Aromatherapy
Lesson 2: Aromatherapy Made Easy & Fun
Choosing, Using and Storing Your Essential Oils
Quality, quality, quality!
When you start buying your essential oils, you’ll have to rely on the reputation of the supplier. In Lesson 4 you’ll find a list of recommended suppliers. In general, be prepared to buy the more expensive oils. This is an area where "cheaper" may mean "not so good". Let me explain to you why.
The yield of essential oils ranges between 0.005 and 10 percent of the plant. If we want to obtain 1 pound of essential oil, we will need 50 pounds of eucalyptus, 150 pounds of lavender, 500 pounds of thyme, and 3,000 pounds of rose!
As already mentioned in the previous chapter, the practice of aromatherapy is a "natural" way of healing; as such, it requires the use of pure essential oils, not synthetic oils made in laboratories from petroleum by-products. Every holistic way of healing is based on the close interaction between our minds, our bodies, and our natural environment. Nature is a great physician, and we must respect the purity of its sources.
Over time, as your sense of smell becomes more refined, you will be able to recognize the difference between high-quality essences and man-made synthetics. Just give your nose some time!
Before heading to the store, I’d suggest you decide which essential oils you want to start experimenting (or having fun!) with. Going to the store without knowing what you need is like going to buy groceries without your grocery list; you’ll end up buying more than you need, feeling guilty about the money you spent. Get organized!
Choosing among the wide variety of wonderful essences is a difficult task. Take one step at the time. My basic list includes 10 essential oils which can be used for a wide variety of emotional and physical ailments. You’ll learn more about them in the next chapter. Here they are:
- Rose Oil
- Rosemary Oil
- Peppermint Oil
- Tea Tree Oil
- Lemon Oil
- Eucalyptus Oil
- Lavender Oil
- Sandalwood Oil
- Juniper Oil
- Geranium Oil
I suggest buying the regular 1/3 or 1/2 ounce size bottles, at least at the beginning. You’ll need only a few drops at the time, so go small.
Once at home, store your oils in colored glass bottles (amber is my favorite) to protect them from light. Keep them in a dark, cool cabinet away from direct sunlight and excessive heat. Beware to close them tightly; otherwise, you may go back after a while and find that your precious essential oil has literally "flown away"!
As already mentioned, store them away from your children and your pet friends. You may also want to keep the tea tree, lavender and eucalyptus oils in your bathroom/kitchen cabinets as first-aid kits. They are wonderful!
Always remember that when an essential oil is mixed with a carrier (vegetable oil), the shelf life of the blend will equal that of the carrier.
Last but not least, keep your essences away from homeopathic medicines, because the latter can be damaged by oils like eucalyptus, camphor and mint.
Essential oils can harm varnished wood surfaces and some plastics, so mix your oils on materials such as glass, ceramic, metal, natural wood, or stone to avoid accidents in case of spills.
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