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Create Your Own Aromatherapy
Laurie Drake
Here are the a-b-cīs, of selecting, mixing, and using essential
oils to relieve stress and make you feel wonderful.
All you need is a starter set of basic essential oils, a few small vials to mix them in, and high standards. The high standards are set here by custom aromatherapist Ginny Winfield, who has taught at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa and runs her own business, Ambiance Aromatherapy, in Ojai and Culver City, California.
Start with a few essential oils in single scents like cedar, pine, fir, lavender, juniper, orange, or eucalyptus -- oils that arenīt too exotic, expensive, or hard to find. "Shop where testers are available, so you can buy something that smells good to you," says Winfield. "Itīs a way of training your nose." Purchase the smallest bottle available (usually five milligrams) but of the highest quality, preferably organic (around $7 to $10 for each of the above scents). Many health-food stores like Whole Foods Market, homeopathic pharmacies, and spa shops carry essential oils.
Now, the expertīs secret: Look for the Latin binomial after the name and learn what it signifies. For example, a bottle of "essential oil of cedar" should also read "Cedrus atlantica" (the best cedar there is, harvested near Morocco) and not "Cedrus virginiana" (a cheaper version used for making pencils). To ensure that your "essential oil of juniper" is made from the fragrant berry (and not the less desirable leaves and twigs), look for the words "Juniperus communis." One of the best lavenders grows wild at high altitudes in France and is called "Lavandula angustifolia."
The cold-pressed versions of carrier oils (examples include: avocado, sweet almond, safflower, and hazelnut) contain nourishing fatty acids that are good for the skin, says Winfield. Skip mineral oil or anything containing lanolin, because these act more like barriers, she says. While carrier and essential oils wonīt go bad, they should be stored in the fridge for stability, or at least in a cool cupboard, away from sunlight.
The saying, "If a little is good, a lot is better," doesn?t apply to using essential oils. In fact, overdoing could provoke the opposite reaction from the one intended. For example, too much lavender oil in the bath can stimulate instead of relax you, says Winfield.
Here are some great blends for you to try:
A Stress-Relieving Bath and Shower
These oils are particularly good for relieving anxiety, calming the mind, and promoting restful sleep.
Lavender (3 drops)
Bergamot (2 drops)
Marjoram (1 drop)
Put drops in bath as it fills.
Winfield suggests the bath water be just warm enough to help you relax as you inhale the fragrance and let the oils work their magic on your skin. (Hot, steamy water disperses the oils too quickly and can destroy some of their components.) For a shower, place above oils on a washcloth, add a large dollop of unscented bath gel, blend together, and scrub away.
A Warm and Inviting Room
"This is a very calming blend, due to the high percentage of essential oils from trees, which tend to be very stabilizing for people," says Winfield.
Pine (2 drops)
Cedar (4 drops)
Fir (4 drops)
Orange (3 drops)
Clove (1-2 drops, as you like)
Cinnamon (1-2 drops, as you like)
Pour into air diffuser.
Massage Oil to Relieve Tension
All Four of These Essential oils are Warming and Stimulating to
The Circulation
Rosemary (6 drops)
Juniper (3 drops)
Gingerroot (1 drop)
Peppermint (1 drop)
Mix into one ounce of carrier oil. When massaging yourself, start at your feet and stroke upward toward your heart.
Holiday Citrus Perfume
"In winter, the orange trees in California give fruit," says Winfield. But even if you donīt live out west, "citrus is almost universally loved by men, women, and children," making it a refreshing choice for the holidays.
Mandarin orange (3 drops)
Jasmine (1 drop)
Benzoin (1-2 drops)
Ylang ylang (1 drop)
Mix into five milliliters of jojoba oil (a wax that makes a better base for perfume than carrier oil). Apply one drop to each wrist and behind each ear.
Massage Oil to Warm You in Cold Weather
Winfield chose the following oils for their synergy in stimulating your circulation on cold mornings.
Marjoram (1 drop)
Rosemary (6 drops)
Black pepper (1 drop)
Gingerroot (2 drops)
Juniper berry (4 drops)
Pour into one ounce of carrier oil.
After morning shower, apply to the inside and outside of thighs, using upward strokes toward the heart. Rub on chest, lower back, sacrum, stomach, and soles of feet.
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