Aromatherapy Basics

Aromatherapy is defined as: the art and science of using essential oils for improving and maintaining health and beauty.

Aromatherapy has roots that date back over 5000 years, with many ancient civilizations including the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Chinese and Indians using aromatic oils to boost their physical and mental well-being. The actual word, Aromatherapie was coined in 1928 by a French chemist, Rene Maurice Gattefosse. He had been conducting experiments and was severely burned in an explosion, he found that Lavender essential oil healed it; he is often referred to as the modern day father of Aromatherapy.

So, what exactly are Essential Oils? They are non-oily aromatic liquids occurring naturally in various parts of plants, flowers, herbs, fruits, woods and spices. Essential Oils contain the life force of the plant and hold the ability to strengthen our immune system and stimulate our body's natural healing abilities.

My journey into the world of Essential Oils began shortly after my son was born. As with many first-time mothers I searched for ways to calm and soothe my newborn son. I stumbled across a Baby Bed Spray made with essential oils in a Whole Foods store in Las Vegas, and it immediately became a part of our bedtime ritual that I couldn't live without. The combination of Lavender and Chamomile soothed my son and helped our bedtime routine become more peaceful.

A few months later I was gifted a diffuser for my birthday and things kind of exploded from there. I began with pre-blended oils and eventually branched out to single oils and experimented with making my own blends. I wanted to know that what I was doing was not only safe, but actually beneficial to us, so I began to read books on Aromatherapy. The books lead me to look into courses and before I knew it I had decided to take the plunge and sign up to do the coursework to become a Certified Aromacologist.

[Side note: An Aromacologist is the same as an Aromatherapist, with the exception that they do not perform Aromatherapy massage.]

And now, here we are, not too many months later and I have started this blog and website and I am selling my creations as well! It's been an incredible journey so far and I am so looking forward to what the future holds.

Please stay tuned to this blog space, I intend to update regularly with all matter of essential oil/healthy living related posts.

-S