ESSENTIAL OIL | BODY | PSYCHE |
Basil Ocimum basilicum | Eczema, colds,coughs, muscle aches | Clearing, warming, fatigue |
Bergamot Citrus aurantium b. | Deodorant, digestion, colds, flu | Uplifting, refreshing, anti-depressant |
Cedarwood Juniperus virginiana | Hair & scalp tonics, coughs | Grounding, sedating, relaxing, anti-stress |
Chamomile Matricaria recutita | Muscular pains, anti-inflammatory, digestive upsets | Calming, headaches, sleeplessness |
Cinnamon Cinnamonum zeylanicum | Digestion, impotence | Weakness, fainting, debility |
Clary Sage Salvia sclarea | Asthma, hair & scalp tonic, muscular cramp, PMT | Anti-depressant, stress, nervousness |
Cypress Cupressus sempervirens | Deodorant, cellulite, poor circulation | Relaxing, warming, nervous tension |
Eucalyptus Euc. (Aust) Globulus | Colds, flu, coughs, muscle aches, circulation, anti-bacterial | Energizing, balancing, headaches |
Frankincense Boswellia carterii | Cold, flu, coughs, eczema, wounds | Anxiety, calming, sedating, nervous tension |
Geranium Pelargonium graveolens | Cellulite, PMT, menopause, wounds, poor circulation | Stress, uplifting |
Ginger Zingiber officinale | Digestion | Stimulant, aphrodisiac |
Jasmine Jasminum officinale | Dermatitis, menopause, muscular spasms | Stimulating, uplifting, anti-depressant |
Juniper Berry Juniperus communis | Cold, flu, cellulite, rheumatism, lymph | Stress, anxiety, nervous tension |
Lavender Lavandula angustifolia | Eczema, sinusitis, muscle aches, PMT, headaches | Anti-depressant, calming, soothing, balancing |
Lemon Citrus limon | Cold, flu, lymph, cellulite, poor circulation | Anti-depressant, uplifting, stimulating |
Lemongrass Cymbopogon schoe. | Muscle aches, circulation, deodorant | Headaches, stress |
Mandarin Citrus noblis | Asthma, bronchitis, cold, flu, digestive upsets | Nervous tension, insomnia |
Marjoram Origanum majorana | Colds, muscle aches, arthritis | Headaches, warming, nervous tension, insomnia |
Myrrh Commiphora myrrha | Coughs, asthma, sore throats | Warming, revitalizing, stimulating |
Neroli Citrus aurantium amara | Poor circulation, vein problems, digestive upsets | Depression, anxiety, emotional stress |
Orange Citrus sinensis | Cold, flu, cellulite, digestive problems | Tension, stress, insomnia |
Palmarosa Cymbopogon martini | Digestive problems | Nervous exhaustion, stress |
Patchouli Pogostemon cablin | Hair & scalp tonic, fungal infections | Appeasing, calming, aphrodisiac |
Peppermint Mentha piperita | Cold, sinusitis, digestion, muscle aches, antibacterial | Nervousness, headaches, fatigue |
Petitgrain Citrus aurantium amara | Digestive problems, anti-spasmodic, excessive perspiration | Uplifting, anti-depressant, refreshing |
Pine Pinus sylvestris | Muscle aches, arthritis, sinusitis, coughs | Cleansing, invigorating, fatigue |
Rose Rosa centifolia | Balancing & regulating, esp. for women | Well-being, anti-depressant |
Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis | Muscle & joint aches, cellulite, colds, flu, headaches | Stimulating, anxiety, mental fatigue |
Rosewood Aniba rosaeodora | Immune system, colds, flu, infections | Nervous tension, stress, headaches |
Sandalwood Santalum album | Sore throats & coughs | Sedative, nervousness, insomnia, elevating |
Tea Tree Melaleuca alternifolia | Asthma, coughs, sinus, cold & flu, infections | Revitalizing, refreshing |
Vetivier Vetiveria zinanoides | Colds, cellulite, rheumatism, muscular aches | Centering, balancing, sedating |
Ylang Ylang Cananga odorata | Hair & scalp tonic | Anti-depressant, aphrodisiac, insomnia |
HISTORY Aromatherapy has appeared in recipes since the beginning of recorded history and has been steeped in magic and mystery ever since. The Egyptians are attributed with the first writings on aromatherapy in about 1580 BC and also, appropriately, with developing a society and culture deeply connected to the sense of smell. They became very creative and adept in using essential oils to stimulate this sense. Their most practical recorded use was to embalm their dead with the oil of cedar wood. On a more romantic note, and no less important to their culture, men prepared for a "date" by bathing with particular essential oils. As traveling opened up isolated cultures, new uses for the oils became popular and the importance of scent increased. Babylonians and Arabs perfumed the mortar used to build temples and mosques to surround themselves with healing and cleansing aromas. Ancient Greeks believed sweet smells were of divine origin and developed the aromatic bath to drench themselves in purity. Romans, following the precepts of Hippocrates, used the oils in the bath for health purposes: "the way to health is to have an aromatic bath and scented massage everyday." As the modern age of the 19th century progressed, aromatherapy and essential oil use became a quaint story of past cultures. Not until a French cosmetic chemist of the early 1900s began scientific research did it start to revive. Rene-Maurice Gattefosse devoted his life to researching the healing properties of essential oils after a providential accident in his perfume laboratory. After burning his arm badly he thrust it into the nearest cold liquid, which happened to be a vat of lavender oil. The pain decreased substantially and, rather than becoming a normal burn site of inflammation and blistering, the injury healed quickly without a scar. Shortly thereafter Gattefosse coined the term "aromatherapy".
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