The Tisserand guide to Aromatherapy

By Editor1SYS | March 3, 2011 2 Comments

Essential Oils by Jennie Harding

What are essential oils? 

 

An essential oil is a liquid that is generally distilled from the leaves, stems, flowers, bark, roots, or other elements of a plant. Essential oils, contrary to the use of the word “oil” are not really oily-feeling at all; they are light in consistency and evaporate quickly in the air.

Most essential oils are clear, but some oils such as patchouli, orange and lemongrass are amber or yellow in colour. Essential oils contain the true fragrance of the plants they come from. Essential oils are highly concentrated and a little goes a long way.

The chemical composition and aroma of essential oils can provide valuable psychological and physical therapeutic benefits. These benefits are usually achieved through inhalation and application of the diluted oil to the skin, or taking baths. We use them in our products for their soothing, refreshing, cleansing, deodorising, conditioning and mood enhancing actions and their wonderful aromas. 

 

Where can they be used? 

Essential oils can be used in all manner of products including personal care products such as body washes and moisturisers, they can be blended together to create bath or massage blends or roller balls, or used for vaporising. Our skill is in understanding the characteristics of each oil, and creating the right blend to maximise the product’s efficiency.

 

It is this expertise that gives Tisserand its unique selling point. Essential oils can be used in four ways;

 

Massage diluted and then applied to the skin [10 drops essential oil per 20ml carrier oil like jojoba or almond.].

 

Bathing  by adding 6-10 drops to a hot bath

 

Vaporisation add 3-6 drops to a vaporiser or burner, or by inhalation add 3-6 drops to a bowl of hot water and inhale, or add 2 drops to a tissue and inhale. 

 

For First Aid only, lavender and tea tree can be applied directly to the skin to soothe insect bites and itchy skin conditions. [Use 2-3 drops on a cotton bud or a cotton woolpad and apply directly to a spot, small cut or insect bite] 

  

 

What are the benefits? 

 

Tisserand’s heritage has been built on the practice of aromatherapy, which means the use of essential oils for therapeutic and fragrance benefits. By therapeutic, we mean the enhancement of physical and emotional health. 

 

Physically, essential oils can be inhaled into the body via the nose and lungs to help respiratory problems, or absorbed through the skin during massage to ease muscular aches or poor circulation. Â Emotionally, essential oils are inhaled via the nose and affect the limbic system – the brain’s inbuilt smell response mechanism.

 

The aromas of essential oils have immediate effects on mood, emotions and feelings just by smelling them. Apart from creating a pleasing smell, the aromas of essential oils are inextricably linked to the user’s personal experience, triggering memories and feelings, such as relaxation, happiness, euphoria, stimulation, tranquillity and so on. 

 

Which ones should I buy as a basic kit? 

 

Here are four essential oils that no natural medicine cabinet should be without, to provide naturally caring solutions to everyday bumps, minor accidents and health issues. 

 

LAVENDER Number one for burns, sunburn, scalds, minor cuts and grazes, spots and skin irritation like nettle rash. 

 

TEA-TREE Vital help for wounds and cuts to disinfect the skin and speed healing.Also anti-venomous for insect bites and stings. 

 

PEPPERMINT Instantly reviving, the aroma of peppermint essential oil cuts right through nausea, travel or motion sickness or morning sickness. 

 

EUCALYPTUS Pungent and penetrating, the aroma of eucalyptus immediately clears blocked noses, sinus congestion and a stuffy head. 

 

What else will I need? 

 

As you become more confident, you may want to start blending oils for massage – for general health and wellbeing reasons, for beauty benefits or just for the sheer pleasure of a beautifully fragrant experience! 

 

Essential oils should not be used undiluted on the skin. They need to be blended into a base or carrier oil, so named because it carries the essential oil onto the skin. These blending base oils also moisturize and condition the skin.

 

Carrier oils are always vegetable oils like jojoba or sweet almond or grapeseed.  Mineral oils like baby oil are never used in aromatherapy.