses for your nails and cuticles. Need to strengthen your nails? Apply one drop of lavender oil (neat) to each nail and massage in nightly. You should see visible results in a month or two.
Perfume: Creating your own personal scent is a wonderful way to enjoy aromatherapy.
Shower Gels or Salts: Look for refreshing, uplifting essential oil formulas and ingredients that exfoliate your skin.

If you are new to aromatherapy and essential oils, please view the video below to learn some essential oil basics:

Use Natural Medicine No. 11 Essential Oil Aromatherapy – Funny bloopers R us

For those who have been into aromatherapy for awhile, this site is intended to be a resource guide for aromatherapy education. It includes a comprehensive list of essential oils and their properties. Each essential oil profile offers the sent classification, blending companions, beauty benefits, emotional benefits and the therapeutic property of the essential oil.

Two essential oil blending guides can be found, a Basic Blending Guide for those new to aromatherapy that details exactly how to use essential oils to make an already existing formula. For those more advanced aromatherapy users, my article on creating your own unique essential oils blends will walk you through the basics of creating your own formulas.

In the 6 years I have been interested in aromatherapy and essential oils, I have amassed a great deal of aromatherapy information. Prior to this blog’s creation, it was all spread out in numerous resource and reference books. I have used this site to get all my aromatherapy info in one handy place. This includes resource guides I’ve developed myself over the years, such as Essential Oil Scent Classifications, How Many Drops to Use, a nifty Table of Conversions, and a list of Acceptable Essential Oil Substitutions.

My primary focus is aromatherapy has been cosmetic. I love creating my own aromatherapy recipes for making natural lotions and creams, bath oils and bath salts, facial toners, and other natural skin care products. Some of my aromatherapy recipes, including essential oil blends, can be found here.

If you’ve enjoyed this blog, perhaps you will be interested in my new e-book: Aromatherapy Recipes for Beauty and Health. This book contains 45 original aromatherapy recipes, most with their own essential oil formulas.

You can download it for only $14.99.

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This is an instant and automatic download.

Click here to sneak a peek!

Treat yourself one night a week to spa night. Establishing a regular skin care routine will keep you looking and feeling your best.

Today’s Featured Recipe:

Love Potion #9 Perfume Blend

10 drops rose essential oil
7 drops patchouli
7 drops sandalwood
3 drops ylang ylang
2 drops neroli
1 drop helichrysum
1 drop coriander
1 drop benzoin (diluted in alcohol)

Combine all essential oils in dark glass bottle and allow to marry for several days before using. As with all perfume blends, it should not be used undiluted on the skin. Add this blend to 1 teaspoon of jojoba to make a perfume, 2 teaspoons of pure grain alcohol (not rubbing alcohol) to make a cologne, or 3 tablespoons of distilled water and 1 teaspoon of pure grain alcohol to make a body splash.

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also enjoy the Aromatherapy Recipe Exchange.