Many people associate aromatherapy with bath and spa products. While it’s true that the scent of flowers make for nice soaps and lotions, aromatherapy also has a medicinal purpose. Many scientific studies have proven there is legitimate evidence for the healing power of plants and flowers. After all, plants have to fight disease, and we can use their essential oils do do the same for our ailing bodies.

Lavender

Lavender’s official name is Lavendula officinalis. The name comes from the Latin word lavare, meaning to wash. Have you ever seen a picture of a moonshiner’s still? Essential oil is extracted using similar equipment in a distillation process.

It’s would be hard to find a perfumery or bath and beauty store that didn’t have lavender scented products. Its flowers have a floral, slightly herbaceous, dreamy scent that is often used to alleviate feelings of anxiety. Like many essential oils lavender is a multipurpose oil that is used for combating insomnia, irritability, depression, and even hysteria.

On the physical side, lavender is used to treat burns of all types — sunburns, minor burns, skin abrasions, and rashes. It’s also been used in formulas for heart palpitations, muscle spasms, and pain related to arthritis, fibromyalgia, and sprains. Lavender may be applied neat (by itself) to the skin, or used in the bath.

Lavender’s incredible healing properties regarding burns were first discovered in 1910 by Rene-Maurice Gattefosse. Gattefosse was working in a perfumery when he badly burned hand. Quickly, he plunged it into the nearest vat of liquid, which happened to be lavender essential oil. He was amazed at the small amount of scarring, and how quickly the burn healed.

Rosemary

Rosemary, or Rosmarinus officinalis, has become so popular that it’s common to find it in the average garden. Rosemary has a fresh, herbal, and slightly woody scent. It is an excellent reputation as a remedy for body aches, fatigue — even mental fatigue. Aromatherapists often use it in formulas for relieving PMS, depression, and lethargy. Rosemary has also been used as an aphrodisiac, a decongestant, and a diuretic.

A word of caution — Rosemary is a known stimulant and emmenagogue (menstruation inducer) and should be avoided during pregnancy.

Roman Chamomile

Roman Chamomile, Anthemis nobilis, is also known simply as chamomile. The scent is both fruity and herbal. It’s often used in much the same way as lavender when it comes to stress, insomnia, and irritability. In fact, the two are often used together. A few drops each of chamomile and lavender in a bath at bedtime can work wonders for inducing sleep. Just like lavender, chamomile it is helpful for many skin irritations. Chamomile is also used to help relieve headaches and migraines. Women with estrogen-dependent health conditions should avoid chamomile.

Clary Sage

Salvia sclarea is better known by it’s common name of clary sage. Aromatherapists and herbalists are very familar with clary sage for its ability to fight depression and even induce a somewhat euphoric state. Clary sage has a calming effect, so it is helpful when treating stress and fear, and can even help alleviate mood swings.

Besides the psychological and emotional benefits of clary sage, it is also useful for toning the skin. Mix one drop of clary sage with a carrier oil (such as olive oil) and massage over the face. You’ll find it’s a very nice way to start your morning. Women with a history of estrogen-dependent cancer should avoid clary sage.

The Geranium is a perennial flowering plant, also known as Crane’s Bill or Alum Root plant, that is known as a powerful antibacterial, anti-fungal and antiviral. The petals and the leaves of the geranium are commonly used by herbalists in the form of a steam distilled essential oil or as a dried herb.

Geranium is a natural anti-fungal, antiviral, antibiotic, analgesic, antidepressant, antiseptic, astringent and deodorizer.

It is used in aromatherapy and in skin care for its restorative effect on sebaceous gland activity, helping to normalize oily skin, oily scalp, dermatitis, psoriasis and eczema. It is widely known for its skin rejuvenating properties. Five to seven drops of this oil in the bath water can help to revive tired skin.

Because of its cicatrisant properties, geranium also helps to reduce the appearance of scars from surgery, acne boils or other trauma. Use approximately one drop of geranium oil per ounce of carrier oil and rub it into the scar daily.

Geranium’s regenerative properties make it an excellent treatment for acne and burns. In these cases apply the undiluted steam distilled oil directly to the affected area with a q-tip.

Geranium is an astringent. It tightens the skin and helps reduce wrinkling. It is used for this purpose in cosmetic and massage oils and to treat skin disorders, such as eczema and dermatitis.

Its antimicrobial properties make it a useful ingredient in healing salves for cuts, abrasions and boils. It is also a good treatment for ringworm.

Geranium has a contracting effect on muscles and capillaries, therefore it is an excellent treatment in the form of a salve for bruises and hemorrhoids.

Geranium has a calming effect, particularly when a tea is made from the dried leaves. The oils should never be taken internally because they are too strong.

Geranium oil can be applied to the skin to treat ringworms and lice. It is an excellent choice for use as a mosquito repellant because it contains citronellol.

Geranium oil’s hormone balancing properties, combined with its capillary-restricting abilities, make it an excellent oil for treating menstrual problems involving excessive hemorrhaging. It is helpful for the hormonal imbalance that causes hot flashes. It can be used in a massage oil in cases of mastitis and applied directly to the affected areas of the body.

Because it is helpful in balancing female hormones, it should not be used by pregnant women. There is a great deal of superstitious-seeming lore surrounding the geranium as an abortificant. Some people believe that pregnant women should not be anywhere near geranium plants.

Geranium helps support the proper functioning of the pancreas and the adrenal glands. It is believed to increase liver function, particularly in cases of hepatitis and FLD (Fatty Liver Disease).

Apart from being one of the most elegant flowers in the garden, the geranium is one of the herbs sacred to the Old-Anglo Saxons and associated with the god Wotan, the All-Father. Geranium flowers, carried about a person, are an amulet to attract abundance and prosperity. They are also used as fertility charms.

Given geranium’s hormone balancing powers, it is easy to see how the plant might be an influence in easing fertility problems due to a hormonal imbalance and how it gained its reputation as a charm to draw fertility and growth.

With the holiday season fast approaching, I’m brainstorming ways to do things in a greener way. Last year I bought candles and I wasn’t really happy with them. For starters, they were expensive, used chemical dyes, synthetic perfumes, and the wicks burned out and left half the candle behind. I’ve made candles before and it’s not difficult. I think I’m going to dust off my candle making skills this year.

Candle making is an Old World tradition, but today organic beeswax is hard to come by. To be certified organic, the bees that it is harvested from must only be allowed to feed on certified organic botanicals. Why beeswax and not soy, parafin, or vegetable oil? Soy and vegetable are fine, but I find them kind of sterile with no therapeutic properties. They have no smell. Parafin is from a plant but has petroleum and doesn’t burn clean — it actually dirties the environment. Unbleached beeswax produces negative ions which cleans the air and removes odors as it burns. No other wax does that.

A typical scented candle does not benefit the household as much as beeswax candles. Scented candles have synthetic perfumes that add to indoor pollution. This is why a person can have an allergic reaction to a lavender-scented candle but not have the same reaction to a beeswax candle made with lavender essential oil.

If you like the colors that many candles have nowadays, it’s easy to replicate that look without synthetic dyes. You just need to find a spice with a color you like. You can use tumeric for instance. Add it to the melted wax while it’s still liquified in the double boiler. The spice will sink to the bottom and wax will take on the color of the spice. Pour your candles into the molds and you’ll see the spice has sunk to the bottom of the boiler.

Before making beeswax candles, prepare by getting all of your supplies together and setting up an area to work. To make these candles you will need: beeswax, scissors or a knife, candle wicks, toothpicks, a cake thermometer, a cutting board or other hard surface for cutting. When purchasing the supplies, check to see that the wicks do not contain any lead or other chemicals.

To protect the counter you’ll be working on, cover it in several layers of newspaper or brown paper bags. Wear an apron or old shirt to protect your clothes, and it won’t hurt to spread some newspaper on the floor as well. You’ll be traveling between the stove and your counter.

1. Heat water in a double boiler. The beeswax goes into the top boiler with the thermometer and will melt between 140-150 degrees.

2. If you want your candles to be a particular color, find a herb the color you want. Chili powder will make your candle pink, tumeric will make a sunset-colored candle. Add a scoop of the dried spice to the melted wax in the double boiler. Stir with the thermometer and let the spice settle to the bottom.

3. Prepare your molds — I usually make pillars but you may want votives. Spay the inside of the molds with olive oil cooking spray. Thread your mold from the bottom hole. Leave at least an inch of wick at the bottom and top. Plug the bottom hole with mold sealant. This will keep the hot wax from coming out.

4. If you want to add essential oils, now is the time. A good holiday blend would be 16 drops cedarwood, 12 eucalyptus, and 10 drops sage. Drip the oils into the melting wax and stir.

5. Pour your wax into the molds. Use 2 toothpicks laid on top of the mold with the wick in the middle to hold the wick in place. Don’t walk away because the wicks will move on you even with the toothpicks holding them in place.

6. Once the candle has hardened, you should be able to pop them right out of the mold. Just remember to remove the sealing wax from the bottom first.

If any beeswax gets in your hair, you can remove it by rubbing olive oil into your hair. If you get it on your clothes, cover the spot with a paper towel and iron the spot. Make sure you trim your wicks before lighting them.

Resource: Learn the Power of Aromatherapy