Aromatherapy is the use of pure
essential oils to enhance the well being of body, mind and spirit. As
pure essential oils are the life force or ‘qi’ of plants they represent
life itself: working in close harmony with people and planet alike. Pure
essential oils are extracted from different parts of the plant like
flowers, leaves, grass, stalks, berries, bark, gum and roots by various
methods of extraction; the most common being steam distillation.
It
is via our sense of smell (emotional) and absorption of essential oils
through the skin (physical) that Aromatherapy relaxes, refreshes,
uplifts, heals and helps to improve and maintain general well being.
Learning
about Aromatherapy need no longer be surrounded in mystery. There are
many fragrant ways you could use Aromatherapy essential oils in your
daily life to enhance the quality of your life as well as that of your
family and friends. See below.
Guidelines for safe use of essential oils: • Essential oils are not recommended for oral use. • Always store essential oil bottles out of reach of children. • Never apply undiluted essential oil to the skin; dilute essential oils in a carrier oil before applying to the skin to prevent
skin irritations; though Lavender can be applied undiluted to burns, cuts and insect bites. • Use extreme care not to get the essential oils (even in diluted form) or vapour in the eyes. If this occurs, flush the
eyes immediately with cool water. • Many essential oils should not be used during pregnancy due to the stimulating effect they have on the uterus and
urinary system. • When using citrus, phototoxic essential oils, you should avoid going out into the sun, sunbathing, sauna and steam
rooms and solariums for at least 4 hours. • Essential oils should be stored in amber or cobalt blue glass bottles in a cool dark place to avoid deterioration by light
and heat. Keep the bottles tightly shut to prevent evaporation and oxidization.
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