Aromatherapy Massage Oils
By Nadia Cyrus

 The history of aromatherapy goes back thousands of years, as far back as biblical times. Aromatherapy is usually very if not completely successful in treating a variety of ailments and illnesses. It is a practice which is based upon the use of essential oils, which are oils that consist of tiny aromatic molecules that are readily absorbed via the skin. Typically these oils are breathed in or taken orally, and the therapeutic constituents offered by these oils are carried around the entire body where they will deliver their beneficial healing powers.

There are many methods in which aromatherapy is implemented, but massage is by far one of the most common and most popular. In aromatherapy massage, the essential oils are usually mixed with a certain carrier oil, such as sweet almond or apricot kernel, and are used to soothe and relax the person. The aromatherapy massage oils that are used here have a significant impact, as they greatly affect your mood, entering through the olfactory system and affecting the nervous systems. They can help to energize, enlighten, ease, alleviate stress, and even speed

up healing.

There are literally hundreds of different aromatherapy massage oils to choose from and each offers their own characteristics and effects. Remember that these massages are used to trigger the healing process of the body and work by stimulating the lymph fluid and blood circulation of the body. You will need to talk to your massage therapist and discuss with them what sort of effects you are looking for so that they can determine the proper aromatherapy massage oils to use in your case.

Also keep in mind that you can purchase some of these aromatherapy massage oils to bring home with you after your massage so you can use them in your foot bath, body and facial masks, or most commonly through inhalation. Steam inhalations with these oils can be used to treat colds and other respiratory disorders. For this you simply need to take a bowl of hot water, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, and then a place a towel on your head and bend over the bowl so that the towel is covering the entire outside of the bowl. This way all of the steam that is produced from the hot water will be drifting up to your face and you will be inhaling it and receiving the benefits of the oils.