| Product: |
Aromatherapy |
| Date: |
09/06/01 (32 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Inexpensive, Effective, Helps you if you are feeling queesy
Disadvantages: Don`t use neat
Everyone seems to be using essential oils these days - from vets to psychiatrists. I watched a TV slot about using essential oils in a massage base to calm stressed dogs.
I suppose we all know that a few drops of lavender in the bath or on the pillow is very relaxing and can help sleep. Other essential oils are just as powerful, though, if not as popular.
Peppermint is my favourite oil, for lots of reasons :
It is cheap - the herb it is extracted from grows quickly and abundantly, so the oil is relatively inexpensive
It has a wonderful fragrance - a lot of essential oils are cloying and overwhelming. Peppermint is almost universally liked, so using it in your home won't generate cries of "What's that awful smell?!"
It has many beneficial and therapeutic uses.
BENEFITS
The aroma acts as a powerful 'wake-up' to your senses. It is stimulating to both mind and body. Sniffing a drop or two of peppermint on a tissue can help keep you awake if you are tired when driving. It is actually worth keeping a bottle in the car, for this purpose.
A drop in your morning bath, or on a sponge or flannel in the shower, can get you going.
My favourite use is its anti-nausea effect. If you think you are going to be sick, take a deep breath of peppermint and your stomach will stop loop-the-looping. For an oil that is very stimulating, it can also be extremely calming.
It works for some people as a headache-reliever - but not everybody. It is worth taking a tentative sniff at the first sign of a headache and listening to your body to gauge your own reaction.
It is particularly effective on the feet. Reflexologists tell us there are thousands of nerve endings in the feet and they are very sensitive. Using peppermint in an oil or lotion as a foot rub stimulates the whole body. Remember the Body Shop's 'Peppermint Foot Lotion'? Very effective. You can
make your own very simply with a cheap lotion and a few drops of peppermint oil (plus a drop or two of red food colouring if you want the pink colour).
It is helpful for colds - particularly if it is used in conjunction with eucalyptus. It works a bit like eucalyptus in clearing the sinuses if inhaled (a drop in warm water).
DRAWBACKS
I don't think you can be allergic to peppermint, but it can cause skin irritation (like most essential oils) if used neat, or in too strong a concentration. It will also cause nasal irritation if inhaled from too strong a solution. Err on the side of caution every time. As it is so strong, a single drop is often enough.
Summary:
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