The Complete Essential Oils Sourcebook: A Practical Approach to the Use of Essential Oils for Health and Well-Being. Julia Lawless
waters to hydrate and freshen the skin.
Rose oil is one of the best skin treatments.
Face scrub or exfoliant
To remove dead cells from the surface of the skin and stimulate the circulation, moisten a little medium-ground oatmeal (or colloidal oatmeal—available from pharmacists) in the palm of your hand using a suitable aromatic flower water, and rub gently all over the face. For dry or sensitive skins, use ground almonds.
OATMEAL
Dry and wet body-brushing
Rub one or two drops of a chosen essential oil into a dry loofah or a natural-bristle brush to make it smell fragrant. Start by rubbing the feet firmly with the brush, then gradually work your way up the body, concentrating on any congested or fatty areas, such as the hips or thighs. Work up the arms, paying special attention to the backs of the upper arms, up the back from the waist, up over the abdomen, and down the front from the shoulders.
Popular in Scandinavia, this technique stimulates the circulation, helps break down fatty deposits, and brings a glow to the skin. Used in combination with other approaches, it is helpful for removing cellulite. For a milder effect, the same technique can also be used in the shower or bath, using a few drops of essential oil on a wet brush, loofah, or sponge.
A loofah or sponge can be used as a body brush, to give an invigorating tingle.
Body-brushing or an oatmeal scrub improves the circulation and acts as an exfoliant to remove dull-looking dead cells.
Aromatic scalp oil preparations
Local massage is very effective for conditions such as hair loss and brittle or dry hair, if it is carried out on a regular basis. Massage also stimulates scalp circulation and nourishes the deeper layers of the skin, bringing more nutrients to the follicles and improving the hair. To make a scalp massage oil, mix 8 tsp/40ml coconut oil and 2 tsp/10ml wheat germ oil with between 10 and 25 drops of essential oil depending on hair and skin type.
Hair conditioner
To make a good hair conditioner to encourage hair growth and improve the quality of the hair structure, mix 10 drops of essential oil with 5 tsp/25ml of slightly warmed jojoba oil, castor oil, or extra virgin olive oil, and rub this thoroughly into the scalp. Cover the hair with a layer of waxed paper, wrap in warm towels, and leave for an hour. Wash out, applying shampoo before the water; otherwise the hair will remain oily. Repeat weekly.
LAVENDER
Massage oil into the scalp to nourish the scalp. Lavender oil is good for dandruff.
Body powders
Aromatic body powders can be made by mixing about 4 tbsp/30g unperfumed talc or cornstarch with 5 to 6 drops essential oils. Seal the mixture in a closed container and let the base absorb the oils for at least 24 hours before use.
Hair tonic
Aromatic hair tonics are especially recommended for oily or thinning hair, because they can help to balance sebum levels (the oil produced at the base of the hair) and promote hair growth. Dissolve about 10 drops of essential oils suited to your hair type in one tablespoon of cider vinegar and add to 3½fl oz/100ml of lavender water. Shake well and massage into the scalp.
Quick scalp rub
A quick method to use for treating the scalp between washes, if required, is to rub about 10 drops of pure tea tree or lavender oil into the scalp using the fingertips. This is beneficial for the treatment of dandruff and as a general conditioner.
Dry shampoo
It is not beneficial to wash the hair too often, as this can strip the hair of its protective acid mantle. When short of time, or between shampoos, simply add a drop of rosemary essential oil, or an oil chosen for its fragrance, to one tablespoon of orris root powder or fuller’s earth. Part the hair in sections and sprinkle the mixture on. Leave for five minutes, then brush out thoroughly.
Aromatic shampoo
Buy a neutral pH shampoo (this is marked on the label) and add your own choice of essential oils to it. Add one or two drops of essential oil to a capful of shampoo at each wash, or add 30 to 50 drops of your chosen essential oil (or a blend) to a 3½fl oz/100ml bottle of shampoo, and shake well before using.
Aromatic rinse
Add a few drops of a suitable aromatherapy oil, such as chamomile, lavender, or rosemary, to the final rinse water together with one tablespoon of cider vinegar. This very effective, yet simple, procedure gives the hair a wonderful shine and maintains the acid mantle of the scalp. It also imparts a delicious fragrance and new vitality to the hair.
Powdered orris root can be used as the basis of an effective dry shampoo.
Fuller’s earth is used for scalp treatment.
WARNING
Some oils, including ylang ylang, cedarwood, cypress, lemon, lime, juniper, mandarin, and pine, are not stable in shampoo or detergent and should therefore not be used.
The psychological effects of fragrance have long been recognized, while herbs have probably been used for their specific effects by so-called “primitive” peoples since the dawn of time. It is certain that in the past natural aromatic substances were often employed successfully for their hallucinogenic, sedative, stimulating, sexually arousing, or anesthetizing effects on the mind, but a proper study of the action of scents, and specifically of essential oils, on the mind and behaviour has never been completed.
Psycho-aromatherapy
Psycho-aromatherapy, which focuses primarily on the psychological potential of essential oils, consists of two separate but interrelated fields—aromatic medicine and perfumery. In psycho-aromatherapy, the physiological effect of specific essential oils on the systems of the body is combined with the individual’s emotional or psychological reaction to their fragrance—with both aspects working together in a psychosomatic unity. It could be said that there are three different dimensions involved: