Many people are unaware of the medicinal properties that essential oils hold, and how they can be used to promote and maintain health and vitality. So if you’re interested in essential oils and how you can integrate aromatherapy into your everyday life, keep reading.

“Many illnesses are either caused by, or exacerbated by low mood, depression or anxiety and this is where aromatherapy can really help,” explains Fiona Tutte from Absolute Aromas. “Essential oils can have an effect on your mood within seven seconds, therefore simply inhaling an oil can help to uplift the emotions, or calm and soothe the mind.”

Aromatherapy for Beginners
There are a variety of different ways to use essential oils, so give each one of these options a try to find which one suits you:

Simply inhale the oils – “This can clam and relax the mind, easy depression, relieve headaches, improve concentration, help nasal and sinus congestion from colds,” explains Penny Price, managing director of Penny Price Aromatherapy.

Use a face oil or body oil with essential oils

Use essential oils as a massage treatment – “This can reduce stress and anxiety, relieve muscular and joint aches and pains, bring about relaxation and nourish the skin,” comments Penny.

Try an oil burner or diffuser – “Another way to get the benefits of the oils is by using an oil burner or diffuser, which also scents your home naturally,” suggests Fiona. Penny adds: “Simply combine a few drops of your choice of oils to help all the family stay fit and well.”

Aromatherapy bath – “My favourite way to use essential oils is by having an aromatherapy bath. You can either use a bath oil or make your own blend. I like to use Himalayan bath salts infused with oils,” suggests Fiona.

Six Essential Oils
Here are Fiona’s three favourite essential oils, which she uses on a daily basis:

Sweet Orange – such a fresh aroma and never fails to uplift. I use it in practically all my blends! Orange is a favourite with both men and women as it is refreshing and revitalising. It has great antibacterial properties and helps to aid digestion. It works with most other oils too and is great to add balance to a floral oil such as Ylang Ylang, or a deeper oil such as Vetiver. This would be my top choice to add to an oil burner or diffuser, it is great for face oils and body oils too.

Rose – I like both Rose Otto and Rose Absolute. Again the rose always uplifts but it calms too. It is great for anxiety and for helping to soothe and relax the mind. It is a great feminine oil and has so many benefits for the skin. It suits all skin types but it especially useful for mature skin types, plus stressed skin and broken capillaries.

Absolute Aromas have a couple of Rose blends where the Rose Otto or Rose Absolute is diluted in a carrier oil. This not only makes it more affordable (rose is one of the most expensive essential oils) but it also makes it so easy to use. In the diluted form, in jojoba or coconut oil, it can be used directly on the skin as a beautiful perfume or added to rosehip to make a revitalising skin serum. It is a great hormone balancer too so ideal for hormonal breakouts and to help balance and rejuvenate the skin. Perfect for a night time skin serum.

Peppermint (English Peppermint) – this is a great pick me up when you are feeling tired and being a frequent traveller it really helps to clear the sinuses when flying or staying in air conditioned rooms. It is the best essential oil for headaches too. Anyone that has ever worked with me always becomes a peppermint fan as it literally gets rid of headaches within about 10 minutes.

Penny’s top three oils are:

Geranium – has a sweet floral aroma with a subtle citrus undertone it is generally balancing and harmonising. Geranium is gentle but powerful in its action and can be used to help relieve the pain of shingles and cold sores, it is calming and soothing to eczema and dermatitis- blend with cornmint 6 drops of each oil into 50ml lotion for a cooling and soothing salve. This oil also blends well with grapefruit to balance the emotions use 2 drops of geranium and 3 drops of grapefruit and inhale deeply. Geranium is a wonderful all round oil for the ladies, especially for hormone balancing.

Grapefruit – has a fresh, sharp, sweet citrus aroma. It is balancing and cooling to an oily prone skin add 8 drops to 50ml lotion to make a moisturiser. The aroma of grapefruit is paradise in a bottle and will uplift the spirit and form a positive outlook put 5 drops on a tissue and inhale throughout the day.

Cornmint – has a fresh, crisp, sweet and powerful minty aroma. A must have to stem the onset of a hot flush. Place 2 drops of the oil on a tissue and inhale deeply, for a cooling effect dab the tissue on the back of the neck and the inner wrists. Cornmint can be blended with lavender to relieve headaches and migraines, 4 drops of cornmint and 6 drops of lavender in a lotion massage into the forehead and back of the neck. Adding 3 drops of chamomile Roman to this lotion blend can help soothe sunburn and dry itchy skin.