Aromatherapy - Does it Really Have Any Benefits?
Firstly, let's go back to the basics and briefly discuss what aromatherapy is, in a nutshell.
Aroma-therapy: where pleasant aromas become therapists.
Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of fragrances (that come from plants and essential oils) for their cognitive benefits, to improve mood, or promote psychological and physical well-being.
Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of fragrances (that come from plants and essential oils) for their cognitive benefits, to improve mood, or promote psychological and physical well-being.
Does it Really "Work?"
Research actually has suggested that aromatherapy has many beneficial effects. For example, peppermint oil is shown to improve brain and cognitive function and even headaches while lavender is commonly known for its calming and sedative effects.
Research actually has suggested that aromatherapy has many beneficial effects. For example, peppermint oil is shown to improve brain and cognitive function and even headaches while lavender is commonly known for its calming and sedative effects.
Back in November, one of my favorite organic skincare companies, Annmarie Gianni, released their line of Pure Essential Oil Blends. So now that I've had the pleasure of sampling all 5 blends over the course of 3 months now, I've decided it was time to discuss aromatherapy and its benefits (as well as how these essential oils worked out for me) here at Healthy, Happy, Whole.
Annmarie Gianni's line of Pure Essential Oil Blends are designed to promote harmony and well-being using pure, high-grade essential oils.
The 5 blends are: Love, Passion, Calm, Vibrance, and Grounded. I just want to take a moment now to say how perfect these blends are. Annmarie Gianni really thought of it all when designing an essential oil line for various... ailments? No, that's definitely not the word I'm looking for. Perhaps "needs" is more suitable. Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that it's great they thought to create these various blends that will balance each other out.
Each of the 5 include a combination of essential oils designed to promote a particular environment or energy. The blend called Love, for example, contains essential oils that carry certain aroma-therapeutic benefits, giving it the ability to invoke a loving energy within the space its used.
Vibrance - This is our first essential oil blend, which we have already launched in full size.
Essential oils: Ruby grapefruit, lemon, lemon verbena, bergamot, lavender, jasmine sambac absolute, clementine, rose-geranium
Vibrance is our most uplifting blend. The refreshing notes of citrus bring energy and act as natural antidepressants. Classic florals serve to lift your mood while easing tension. We love wearing this blend at parties and social gatherings, and diffusing through our homes in morning.
Passion
"Indulge, electrify, and be sensual"
Essential oils: Sandalwood, vetiver, frankincense, rose moroc absolute, sweet myrrh, amyris, Buddha wood.
This warm and sweet essential oil blend is designed to help you relax and awaken your sensuality. Earth, grounding notes of vetiver and Buddha wood provide a base for the passion-igniting aromas of rose and sandalwood. This is perfect for a romantic evening, whether you dab a bit on your wrists as a perfume, diffuse through your room, or mix with water and spray on your linens.
Love
"Adore, embrace, and be tender"
Essential oils: Sandalwood, rose moroc absolute, jasmine sambac absolute, frankincense.
A heart-opening blend of natural aphrodisiac oils to inspire you to be your most loving self. Sweet jasmine and classic rose are balanced with sandalwood and frankincense, for a scent that’s nothing short of irresistible. This blend serves you well when you want to exude love, compassion, and acceptance.
Calm
"Relax, meditate, and be peaceful"
Essential oils: Spruce, frankincense, rosewood, lavender.
Create a sacred space for yourself where you can breathe deeply and release negativity. Spruce oil lends freshness to this blend of florals, tied together with comforting frankincense for a clean and crisp scent. We love using this blend at the end of the day to help wind down.
Essential oils: Ruby grapefruit, lemon, lemon verbena, bergamot, lavender, jasmine sambac absolute, clementine, rose-geranium
Vibrance is our most uplifting blend. The refreshing notes of citrus bring energy and act as natural antidepressants. Classic florals serve to lift your mood while easing tension. We love wearing this blend at parties and social gatherings, and diffusing through our homes in morning.
Passion
"Indulge, electrify, and be sensual"
Essential oils: Sandalwood, vetiver, frankincense, rose moroc absolute, sweet myrrh, amyris, Buddha wood.
This warm and sweet essential oil blend is designed to help you relax and awaken your sensuality. Earth, grounding notes of vetiver and Buddha wood provide a base for the passion-igniting aromas of rose and sandalwood. This is perfect for a romantic evening, whether you dab a bit on your wrists as a perfume, diffuse through your room, or mix with water and spray on your linens.
Love
"Adore, embrace, and be tender"
Essential oils: Sandalwood, rose moroc absolute, jasmine sambac absolute, frankincense.
A heart-opening blend of natural aphrodisiac oils to inspire you to be your most loving self. Sweet jasmine and classic rose are balanced with sandalwood and frankincense, for a scent that’s nothing short of irresistible. This blend serves you well when you want to exude love, compassion, and acceptance.
Calm
"Relax, meditate, and be peaceful"
Essential oils: Spruce, frankincense, rosewood, lavender.
Create a sacred space for yourself where you can breathe deeply and release negativity. Spruce oil lends freshness to this blend of florals, tied together with comforting frankincense for a clean and crisp scent. We love using this blend at the end of the day to help wind down.
Grounded
"Secure, strengthen, and be centered"
Essential oils: Sandalwood, amyris, Peru balsam, cedarwood, vetiver, amber (fossilized), copaiba balsam, galangal root, patchouli, ginger root, Buddha wood, turmeric root.
Grounded is an incredibly balanced blend that helps bring you to a place of peace and clarity. Wood and earthy base notes with a touch of sweetness give you a beautifully understated, quietly confident scent. This blend is amazing for diffusing through the room before you do yoga, and is a great blend for those who appreciate a subtle and well-rounded scent.
Uses
As is the case with most essential oils, the Pure Essential Oil Blends from Annmarie Gianni can be used in a diffuser to scent the room and even as a body fragrance.
To use on the body, you can mix a drop of oil with your moisturizer or with a carrier oil like olive oil before applying. Same with a perfume -- just add a tiny drop to your perfume and use a dropper to apply. Or simply dab some onto your wrists, neck, etc.
Warning: Don't apply to your face or mix with your facial moisturizer. While many of the essential oils have great benefits for your skin, it could be risky since they're strong. My biggest concern has been with migraines as the smells tend to trigger migraines for me pretty badly, so having it on my face would be disastrous.
Personally, I've enjoyed using these essential oils to incorporate pleasant, fresh, and beneficial scents into my room. I've even put a few drops in a spritz bottle with water and spritzed my bedding several times. I did this hoping it would give promote calmness while in my bed and maybe even better sleep.
Bonus: Pet odors have nothin' on these essential oils! I noticed my bed sheets were smelling particular clean even though my dog had slept on them (and he was due for a bath, if that tells you anything.) It seems these act as a natural deodorizer, which was a totally appreciated bonus.
Warning: Never apply the oils directly onto your pet! There are too many possible health risks as some essential oils are believed to be toxic to certain pets.
I've also placed a few drops of the oils onto a small drawstring satchel bag and hung it up in my closet.
For a week or two my clothes smelled better, especially the ones that had been hanging up for months and were smelling "stale" and musky.
Another option is to use the oils as "dryer sheets" to lightly scent your clothes and keep the mood with you wherever you go. Drop some oil onto a scrap of fabric that you don't mind if it leaves a stain (it hasn't in my experience so far.) Or apply it to an old sock or wash cloth, then toss the aromatic fabric into the dryer with your clothes. Vibrance and Love are great for this. Calm may be helpful if you're prone to anxiety or have an outing that you know puts you in an anxious state. Can you say public speaking?
For a week or two my clothes smelled better, especially the ones that had been hanging up for months and were smelling "stale" and musky.
Another option is to use the oils as "dryer sheets" to lightly scent your clothes and keep the mood with you wherever you go. Drop some oil onto a scrap of fabric that you don't mind if it leaves a stain (it hasn't in my experience so far.) Or apply it to an old sock or wash cloth, then toss the aromatic fabric into the dryer with your clothes. Vibrance and Love are great for this. Calm may be helpful if you're prone to anxiety or have an outing that you know puts you in an anxious state. Can you say public speaking?
As a body fragrance, I have to be careful using these as I said, I am very migraine prone. However, I've been able to add a tee-tiny drop to special areas of my body that are not close to my face with success. I love the way these smell; if only my head would tolerate scents better!
Overall, using these oil blends has been a very beneficial addition to my everyday routine. I love opening the little vial of "Vibrance" when I'm waking up and getting ready or doing late-night work or just feeling extremely fatigued.
Calm is the oil I prefer when I'm trying to quieten down to meditate or relax from a stressful day before bed. Passion and Love are absolute God-sends since they're so fun and gentle. Anything that's supposed to add more love is a good thing, right? I like using these in a diffuser in the evenings when I'm spending time with my significant other, or just if I'm in a negative mind-space. You can find the sample kit here.
Calm is the oil I prefer when I'm trying to quieten down to meditate or relax from a stressful day before bed. Passion and Love are absolute God-sends since they're so fun and gentle. Anything that's supposed to add more love is a good thing, right? I like using these in a diffuser in the evenings when I'm spending time with my significant other, or just if I'm in a negative mind-space. You can find the sample kit here.
Disclaimer:
I am not a specialist, expert, professional or doctor of any kind.
Content on this blog is not intended to be taken as medical advice,
diagnosis, treatment or advice of any sort. I'm simply sharing
information about my own experiences and results from use of a product
or activity in hopes of providing useful information to readers, not to
be taken as a patient/medical adviser relationship. I am not responsible
for what readers choose to do after viewing the content here.
Furthermore, I do not hold an "exceptional" or other special
relationship with any company mentioned on this site. I'm simply a
consumer who worked with the company on a review that is in compliance
with FTC's guidelines. That means, everything you read here is my own
words, not anything of the company's. I was not provided with monetary
compensation for my review. All information posted has been done so with
complete honesty. No action should be taken based solely on the content
of this publication ( I'm not responsible.) Readers who rely on the
information in this blog to replace the advice of an appropriate health
care provider assume all risks of such behavior.
3 comments:
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Sierrasil Vancouver
Thanks for this beautiful post and tips. Aromatherapy is just another way to keep your environment cool.
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