Aromatherapy » Ylang Ylang

Stress Reducing Aromatherapy Scents

Author — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 08:08:21 +0000

Aromatherapy has been practiced in different parts of the world for thousands of years. Ever since making it’s way to the Western world, it has been steadily gaining in popularity. As more people have been introduced to the positive effects of aromatherapy, the number of different aromatherapy scents available has increased as well. This ancient art has many tangible benefits for the body and mind, but here we will concern ourselves with the effects it can have on stress. Specifically, we’ll look at some of the best aromatherapy scents for relieving stress.

Lavender

This is most likely one of the first things that comes to mind when people think about aromatherapy scents. This widely popular scent comes from a plant that originated in France. In aromatherapy, the list of the benefits of lavender is quite long. It has long been used in many different forms as a calming agent. The flowery scent of lavender is believed to have the ability to soothe not only the mind and body, but also the spirit. Some have even claimed success using lavender as a remedy for insomnia.

Chamomile

Chamomile is another very popular aromatherapy scent. It’s calming properties are very well documented. It comes to us from Italy, and not only calms and relaxes, it has also been known to relieve various types of pain. Most people have probably heard of this herb in the form of tea. Many enjoy the relaxing effects of a cup of chamomile tea.

Ylang Ylang

This aromatherapy scent comes from a plant in Madagascar, and some say it reminds them of jasmine, which is also used for aromatherapy. Ylang ylang has a floral scent that is sweet and exotic. This scent has been known to reduce anger and relieve stress. In fact, it has been used in various parts of the world as an antidepressant. It can also be used to treat various conditions that may be the source of your stress in the first place, including acne, PMS, high blood pressure, and muscle spasms.

There are other aromatherapy scents that have become quite popular over the last few decades. Jasmine, bergamot, vanilla, sandalwood and rose are just a few examples of these. All of these fragrances are thought to have the ability to bring calm to the mind and spirit. Most of them have been proven to at least improve the mood of the user and relieve some of the stress they are feeling. Many times, these aromatherapy scents are used during various types of massage sessions for this very purpose. They are used to bring the recipient to the most relaxing state of mind possible. This way they can get the most out of their massage session.

Love Potions: How Essential Oils Can Improve Your Love Life

Jennifer — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 21:01:26 +0000

Whether you’re in a brand new relationship or a marriage that has lasted for decades, you can use aromatherapy to enhance the romance for your Valentine. A selection of fragrant essential oils can help create a passionate connection between you and your partner.

How do the aromas of essential oils impact romance? The olfactory lobe – the part of the brain that processes scent – is part of the limbic system, which is associated with emotion and the formation of memory. Tom Havran, aromatherapy specialist at Aura Cacia, says essential oils can be used to facilitate a wide range of moods — including romantic ones.

“There are a number of oils that lovers and aspiring lovers might find useful,” Havran says. “Depending on the situation, you might want to create a relaxing atmosphere, or a stimulating or sensual one — and essential oils are the perfect starting point.”

Essential oils have the potential to elicit romance on four different levels. Some oils offer calming effects that reduce anxiety and self-consciousness, thereby opening the path to intimacy. Other oils are known for their stimulating and inspiring properties and can impact the hormonal system directly, increasing sexual desire. Some oils have been used throughout history as sexual attractants — it’s said that Cleopatra, one of the most well known seductresses in history, used a variety of scents and essential oils to create an atmosphere of passion for her relationship with Marc Antony.

Here is Havran’s rundown of the most popular essential oils in each of these romantic categories:

Calming: geranium, clary sage, lavender, sweet marjoram
Stimulating: cardamom, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon bark
Arousing: neroli, rose otto, ylang ylang, rose absolute
Attracting: sandalwood, patchouli, jasmine, cedarwood

A good candidate for the “ultimate love oil” is vanilla essential oil — especially in combination with cocoa butter. “The vanilla and cocoa combination has a tradition as an irresistibly arousing scent that goes back at least to the Aztecs,” Havran says. “And, it has a strong appeal for both men and women.”

Whichever essential oils you choose, they will work best if you create an environment where emotional and sensual closeness can thrive. If you have children, for example, make arrangements with friends or grandparents to take them for the evening, so that you’ll have uninterrupted time to focus on one another. Draw a hot bath for your partner, adding a few drops of essential oil to the water, and light some candles around the tub. Pour a couple of glasses of wine, give your partner a heartfelt Valentine’s Day card, and your evening of romance will be under way.

Preserve the romantic feelings with essential oils as the night progresses. Keep the scents fresh by using an essential oil diffuser or placing a few drops on your pillows, your bed clothes, or on top of the light bulbs in your bedroom lamps. Or create your own special massage oil by combining a seductive essential oil like jasmine with a carrier oil such as almond oil.

Because essential oils are very concentrated, it takes only a few drops per tablespoon of carrier oil to derive their benefits. However, you should never apply essential oils directly to the skin – always dilute them first in water or a carrier oil such as almond, grapeseed, or jojoba. Some oils such as cinnamon bark and clove have the potential to be irritants and should not be used on the skin at all.

For more on creating your own love potions and how to inspire or rekindle the spirit of love with essential oils, join Aura Cacia’s online chat on February 6 at 7 p.m. CST. To join the chat or access information in advance, visit www.auracacia.com/chat. For more information on aromatherapy and a complete selection of pure, high-quality essential oils, visit www.auracacia.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

The Best Essential Oil Recipes

Jennifer — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 02:56:40 +0000

Of course you can go out to a store and purchase your essential oil recipes, but if you really want to have some fun and be creative and make your own essential oil recipes, then you should know that the process involved here is really not all that difficult, as long as you have at least a basic idea of what you are doing and where to start.

Exotic Recipes

Arabian Nights

This is one exotic essential oil recipe in particular that is sure to create a romantic mood, for which you will need 3 drops Coriander, 1 drop Frankincense, 3 drops Juniper, and 4 drops Orange.

Egyptian Empress

Another exotic essential oil recipe, this one can really make you feel as though you are in another world, and all you need to do for it is mix 2 drops Cinnamon, 3 drops Lime, 4 drops Rose, and 5 drops Ylang Ylang.

Happiness Recipes

Besides exotic essential oil recipes, there are also happiness essential oil recipes that you can create, which will help you to feel that warm and blissful state of pure happiness and joy. These particular recipes can help to brighten the start of every day

Bliss Recipe

You need: 2 drops Bergamot, 1 drop Jasmine, 1 drop Rose, and 2 drops Sandalwood.

Joyfulness Recipe

You need: 2 drops Basil, 1 drop Geranium, 3 drops Melissa, and 2 drops Sandalwood.

Confidence Recipes

Then there are also various confidence essential oil recipes to choose from, with the four most popular recipes in particular being: Poise, Decisiveness, Self Belief, and Wedding Nerves.

Poise

For the first, Poise, you need 2 drops Basil, 3 drops Bergamot, 1 drop Coriander, and 4 drops Petitgrain.

Decisiveness

For the Decisiveness recipe you need 2 drops Benzoin, 3 drops Frankincense, 1 drop Geranium, and 3 drops Orange.

Self Belief Recipe

You will require 2 drops Ginger, 3 drops Myrtle, 4 drops Rosemary, and 3 drops Verbena.

Wedding Nerves

You need 4 drops Jasmine, 2 drops Lemon, and 1 drop Patchouli.

All of these essential oil recipes work very effectively, and have a pronounced relaxing and soothing effect that no other recipes in the world can offer. Essential oils are truly profound and wonderful, and regardless of whether you make your recipes from scratch or go out and buy them from a store, the point is that you are going to be doing yourself some serious good by using them.