Aromatherapy

Sandalwood Oil

Photo by  Cinnamon Vogue

In India, Tibet and China, Sandalwood is used to protect religious carvings in temples. The best quality and most expensive comes from India. These trees are are endangered and protected by the government in one province. The oils from Australia and West India are less effective. True Sandalwood oil is complicated to make and becoming rare. The tree should be 40 years old before the oil can be extracted, and it requires up to 55 pounds of wood chips for 1 quart of oil, then distilled for six months.

Eucalyptus Oil

Eucalyptus is a genus of the plant family Myrtaceae, and most likely first discovered by the Aborigines, the native inhabitants of Australia. (There are more than 700 species of Eucalyptus) The essential oil is obtained from the branches and leaves. A steam distillation process is used to extract the oil from the tree parts, and some 110 pounds of plant material is required to produce about 2 pounds of eucalyptus oil. The medicinal properties of eucalyptus oil is an effective remedy for skin problems and fever, and has long been called the “fever tree”. Modern herbalists rely on eucalyptus oil to treat colds, fever, respiratory diseases, joint and muscle pain, migraines and bladder problems. The oil has strong germicidal and antibacterial effects.

Lavender Oil

Photo by lokenre

Native to the Mediterranean, lavender is primarily cultivated in Provence, in the south of France. It usually grows in open fields and stony mountain slopes. Today, it can be found throughout southern Europe, Australia, and the United States. Lavender is a short shrub that grows to a height of roughly 24 inches. When in bloom, lavender’s blue-violet flowers gives the herb its aromatic scent. The flowers are aligned in spirals of 6 - 10 blossoms, forming interrupted spikes above the foliage.

Bergamot Oil

The Bergamot Tree is native to the Canary Islands and grows to a height of 12 feet. It is an inedible bitter green fruit with a pale green color that gives off a lemon orange scent.

Bergamot oil plays an important role in aromatherapy. The aroma is excellent for stress, relaxes frayed nerves, depression, anxiety, fear and anger. Add the oil to a sitz bath to help with urinary-tract infections. It can be applied topically for irritated skin, such as acne, insect bites, cold sores and eczema.