Home sweet home
Aromatherapy's wonderful fragrances can be antibacterial and mood enhancing and may even help you to sell your home.
BY Donna Duggan Feb 20, 2008
Most homes have a distinctive smell that may not be obvious to the occupants but is noticed by most guests. This smell can be the result of various things, from stale cigarette smoke to fragrant cooking, to freshly cut flowers.
Have you noticed how some rooms feel fresh and relaxed while others feel heavy and uncomfortable, regardless of the furnishings? The smell of your home can affect its general “feel”. In fact, real estate agents have been known to advise their vendors to create a homely atmosphere by brewing coffee or baking a cake before potential buyers arrive, showing how influential the sense of smell can be. Fortunately it’s simple to enhance the aroma of your home with the practice of aromatherapy.
Aromatherapy is the art of using pure essential oils for a variety of functions. Essential oils are extracted from the flowers, roots, leaves, bark, rind and seeds of certain species of plants. They not only offer a wonderful fragrance, they can also be antibacterial, anti-viral, mood enhancing and more.
The use of essential oils for healing, beauty and rituals has been recorded for centuries. Today, science supports the therapeutic value and effectiveness of a range of oils.
Ancient Egyptian priests used aromatic substances to embalm pharaohs and to treat mental illness. In the fifth century BC, Hippocrates, the “father of medicine”, recognised that burning certain aromatic substances offered health-giving properties. In India, early temples were built entirely of sandalwood, ensuring an aromatic atmosphere at all times. The ancient Greeks thought that sweet smells were of divine origin, believing that when they died they went to Elysium, where the air was permanently scented by perfumed rivers.
French cosmetic chemist Rene-Maurice Gattefosse was the first to study the therapeutic properties of essential oils, in the 1920s. While making fragrances in his laboratory, Gattefosse burnt his arm and thrust it into the nearest cold liquid he could find, which was a tub of lavender oil. He was surprised by how fast his wound healed and dedicated the rest of his life to the practice he called “aromatherapy”.
Since then, numerous scientific studies on the practice of aromatherapy have been conducted. Science has shown that essential oils affect us mainly through olfaction (the sense of smell). When you breathe in essential oils, the aroma molecules connect with the receptor cells in the olfactory bulbs in your nose, which sets off a chain of reactions that leads to an electrical impulse being sent to the brain. The part of the brain primarily affected is the limbic system, which controls emotions, memory and learning.
GETTING STARTED
The easiest way to use essential oils in your home is to add a few drops of your chosen oil to a diffuser (oil burner). Diffusers heat the oil, allowing the molecules to be released into the atmosphere. They can be purchased from department stores, health food shops and some gift shops. There are different types of diffusers and they can be made from clay, glass, plastic or metal. Some heat the oil with a tea light candle while others use electricity. It’s important to choose a diffuser with a non-porous bowl section so it can be wiped clean after each use.
Another way to use essential oils in your home is to add warm water to an unused sprayer bottle, then add a few drops of your chosen oil. You can spray the bottle into the air or onto the carpet to freshen the room. You can also add your chosen oil to a bowl of boiling water and leave it to permeate the room.
Now all you need to do is decide what oil to use.
FRESHEN UP
Citrus oils such as lemon, lime, bergamot and grapefruit are great if you want to freshen up the smell of your home. You can team one of these oils with lavender for an uplifting feel, or with geranium if you want a settled household.
CHILL OUT
A wonderful way to wind down after a stressful day is to add five drops of a “relaxation” oil to a warm bath. If you don’t have a bath you can add four drops of oil to a bowl of warm water and soak your feet. Relaxing essential oils include ylang-ylang, neroli, rose, marjoram, mandarin, lavender and chamomile.
BUG BUSTERS
As you enter the cold and flu season, you may want to burn oils that have anti-viral and antibacterial properties. Good oils include eucalyptus, bergamot, tea-tree, lavender and thyme. If you’ve already succumbed to a bug, add a couple of drops of these oils to a warm bath or add them to a base oil (such as sweet almond or olive) and get someone to give you a massage.
LOVELY LAUNDRY
In the 16th century the Elizabethans dried their clothes on rosemary bushes to infuse them with a lovely scent. If you don’t have a rosemary bush, add three drops of your favourite essential oil to the softener compartment of your washing machine. Avoid resinous oils such as myrrh as they can cling to your clothes. Good oils for perfuming your clothes include lavender, geranium, jasmine and ylang-ylang.
To keep moths away from your clothes add a few drops of lemongrass oil to a cottonwool ball and put it in your clothes drawer.
ROMANCE IN THE AIR
Many essential oils have aphrodisiac qualities that can spice up a romantic night at home. Exotic oils to burn include ylang-ylang, clary sage, jasmine, neroli, sandalwood and rose. You may also want to add a couple of drops of oil to a warm bath or light a candle and add one drop of your favourite oil into the hot wax.
Caution
Keep essential oils out of reach of children.
Don’t use essential oils internally unless advised by a qualified aromatherapist.
Consult an aromatherapist before using any oils while pregnant.
Most essential oils need to be mixed with a carrier or base oil (such as sweet almond or olive) before using on the skin.
Use pure essential oils, not synthetic “fragrant” oils.
Aromatherapy's wonderful fragrances can be antibacterial and mood enhancing and may even help you to sell your home.
BY Donna Duggan Feb 20, 2008
Most homes have a distinctive smell that may not be obvious to the occupants but is noticed by most guests. This smell can be the result of various things, from stale cigarette smoke to fragrant cooking, to freshly cut flowers.
Have you noticed how some rooms feel fresh and relaxed while others feel heavy and uncomfortable, regardless of the furnishings? The smell of your home can affect its general “feel”. In fact, real estate agents have been known to advise their vendors to create a homely atmosphere by brewing coffee or baking a cake before potential buyers arrive, showing how influential the sense of smell can be. Fortunately it’s simple to enhance the aroma of your home with the practice of aromatherapy.
Aromatherapy is the art of using pure essential oils for a variety of functions. Essential oils are extracted from the flowers, roots, leaves, bark, rind and seeds of certain species of plants. They not only offer a wonderful fragrance, they can also be antibacterial, anti-viral, mood enhancing and more.
The use of essential oils for healing, beauty and rituals has been recorded for centuries. Today, science supports the therapeutic value and effectiveness of a range of oils.
Ancient Egyptian priests used aromatic substances to embalm pharaohs and to treat mental illness. In the fifth century BC, Hippocrates, the “father of medicine”, recognised that burning certain aromatic substances offered health-giving properties. In India, early temples were built entirely of sandalwood, ensuring an aromatic atmosphere at all times. The ancient Greeks thought that sweet smells were of divine origin, believing that when they died they went to Elysium, where the air was permanently scented by perfumed rivers.
French cosmetic chemist Rene-Maurice Gattefosse was the first to study the therapeutic properties of essential oils, in the 1920s. While making fragrances in his laboratory, Gattefosse burnt his arm and thrust it into the nearest cold liquid he could find, which was a tub of lavender oil. He was surprised by how fast his wound healed and dedicated the rest of his life to the practice he called “aromatherapy”.
Since then, numerous scientific studies on the practice of aromatherapy have been conducted. Science has shown that essential oils affect us mainly through olfaction (the sense of smell). When you breathe in essential oils, the aroma molecules connect with the receptor cells in the olfactory bulbs in your nose, which sets off a chain of reactions that leads to an electrical impulse being sent to the brain. The part of the brain primarily affected is the limbic system, which controls emotions, memory and learning.
GETTING STARTED
The easiest way to use essential oils in your home is to add a few drops of your chosen oil to a diffuser (oil burner). Diffusers heat the oil, allowing the molecules to be released into the atmosphere. They can be purchased from department stores, health food shops and some gift shops. There are different types of diffusers and they can be made from clay, glass, plastic or metal. Some heat the oil with a tea light candle while others use electricity. It’s important to choose a diffuser with a non-porous bowl section so it can be wiped clean after each use.
Another way to use essential oils in your home is to add warm water to an unused sprayer bottle, then add a few drops of your chosen oil. You can spray the bottle into the air or onto the carpet to freshen the room. You can also add your chosen oil to a bowl of boiling water and leave it to permeate the room.
Now all you need to do is decide what oil to use.
FRESHEN UP
Citrus oils such as lemon, lime, bergamot and grapefruit are great if you want to freshen up the smell of your home. You can team one of these oils with lavender for an uplifting feel, or with geranium if you want a settled household.
CHILL OUT
A wonderful way to wind down after a stressful day is to add five drops of a “relaxation” oil to a warm bath. If you don’t have a bath you can add four drops of oil to a bowl of warm water and soak your feet. Relaxing essential oils include ylang-ylang, neroli, rose, marjoram, mandarin, lavender and chamomile.
BUG BUSTERS
As you enter the cold and flu season, you may want to burn oils that have anti-viral and antibacterial properties. Good oils include eucalyptus, bergamot, tea-tree, lavender and thyme. If you’ve already succumbed to a bug, add a couple of drops of these oils to a warm bath or add them to a base oil (such as sweet almond or olive) and get someone to give you a massage.
LOVELY LAUNDRY
In the 16th century the Elizabethans dried their clothes on rosemary bushes to infuse them with a lovely scent. If you don’t have a rosemary bush, add three drops of your favourite essential oil to the softener compartment of your washing machine. Avoid resinous oils such as myrrh as they can cling to your clothes. Good oils for perfuming your clothes include lavender, geranium, jasmine and ylang-ylang.
To keep moths away from your clothes add a few drops of lemongrass oil to a cottonwool ball and put it in your clothes drawer.
ROMANCE IN THE AIR
Many essential oils have aphrodisiac qualities that can spice up a romantic night at home. Exotic oils to burn include ylang-ylang, clary sage, jasmine, neroli, sandalwood and rose. You may also want to add a couple of drops of oil to a warm bath or light a candle and add one drop of your favourite oil into the hot wax.
Caution
Keep essential oils out of reach of children.
Don’t use essential oils internally unless advised by a qualified aromatherapist.
Consult an aromatherapist before using any oils while pregnant.
Most essential oils need to be mixed with a carrier or base oil (such as sweet almond or olive) before using on the skin.
Use pure essential oils, not synthetic “fragrant” oils.
Courtesy of http://www.mindfood.com/at-home-sweet-home.seo
