Essential Oils Buying Guide – Choosing Essential Oils
Essential oils are categorized myriad ways – alphabetically, botanically, aromatically, chemically, according to ailment, physical body systems, or chakras, among others. Health, well-being and beauty are about balance, and ill-health and discomfort are about imbalance, or opposing forces.
In the most primary sense, energy is both positive and negative and these two forces balance each other. Heat balances cold, dark balances light and opposites attract. One way to categorize essential oils is how they bring balance and return equilibrium.
Physical, mental and emotional problems, viewed as either positive or negative states, need an antidote. Treating illnesses collectively as a duality, essential oils can be categorized as either ‘negative’ (relaxing, calming, tension-relieving, sedating) or ‘positive’ (stimulating, rejuvenating, invigorating, awakening). These basic essential oils are a compilation of several lists by various authors, aromatherapists, retailers and manufacturers. They are by no means all inclusive, but rather a good reference point. If you find this system useful, you can add other essential oils to the lists based on your experience and additional research.
From the list of ‘12 Essential Oil Relaxants,’ pick five intended to treat a specific problem or situation you want to correct, some imbalance in your life that needs work. Choose another five essential oils from the list of ‘12 Essential Oil Stimulants.’
Next, with your list, visit a perfumery, health food store or drugstore where essential oils can be sniffed and see which aromas appeal to you. If you smell anything you don’t like, immediately reject that oil. If the oil is not pleasing to you or if you find it offensive on any level, it will cause a negative reaction, even if only subliminally. If you’ve gone through your list and found only one or two oils pleasing to you, that’s fine. As you continue to work with aromatherapy, you will instinctively choose additional oils as the need arises or your smell changes.
About This Post