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Aromatherapy – simple explanation
People think of aromatherapy as being relatively new and trendy however, this branch of alternative medicine has been practiced since the beginning of civilization. Many health spas use aromatherapy to treat a number of conditions and our health spa in Panama is no exception.
Although aromatherapy seems to be a recent addition to modern alternative medicine, the practice of using essential oils (the oils extracted from certain plants) to enhance health and beauty dates back nearly to the beginning of civilization. In Chinese medicine, dating back thousands of years it was common place to use aromatherapy (by burning incense) to enhance the balance between the physical and the metal. The ancient Egyptians used essential oils like cedar-wood, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, and myrrh in embalming and Cleopatra used essential oils in her beauty regimes. Hippocrates, known as the father of medicine also used them to balance the mind, body and soul.
How does aromatherapy works? It works in four main ways.
Via the olfactory – our sense of smell affecting the part of the brain that helps regulate all the hormonal systems in the body.
Via touch – we all know that touch is therapeutic .
Via breathing – inhaling aroma therapy
Through the skin – essential oils absorb though the skin and into the blood stream in about 20 minutes.
For an aromatherapy massage, essential oils are mixed in a carrier oil, in our health spa we have chosen rice bran oi for a number of reasons. Rice bran oil 100% pure is a nourishing, powerful skin protector, rich in gamma-oryzanol that replenishes the skin. Full of antioxidants and phyto-terols, helps reduce inflammation, soothes discomfort, wonderful for itchy prone skin. Has long been used in Japan to protect and moisturize. Rice Bran oil is one of the richer carrier oils, mildly anti-bacterial, it feels soft and velvety. So you get the benefit of the essential and the carries oil. The reason essentiasl oils are diluted into a carrier oil, is because essentials oils are highly concentrated pure plant compounds. It is important to buy good quality pure essentials oils.
Like herbs there are hundreds of essentials oils with varying healing properties and like herbs there come very well known and popular essentials we have all heard of like lavender known for relaxing, or tea tree with its reputation for helping all sorts of conditions, eucalyptus for the respiratory system, or lemon for cleansing.
There are contra-indications – if you are pregnant or take certain medication or if you are a child or suffer epilepsy or high blood pressure. You do not need to worry we get you to fill out a questionnaire before treatment.