All Blog Articles
Make your own sports massage oil
Using an aromatherapy massage oil before and after exercise can help warm and prepare your muscles for action, prevent injury and stiffness, soothe aches and pains and speed muscle recovery.
Essential oil of the month - Palmarosa
Palmarosa essential oil (Cymbopogon martinii) is most well known for skincare, but also has a multitude of other uses! Originating from India and Pakistan, the oil has a long history of use in traditional Ayurvedic medicine and skincare. Like last month’s oil, Lemongrass - and also Citronella - Palmarosa belongs to a family of tall, herbaceous, scented grasses (Poaceae), and is now cultivated in Indonesia, Africa and Brazil, as well as the Indian sub-continent.
Aromatherapy for your Summer travels
Travel sickness, fear of flying, jet lag or catching bugs from fellow travellers can be some of the more unpleasant side-effects of the Summer holiday season. Read how aromatherapy can help!
Secret garden - all natural face masks
As I sat in my garden writing this article, I found myself in awe of the natural magnificence that surrounded me. There is so much healthy goodness in the world, and until we take a pause from daily bustle and sit in nature, just breathing in its beauty, we forget what we have in front of us! So what better to write about this month, I thought, than how to incorporate the garden into our Summer skincare? Off I set, gathering ideas for all-natural face mask recipes for a ‘Secret Garden’ selection!
How aromatherapy is supporting Grenfell survivors
I knew this would be an emotionally difficult article to write. Actually, what I underestimated was the complete and utter impossibility of adequately putting into words any form of sentence that could convey any kind of sense of what something this tragic actually felt like. I had given myself the impossible task of logically writing about something you can only really 'feel'. I recently visited Grenfell Tower, you see…
Aromatherapy on the go
Choosing essential oils can be confusing if you’re new to aromatherapy and most people tend to use them only at home! We discuss the benefits of pre-blended essential oils and how they can easily be used while out and about!
Chakra balancing with essential oils
You may remember that in March, I explored how, by applying the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, some believe that essential oils may be chosen to restore energy within the body, and that in April I focussed on the ancient Greek healthcare approach, discussing Hippocrates specifically, who believed that the moral and spiritual aspects of healing were important, and that attitude, environmental influences, and natural remedies were central for maintaining and restoring good health. This month, I conclude my research into alternative and ancient traditions by looking at the Chakra system. This system originates from Buddhism and Hinduism, although both have different theories, with Buddhist literature mentioning four chakras, and Hindu texts stating seven: Root (Muladhara), Sacra (Svadisthana), Solar Plexus (Manipura), Heart (Anaha), Throat (Vishudda), Brow (Ajna), Crown (Sahasrara) - specific locations of each chakra will be discussed later.
Aromatherapy & mental health: emotional blending
The IFA’s Aromatherapy Awareness Week runs from 12-16th June 2017 and the theme this year is Aromatherapy and Mental Health! According to IFA’s stats, 1 in 6 adults has a ‘Common Mental Disorder’ (a classification for different types of anxiety and depression), and the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre says this statistic has been rising since 2000. So, if you are suffering, know firstly that you are not alone.
Which oil is 'essential' for you right now?
Often, one of the things that holds people back from using aromatherapy essential oils is knowing exactly which oils to blend for their specific objectives. So, what better way to find out than with a quick ‘question and answer’ quiz?
Hippocrates and Aromatherapy
Last month, I explored how, by applying the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, essential oils may be chosen to restore energy within the body. This month, I thought it would be interesting to explore the early Greek model of medicine and whether it is relevant nowadays especially in relation to Aromatherapy. In ancient times, it was believed the world was composed of four elements (Earth, Air, Fire and Water). These elements were related to the four seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter), to four fundamental qualities (Hot, Cold, Dry, Damp) and to four temperaments, also known as humours (Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholic and Phlegmatic).
