More on Essential Oils

Essential oils are quite complex. You may have read somewhere that rosemary is good for rheumatism for example, but it doesn’t stop there. Rosemary is also good for depression, for fatigue and has many other uses. Essential oils are flexible and adaptable, just like people are.

In fact, because no two people are alike, each with circumstances and situations that are specific to them, precise blends of essential oils can be tailored to the individual. In a clinical setting an aromatherapist will often customise a formula of essential oils specifically for the individual taking their specific circumstances and situations into account.

There are standard clinical formulations though and this is always a good place to start before experimenting with your own unique blends that will work specifically for you. There are many, many possibilities because essential oils are so flexible.

One of the great things about aromatherapy is that you get a synergistic effect when two or more oils are blended together, for example, bergamot is an excellent confidence booster, but blend it with geranium which is an emotional balancer and you have a winner. Incidentally, I personally use geranium at ‘that time of the month ‘when I feel in need of an emotional lift. I pop a couple of drops on my clothes or on a tissue and I find it really helps me to feel emotionally balanced again.

Single essential oils can be dynamic and vibrant on their own but when blended with others, they become much more and with a unique character of their own, with extra harmonising and energising potential.

Many essential oils are also natural balancers or adaptogens. Lemon works on the nervous system and can be used as a sedative or as an active depending on what is required. Lavender is another adaptogen, for example, small quantities of lavender are relaxing while high concentrations can be stimulating.

There are no rules as to how long a certain blend or essential oil should be used for particular purpose. It all really depends on the person, the problem and the root cause of that problem. As a general rule of thumb, it’s often a good idea to use a particular essential oil or a blend for a few days and if it doesn't seem to be having an effect, simply switch to another.

When using essential oils, less is often best. It is not the case that by doubling the quantity of a particular essential oil you will be doubling the effect. This is also the case for blending oils. If, for example, a particular blend says to use 30 drops of one essential oil and 26 of another, it is not the case that one is stronger than the other. Each essential oil has its own potency, so fewer drops for certain oils may be required for certain blends.