This instinctive response to smell is what aromatherapy, which has become one of the most exciting new areas of research for industry, is based on. In France, perfume manufacturers are now creating ‘mood’ fragrances to make the wearer feel and smell better in one go. In America, car manufacturers are currently researching air-conditioning systems to time-release essential oils and keep motorists alert at the wheel. In Japan an alarm clock that pre-releases fragrance so you wake in a good mood is available. And in the United Kingdom relaxing odors are given to patients in hospital to prepare them for therapy. Developments like these are soon going to make our sense of smell more important once again.

 There are more than 10,000 different odors that the human nose can smell, but most of us can only recognize a tenth of them because we have become so lazy. Happily, smells, like many other things, can be relearnt and memorized. All you have to do is train your nose to be aware of the different aromas it encounters.

To help you, here are two simple tests which use common household ingredients and will tell you (1) how good your sense of smell is, and (2) which essential oils you will like best. For the first test, you need to wear a blindfold and have a friend or partner assist you; the second you can do alone.

 1 Essential Oil Testing – The Sniff And Tell Test

Using the chart below, get your friend to choose any ten items that you have in the house. It is important that you don’t know the ones selected, so wear your blindfold, and no peeping. 

 Your friend must cut any fruit, crush fresh (but not dried) herbs and open jars, bottles or tubes, then, one by one, hold each item about three inches away from the tip of your nose for up to 30 seconds, while you try to guess what it is.

If you get five or more items correct, you have an above-average sense of smell. But don’t rest on your laurels. Keep practicing until you score ten out of ten.

 2 Essential Oil Testing – The Fragrance Family Test

Again, using the chart below, choose three items from each category (three floral, three citrus, three green, etc). Mix them up and smell them randomly, putting the ones you like on one side and the ones you dislike on another. It helps if you keep your eyes closed while you sniff, as this will help you to concentrate on the smell rather than what you see.

 Then work out which fragrance categories you liked the most smells from. These are the categories you naturally prefer. For example, you might like citrus and green more than floral, woody and spicy).

Most good suppliers stock 40 or more oils, so when you start buying them restrict your initial choice to the categories you instinctively prefer.

Essential oil aromatherapy scents have literally hundreds of uses, from medical to domestic, the main thing to do is to remember to choose the scent that best fits your need.  Your first impression of essential oil aromatherapy scents may be little more than, yes its smells ok – but so what?

The smell released by the essential oil aromatherapy scent, as with all smells, are taken in by the nose, and information is fed up to the brain.  Using a specific essential oil aromatherapy scent can trigger a specific message to be sent to the brain, and will therefore cause the brain to order the body to behave in a certain way, it all comes down to how to use essential oils for aromatherapy treatments.

Are You An Insomniac?

Ok, so that is a pretty simplistic view of human anatomy, but it’s a pretty good basis for understanding how essential oil aromatherapy scents work. Let us look at lavender as a starting point, the essential oil aromatherapy scent of lavender is known for the soothing properties it possesses, and the calming effect is has been shown to have on the physiology of the body.

Before you try and sleep at night, drop three of four drops of the essential oil aromatherapy scent of lavender onto your pillow case, or have a cotton handkerchief with three or four drops on it, and take this to bed with you.  Lie calmly in bed and take slow deep breaths to allow the nose to register the new scent, and send the messages to the brain.  You should find you whole body relaxing well and drifting off to sleep should be easier.

A Clean Smell That Is Good For The Whole Family.

The essential oil aromatherapy scent of tea-tree is a fantastic antibacterial agent, kills germs and bacteria and has a pleasant scent and this can benefit the whole family throughout the whole house in many ways.  By placing a few drops on a small piece of sponge, and dropping the sponge into your vacuum cleaner, not only will any bacteria be controlled, but also as you clean, the aroma will be released into the atmosphere and the house smells fresher.

Whilst it may seem unfair, this is a largely unregulated area, which means there are lots of people who will try and convince you to buy aromatherapy essentials oils that are not genuine essential oils.  The general rule of thumb is that you cannot buy aromatherapy essential oils that are of quality for a cheap price.  You need to look around, as obviously this equally doesn’t mean that only the most expensive will do.

What Is Important When Choosing Oils.

If you want to buy aromatherapy essential oils you need to think about a few key things first.  The simplest to check is the colour of the glass bottle that they are sold in, never buy aromatherapy essential oils that are in clear glass bottles as they go off if exposed to too much light.  Most bottles are brown in colour and will have a dropper inserted into the lid to make sure you can get the correct amount out with ease.

When you buy aromatherapy essential oils you need to consider more than just the essential oil aromatherapy scents, although the scent is a key factor, the healing powers associated with them are based on genuine scents from genuine oils, properly distilled and preserved.  It is easy to manufacture a scent, but whilst it may smell as good, the function will not be the same.

It is important to consider whether you are about to buy aromatherapy essential oils that are in the pure form, or have been diluted into carrier oil.  In the pure form, how you use the oils and how much of the oil you use will be greatly different to a diluted form of the oil. 

One of the best ways is to try and buy from recommendation, whether you have a friend who has experience of how to buy aromatherapy essential oils, or perhaps a health food shop that currently stock a range of oils.  This also applies if you to intend to buy the oil in pure form and dilute it yourself; the carrier oil also needs to be a quality oil, almond oil or peach oil come highly recommended, as they are light and not sticky.

While it is true that many spas and salons offer you the option of an aromatherapy treatment, you can get it from somewhere else too. You can enjoy the benefits of aromatherapy using pure aromatherapy essential oils in the comfort of your own home.

It is not that hard to get your hands on some gorgeous smelling pure aromatherapy essential oils. You can shop online or go to health stores and to many other outlets that may stock pure aromatherapy essential oils. However, before you can even purchase your first bottle of essential oil, you need to understand a bit about the pure aromatherapy essential oils.

Personal Indulgence In Total Comfort

When you buy your pure aromatherapy essential oils, always check the labels. If the label says that the product is a perfume or even fragrance oil, leave it well alone. This means that the oil probably is not a pure essential oil and therefore is not suited to your intended use. Only buy quality, genuine pure aromatherapy essential oils. The other stuff may contain other chemicals that you don’t want. Quality is important when you buy aromatherapy essential oil as it has a better therapeutic benefit for you.

Another thing to take not of is the storage of your aromatherapy oils. Storage of the oils in dark glass bottles is very important to preserve the therapeutic qualities of the essential oil. Avoid clear or plastic bottles of aromatherapy oils, the clear bottles allow light to reach the oils which damages them. It is also wise only to buy aromatherapy oils that have not been standing on the shop shelf a long time. Pure aromatherapy essential oils are great for home use.

Add a few drops of oil to your bath for an energizing or absolutely relaxing experience. You can also use aromatherapy oils in an air diffuser. This is where a basket containing a pad is used.

A few drops of the oil is placed on the pad and then a small fan is used to disperse the smell and therapeutic properties of the oil. The fan blows through the pad, lifting the scent into the air and allowing them to waft through the air of the room.

The plants are also free of any fertilizers that are petroleum based. It is very important that aromatherapy essential oil products are free of these as the chemicals will penetrate to virtually every part of the plants. If plants that are non-organically grown are used in an aromatherapy essential oil product, the product will be contaminated with the pesticides and chemicals.

Thus, it is understandable that only pure aromatherapy essential oil can be used for aromatherapy. To ensure the purity of their aromatherapy essential oil products farmers usually keep strict documentation of all aspects. They document all their procedures and submit the documentation for inspections and auditing on a yearly basis. This is how farmers guarantee the purity so that clients can use each aromatherapy essential oil product purchased with peace of mind.

Most Popular Therapeutic Oils

Aromatherapy essential oil products have been used for many years to enhance well-being and health and depending on which oils are chosen, for their medicinal value. Chamomile and lavender are the two most well-known and popular aromatherapy essential oil products used across the world. Both these essential oils have far greater benefits than only soothing the senses.

Lavender contains a strong antibiotic and antiseptic called phenol so it is widely used for aromatherapy and massage. Lavender has a myriad uses from helping people to sleep, skin lotions and salves. It relaxes muscle spasms and relieves pain and is excellent for burn wounds and healing.

It is thus understandable that lavender is a greatly sought after aromatherapy essential oil product. Chamomile has been used for healing since the time of the ancient Egyptians. Chamomile is the aromatherapy essential oil product most often used for the relief of stress related disorders and headaches. It also has a calming effect that is a great aid for restful sleep.

Chamomile has proven to be safe over many centuries, although anyone allergic to ragweed should not use chamomile as it is related to ragweed. Chamomile has anti-inflammatory properties as well. This wonderful herb works wonderfully for aromatherapy, as a massage oil and is one of the top tea sellers in the world.

It is a good idea to use the internet as a resource once you have gained enough knowledge and want to start using aromatherapy. You will find the best places on the Internet to buy aromatherapy essential oil products that will suit your specific needs.

Always remember that the delivery method, how you are going to get the vapor from the essential oils into your body will depend on what you want to achieve. In addition, the method you choose of how to use essential oils for aromatherapy can have an effect on the results. People all have different response and absorption rates. Thus, it is not possible to generalize how fast the essential oils will work for everybody.

Different Ways To Use The Oils

The most direct way of how to use essential oils for aromatherapy is to inhale it. For the best results simply drop one to three drops of the essential oil onto a cotton ball. Then take slow breaths for up to a minute. You close your eyes and allow your body to relax to get the most benefits from the essential oils. You repeat the inhalation of up to a minute five times in a row. Inhalation means the essential oil enters your lungs and is released into your blood stream immediately.

This is the fastest way to get the essential oil to be distributed to all the cells within the body. The two most popular diffusion ways of how to use essential oils for aromatherapy is either with a nebulizer or an air diffusion basket. Heating can often lessen the therapeutic benefits of essential oils. That is why, besides the direct inhalation method, people prefer using diffusion methods.

Using aromatherapy essential oils have great benefits for the user. It works well for tension relief and relaxation, improving mood and mind alertness as well as ridding a room of unpleasant odors. The most popular methods of how to use essential oils for aromatherapy in the USA and England is through carrier oils. Each person must find the way that suits him or her personally, so experiment with the different ways until you find the one you like best.

Best Oils for Aromatherapy Relaxing Back Massage

. bergamot       

. lavender

. eucalyptus     

. orange

. frankincense  

. petitgrain

Best Combinations For Aromatherapy Relaxing Back Massage

Relaxing massage

7 drops lavender and 4 drops each rose and mimosa in 60ml (2f1 oz/12 tsps) sunflower oil

Energising massage

6 drops bergamot, 5 drops peppermint and 2 drops of lemon in 60ml (2f1 oz/12 tsps) sweet almond oil

Warming winter rub

6 drops frankincense, 5 drops eucalyptus and 4 drops pine in 60ml (2f1 oz/12 tsps) sunflower oil

Invigorating summer rub

6 drops orange, 5 drops lemongrass and 4 drops rosemary in 60ml (2f1 oz/12 tsps) sweet almond oil

For backache

6 drops each lavender and eucalyptus and 3 drops’ lemon in 60ml (2f1 oz/12 tsps) safflower oil

For tense muscles

8 drops lavender, 5 drops petitgrain and 2 drops basil in 60ml (2f1 oz/12 tsps) sunflower oil

How to Do Aromatherapy Relaxing Back Massage?

The best position for a back massage is lying face down on a well-padded floor or firm mattress with a rolled towel or small pillow under the upper chest, so the head and neck are relaxed in the face-down position. Keep the room warm and the light subdued.

Before you begin, warm your hands and warm the aromatherapy massage oil by standing the container in hot water for a couple of minutes. The more times you  repeat each stroke the more relaxing it becomes, so use the instructions here as a guide only for the minimum amount of movements. And feel free to throw in your own special touches.

1., Place your palms flat, with hands on the lower back about 2 inches out from the spine. Slide them up to the top of the back, out over the shoulders and down again to the start. The heaviest stroke is pushing up towards the heart, with a light stroke down. Use it to warm and spread the oil and feel for tension or tender spots in the back. Keep a soothing, regular rhythm going for several minutes, then spread fingers wide on the upward stroke only, pressing in with the tips, for a slightly deeper variation.

2. With palms flat half way up the spine, gently slide your hands apart the length of the-back, so one ends at the base of the spine and the other between the shoulder blades. Repeat several times. Then from the same start position, slide hands diagonally across the torso so one ends on a hip and the other on the opposite shoulder. Repeat, both ways. Each movement should be one long, firm stroke to loosen and stretch muscles, holding skin taught at the end for a few seconds before releasing the tension.

3. Repeat the stroke from step I, but this time, when you get to the top, slide your hands over the shoulders, bending your fingertips down to the collarbones, and on the .downward stroke, pull the shoulder muscle at the base of the neck firmly back. Repeat. Place your hands under the hip, fingers down, and pull upwards from the side of the body towards the spine, one hand after the other in a continuous movement. Work up one side of the torso, across the top of the shoulders and down the other side to the opposite hip.

4. Moving to the upper back, place palms flat on either side of the spine above the waist and push them up to the neck, out around each shoulder and back to the start position. Keep the stroke flowing, then do smaller circles using fingertip rather than palm-pressure around and over each shoulder blade. Then knead the upper back and sides of the neck – place your hands flat, fingers together with thumbs wide, then use your thumbs to push flesh up to the fingers, moving your hands as you go.

5. Moving to the lower back, repeat a few sweeping strokes from step 1. Then place one thumb on either side of the spine about an inch out, and gently push down with the thumb pads for a count of five, then relax, to release the small spinal support muscles. Keep doing this, moving up the back to the top of the neck. Repeat from the bottom, this time making tiny circles with each thumb on either side of the spine up to the neck. Finish by running your fingertips firmly up and down over the same area.

6. Now repeat the smooth, flowing strokes from step 1again, over the entire back. Then use your fingertips to make circular movements from the base of the back up to the neck. Finally, do a raking movement all over the back – bend your fingers so only the pads make contact, then make short, firm stroking movements, pulling towards you. Start raking at the neck and work down to the hips; so one hand follows the other in a continuous flow. Repeat several times, reducing the amount of pressure so you finish with a light, slow movement.

Best Oils for Head Massage

. bergamot        . neroli

. jasmine           . orange

. lavender         . rose

Best Essential Oils Combinations for Aromatherapy Mind Relax Massage

Relaxing massage

3 drops each rose, geranium and lavender in 30ml (1f1 oz/6 tsps) sweet almond oil

Energising massage

3 drops bergamot and 1 drop each of geranium and peppermint in 30ml (1fl oz/6sps) sweet almond oil

For tense muscles

2 drops each petitgrain and lavender and 1 drop basil in 30ml (1f1 oz/6 tsps) sweet almond oil

For a hair tonic

3 drops lavender and 1 drop each rosemary and bay in 30ml (1f 1oz/6 tsps) sweet almond oil

To go to sleep

 3 drops sandalwood and 2 drops of chamomile in 30ml (1f1 oz/6 tsps) sweet almond oil

For a headache

2 drops each rose and lavender and 1 drop chamomile in 30ml (1f1 oz/6 tsps) sunflower oil

Mind Relax Aromatherapy Massage

A face, neck and scalp massage will lift a great weight off tired or tense shoulders. Start by sitting comfortably on an upright chair in front of a table, wearing an off-the-shoulder top or a towel wrapped under your arms for warmth. Make sure your aromatherapy oil is also warm, and close to hand.

1. Keeping your back straight, slowly bend your neck to one side as far as is comfortable, so your ear is parallel with your shoulder. Hold the stretch for a count of five and feel it pulling up the side of the neck. Straighten slowly and repeat on the other side. With your head upright, place your left hand palm down on the top of your right arm. With a downward pressure, stroke firmly across the top of the shoulder and up the side of the neck to the ear. Repeat ten times, then change hands and repeat on the other side.

2. Bend your elbows and place your hands palm down back over your shoulders, on either side of the neck, with the heel of your hand on your collarbone and fingers stretching down your back. Press firmly into the shoulder muscle, so it is pinched between your fingers and palm, and at the same time, drop your head backwards. Hold for a count of ten then slowly raise the head and release the hands. Repeat. In the same starting position, drop your head first down to the left side for a count of five, then over and down to the right, while you pinch into the shoulder muscle. Repeat.

3. Bend your neck forward and place your fingertips back over the shoulder muscles as in step 2. Knead the muscle by pressing in with firm fingers and gradually work up each side of the neck from the nape to the skull. Then use the first two fingers of each hand to make small circles from the top of the neck out along the base of the skull to each ear. With your head still bent forward, place your right hand palm down over the nape of your neck and. do a slow, firm, upward­-pulling stroke from the nape up to the crown of the head, with one hand following after the other.

4. Spread your fingertips across the top of your forehead along the hairline from ear to ear. Keeping fingers bent but stiff, press them gently into the scalp and make small, firm circular movements so the scalp itself rotates. Gradually move, inch by inch, back up to the crown of the head. Repeat working from the nape of the neck up to the crown. Then pick up tiny sections of hair close to the root between each thumb and index finger and tug at the hair, quickly and firmly several times. Repeat all over the head to stimulate the circulation and relax the scalp.

5. Lean forward and rest your elbows on a table. Place the heel of each hand over an eye and relax downwards, holding for a count of ten and breathing deeply. Straighten the first three fingers of your right hand and place them across your forehead. Stroke slowly and firmly from the bridge of the nose up between the brows to the hairline. Repeat five times.

Using your first two fingers, gently press in and stroke from your inner to outer brows. Repeat five times. With one hand on either side of the face, do a firm, very slow; palm stroke from the ears, over the temples, forehead and into the hair. Repeat.

6. Using the tips of your first two fingers, make small circles over the whole face, from the jaw, up the cheeks, over the temples and along the hairline to the middle of the forehead. Repeat with a slow, firm, palm stroke. Then, placing the hands with palms over the cheek bones and fingers over the forehead, gently press into the contours of your face and hold for a count of ten. With one palm across your forehead and the other across the back of your neck, press in for a count of ten. With one hand over an ear on either side of your head, press in and hold.

Best Oils for Soothing Foot Massage

. citronella         . lemon

. geranium         . peppermint

. lavender         . rosemary

BEST COMBINATIONS of Essential Oils for Soothing foot Massage

Relaxing massage

3 drops lavender and 2 drops geranium in 30ml (1f1 oz/6 tsps) sunflower oil

Refreshing massage

2 drops each citrollella and peppermint and 1 drop lemon in 30ml (1f1oz/ 6tsps) sunflower oil

Aromatic massage

2 drops each lavender, rose and geranium in 30ml (1f1oz/6 tsps) sunflower oil

For aching feet

3 drops eucalyptus and 2 drops chamomile in 30ml (1f 1 oz/6 tsps) sunflower oil

For excessive sweating

5 drops lemongrass in 30ml (1f 1oz/6 tsps) sunflower oil

For fungal infections     

3 drops tea-tree and 2 drops of geranium in 30ml (1fl oz/6 tsps) sunflower oil

The foot massage, with its soothing aromatherapy soak beforehand, will make you feel better from toe to top and is guaranteed to put a spring back in your step. Sit in an upright seat with cushions for comfort and finish off the massage by stretching out flat for ten minutes with feet propped higher than your head.

You may use the same essential oils for the footbath and massage, or use a purely therapeutic one for the bath and more sensual oils for the stroking afterwards. Spend as long as you can on each step, with plenty of extra repeats.

1. Start sitting comfortably with a plastic basin or large bowl of hot water on the floor. Make sure towels, essential oils and your aromatherapy massage oil are all to hand. Put four drops of essential oils for every 4 litres (1 gallon) of water in the bowl and soak both feet. After ten minutes, start massaging One foot while it is still damp, so essential oils absorb better, and leave the other foot in the basin. To massage, sit with one leg bent at the knee and cross it so the calf is resting across the thigh of the other leg.

2. With the palms of your hands, sandwich the foot and do a fast, friction rub, using lots of oil and doing a sawing movement back and forwards across the foot. Start with one hand under the arch and the other across the top of the foot. Then move hands up to sandwich the toes and instep. Finally, do a heel rub by placing palms on either Side of the ankle and massaging briskly. This is a good way of boosting the circulation, warming cold feet and relaxing them totally.

3. Do a series of foot stretches to loosen tendons and the deep ache of muscles. Hold each stretch for a count pf ten. Point your toes and flex them up, hold, then down, hold, and turn your foot to the left, hold, and right, hold. Still pointing your toes make large, slow circles in the air to rotate the ankle. Then, with your foot resting up on your opposite; thigh again, place your hand palm down over the toes with the fingers wrapped over the sole. Keeping your foot straight (i.e. at 90 degree angle to leg), slowly push the toes down to flex and stretch them, and hold. Then gently pull them back towards the foot.

4. In the same position, use the tips of your thumb and index finger to make quick pinches for several minutes all over the heel of the foot. Then wrap your fingers around the top of the foot with thumbs across the sole, under the arch. Do deep, flowing thumb strokes, one after the other, from the heel to the instep along the arch of the foot. Then use the thumbs to make small circles all over the sole of the foot, in a light, kneading movement.

5. Firmly rub each toe from base to tip, one by one, between your thumb (on top) and index finger (below) for a couple of minutes each. Then do several deep thumb strokes up the underside of each toe, by wrapping your fingers across the tops of toes, bending your thumb underneath, and using it to do the firm, slow, pushing in movement. Finally, finish of with a fast friction rub over the toes to warm them and increase blood circulation.

6. Use your thumb to knead and rub all around the ankle bone and pinch, using your index finger and thumb, all the way up the tendon at the back of the heel. Repeat the foot stretches from step 3, but this time keep both hands wrapped around your ankle as you point, flex and circle them. Finish off with several full foot-strokes. Place one hand on top of the foot, palm down, the other under the foot, palm up. Start at the toes and with hands working in unison, do a firm, slow pull with hands, following the contours of the foot back up to the ankle.

The right essential oil will make it even more pleasurable. And since you have to sit while you soak, you get to inhale the aroma molecules and enjoy a moment of stillness in a busy day. All you need is a large basin or square bucket, hot water, a Warm towel, a comfortable seat at the most relaxing height and the right essential oils. Just add them, drop by drop, to the water before you slip your feet in. You need up to eight drops per nine litres (two gallons) of water.

Aromatherapy Stimulating Foot Baths with Essential Oils

2 drops bay and 4 drops of ginger

-or­

4 drops citronella and 4 drops angelica

Aromatherapy Relaxing Footbaths with Essential Oils

5 drops basil

-or­

3 drops lavender and 3 drops geranium

Aromatherapy Therapeutic Footbaths with Essential Oils

For aching feet

4 drops thyme and 4 drops chamomile

-or­

4 drops eucalyptus and 3 drops pine

For athlete’s foot

3 drops birch and 6 drops geranium

-or­

8 drops tea-tree

Excessive sweating

6 drops lemongrass

-or­

4 drops bergamot and 4 drops citronella

A Aromatherapy Mini Bath with Essential Oils

Footbaths and hand baths are especially helpful if you are elderly or have a disability that prevents you from taking a full aromatherapy bath – or simply if a full bath is impractical for you at any time.