While there are a lot of benefits that essential oils can provide, there are also some wild claims being made about them. Which makes some people skeptical. After all, they can’t be a cure all for everything under the sun as some people will have you believe.
That doesn’t mean that they don’t work, however. It just depends on how you need them to work. For instance, aromatherapy is one way that you can use essential oils to do a number of things that are beneficial. In this article, we will go over what some of those are so you can bring some scents to your life.
Deal with stress
Have you ever been in a bad mood only to have your mood perked up when you smelled some flowers? The scent took you back to some happy memory and made you forget about your troubles for an instant.
An aromatherapy room spray can have the same effect. Only it has some science behind it. The olfactory system is very powerful and works for many people as a way to open up memories. That soap you used while you were in college? If you smell it years later it will bring you right back to the days in your dorm room.
Certain essential oils have properties that work with your olfactory system through the limbic system which is the emotional part of our brain. Since the limbic system is responsible for heart rate, your breath rate and even stress, it is able to help calm you down very quickly.
In this way, aromatherapy and essential oils can be very powerful stress aids. Whether it is by using the spray mentioned above, in a bath or even in a bracelet you can use it to come down from a bad day before the stress starts to build up.
Massage oil
Getting a massage is a good way to loosen the muscles and shed them of their toxins so you can also destress your body. Certain essential oils are wonderful as massage oil as they penetrate deep into your skin.
For instance, peppermint or eucalyptus oils are fantastic when you need a post workout massage. The menthol quality of those oils heats the skin and penetrates deep into the muscles to help loosen them. The scent is also a great pick me up as it will give you a boost of energy to help you recover faster from your workout.
Sleep aid
Many people have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Using aromatherapy is a good way to help you overcome this as many essential oils will trigger sleep hormones to get you to sleep faster.
For instance, melatonin is the hormone that regulates our body clock. When the brain detects it, it understands that it is time to sleep. Some oils that trigger the release of this hormone are cedarwood, clary sage and chamomile. There are many more and various combinations that work so try out a few until you find the right one for you.
