By Ramari Tauroa

For the beginner, the safe use and buying of essential oils is necessary.

Essential oils are not only used for aromatherapy but also in the food and perfume industries and as such there are different qualities of oils. When buying essential oils to use in healing you should only buy 100% pure essential oils.

It is also recommended that pregnant woman should not use essential oils, and those that suffer from epilepsy should be careful with which oils they use.

Although with care and understanding most essential oils are safe to use the list below will detail those that are the best essential oils for beginners.

Lavender essential oil- Botanical name Lavendula angustifolia; probably the most widely known and can be used for so many ailments. Lavender can be used as an analgesic, an antidepressant, and antiviral, an antispasmodic, a deodorant, a sedative, a diuretic, also used for arthritis, rheumatism and decongestant; to name just a few.

Lavender is well known for it’s sedative properties and helps in the treatment of conditions such as depression,insomnia,hysteria and stress. It is also helpful in treating headaches and migraines, for coughs and colds, treating bites and small wounds and is undoubtedly a very necessary item for the treatment of superficial burns and sunburn. Salvatore Battaglia, author of The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy writes that because of Lavender’s effectiveness with healing burns it is used in the burns unit of European hospitals.

Because of it’s low toxicity lavender is considered one of the best essential oils to use safely on children.

Lavender can also be used for skin conditions such as dermatitis, eczema and acne.

Chamomile, German- Botanical name, Matricaria recutita. There are 2 types of Chamomile used in Aromatherapy, German and Roman, I am giving the German here as it is non-toxic,non-irritant,non-sensitising and safe to use on children. Chamomiles properties include; anti-allergenic,anti-inflammatory,antispasmodic and sedative.

German Chamomile can be used to help treat inflammation, infected cuts,muscular pain,arthritis and sprains. It can also be used to help treat many skin problems such as eczema,psoriasis and any other itchy dry skin problems.

German Chamomile is most commonly used with a carrier oil in massage, but can also be used in hot and cold compresses.

Eucalyptus The properties of Eucalyptus include; analgesic,anti-bacterial,anti-inflammatory,antiseptic,decongestant and antiviral. Eucalyptus can be used to help with concentration but is mainly used for its antiviral properties in treating asthma,bronchitis,coughs and colds,clearing the airways and loosening phlegm.

Eucalyptus is non-toxic and a non-irritant.

Another good use for Eucalyptus is to add a few drops of the oil to a spray bottle of water and use it around the house as a room spray and also on your kitchen benches. It can also be used when washing your pets bedding.

Tea Tree- Botanical name Melaleuca alternifolia. Tea Tree oils properties include; antiseptic,fungicidal,antimicrobial and stimulant. Tea Tree oil is non-toxic,non-irritant but may cause sensitivity in some individuals.

Tea Tree oil along with Lavender would be a great addition to your First Aid kit.

The oil aids in combating infectious organisms such as bacterial,viruses and fungi. It can be used to clean dirty wounds so they don’t become infected, used in a glass of water and gargled for throat infections,mouth ulcers and to help eliminate bad breath, used for athletes foot and thrush. It can also be used with lavender in the treatment of acne and is used on the hair to help control dandruff and head lice.

Use a cotton bud with 1 drop of Tea Tree oil to dab on stings and bites.

The last oil I am going to add to this list is Rosemary and although it is generally non-toxic,non-irritant and non-sensitising it needs to be used with caution as it may not be suitable for people with epilepsy or high blood pressure and pregnant woman should not use it.

Rosemary’s properties include; antidepressant,astringent,diuretic,stimulant and tonic.

Rosemary is considered 1 of the best tonics for the nervous system, it also helps with memory. It can be used in a bath or massage to relieve muscular aches and pains, rheumatism and arthritis. Rosemary can also be used in shampoos and conditioners as it helps hair growth.

By Sanjana Thakur

Aromatherapy is the process of using essential oils(oils extracted from the plant) for the relaxation of body from several problems such as Back pain, insomnia, Headache, Digestive disorders etc. Basically it is a massaging process in which we use a mixture of essential oils with carrier oil. The essential oils used work simultaneously with the diet and the body brushing to remove the extra matter deposited on the body which is the main cause of cellulite thus it is mostly suggested by the therapist who does the aromatherapy massage. Research has shown that aromatherapy oils are not only good potent remedies for aliments they are also good scents.

So combining all these above mentioned benefits we can have a great deal of help in the process of reduction of cellulite. The appearance of cellulite can only be improved or reduced, we can not eliminate the cellulite permanently although you buy the most expensive cream or lotion for the treatment of cellulite reduction available in the market. The appearance can only be improved by the application of regular treatments. This article is all about the aromatherapy cellulite treatment through self-massage and what they have effects on your body and most importantly it is a very cost-effective process.

There are three essential oils that are specially suggested for aromatherapy cellulite treatment, they are lavender, juniper, and rosemary. Juniper and rosemary are both diuretic oils that control the blood circulation process and lymph, and water retention, swelling, and reduce puffiness. Lavender oil is chosen due to its extraordinary properties such as it is so much relaxing and acts like a wonderful distressing power, have a lovely scent, revitalizing and refreshing the skin and is a great skin toner and stress manager.

These properties plays a vital role in relation to reduction of cellulite which is a byproduct of deposition of fat and toxic material in the fatty layer of the skin. These essential oils are when mixed with carrier oil they are used as a home recipe for curing the cellulite problem. Carrier oils are very important in the phenomenon of aromatherapy because they have nourishing effects but they are also topic to be taken care of, since some oils can cause skin irritation problem when applied on the skin directly. So you must take care about the details of these oils because sensitive skin may have some side effects of these oils. Usually the carrier oils are very thin and costly in comparison of volume. We use it to allow the essential to be massaged otherwise it will be absorbed in short duration of time.

By Roger F Marlow

Referred to as the ‘Agarbatti’ in Hindi, as well as in other since time immemorial, incense has been used for medicinal purposes and for gracing religious rituals. Indian incense has a very long history, finding a mention as early as 5, 000 BCE, where the Vedic literature’s have brought the significance of incense to light. Indian languages, Indian incense is known for the rich tradition, and it has also been a frontrunner to establish the value of incense at a very early age.

Indian incense takes pride in being held as the first organized and uniform system of the incense making procedure the world over. Initially, Indian incense was used to mask odors and create pleasurable smells, as mentioned by the Vedic texts. It was the medicinal priests of the bygone era who were instrumental in practicing an organized incense-making procedure in India, as that is now looked upon as the modern system of incense making process. In effect, it was the Ayurvedic medical system that provided the base on which the modern and the most organized way of incense-making was built, and that is still in practice as of today.

Tracing the history of Indian incense, the oldest and the dependent source that throws light on this Incense takes the form of Vedas. The Rig Veda and the Atharva-veda are held as special sources to glean details regarding the history of Indian incense. Incense-burning, the first registered way of using incense, was put to use to serve medicinal purposes and to create pleasing smells. The first phase belonging to Ayurveda deals with the use of Incense in medicines, where it was was utilized as a medicinal tool for healing purposes. Monks were the first practitioners, who took to the task of incense-making in the early stages.

From serving as a healing tool, Indian incense gathered momentum and was used for other purposes, as in the case of religious Hindu practices. As early Hinduism realized the significance and made full use of incense, it gradually found its way to become a part of Buddhism that took roots in India. Indian incense holds a privileged position in the history of incense, and it was this incense that gathered grounds to reach China, by way of the Buddhist monks who found their way to China around the time of 200 CE.

The Ayurvedic principles were instrumental in identifying the ingredients that were to be used in the incense-making process. The ingredients, as per the Ayurvedic principles, were placed in five categories, as that took the form of fruits, roots, stems and branches, flowers and leaves. In essence, Star anise, Sandalwood, Turmeric, Clove, and Patchouli served as some of the ingredients for making Indian incense, among the other ingredients that were advocated by the early Ayurvedic principles.

There are two categories that belong to Indian incense, with the masala meaning “spice mixture” and charcoal getting recognized as the types of Indian incense. Masala incenses are produced by mixing solid scented ingredients to form a paste, as the paste then gets rolled on to the bamboo core sticks, which serve as one of the options to make Indian incense. Masala incenses unveil different sub-groups, recognized as the champas; this incense is part of a family of Indian scents that reminiscent of the champa flower, also known as plumeria. Many champa incenses may also contain plumeria producing a lovely sweet scent. Champa may also include a medicinal resin produced by the Ailanthus tree along with sandalwood and other spices. Champa is usually associated with floral and earthy aromas with lighter notes from the sandalwood.