Introduction to Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is a form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) based on the use of essential oils for body, mind, and spirit healing. Essential oils are extracted from the flowers, leaves, bark, branches, rind or roots of plants. Aromatherapists believe that essential oils affect the whole body and promote healing by stimulating the brain or entering the bloodstream.

Inhalation
The most basic method of using aromatherapy is direct or indirect inhalation of essential oils. Essential oils that are inhaled into the lungs offer both psychological and physical benefits. You can use several drops of an essential oil on a tissue or handkerchief and gently inhale. A small amount of essential oil can also be added to a bowl of hot water and used as a steam treatment. This technique is recommended for treatment of respiratory conditions, eg diffusing eucalyptus essential oil to help ease nasal congestion.

Essential oil vaporizers/burners can be used to disperse essential oils over a larger area, such as promoting a healthier home of office environment. For example, eucalyptus and tea tree oil are known for their antiseptic qualities and are frequently used to disinfect rooms with a flu virus, while citronella and geranium can be useful in repelling insects.

Direct Application
Using essential oils neat is not recommended as their potency could cause allergic skin reactions. To apply essential oils to the skin, essential oils are typically diluted into a carrier such as a cold pressed vegetable oil, also known as a carrier oil. Common carrier oils include sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil and grapeseed oil.

Massage is a common technique used in aromatherapy to apply essential oils onto the skin. Standard dilutions of essential oils in carrier oils range from 2%–10%. This is dependent on the client's age and treatment objectives. Some oils can be used at higher concentrations, while others should be diluted further for safe and effective use. The type of carrier oil used and the therapeutic objective of the application also determine how the essential oil is blended.

Essential oils can also be used in hot or cold compresses and soaks to treat muscle aches and pains (e.g., lavender and ginger). As a sore throat remedy, antiseptic and soothing essential oils (e.g., tea tree and peppermint) can be thoroughly mixed with water and used as a gargle or mouthwash.

Essential Oil Blends
Essential oils can be blended together to create appealing and complex aromas. Essential oils can also be blended for a specific therapeutic application. Essential oils that are carefully blended with a specific therapeutic purpose in mind may be referred to as an essential oil syngery. A synergistic essential oil blend is considered to be greater in total action than each oil working independently.

Internal use
Although some books and websites mentioned the internal consumption of essential oils, I do NOT recommend it.

Essential oils commonly used in aromatherapy treatments include:

•  Roman chamomile

•  Clary sage

•  Lavender

•  Neroli

•  Sweet orange

•  Peppermint

•  Rosemary

•  Tea tree

•  Ylang ylang

Buying Essential Oils & Aromatherapy Products
Pure essential oils can be expensive, and the cost of an oil will vary depending on its quality and availability. Beware of cheap oils or those that sell for the same price as these are often adulterated, diluted, or synthetic.

Use caution on aromatherapy products that are "Made With Essential Oils" or "Made With Natural Ingredients." Claims like these do not state that the product is made ONLY with the ingredient(s) specified. Such products may contain heavy proportions of synthetic fragrance oils and contain only a minute quantity of essential oil.

Look at the ingredient label to ensure that the product does not contain fragrance oils. Fragrance oils and perfume oils contain synthetic chemicals and do not provide the therapeutic benefits of essential oils.