Aromatherapy

Hey Guys😊😊😊,

So I'm continuing along providing information on the types of Alternative Medicines. 

Now I have an aunt who absolutely loves💓💓💓 scented candles... not for their scents 😓😓😓since she hasn't lit one yet... but for their beauty😍😍😍. 

Her misuse of these candles got me to thinking.. what else are these things good for besides gathering dust 😕😕.

Then I remembered visiting friends who actually lit their candles as the scents were beneficial for various reasons... 

Of course, being in the Caribbean, the most used scented candle is citronella to keep mosquitoes away 😁😁😁😁

The burning of incense also releases scents into the air. These are mainly used by religious groups and store owners for a myriad of reasons.

I recall my mum burning incense to "smoke out the house and run jumbie" 😟😟😟 like if monsters under my bed wasn't enough for me to worry about..😨😨😬😬

So what exactly is Aromatherapy?

According to the aromatherapy.com,

Aromatherapy is the practice of using the natural oils extracted from flowers, bark, stems, leaves, roots or other parts of a plant to enhance psychological and physical well-being. 

A form of alternative medicine, aromatherapy is gaining momentum. It is used for a variety of applications, including pain relief, mood enhancement and increased cognitive function. 

The following video sheds more light:

So what are essential oils?

Essential oils, or aromatherapy oils, are the fragrant essence of a plant. These highly concentrated liquid oils are the foundation of aromatherapy, which is based on the idea that the aromatic oil from a plant has healing properties. They should not be confused with perfumes or other fragrance oils. 

Essential oils are extracted one of two ways: either by steam distillation or expression, or pressing. Distillation is the most prominent method used to extract aromatherapy oils, however. This technique involves steaming the plant matter until it breaks down. The byproduct of this breakdown phase is the plant's fragrant oil, which is cooled, separated from the water and finally filtered into its pure essential oil.

Some aromatherapy oils are too concentrated to apply directly to the skin. In this case, the oil is combined with a 'carrier' oil or lotion to dilute its strength. When the essential oil is extracted via the expression method, it is actually pressed from the plant source the same way lemon juice is pressed from a lemon.

Types of Essential Oils

What are some benefits and uses of Aromatherapy?

DrAxe.com outlined 101 uses of Aromatherapy which can be accessed via the following link:

https://draxe.com/essential-oil-uses-benefits/

Further advantages and disadvantages can be found on the following website:

 https://www.essenceofarcadia.com/blogs/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-aromatherapy

In thinking about it, we have all utilized aromatherapy unknowingly as most of us have Glade, Airwick, Febreeze, Renuzuit and other such air refreshing and odour neutralizing products in our homes. 

So maybe it time to formally utilize this alternative medicine type to aid our natural healing processes.

Please consult your Doctor before changing any treatment plan to include Aromatherapy

Remember to post your thoughts and comments below.

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