Essential Aromatherapy Products

If you are considering practicing aromatherapy at home or are a professional such as a massage therapist or other holistic health care provider looking to integrate aromatherapy into your practice, there are several essential aromatherapy products that you will need to get started.  In this article I will discuss the five most important aromatherapy products that you will need in your arsenal as well as one that is nice to have or nice to suggest for clients or friends.  

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is the science and practice of using volatile plant essence oils such as essential oils for physical and psychological health.  An essential oil is basically the pure essence of a plant and based on the plant in question, they are extracted in various manners.  When used safely and correctly, aromatherapy has been shown to provide benefits to both mental and physical health.  Aside from essential oils, hydrosols, CO2s, and absolutes are also used commonly in aromatherapy.  Common aromatherapy practices involve using natural and complementary ingredients such as other herbs, milk, powders, natural sea salts, clays and muds, and naturally extracted oils and jojoba.  Traditional aromatherapy does not include the use of any synthetic ingredients or fragrance/perfume oils.  Perfume and fragrance oils are not the same as essential oils and do contain synthetic chemicals without containing all of the beneficial constituents of therapeutic quality essential oils.

The first and most important thing you need when starting out in aromatherapy is good information and an education on the various essential oils used in aromatherapy. It is vital to understand the properties of each oil you will use. When teaching beginners, I tend to start slow with just a few basic essential oils such as lavender, chamomile, tea tree oil, lemon oil, etc. Starting with just a handful of essential oils and working with them over time on yourself will give you a good feel for their properties as well as build your confidence in using them safely and correctly. You should never use an essential oil when you do not understand its properties or its contraindications. Even though essential oils are “natural” this does not mean that they are not harmful in certain situations.

Good beginning aromatherapy books will contain information on the properties of various essential oils as well as how to safely use them. Therapeutic grade essential oils are very potent and require different handling and application than perfumes. In addition, the information provided will include a discussion of various conditions that the essential oil is useful as well as how to use the oil with those conditions, and how any blend recipes provided work with the body's systems. A good aromatherapy resource will always include both the physical and the psychological/emotional benefits and used. Safety information and contraindications should be clear and provided for every single essential oil. The ideal aromatherapy resource manual will also include information on the plant used, its history, as well as the best extraction methods for therapeutic grade essential oils. You should also look for a good discussion on choosing carrier oils for different aromatherapy uses – its okay if a book doesn't list every carrier oil known to man, but you should be able to find information that will help you decide when a certain carrier oil is superior to another for a particular essential oil or application.

Essential oils are not the same thing as synthetic fragrance or perfume oils. Essential oils used for aromatherapy should never contain any synthetic ingredient and perfume or fragrance oils should never be used for aromatherapy. Sometimes finding a quality essential oil at a reasonable price can be difficult – certain plants require a tremendous volume of a particular part of the plant in order to produce a single ounce of therapeutic grade essential oil and these will always be at a high price. Rose essential oil is a good example. 100% pure rose oil will sell for upwards of $80 for an eighth of an ounce. Only purchase essential oils from manufacturers that use the best methods to extract therapeutic grade essential oils and who list the ingredients in the product information. Consult your aromatherapy books if you don't know what that is off the top of your head for a particular oil. In addition, you should always read the labels of essential oils to make sure that they do not contain any synthetic ingredients. Not all oils are sold at 100% purity, some such as rose oil mentioned above may be diluted with a carrier oil already to make the price less expensive. Knowing which of your oils are 100% concentrated and which are already diluted will help when you are choosing carrier oils and making your own blends.

Diffusers are used in aromatherapy to spread the fragrance of an essential oil throughout a space.  Many diffusers are heated to assist in volatilizing the essential oil more quickly.  Diffusers are especially nice to use throughout the home for various reasons – for example diffusing lavender in the bedroom to help with calming and soothing for sleep or using lemon oil in the office or a study area to help with focus, mental alertness, and concentration.

As therapeutic grade essential oils are very potent, they should always be diluted using a quality carrier oil.  The carrier oil you choose will depend on the particular essential oil used as well as what you are using it for.  Many carrier oils also have their own scent, such as sweet almond oil, which may or may not blend well with the essential oil in question.  Consult your references if you have questions about which carrier oil to choose for a particular application or essential oil.

Bottles, jars, and eyedroppers are especially important for mixing essential oils with carrier oils or for making your own special blends.  If you decide to step up to making your own aromatherapy lotions or other skin and hair care products or massage oils, you will need them as well.  The best containers are glass as it will not react with the chemical constituents of the oils.  They should be either dark blue or brown to keep out harmful sunlight and ultraviolet light as well.  Always store your oils in a cool dark place to maintain their shelf life.

Aromatherapy jewelry is not an essential but an amphora is nice to wear when you know you will need the benefit of a specific essential oil.  An amphora is a small container that is attached to a necklace.  They are very convenient for carrying around a few drops of an essential oil and having them at hand for use in inhalation therapy.  Having the essential oil in an amphora will keep it from evaporating fast such as by carrying around a handkerchief that contains a few drops of an essential oil.