Essential Oils Basics
Essential oils are used individually for healing purposes. However, the real power will often come when they are blended to create certain mood enhancing and healing effects. You can use some oils like eucalyptus on its own to help a person unclog their sinuses, for instance. Or eucalyptus can be combined with another oil like peppermint to relieve stress. Lavender and Lemon soothes and relaxes. It also has excellent antiseptic properties.
There are also energizing oils, ones that can improve sleep and even ones that help with weight loss. Citrus oils are usually the most invigorating, especially lemon, orange and grapefruit. Use them on their own, or all three, to uplift and also cut food cravings.
In addition to essential oils being inhaled, they can also be used in a range of first aid items and personal care products. For example, some essential oils have anti-bacterial properties, so they can clear up acne, athlete’s foot fungus and more. A few drops of oil diluted with water, alcohol or witch hazel can have powerful cleaning and healing effects on cuts, scrapes and bruises.
Personal Care Gifts Using Essential Oils
When diluted in what is termed a carrier oil, such as olive oil or coconut oil, essential oils that are good for the skin can be used for shampoo, soap, moisturizer and more. Essential oils can also enhance and deepen the effects of sensual or therapeutic massage. Pamper the special someone in your life with a back rub, or use particular essential oils in conjunction with physiotherapy to help speed healing. Studies have shown that those with arthritis are particularly prone to depression. Several essential oils have the ability to ease aches as pains even as their scent improves mood and chases away the blues.
All of the personal care products you can create will be spa-quality if you use the right ingredients such as Dead Sea Salt and jojoba oil, but there will be no need to pay spa prices. If you want to pamper anyone on your gift list, learning how to make small, fresh batches of body wash, salt scrubs and bath bombs can leave anyone’s skin feeling and looking better than before. They can even detoxify the skin because the recipes you create will have no artificial coloring, harsh chemicals, or harmful preservatives.
In most cases, the recipes you create using essential oils are safe enough for a baby to use provided you dilute the oils correctly and never put pure oil directly on the skin. Once you create the recipes, package them as needed, in pump or squeeze bottles, sprays and roll-ons. You can make a large batch of bath salts, for instance, for pennies compared to buying commercially prepared products. Start with the basic ingredients, then add your chosen essential oils to create just the right scents and items for each person on your list.
Aromatherapy can also be used to transform the home. Many essential oils have natural deodorizing properties, while others can fill the air with mood-enhancing scents. Some people like to stick to the same scent all year round, while others like to change oils with the seasons. Rose is wonderful for spring, lemon for summer, cinnamon for fall and pine or balsam for winter. It is all a matter of taste, and who owns the home.
For example, a woman will tend to enjoy more floral essential oils like rose, jasmine and geranium, while men might lean more towards woody fragrances like pine, bay and myrrh. The citrus smells of lemon, lime and bergamot will usually appeal to both genders.
Therefore, essential oils benefit everyone from newborns to seniors and both men and women. Aromatherapy gifts using high-quality essential oils can improve surroundings and enhance well-being. They can even target particular problems and offer safe, natural solutions to many health issues, such as relaxation (lavender and vanilla are good for this) or focusing the mind (clary sage is ideal for this).
Maybe you have already discovered the wonders of aromatherapy and essential oils and wish to share with others all the health benefits you have gained. Perhaps you even got a gift yourself that was so great, it sparked your interest. Or maybe you want to learn more about the topic yourself because you have several people on your gift list who enjoy aromatherapy and you wish to give them the perfect gift. Perhaps you are both beginners who have heard about all the benefits of using aromatherapy as part of your daily routine.
Getting Started with Aromatherapy Gifts
No matter who the beginner is, it is easy to get started with aromatherapy. The first basic rule is to follow your nose. The second is to know your goal.
In terms of following your nose, go to the local health food store with a notebook and pen. Try the testers they have there for the essential oils they stock. Smell a few essential oils at a time, and then give yourself a smelling break to take notes on the ones you liked. Then either keep smelling, or head home to do some research.
In reference to knowing your goal, look at the labels on the oils you thought smelled nice or look up the oils online. See what the main uses are of each oil, such as soothing, relaxing, easing aches and pains, and helping with breathing, and so on. Some oils like lavender, lemon, orange and tea tree offer a range of benefits, so they are an excellent choice of starter oil in terms of both scent and use.
In other cases, you might be more interested in filling a home with rich scents. Or you might wish to make your own natural insect repellant to use out on a patio or deck, or a hand sanitizer effective at killing germs but good for even the most sensitive skin. Essential oils can help you create all these kinds of gifts and more.
Once you have decided which oils you like the smell of and what will be effective for the purpose/s you have in mind, choose a couple of oils to start working with. Have trouble deciding? Consider getting a beginner’s kit, which will contain several of the most popular and versatile essential oils. Then start creating your gifts.
With so many people suffering from a range of allergies these days, including environmental allergies, using essential oils can be an ideal way to cut down on the chemicals a person is exposed to each day. Experts estimate that the average woman is exposed to 60 to 100 chemicals per day in relation to all of her personal care and cleaning products. For men and children, it is around 40. Just think how low you could get those numbers, or help your gift recipients to, by making your own natural aromatherapy-related products.
You can create and use yourself, or gift, a wide range of items, such as soap, shampoo and household cleaning products with just a few ingredients. These make ideal gifts for anyone with sensitive skin. There will no longer be any need to try to understand the labels on the products in the store and what they could be hiding, such as chemicals known to cause skin irritation, and in the worst cases even cancer. There will no longer be any need to lug heavy items from the drugstore that have water and chemicals as their main ingredients.
If you are interested in protecting the environment, then using and gifting aromatherapy items is ideal. There is no need for testing on animals such as many of the large brands do, including Avon and Mary Kay. There is also no need to worry about where all the harmful chemicals go when you rinse off and the product disappears down the drain.
Good quality essential oils are 100% organic and not extracted by chemicals but through steam and then distillation, enhancing the power of the oils into one concentrated form. Some essential oils are also termed food-grade, that is, suitable for cooking. For the best quality oils for food recipes, look for Kosher on the label. Also look for oils from the US, Canada, and the European Union; they are produced to the highest standards compared with cheap oils from other countries such as China.
Similarly, when shopping for any gifts you may decide to purchase rather than create yourself, avoid cheap candles, toiletries and so on from places like Wal-Mart. They might say aromatherapy but are really just fragranced. Look for candles made from beeswax or soy. They burn more cleanly and have fewer chemicals in them. Soy candles also last much longer, such as more than 50 hours for one 5-inch candle in a holder.
Safety Tips Using Essential Oils
So far we have outlined all the benefits of aromatherapy, but there are a couple of disadvantages and important safety tips to be aware of. As we have mentioned, not all essential oils can be eaten, so they need to be kept out of reach of children and pets. Even a couple of drops of pine oil can make a person or pet seriously ill.
Since their active ingredients are so powerful, essential oils should be treated in the same way as any other medicine one would bring into the home. They should be stored in a cool, dry place and not exposed to direct sunlight. They should be stored in bottles made of colored glass, not clear glass or plastic. The essential oils are so strong in some cases they can burn a hole right through the container.
The main disadvantages are that learning about aromatherapy and essential oils can take some time and effort, and money too. Aromatherapy can turn out to be an expensive hobby if you do not buy your essential oils strategically so they can be used on their own or blended to achieve a range of effects. It is easy to get dazzled by all the pretty bottles and want to buy every one of them without even knowing what they are used for or smell like.
Gift Giving Guidelines
Having said that, it is a fun and interesting hobby and healing method which can help men, women and children. The recipes you make can work as well as or even better than commercial products, and be healthier too. The investment in versatile aromatherapy oils can also more than pay for itself in the long run due to all the money saved not having to buy expensive dandruff shampoo, shaving cream (for facial and leg hair) and aftershave or cologne.
Some basic essential oils, a couple of carrier oils, and a few other basic supplies can create an entire bathroom of personal care products. Better still, a couple of the most popular carrier oils, olive and coconut, can also be used for cooking. In facts, you probably already have them in your kitchen.
Another guideline for gifting aromatherapy-related products is to not give anything you would not like yourself. Chances are the gift recipient will have similar tastes to your own. You might also wish to consider how personal the gift is. Toiletries are fine for close friends and family but perhaps not such a good idea for a work colleague unless it is hand sanitizer or hand cream, for instance. When in doubt, opt for a pleasant scent like lemon or peppermint, and an item they can use around the house or office, such as an aromatherapy wall plug in or reed diffuser. It looks pretty and smells wonderful.
Also think about the occasion. There are times when a gift is mandatory for your friends, family and even colleagues, such as birthdays and the end of year holidays like Chanukah and Christmas. The latter occasions can be very stressful if you have a small budget and are trying to wrack your brain for the ideal item to give to one or more people on your list who already seem to have everything. Unique homemade gifts you can make in batches, individualize with essential oils and package nicely might be just the solution.
There are also many special occasions throughout the year when you might wish to or need to give a gift. For example, if you are invited to stay at someone’s house or attend a party, a gift for the host or hostess is always a nice touch. Other special occasions include bridal showers, weddings, baby showers, graduations, and other important milestones in the life of your gift recipient.
Then there are the holidays, from New Year’s in January, to Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, the 4th of July if you live in the USA, and Halloween, Thanksgiving, back to Christmas, and so on. It might seem impossible to come up with just the right gift on each occasion and for everyone on your list, but it IS possible if you are willing to explore the wonderful world of aromatherapy.
Ideal gifts for beginners which do not require you to know anything about aromatherapy or essential oils yourself include:
For men and women, personal care items are excellent for almost any person and occasion:
A newborn baby seems to need a house full of items. Keep it simple with homemade:
Other gifts include aromatherapy jewelry, stuffed animals, wreaths, and even home-cooked recipes. Women, tweens and teens all love jewelry-why not add aromatherapy to this great gift?
Got a sporty person or two on your list? Gift them with a range of items that can keep their feet and sneakers dry and fresh-smelling and steer clear of the dreaded athlete’s foot. Are they injured or full of aches and pains? Special essential oils and bath salts could be just what they need to heal.
Do you love arts and crafts? Incorporate aromatherapy and essential oils into your projects in a range of ways. If your gift recipient also loves to make things, give the gift plus patterns and essential oils to enhance their creations.
We have all heard the phrase, “It’s the thought that counts,” but there are certain occasions when more than that is required and you need to give a gift. The thought counts here too, though. You can show you care by giving them a gift they will appreciate, not just pass along to someone on their list because they would rather re-gift it than keep it.
Natrogix Bliss/Nirvana Aromatherapy Gift Ideas
If you have been curious about aromatherapy, now might be the best time to learn more about it so you can starting giving great gifts to the people on your list and make your budget stretch further than ever. If you already know the basics, give gifts for beginners so they can discover the wonders of aromatherapy for themselves. Or, expand your knowledge and that of the people you are gifting to with useful items and homemade recipes sure to please.
Aromatherapy is an ancient healing art that offers documented result, enhancing mood, healing, and transforming the home into a fresh, clean place free of nasty odors or harsh chemicals. Learn more about aromatherapy and essential oils so you can give gifts that are not only wonderful-smelling but life enhancing as well.
To learn more, why visit Natrogix Bliss/Nirvana and see how much everyone will appreciate the gifts you give.