Aromatherapy Facial Sauna for Normal Skin

This is a simplified version of an herbal facial sauna. Essential oils have a wonderful fragrance and are beneficial for your skin.

1-1/2 quarts water
3 drops lavender or geranium or rose essential oil

1. Pour boiling water into a large, heatproof bowl. Add essential oil.

2. Make a towel tent over your head and the bowl with a large towel to capture the steam. Lift the towel as necessary to reg­ulate the temperature, and take care to not burn yourself with the steam. Stay under the towel for 10 minutes to allow the steam to cleanse your pores.

3. Rinse your face with tepid water, and follow with a gentle facial scrub and a facial mask if desired.

Aromatherapy Facial Sauna for Oily Skin

This is a simplified version of an herbal facial sauna. Essential oils have a wonderful fragrance and are beneficial for your skin.

1-1/2 quarts water
3 drops cypress or cedar wood or lavender essential oil

1. Pour boiling water into a large, heatproof bowl. Add essential oil.

2. Make a towel tent over your head and the bowl with a large towel to capture the steam. Lift the towel as necessary to reg­ulate the temperature, and take care to not burn yourself with the steam. Stay under the towel for 10 minutes to allow the steam to cleanse your pores.

3. Rinse your face with tepid water, and follow with a gentle facial scrub and a facial mask if desired.

Aromatherapy Facial Sauna for Dry Skin

This is a simplified version of an herbal facial sauna. Essential oils have a wonderful fragrance and are beneficial for your skin.

1-1/2 quarts water
3 drops chamomile or Sandalwood or rose essential oil

1. Pour boiling water into a large, heatproof bowl. Add essential oil.

2. Make a towel tent over your head and the bowl with a large towel to capture the steam. Lift the towel as necessary to reg­ulate the temperature, and take care to not burn yourself with the steam. Stay under the towel for 10 minutes to allow the steam to cleanse your pores.

3. Rinse your face with tepid water, and follow with a gentle facial scrub and a facial mask if desired.

Aromatherapy Massage Oil for Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

4 ounces almond oil
20 drops lavender essential oil
15 drops marjoram essential oil
2 drops ylang-ylang essential oil
1 teaspoon vitamin E oil

Combine almond oil, essential oils and vitamin E oil in a dark-­glass bottle. Store in a cool, dark place, and shake well before using.

Aromatherapy Help for Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

While aromatherapy is not a cure for hypertension, essential oils can help to ease the physical and emotional tension that contributes to elevated blood-pressure levels. Try using essential oils regularly in a bath or a massage. Add approximately 15 drops of lavender or marjoram to a tub of warm water and two drops of ylang ylang if desired. Soak for 15-20 minutes, allowing yourself to deeply relax.

Lavender is balancing and soothing for both the body and the mind and has relaxing and blood-pressure-lowering effects. It has a sweet, herbaceous floral fragrance.

Marjoram is an excellent sedative. It helps to ease muscle ten­sion, dilates the peripheral arteries, and lowers blood pressure. It has a warm, herbaceous, slightly sweet fragrance with undertones of camphor.

Ylang-ylang has potent sedative properties and helps to regu­late cardiovascular function and lower blood pressure. It has an intensely sweet, floral scent. .Use in moderation-a drop or two at most is sufficient. In excess, ylang-ylang can cause headaches.

A Simple Aromatherapy Massage for Constipation

A simple abdominal massage also improves intestinal function and stimulates the movement of wastes through the large intestine. This massage can be performed daily, preferably first thing in the morning before eating. Lie down and massage approximately one teaspoon of almond or olive oil onto your abdomen area (add two drops of marjoram essential oil if desired-it has gentle laxative properties). Starting at the lower right side of your abdomen, place your fingers flat against your abdomen and make small circular motions with your fingers. Press into your abdomen as deeply as you comfortably can. Using slow, circular movements, massage up the right side of your abdomen, across the center just above your navel, and down the left side, following the path of the large intes­tine. Make several circuits of your abdomen, and finish by rubbing your abdomen with the palms of your hands in the same clockwise direction, using smooth, gliding strokes.

Aromatherapy Massage Oil Recipes for Headaches

2 ounces almond oil
10 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops marjoram essential oil
5 drops chamomile essential oil
1/2 teaspoon vitamin E oil

Combine oils in a dark-glass bottle and shake well. Use approx­imately 1/2 teaspoon at a time and apply to the temples, fore­head, back of the neck, and shoulders, massaging deeply to release blocked energy.

Aromatherapy Massage for Headaches

Massage is a powerful technique for relaxing the tense muscles that contribute to headaches. By stimulating pressure points in the head and neck, you can release the blocked energy that causes tension and migraine headaches. You can easily massage your own temples, forehead, and neck, but you will have a more relaxing experience if someone else performs the massage on you.

The two points located just under the base of the skull where the neck joins the head are among the most important acupressure points for the head. To find these points, place your fingers at the top vertebrae of your neck, and then move your fingers to the side approximately one inch along the base of your skull until you feel a small indentation on either side. These points may feel slightly tender. Apply firm pressure with your thumbs or the pads of your fingers, making a small rotating motion if you desire. In general, the more deeply you massage the points, the better the results. Contin­ue massaging for one to three minutes, until you feel the tension release from your neck and head.

Aromatherapy Compress for Migraine Headaches

5 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops marjoram essential oil
2 cups cool water
Add essential oils to a basin of cool water. Soak two washcloths in the water, wring out, and apply one to the forehead and one to the back of the neck. Lie down and rest for 30 minutes or longer.

Aromatherapy Compress for Tension Headaches

8 drops lavender essential oil
2 drops peppermint essential oil
2 cups cool water

Add essential oils to a basin of cool water. Soak two washcloths in the water, wring out, and apply one to the forehead and one to the back of the neck. Lie down and rest for 15 minutes or longer.

Aromatherapy Essential Oils for Headaches

Fragrant essential oils help to relieve headaches by easing mental and physical tension. The following essential oils are some of the most helpful for headaches.

Lavender is balancing for the body and mind and promotes relaxation. It relieves physical and mental stress and engenders an overall sense of well-being. Lavender has a sweet, floral, herba­ceous fragrance.

Marjoram has potent sedative properties and is especially help­ful for migraine headaches. It has a sweet, spicy, herbaceous scent.

Chamomile has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving proper­ties, helps to ease emotional tension, and is especially helpful for tension headaches. Chamomile has a sweet, herbaceous and slight­ly tart fragrance.

Peppermint helps to relieve pain, is antispasmodic, and stimu­lates circulation. The pungent menthol scent has an uplifting effect on the emotions and helps to clear the brain. Use in moderation.

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Aromatherapy Footbath for Varicose Veins

Alternating hot and cold footbaths are excellent for both preventing the development of varicose veins and easing the pain and discom­fort of existing ones. You'll need two plastic basins large enough to hold your feet. Fill one basin with water as hot as you can tolerate, and fill the other with cold water to which you have added a few ice cubes. Add five drops of cypress essential oil to the basin of hot water, sit in a comfortable chair, and slowly immerse your feet in the water. Leave your feet in the hot water for three minutes, and then immediately plunge your feet into the basin of cold water for one minute. Alternate back and forth between the hot and cold water three to five times, ending with the cold water. Finish by pat­ting your feet dry and massaging your legs with the aromatherapy varicose-vein massage oil.

Aromatherapy Soothing Lotion for Varicose Veins

4 ounces distilled witch hazel
10 drops cypress essential oil
10 drops frankincense essential oil

Combine essential oils with witch hazel in a dark-glass bottle. Shake well. Apply to legs as often as desired. For additional pain-relieving effects, store the lotion in the refrigerator and apply cold to the legs.

Varicose-Vein Aromatherapy Massage oil Recipes

4 ounces almond oil
20 drops cypress essential oil
10 drops frankincense essential oil
10 drops yarrow essential oil
1 teaspoon vitamin E oil

Combine oils in a dark-glass bottle and shake thoroughly to mix. Store in a cool, dark place. Shake well before using. To use as a massage Oil, apply approximately 1 teaspoon of oil to each leg with long, gentle strokes, always working from the foot up the leg in the direction of the heart.

Ease Varicose Veins Discomfort with Aromatherapy Oils

Combining hydrotherapy with therapeutic essential oils can effec­tively relieve the uncomfortable symptoms of varicose veins. Alter­nating hot and cold footbaths, compresses, and gentle massage help to relieve pain and aching and improve circulation, while cold com­presses help to relieve inflammation and swelling. The following essential oils are especially useful for treating varicose veins.

Cypress has astringent and vein-tightening properties and stim­ulates circulation. It also helps to relieve fluid retention. Cypress has a spicy, pinelike fragrance.

Frankincense has anti-inflammatory and astringent properties, helps to tighten veins, and stimulates skin healing. It has a rich, warm, balsamic fragrance.

Yarrow contains azulene, a powerful natural anti-inflammatory that gives the essential oil a dark-blue color. The astringent proper­ties of yarrow also help to tighten varicose veins. It has a fresh, herbaceous, pungent fragrance.

Mental-Clarity Aromatherapy Room Freshener

1 tablespoon witch hazel
10 drops rosemary essential oil
10 drops basil essential oil
5 drops lavender essential oil
2 cups water

Combine witch hazel and essential oils in a 16-ounce spray bot­tle and shake well. Add water to fill the bottle, shake thoroughly, and spray as desired into the air.

Aromatherapy Essential Oils to Clear Mental Fatigue.

Transient mental fogginess can be caused by over thinking, over­working, and fatigue. Essential oils can help to clear the mind, relieve fatigue, and sharpen your mental focus. Rosemary and basil are two of the best essential oils for stimulating brain function. Place a drop or two of either one (or a combination of both) on a hand­kerchief and inhale the fragrance as needed, or make the following air freshener to spray into the air when you need a boost of mental clarity.

Aromatherapy Sweet-Dreams Bath for Insomnia

5 drops lavender essential oil
3 drops marjoram essential oil
3 drops clary sage essential oil
2 cups Epsom salts
1 cup baking soda

Draw a bathtub o/warm (but not too hot) water, adding the Epsom salts and baking soda while the water running. Add the essential oils to the bath just before entering the tub, mixing the oils into the water with you hand. Sip a cup of relaxing passionflower or lemon balm tea, and soak for 15-20 minutes. Immediately slip into bed after toweling dry.

Aromatherapy for Sleep Enhancement – (Insomnia)

Essential oils act quickly on the brain and nervous system to induce relaxation and also help to ease muscle tension that can interfere with sleep. Taking a warm aromatherapy bath at night is a wonder­ful way to prepare for a restful night's sleep. Sip a cup of relaxing herbal tea, dim the lights, and soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Be sure to slip right into bed after your bath-don't distract yourself with other tasks that might stimulate your nervous system. The following essential oils are especially helpful for relieving insomnia.

Chamomile has a herbaceous, sweet and slightly tart fragrance that helps to relieve insomnia caused by nervous tension. Roman chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) tends to have a sweeter fragrance than German chamomile (Matricaria recutita).

Clary sage has potent sedative effects on the nervous system and has a slightly euphoric effect that is helpful for relieving insom­nia. It also has muscle-relaxing properties. Clary sage has a warm, sweet, musty scent.

Lavender has soothing, sedating, and balancing effects on the mind and body. It has a floral, herbaceous fragrance with sweet or balsamic undertones.

Marjoram eases muscular and nervous tension and has relax­ing and sedative effects. It has a sweet, spicy herbaceous fragrance.

Aromatherapy Fragrant Baths to Relieve Depression

Choose one of the following combinations of essential oils and add to a bathtub of warm water. Soak for 15 to 20 minutes. If you are feeling tense, add 2 cups of Epsom salts to the bath, which are rich in magnesium, a tension-relieving mineral.

Rose-Bergamot Bath: 5 drops rose, 5 drops bergamot
Sandalwood-Lavender Bath: 10 drops lavender, 5 drops sandalwood
Lavender-Bergamot Bath: 10 drops lavender, 5 drops bergamot

Mood Uplifting Aromatherapy Massage Oil Recipes for Depression

3 ounces almond oil
1 ounce jojoba oil
20 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops rose essential oil
10 drops bergamot .essential oil

Combine almond and jojoba oils with essential oils in a dark­-glass bottle. Store in a cool, dark place, and shake well before using.

Aromatherapy Treatments for Depression

Aromatherapy essential oils have a direct influence on the limbic portion of the brain, which is the center of the brain responsible for emotions and memory. That's why smells evoke such immediate and powerful memories and feelings. Essential oils have a subtle and profound effect on the psyche and can be incorporated into your daily life in many ways to uplift your spirits and balance your emotions. Just the act of using essential oils is healing, because the more things you you do to nurture yourself, the better you will feel.

The following essential oils are especially helpful for relieving depression and can be used daily in baths and massage oils.

Bergamot has a fresh, spicy, citrusy fragrance and has an uplift­ing effect on the psyche. Bergamot contains bergapten, which cancause skin photosensitivity. Buy bergapten-free essential oil.

Lavender has a sweet, herbaceous, floral fragrance and is bal­ancing for the nervous system. It acts as a restorative tonic and has antidepressant properties.

Rose has a sweet, floral, intensely rose fragrance. It promotes a feeling of well-being, eases sorrow and psychological pain, and opens the heart to feelings of love.

Sandalwood has a rich, woody, sweet fragrance. It has anti­ depressant effects and is also calming and harmonizing.

Stress-Relieving Aromatherapy Massage Oil Recipes

3 ounces almond oil
1 ounce jojoba oil
15 drops lavender essential oil
15 drops sandalwood essential oil
10 drops frankincense essential oil

Combine almond and jojoba oil with essential oil in a dark glass bottle. Shake well, and store tightly capped in a cool, dark place.

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Sandalwood-Floral Soothing Bath for Stress

5 drops sandalwood essential oil
5 drops rose essential oil
2 drops ylang-ylang essential oil

Add essential oils to a bathtub of warm water. Light a candle, play your favorite relaxing music, and sip a cup of hot linden-flower tea while you soak for 15-20 minutes.

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Body & Mind-Relaxing Aromatherapy Bath for Stress and Anxiety

2 cups Epsom salts
1 cup baking soda
10 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops marjoram essential oil

Draw a tubful of warm water, and while the water is running add the Epsom salts and baking soda. After the tub has filled, mix the lavender and marjoram essential oils into the bathwa­ter. Darken the room, light a candle, put on soothing music, 15-20 minutes. Imagine as the tub drains that all of your tension is draining away with the water.

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Aromatherapy for Stress and Anxiety

Fragrant essential oils have powerful effects on the emotions and can help to relieve stress and anxiety when used in baths and mas­sages, or even by placing a drop or two on a handkerchief and inhaling the fragrance. The following essential oils are especially helpful for easing emotional distress.
Bergamot has a sweet, spicy, citrusy fragrance. It has a refresh­ing and uplifting effect on the emotions and is helpful for both stress and anxiety.

Bergamot contains a compound called bergapten that can cause skin photosensitivity, so use a bergapten-free oil.

Frankincense has a warm, rich, sweet balsamic fragrance and has been used as an incense since ancient times to promote a sense of peace and to soothe the spirit. It has sedative properties and slows and deepens the breathing, which helps to relieve stress and anxiety.

Lavender has a sweet, herbaceous, floral, and balsamic fra­grance. It is balancing for the body and emotions and helps to relieve anxiety, nervous stress, and headaches or insomnia that are caused by tension.

Marjoram has a warm, herbaceous, slightly spicy fragrance. It has potent sedative properties, eases nervous tension and irritabili­ty, and is helpful for stress-related disorders such as muscle tension and headaches.

Rose has a sweet, floral, intensely rose fragrance. It has mild sedative and balancing effects on the psyche, is soothing and com­forting, and promotes a feeling of well-being.

Sandalwood has a deep, rich, woodsy fragrance. It has mild sedative properties, engenders a sense of peaceful relaxation, and is helpful for relieving anxiety and all stress-related complaints. Burn­ing sandalwood incense creates a peaceful atmosphere.

Ylang ylang has a very sweet, exotic floral fragrance and has a sedative and slightly euphoric effect on the emotions. It is helpful for both anxiety and nervous tension. A drop or two of ylang ylang is sufficient-beware of overdosing, because too much can cause headaches or nausea.

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Energy- Restoring Aromatherapy Bath Recipes for Fatigue

This bath combines the soothing qualities of lavender with the energizing effects of rosemary and peppermint for an uplifting, yet restorative bath.

7 drops lavender essential oil
3 drops rosemary essential oil
2 drops peppermint essential oil
1 cup sea salt
1 cup baking soda

Draw a bathtub of comfortably warm water. Combine sea salt and baking soda in a covered container and add essential oils. Shake well to combine, and add just before entering the tub. Soak for 15 minutes, and finish with a cool shower to energize your body and clear your mind.

Essential Oils That Relieve Fatigue (fatigue)

Essential oils can either relax or energize you, depending on the oils you choose. Use relaxing scents such as lavender and clary sage in baths and massages to help you unwind after a stressful day and to promote a good night's sleep. Use stimulating essential oils such as basil, rosemary, and peppermint in cool baths or footbaths for a quick boost of energy.

Lavender has relaxing and restorative properties for the body and the psyche. It helps to relieve fatigue that is related to emotional tension and also eases muscle aches caused by physical exertion. Lavender has a floral herbaceous fragrance with balsamic under­tones.

Clary sage is deeply relaxing and helps to relieve fatigue by calming an overly active mind and by enhancing adrenal function. It also helps to relax tense muscles and promotes restful sleep. Clary sage has a musty, deep, sweet scent.

Basil has an uplifting effect on the psyche and pelps to dispel mental fatigue. It also enhances the function of the adrenal glands. Basil has a warm, sweet, spicy scent.

Rosemary is one of the most potent and balanced essential-oil stimulants for both the mind and the body. It enhances the func­tioning of the adrenal glands, helps to overcome fatigue, and also improves mental clarity. Rosemary has a strong, herbaceous fra­grance with mint and camphor undertones.

Peppermint is energizing and invigorating and is excellent for relieving mental exhaustion and physical fatigue. It has a potent, minty scent, and because it is so strong, should be used only in small amounts (no more than three drops in a bath).

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Sensual- Pleasures Aromatherapy Massage Oil Recipes

3 ounces almond oil
1 ounce jojoba oil
20 drops sandalwood essential oil
10 drops rose essential oil
5 drops clary sage essential oil

Combine almond oil, jojoba oil, and essential oils in a dark glass bottle. Cap tightly, shake well, and store in a cool, dark place.

Enhance Your Sexual Vitality with Aromatherapy

Scent has a powerful effect on the mind and the body and can greatly enhance sensual enjoyment. The sense of smell is controlled by the limbic system, the part of the brain that is the center for emo­tions, memories, and sexuality. Because fragrance directly influ­ences the limbic part of the brain, many essential oils have long been valued as aphrodisiacs.

Rose is especially beneficial for women. It helps to balance hormones, has a tonic effect on the reproductive organs, and enhances sexuality. Psychologically, rose is uplifting and helps to restore a woman's connection to her femininity.

Sandalwood induces a state of calmness and serenity and relieves nervous tension. It is considered a sexual restorative for both women and men and has a rich, deep, woodsy-sweet scent.

Ylang-ylang is deeply relaxing, exotic, and sensuous. It has a rich, intensely sweet floral fragrance that can be overpowering in excess. Use it in very small quantities-two or three drops at most in a bath.

Patchouli has been used for thousands of years as a sexual stimulant. It also relieves nervous exhaustion. This ancient fragrance has a rich, deep, earthy, herbaceous scent.

Jasmine relieves nervous tension, has mild euphoric properties, and is said to restore sexual confidence. It has an exotic, warm, fruity-floral fragrance.

Clary sage helps to balance hormones. It has sedative, almost euphoric properties and relieves emotional tension that can inter­fere with sexuality. It has a deep, sweet, herbaceous fragrance.

Ease Hot Flashes with Aromatherapy

Relaxing baths ease physical and emotional tension and are a won­derful treat for relieving the discomfort of hot flashes. Avoid hot water, which can raise body temperature and trigger hot flashes. Draw a tub of tepid water, and add one cup of baking soda as a skin soother. Essential oils add fragrance and subtle healing prop­erties. Lavender, geranium, clary sage, and rose essential oils all help to balance hormones and promote relaxation. Add 5 to 10 drops total of one or more essential oils to a tubful of water.

You can enjoy the cooling and relaxing benefits of aromatherapy throughout the day by carrying a spray bottle filled with a refreshing facial mist.

Cooling Aromatherapy Facial Mist for Hot Flashes

1/4 cup aloe vera juice
1/4 cup rosewater
5 drops rose or lavender essential oil

Combine ingredients in a glass spray bottle and shake well. Mist skin as often as desired.

Healing Aromatherapy Breast Massage Oil

2 ounces almond oil
1/2 teaspoon vitamin-E oil
15 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops grapefruit essential oil

Blend oils together in a tightly capped dark glass bottle. Apply approximately 1/2 teaspoon of oil to breasts immediately after bathing, while skin is still slightly damp. Massage breasts with a gentle, circular motion, finishing 'With sweeping movements, stroking from the breasts to the underarms to enhance lym­phatic flow.

Pain- Relieving Aromatherapy Breast Compress

2 teaspoons chamomile flowers
2 teaspoons calendula flowers
2 teaspoons yarrow flowers
1 1/2 cups water
10 drops lavender essential oil
2 washcloths
hot water bottle

Pour boiling water over herbs, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Strain, and add lavender essential oil. Dip washcloth into hot herbal solution, wring out slightly, and place over the breast. Cover with a dry towel and a hot water bottle to retain heat and leave. in place for 3 minutes. Remove washcloth and replace with a second washcloth that has been dipped in cold water. Leave cold washcloth on breast for one minute, and immedi­ately fallow with the hot washcloth that has again been dipped into the hot herbal solution. Reheat the herbal solution if neces­sary. Repeat cycle 3 times, ending with the cold washcloth.