by Victoria Bender
We buy products to clean, deodorize and freshen our homes that have ingredients also used as, among other things, pesticides and fertilizers. Many of these chemicals are known and classified as poisons, carcinogens and toxins, but are not even required to be listed as ingredients on product labels since they are not considered consumables...

Aromatherapy

by Joan Clark
Tender, loving care" are the words that I write on the bottles of lavender that fill my laboratory. Lavender is a plant spirit medicine that exudes the qualities and essence of the Divine Mother energy. It is a beautiful, elegant, powerful, loving essence that is always ready to nurture and care for our bodies, minds and spirits...

 

by Denise Wickell, LMT, CA, RA

Steam distilled from the leaves and flowers of the plant Pelargonium graveolens, Geranium smells amazing! With complex layers and nuances of aromas (leafy, green, sweet, fresh, feminine, floral and somewhat rosy), it’s difficult to believe its beautiful bouquet is from one plant genus and not several blended together...

Aromatherapy

by Joie Power, PhD,
ATH Guest Editor of Aromatherapy

In simple terms, when choosing an essential oil, one wants high therapeutic value and low toxicity. There are many different compounds within each of the major categories - altogether there are several hundred individual chemical substances that are found in essential oils. This makes it difficult to evaluate oils chemically. Even though a chromatograph may show only a few of the constituents of an oil, one still needs knowledge of many individual substances and their properties to read a chromatograph...

Aromatherapy

by Joie Power, PhD,
ATH Guest Editor of Aromatherapy

"Even an oil which is quite truthfully described as pure may be of poor quality, and therefore of less value  therapeutically.  IF AN ESSENTIAL OIL COSTS MUCH LESS THAN YOU WOULD NORMALLY EXPECT TO PAY FOR IT, the oil may well be a third or fourth distillate from a batch of plant material which has already  yielded the greater part of its properties to the first or second distillation..."

Aromatherapy

by Beverley Hawkins

As many of you may be aware essential oils can be very helpful in times of Emotional Stress and Disharmony. Because our sense of smell is hot wired directly into the limbic system of the brain, aroma can elicit a mood or memory response before you are even aware of what you have smelled, or sometimes even before you realize you have experienced an aroma at all...

Aromatherapy

by Jennifer Jefferies

The leading causes of car accidents are distractions (such as using your mobile phone, fiddling with the radio or CD player, eating, grooming, dealing with the kids or picking up something you’ve dropped on the floor) and drowsiness. Have you ever felt tempted to rest your eyes for a few seconds while you’re driving, when you’re bored in traffic or at the end of a long trip? Ever found yourself racing to a meeting, battling traffic and feeling stressed and frustrated?...

Aromatherapy

by M.J. Plaster

 

Nothing turns a commonplace, ho-hum room into a radiant, inviting setting faster than the flicker of a few ordinary candles scattered strategically throughout the room. Add scented candles and you can quickly evoke childhood memories, transport your imagination to a tropical island, or infuse the room with the crisp scent of a pine forest. Aromatherapy candles add yet another dimension to the equation. 

Aromatherapy

by Shellie Enteen, RA, BA, LMT

With all the tools I have gathered in my 30 year practice and study of holistic health, when I feel the need for an immediate, potent, lasting change in body, mind, spirit I choose to soak for at least 10 minutes, undisturbed, in a hot bath containing (diluted) essential oils...

Aromatherapy

by KG Stiles

Your animal friend's olfaction process is similar to humans though much more acute. Animals are SUPER sensitive to smells!...

Editor's Note: KG is a member of the Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) Team at Ashland Community Hospital  which became affiliated with Planetree in 2006. The Planetree Organization helps hospitals provide patient-centered programs and care focused on healing and nurturing body...

Aromatherapy