A Reference for Massage Therapists in Using Aromatherapy Scents

 by LS

One of the good items included in the Salon Ovations book is a brief aromatherapy reference guide, which I include below with some personal observations on some of them.

I provide you with a short list of the most common or popular herbal scents and their uses. But first, it may be helpful to first group herbs by their usefulness in applying them to a particular situation:

THE CALMING HERBS-

Lavender is probably best known of this group's members. The whole list is: Camphor, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Geranium, Jasmine, Lavender, Melissa, Rose, Ylang Ylang.

Chamomile, Jasmine, and Rose all lend themselves to use as a tea. An herbal mix of any of these may be blended and stuffed into a closely-woven mini-pillow for use as a sleep aid.

THE STIMULATING HERBS-

Camphor, Cinnamon, Clove, Eucalyptus, Oregano, Peppermint, Pine, Rosemary, Spearmint, and Thyme. Rosemary really is for remembrance! And many people find that a hankie with a few drops of peppermint oil on it helps when they have to think hard; take a whiff before exams or writing reports.

THE ASTRINGENT HERBS-

Birch, Cedarwood, Cypress, Frankincense, Grapefruit, Juniper, Myrrh, Rosemary, Sage, and Sandalwood. For external use, essential oils from these plants can be helpful in healing skin breaks or preventing breakouts.

THE MOISTURIZING HERBS-

Chamomile, Neroli, Orange, Patchouli, and Rose.

Many women enjoy lotions based on such things as almond oil, olive oil, or other high-quality oils with a touch of one of these essential oils. Orange and Rose give a very pleasing scent to the hands and face, too.

THE ANTI-STRESS HERBS-

Basil, Chamomile, Geranium, Lavender, Melissa, Neroli, Sage, Sandalwood, and Ylang Ylang.

Lavender scent has even been shown to lower blood pressure in controlled studies. Chamomile is popular in teas taken before bedtime. Lavender is essential in any herbal sleep pillow.

THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY HERBS-

Chamomile, Geranium, Jasmine, Lavender, and Neroli.

I am still waiting for commercial topical ointments to be made using these herbal ingredients, but one can still make one's own blend by adding a few drops of essential oil to a good olive oil, almond oil or peanut oil base.

THE ANTI-BACTERIAL HERBS-

Bergamot, Cedarwood, Lemon, Lemongrass, Myrrh, Peppermint, Tea Tree, Thyme, and Ylang Ylang. Peppermint and Thyme are members of the mint family, which carry an ingredient called thymol, a natural antiseptic.

THE ANALGESIC (painkilling) HERBS-

Camphor, Chamomile, Clove, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Oregano, Peppermint, Rosemary, and Wintergreen. Some of these like the mints and wintergreen are very cooling, which soothes hot, inflamed areas or injuries. You may also find that adding a few drops of essential oil to your after-bath lotion can ease the soreness after a hard day of cycling or playing sports – try eucalyptus, or for very hard physical effort, camphor. Clove oil, of course, can be applied directly to toothache until you can get to your dentist.

THE LIST

BASIL- Anti-stress, antiseptic, or toning.

BENZOIN GUM- Antiseptic, sedative, or euphoric (raises one's mood).

BERGAMOT- Anti-acne, helpful for psoriasis or eczema, antiseptic, healing, deodorizing, fights infection, uplifting. Do not expose to sun.

BIRCH BARK- Astringent, similar action to wintergreen, reduces muscle soreness and joint stiffness.

CAMPHOR WOOD- Stimulating and soothing, tends to cool first and then heat. Stimulates heart. Is analgesic, antiseptic, rubefacient, sometimes a vasoconstrictor. Stimulates circulation. Overuse could be toxic, so if you have chronic muscle or joint pain you should see a physician to determine your exact condition.

CEDAR WOOD- Antiseptic, astringent, sedative. Helpful for treating skin eruptions, psoriasis, eczema, or seborrhea.

CHAMOMILE- Calms the nerves, sedative, soothes inflammation, reduces stress, antidepressant, antiseptic, analgesic, anti-allergenic. Good for minor burns. Commercially used as a colorant. May reduce body temperature (that is, it may be used for minor fevers). Keeps other plants healthy, so it is good to have it in your herb garden.

CINNAMON- Antiseptic, stimulant, warming in cold weather. Adding this to your food in winter helps you keep up your body temperature. Must be diluted.

CLARY SAGE- Antidepressant, relaxant, antiseptic, calming, euphoric, warming, sedative.

CLOVE- Analgesic, antiseptic, stimulating, strengthens memory, soothes muscles. Must be diluted.

CYPRESS (fruit)- Vasoconstrictor, antiseptic, astringent, sedative, helpful for varicose veins. Has similar effects to juniper and pine.

EUCALYPTUS- One of the best antiseptics, disinfectant, analgesic, astringent, rubefacient, and decongestant. Helpful for sore muscles. Has a pronounced cooling effect on the body; helpful for fevers.

FENNEL SEED- Antiseptic, toning, diuretic.

FRANKINCENSE GUM- Antiseptic, calming, astringent, sedative, warming, toning, rejuvenating. Slight anti-inflammatory effect.

GERANIUM- Anti-inflammatory, enhances relaxation, analgesic, antiseptic, sedative. Blends well with other oils. Reduces anxiety and is uplifting.

GRAPEFRUIT- Astringent, cleansing, stimulant, toning. Has anti-cellulite effect or reduces water retention.

JASMINE FLOWER- Soothing, relaxing, antiseptic, anti-depressant, slight anti-inflammatory effect. Is considered the queen of flowers due to the fact it is somewhat more expensive than others.

JUNIPER (fruit)- Astringent, antiseptic, invigorating, toning, anti-toxic, rubefacient, diuretic. Has both stimulating and relaxing effects. Stimulates circulation.

LAVENDER- Antiseptic, relaxant, analgesic, anti-toxic, diuretic, sudorific, reduces inflammation, very cleansing and purifying, anti-stress, soothes burns, anti-acne. Considered the most useful and versatile.

LEMON (fruit)- Antiseptic, bactericidal, detoxifies, purifies.

LEMONGRASS- Antiseptic, purifying, sedative and stimulating at the same time. Great for oily hair and skin. Must be diluted.

MELISSA- Antiseptic, anti-depressant, relaxing, stress-busting, anti-allergenic.

MYRRH GUM- Antiseptic, astringent, sedative, toning, purifies, reduces inflammation, cools the skin, anti-aging?

NEROLI (flower)- Anti-depressant, calming, softens the face, sedative, non-irritating, soothes redness and inflammation, induces calm. (Neroli comes from the bitter orange, Citrus vulgaris, which should not be confused with sweet orange oil.)

SWEET ORANGE- Calming, soothing, reduces nervousness. Revives the complexion.

OREGANO- Antiseptic, analgesic, muscle relaxant, stimulant, energizes.

PATCHOULI- Antiseptic, anti-depressant, sedative, nerve stimulant, rejuvenating. Good for dry skin. Similar to myrrh in effects.

PEPPERMINT- Antiseptic, analgesic, cooling, sedative, antibacterial, vasoconstrictor. Main ingredient is menthol.

PINE WOOD- Antiseptic, reduces fatigue, reduces muscle stiffness. Great for the bath as a soak.

ROSE- Antiseptic, astringent, sedative, relieves stress or tension, purifies and cleanses, re-hydrates, cooling, anti-depressant. Good on dry skin. Is the queen of flowers due to its cost and the fact it is the least toxic of all essences.

ROSEMARY- Antiseptic, toning, helps memory, loss, very stimulating, analgesic, invigorating, also reduces muscle soreness. Is a universal aid.

SAGE- Stimulant, astringent, antiseptic, toning, uplifting, restores energy of whole entity.

SANDALWOOD- Antiseptic, astringent, sedative, toning, anti-depressant, reduces nervous tension, soothing. Good for acne.

SPEARMINT- Stimulant, antiseptic, soothes redness, invigorating. Similar to camphor – cooling then warming.

TEA TREE- Anti-bacterial, fungicidal, virucidal, sudorific, energizes. Great for acne. Stimulant to the immune system.

THYME- Antiseptic, reduces fatigue, germicidal, non-irritating. Must be diluted.

WINTERGREEN- Antiseptic, analgesic, relieves sore muscles and joints. Must be diluted.

YLANG YLANG- Sedative, calms the nerves, anti-depressant, decongestant, relaxing. One of the most pleasant to use. Good on oily skin. Euphoric.