Aromatherapy uses fragrance and scents to help heal your body, relieve stress and put you in a better mood. Often times these scents come from aromatherapy “essential oils”. These oils are actually oils that are extracted from plants and they have been used for centuries in all kinds of natural healing including aromatherapy.

Your sense of smell is very powerful and different scents will have a different effect on your body. While smelling may seem very simple, as you breathe in a “smell” there is actually quite a bit going on inside your body. The scent goes across the olfactory nerves in your nose and triggers a response in the part of your brain called the Limbic system that controls memory, mood, and even the ability to learn. Did you ever notice a particular smell can bring you back in time to some memory of where you smelled that same smell? That’s how powerful it is. Different scents also cause the brain to release endorphins that help make you feel good.

The aromatherapy essential oils used in aromatherapy can be inhaled for the effects of the smell, but they can also be used on the skin where they are absorbed into the blood stream as well as make you smell good! Many massage oils are mixed with essential oils and they are also in a lot of lotions and creams.

Aromatherapy has many benefits and it’s something you can actually do yourself at home. There are many products out there that you can use to diffuse the oils and you can buy your own essential oils and experiment with mixing different types together. They can help you deal with stress as well as relax you and have a host of other health benefits too.

Aromatherapy can even be an alternative to prescription medicines when used in conjunction with your doctors advice, of course. They are typically safe, although if you are allergic to a certain plant you will probably be allergic to the essential oils from that plant. Also, since essential oils are highly concentrated you want to dilute them before using them on your skin or you could have adverse side effects from too much being absorbed into your blood at once.

Aromatherapy essential oils are effect at treating minor ailments and can be great for boosting the immune system. They can help relieve everything from joint pain to menstrual cramps and even can improve your skin tone. Use them to help improve circulation, reduce dandruff, get rid of headaches and even to sleep better!