& Why you Should Try it at Least Once
The power of plants is just epic and when this power is distilled and concentrated it becomes phenomenal.
I want to talk to you about my journey into aromatherapy and why I feel incredibly fortunate to have stumbled across this incredible science and profoundly healing, yet relatively simple practice. I also want to talk to you about 5 reasons why you might want to try it at least once in your life.
It all started with itchy armpits. I, like many other people was completely sold on the concept of antiperspirant deodorants, they made me feel more confident, stopping the discomfort of wet armpits and keeping me smelling fresh all day. The stronger the formulation, the more attractive I found them. And then, just like that, my body started to react to these products, and it let me know in no uncertain terms that I needed to stop using them. My armpits were itchy, raw, and quite frankly very painful. No amount of soothing creams and over the counter dermatitis products came even near solving the problem.
So I googled it. “Why are my armpits suddenly itching?” and this avalanche of information hit me. I was stunned and did not like any of what I read.
I learnt about the harmful chemicals in deodorants, the fact that most if not all antiperspirants contained aluminium, which is linked to breast cancer. I learnt how harmful it is to stop the body from sweating – it is a natural process through which we release toxins and the smell of our sweat is an indicator of our overall physical health, and much much more.
That was it, my mind was made up. No more antiperspirants for me. I researched the market for a “natural” alternative, but they either contained too much alcohol, which really stung or were just ineffective in neutralising “the smell”. I was quite dejected by then, I thought I was facing a life of being the person with smelly armpits forever!
But, me being me, I decided there had to be an alternative. So I turned to my old friend Google again and to my new friend Pintrest and low and behold I found the answer. Home made deodorants could work for me.
Generally made using soothing butters and oils, containing antibacterial, antimicrobial essential oils they would help me detox my pits and after a painful few weeks of allowing the toxins accumulated in my armpits to leave my body, my sweat would be mostly scent free and my armpits would be smooth and healthy (every single article I read suggested I take a six week holiday to allow for this process, which was daunting to say the least as there was no way I could do that!).
And that was it, I bought the ingredients and got experimenting. The more I read, the more curious I became about essential oils and their healing powers. Until then I had only ever used them to scent my house. I decided I needed to know more to create my own bespoke blends and enrolled in an Aromatherapy Diploma course, which took me on my first journey into alternative and complementary therapies and I have not looked back since. That first interest in essential oils has lead to Soul of the Earth being born, with Aromatherapy being one of my main offerings. I consider myself so fortunate that I can share all my learnings with others to help them feel better physically and mentally, in ways that combine and distil my many years of learning, studying and practicing.
If you are wondering, I continue to use home made deodorants and love, love, love them. I have also not used commercially produced shampoos, soap or face and body creams in decades. I clean my house mostly with vinegar, water, bicarbonate of soda and essential oils and it feels so good to know it is all natural.
So that is my journey of discovery and initiation into Aromatherapy and much more. I want to share with you what it is and how it can be applied to daily life very simply and cheaply, so please read on.
What is Aromatherapy?
Simply put it is the practice of using essential oils for therapeutic treatment. It has been used for centuries if not Millenia, harnessing the power of plants to promote wellbeing.
What are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are highly concentrated compounds extracted mostly from plants, but also from resins through a variety of natural methods, eg. distillation (through steam or water) or mechanical methods (such as cold pressing) that retain the essence of the plant they have been extracted from.
How Does it Work?
Mostly in one of two ways, either through skin absorption or through smell. There are many applications and ways of inhaling essential oils, such as diffusers, inhalers, hot/cold compresses and the different way to aid skin absorption, such as creams, balms, and ultimately massage, which combines inhalation and skin absorption.
Overall, aromatherapy aims to restore homeostasis within the body, restoring harmony where this is lacking.
With the basics over, I want to share with you the 5 top reasons I am one of Aromatherapy’s biggest fans:
1. Reduces Stress & Anxiety
Experiencing stress and anxiety is an inevitable part of being human. Knowing how to manage it is key to living a lighter, brighter, easier life. When I am at home and I feel overwhelmed by it all, I plug in my diffuser, add a few drops of either Lavender, Sweet Orange or Bergamot to lift my mood and calm my senses. I begin by sitting quietly and inhaling the scent in deeply for a few minutes, then leave the diffuser run on its longest lasting setting. This helps to lower blood pressure, lowers the heart rate, acting on the fight or flight instinct, allowing me to become more relaxed and less overwhelmed.
When I am out and about, I like to carry a roll on stick in my bag, filled with a blend of my favourite carrier oil and a few drops of essential oil to roll on my body’s pressure points (wrists and temples) if I feel overly stressed or anxious (eg, I am late and stuck in traffic)
2. Boosts Energy Levels & Improves Focus
On those days when I feel like my brain is made of marshmallow and the only thing appealing to me is the duvet, but I have a deadline or commitments, I boost my energy levels using my trusted diffuser and a few drops of any citrus oil that takes my fancy or peppermint and/or rosemary. Sometimes a combination of these to really boost my focus and get over that finish line!
3. Cleanses & Balances the Energy in Your Home
Sometimes the energy in your home environment can feel heavy, darker, unwelcoming. Diffusing cleansing essential oils such as rosemary, cedarwood, lemon and patchouli and opening the windows wide, can instantly makes your home feel much brighter, lighter and welcoming. Any negativity stuck within is cleansed by the scents and the open windows allow it to leave your space freely, restoring peace, light and joy.
4. Gives you a Better Night’s Sleep
We all have those nights when sleep eludes us. A busy brain, worry, overexertion, a heavy meal, life in general, the phases of the moon, the time of year, hormonal imbalances can all contribute to poor sleep patterns and quality. Having a bedtime routine of switching off tech at least two hours before bedtime, reading a few pages, laying on your bed doing a few gentle stretches followed by a few minutes of gentle deep breath, laying in your right side all help with getting you off to sleep, but if you also diffuse lavender or marjoram oil for an hour before bed and throughout the night (unless you use an oil burner, in which case it is unsafe to let the candle burn all night), it will help you relax more deeply and fall asleep more easily.
5. Helps Balance Hormones & Ease Menopause Symptoms
Hormones… testing us since time immemorial…
My own relationship with hormones has been rather fraught throughout my life. Intense PMT affecting me physically, mentally and emotionally, agonising period pain, pre-natal depression when carrying my son, IBS, etc. Then I hit a surgical menopause, which meant that my oestrogen levels went from 100 to 0 in 60 seconds flat. All symptoms seemed to come at once, hot flushes, joint pains, brain fog, fatigue, UTIs, you name it, it came to visit and joined the party.
Sounds familiar?
I was fortunate by now that I understood how to use Aromatherapy to help ease some of the symptoms and really wish I had had that knowledge years earlier. I have used it since the start of my menopause, together with some lifestyle and dietary changes. The right oils can help balance the hormones as they contain plant hormones that mimic the corresponding human ones, such as fennel essential oil that can help with menstrual problem or clary sage essential oil that can help with managing hot flushes.
At this point I need to make it clear that aromatherapy is a complementary therapy and as such does not replace conventional medicine but works beautifully alongside it and better results can be achieved than when using medications alone. Please note that essential oils should never be used neat on the skin or ingested. They should always be diluted with what is known as a carrier oil (for example sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil coconut oil, etc). You should also always consult your doctor before using aromatherapy if you have any allergies, chest conditions or are on medications.
If you are interested in finding out more about how the power of essential oils and their application can help you, please get in touch, I’d love to hear from you.
Main – Photo by Mareefe
