In our modern world there are all kinds of “tools” for inhalation. We can use diffusers, potpourri, heated or just loose in a bowl, vaporizers, and putting a few drops onto a tissue or cotton ball and inhaling before the oils evaporate. Diffusers are small units designed specifically for releasing essential oil fumes into the air. Vaporizers have been used for years to treat chest congestion and changes liquid into a gaseous state.

 

Some companies are now advertising aromatherapy beads to carry with us in a small bag, or use in a vaporizer. Others are making soap that carry various aromas to treat things like stress or insomnia. In some of these newer products, take care when you buy them. Most are probably produced by fragrance makers rather than true essential oil companies.

 

Our sense of smell is more powerful than we often give it credit for. Chemists have long believed that it is one of our most powerful senses, although not as fine tuned as in some of the four legged animals.

Research shows over and over again that aromas definitely affect how we feel emotionally and physically. Smell memory is so strong that vague memories or one we think we’ve lost altogether, can come sharply back into focus if we smell an associated aroma.

Even skeptics who don’t believe essential oils actually work do accept the fact that some people feel better after an aromatherapy treatment. Even they admit that if it’s only a placebo effect, what really matters is the improvement the recipient enjoys.

Bathing is another of the popular methods of delivering essential oils. Most of the oils we’ve talked about can be introduced into a warm bath in conjunction with carrier oil. Bathing in itself is often about relaxation and the introduction of the right essential oil can magnify the experience many times over. An aromatherapy bath should be treated as a ritual to ensure that you reap all the benefits.

 

Make sure you have plenty of time during which you won’t be disturbed. Run the water warm enough to be soothing but not so hot it will scald you. If you have some unscented candles or with a complimentary scent to the essential oils used in the tub, you can burn them to enhance the atmosphere. Just be sure to follow our warnings and advice pertaining to buying and burning candles. You might even consider running your towels through a dryer cycle to fluff them up and make them nice and warm.

 

Because you want the essential oils to remain on your skin until they are absorbed, an aromatherapy bath isn’t necessarily a cleansing bath. To obtain the most from your bath, shower first so that you’re clean when you enter the bath. Fill the tub then add the oils. This is one instance in which you don’t need to use carrier oil, since the dilution will be heavy in so much water. When you are finished be sure to clean the tub well since there will probably be an oily residue left. On the next page are some simple blends for your bathing enjoyment: