What Is Aromatherapy And Its Benefits

Aromatherapy is a holistic healing treatment that uses natural plant extracts to promote health and well-being. Sometimes it’s called essential oil therapy. Aromatherapy uses aromatic essential oils medicinally to improve the health of the body, mind, and spirit. It enhances both physical and emotional health.
If you need improvement in health problems from anxiety to poor sleep, you may want to consider aromatherapy. In this kind of treatment, you use extracts from plants called essential oils, by either breathing them through your nose or putting them on your skin. Some people put the oils on their skin when they get a massage or take a bath.

Relieves Stress

Perhaps the most widespread and popular use of aromatherapy is for stress relief. The aromatic compounds from many different essential oils are known as relaxants and can help soothe your mind and eliminate anxiety. This is what most people who perform aromatherapy at home use it for since the mixtures are very simple and the research on this aspect of aromatherapy is very well-known and widely studied. Some of the best essential oils for stress relief are lemon oil, lavender, bergamot, peppermint, vetiver, and ylang-ylang essential oils. Certain studies have also shown that lemon oil can improve mood and reduce outbursts of anger.

Managing Psychiatric Disorders

Studies have also shown the efficacy of aromatherapy in managing a range of psychiatric disorders. Certain essential oils like lavender oil can help ease anxiety and enhance your mood (Karadag E et al., 2017). Peppermint oil and frankincense oil are known to help manage chronic pain, certain cognitive disorders, insomnia, and even depression

Increases Energy Levels

We can all use more energy to get through the hectic daily tasks of modern life. However, stimulants like coffee, cigarettes, energy pills, or even illegal substances can have very damaging effects on the body. While diet and exercise can also help, many people turn to aromatherapy to put a bit more pep in their step. Many essential oils are known to increase circulation, raise energy levels, and generally stimulate the body and mind, without the dangerous side effects of other stimulating substances. The best essential oils for giving yourself an energy boost include black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, angelica, jasmine, tea tree, rosemary, and sage

Regulates Sleep

Not getting enough sleep can exacerbate or cause a huge range of medical conditions and can leave us feeling unproductive and devoid of energy. Luckily, aromatherapy comes through again and can provide us with a more balanced sleep schedule and can even realign our circadian rhythms so our body naturally gets tired at an appropriate time, sleeps restfully through the night, and is energized in the morning to face the day. The best essential oils for managing sleeping habits and having a healthy, sedative effect on the body include lavender, chamomile, jasmine, benzoin, neroli, rose, sandalwood, sweet marjoram, and ylang-ylang essential oils.

Strengthens Immune System

It is far better to prevent than treat, as most medical professionals say, and aromatherapy can give a serious boost to your immune system if used properly. The anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and antibacterial effects of various essential oils can protect you from any number of illnesses and infections that could damage your system. This area of aromatherapy is very popular and widely studied. The most effective essential oils that boost your immune system include oregano, frankincense, lemon, peppermint, cinnamon, and eucalyptus essential oils.

Relieves Pain

Analgesics can have a lot of different side effects on the body, even if they do relieve the pain. However, if aromatherapy can relieve dozens of different types of pain without any harm, then why not take advantage of it? Pain relief is one of the most useful applications of aromatherapy. The top essential oils, both for professional and personal use, include lavender, chamomile, clary sage, juniper, eucalyptus, rosemary, and peppermint essential oils.