Kate Magner

For those people who enjoy the process of putting together unique and usual blends of essential oils, creating your own aromatherapy recipes can be a soothing and enjoyable task. Before making any aromatherapy recipes however, there are three vital things a person should know.

* Cinnamon, clove, hyssop, and sage are not suitable essential oils for home use.
* Basil, clove, cinnamon, fennel, hyssop, juniper, marjoram, myrrh, peppermint, rosemary, sage, and white thyme are some of the essential oils which should NOT be used during pregnancy.
* Bay, clary sage, ginger, juniper, pine, and tea tree are some of the essential oils that should not be used for steam facials.

Another thing to be aware of is essential oils that are photosensitizing. Wait at least two hours after applying any of the citrus essentials oils such as lemon, lime and orange, but especially bergamot to your skin before going out in the sun.

There are several different categories of aromatherapy recipes from which to choose, such as bath, foot care and massage.

BATH

For a nice soothing bath try 2 drops of galbanum oil, 2 drops of geranium oil, and 2 drops of lavender oil to relieve anxiety and frustration.

If insomnia is a problem try 4 drops of chamomile oil, 2 drops of lavender oil, 4 drops of neroli oil, and 2 drops of marjoram oil.

Does the man of the house need to relax but does not like to smell “girly”? Try this relaxing aromatherapy recipe of 3 drops of pine oil, 2 drops of chamomile oil, and 2 drops of lemon oil.

FOOT CARE

Another aromatherapy recipe section is for foot care. If you come home at night with poor, tired aching feet, here are a couple of aromatherapy recipes that could help.

For aching feet try 2 drops of chamomile oil and 2 drops of eucalyptus oil in 20 ml. of carrier oil. Use sweeping strokes and gentle circular pressing motion for optimal results.

To invigorate your feet try 2 drops of bay oil and 2 drops of ginger oil in a large bowl of hot water. Soak your feet in the mixture for ten minutes.

MASSAGE

Most people enjoy a nice relaxing massage. Here is a massage aromatherapy recipe to try.

For a soothing massage try 4 drops of lavender per tablespoon of carrier oil, 1 drop of petitgrain per tablespoon of carrier oil and 1 drop of frankincense per tablespoon of carrier oil. This blend may also be added to a warm bath (about a capful of the massage oil blend).

Aromatherapy bases are popular with people who want to be able to add their own essential oils to a product without the extra effort of preparing a base. They are the usually unscented products or lightly scented which can be the foundation and volume for various aromatherapy applications. Aromatherapy bases can be used as creams, oils, shampoos, soaps and lotions. Most aromatherapy supply distributors have several weights and types of aromatherapy bases, so if you are a do-it-yourselfer and want to create your own special aromatherapy blends for your own use or for gift purposes, just begin with the appropriate base add your blend of essential fragrances, package appropriately and voila! instant aromatherapy.

Grape seed oil is lightweight beneficial oil that is readily absorbed through the skin and is a mild emollient. Grape seed base contains vitamin E and is high in linoleic acid. Use washes, gels shampoos. It is helpful to heal all skin types, but is particularly suitable for oily skin. Grape seed oil is pure, is one hundred percent vegetable and has no scent of its own which makes it especially appropriate as aromatherapy bases.

Jojoba oil is widely used in aromatherapy bases. The oil is cold-pressed from jojoba seed grown in the dry desert heat of Arizona. The oil is clear and golden in color. Because jojoba oil does not turn rancid and has no scent of its own, it is often used as a perfume base. It also can be used in all types of skin products including soaps, body washes, shampoos and lotions. Jojoba oil is readily absorbed by the skin and is beneficial in treating eczema and psoriasis.

Pure aromatherapy bases such as a foaming shower gel allow you to add 2 drops of your favorite essential oil for 10 ml of the carrier base and use it in the shower or bath. The base is unscented and contains no additives such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.

A pure unscented oil suitable for massage created for aromatherapy bases is a mixture of cold-pressed sunflower oil, hazelnut, sesame, jojoba and natural Vitamin E. Use four drops of essential oil for each 10 ml of massage oil. Vitamin E is healing for the skin; jojoba is readily absorbed by the skin while the other oils reduce the drag that can make massage motions uncomfortable. You are not left with the heavy greasy feeling when you use unscented carrier or aromatherapy bases such as this mixture.

An aromatherapy diffuser is a device which is intended to spread out the molecules of the essentials oils through the air of the room or space in which it is place. An aromatherapy diffuser works through gentle heating or exciting of the molecules so they are released and spread.

Many diffusers use an electric current to warm and spread the aromatherapy oils. To use it, a few drops of the aromatherapy essential oil is placed in the unit and gently heated until the fragrance fills the entire room. An aromatherapy diffuser is both practical and beautiful. You can choose a style of diffuser which will match the d?cor of the room or that matches the particular essential oil you have chosen to represent your space.

In the past, the process of diffusing essential oils was time consuming and arduous, but modern methods, devices and products have simplified the process, while still leaving the wonderful variety of fragrances and their many benefits for health and well-being.

The style of the aromatherapy diffuser itself is as varied as the fragrances. You may choose from a hand carved rosewood box containing crystallized amber essence. The fragrance is uniquely India. It has aphrodisiacal qualities and is a rich and alluring perfume scent. It easily dissolves into the skin at body temperature.

A natural geode with a essential oil reservoir on a polished agate base with a copper snake figure is another unusual aromatherapy diffuser

A hand carved vine motif soapstone aromatherapy diffuser has a place for the tea light and a reservoir for a few drops of essential oil in water. The ambience created by the light and shadow patterns makes this an ideal diffuser for the bedroom, or for a romantic setting with a gourmet dinner at home.

The above are specific diffusers, but there are some general types of diffusers that will provide just the right product for any aromatherapy diffuser need you may have.
Fan diffusers blow air through small pads that contain your favorite essential oils. Nebulizing diffusers use an essential oil filled glass chamber. Air is pumped through the chamber with no need for heating the essential oils. Tea candle diffusers float a tea candle on a reservoir of water to which a few drops of essential oils have been added. Diffuser pots are ceramic containers with a few drops of essential oils added. The diffuser pots don’t require heat.

An aromatherapy treatment is one in which the aromatherapists uses the essential oils from plants in order to treat specific conditions. Essential oils are extracted from plants generally using steam distillation, but occasionally other extraction methods. Essential oils are different than the substances used by herbalogists in that herbal remedies concentrate the entire plant while aromatherapy treatment essential oils only extract the ESSENCE of the plant.

In an aromatherapy treatment, the essential oils are usually placed in a bath, inhaled or rubbed into the skin. Occasionally a combination of methods will be used. An aromatherapy treatment by a trained holistic aromatherapist will attempt to understand and treat the entire person, not just patch over one set of symptoms. This method requires a somewhat lengthy intake session during which the aromatherapist will ask a series of questions about not only the immediate symptoms, but how some other condition or influence may be hiding behind the visible symptoms.

By understanding more about the client, the aromatherapist is then able to choose a combination of essential oils which fit the needs of the client. The aromatherapist may also make suggestions about other lifestyle changes which will improve the quality of life for the client.

The next part of the aromatherapy treatment usually involves a full-body massage using one or more of the popular massage methods which the therapist will have mastered. These include shiatsu with its deep pressure point location, Swedish massage with the sweeping rhythmic movements following the muscle groups. And effleurage massage which is good for elderly or infants. The blended aromatherapy essential oils are absorbed by the client through inhalation and to some extent through the skin.

There is controversy amongst aromatherapists as to whether the oils are actually absorbed into the blood stream through the skin, but it is known the some essential oils have an antibiotic and healing effect on the skin surface.

Usually the massage part of the aromatherapy treatment is accompanied by music and continues for up to one hour. Then the client is given time to gather themselves together and have a final consultation with the aromatherapist. Suggestions for home treatments or changes may be given, as well as a portion of the individualized essential oils used during the massage, so the client may continue to enjoy their benefits.

For maximum benefits, it is suggested that the aromatherapy treatment be repeated periodically. Even as often as 2-3 times each month.

Over the years, even during the modern era of aromatherapy extending from the 1920s when Gattefosse wrote his first definitive text, there have been hundreds of books written on the subject of aromatherapy. The level of writing ranges from scholarly tomes with detailed chemical analysis of compounds to write-ups of scientific research about the measurement of brainwave patterns in response to various olfactory stimuli to gift books intended as a way to introduce a friend or family member to the subject. Recipe books and books intended as part of a learner’s kit are definitely at the other end of the learning spectrum from the chemical analysis type textbooks. Yet the list of aromatherapy books available in print now comprises hundreds of entries.

The serious student of aromatherapy will undoubtedly enjoy the three major aromatherapy books written by the early masters of the field-Gattefosse, Tisserand and Valnet. Madame Maury is also recognized as an aromatherapy pioneer, but not for her written works.

Gattefosse was the French perfumer who is credited with the modern ‘invention’ of aromatherapy. Purportedly in a lab accident, his arm was badly burned and he thrust it into a handy vat of liquid to cool the wound. The liquid was lavender oil. The rapid healing and minimal scarring convinced him to follow the line of research which eventually became known as aromatherapy. His major work, translated into English as “Gattefosse’s Aromatherapy” is still in print.

Valnet used his abilities as an aromatherapist to treat soldiers wounded in battle and wrote the definitive book translated into English as “The Practice of Aromatherapy.”
Tisserand, an English chemist wrote the third of the aromatherapy books best known as comprehensive texts today. It was the first aromatherapy work published in the English language and was entitled “The Art of Aromatherapy.”

These early aromatherapy books were more scholarly in nature but are still of interest to aromatherapy students today. In selecting a library of useful volumes on the subject of aromatherapy, the practitioner would be wise to choose aromatherapy books with detailed descriptions of the plants, expected benefits and also symptoms which can be helped by the particular plant. At least a three way sort of the materials would be helpful as a reference guide. The first would list the essential oil and describe helpful benefits ascribed to it. The second would sort by condition or symptom and list the essentials oils which might help to alleviate the condition and the third would provide possible recipes and measurements of the components in use.

Essential oils and sea salts provide a synergistic blend. Hot water’s relaxing properties balances the effect of carefully selected essential oils and salts. Aromatherapy bath salt can assist in giving relief from anxiety and stress, provide relief from joint and muscle pains, and soothe the ravages of several painful conditions of the skin. Men and women alike are enjoying aromatic baths. The therapeutic benefits of aromatherapy bath salt are well known and even recommended by physicians to treat a sizable number of medical conditions.

Combining mineral salt such as that from the Dead Sea with selected essential oils can assist in treating skin disorders such as vitilago, scabies, eczema, psoriasis, blackheads dermatitis and acne. Joint and bone conditions such as tendonitis, spondylosis, polyarthritis, osteoarthritis, fibrosis, neuralgia, bursitis, back pain, arthritis, and alkalosis have all gained symptomatic relief after using a regimen of aromatherapy bath salt treatments, sometimes combined with lifestyle changes.

Not all essential oils are suitable for use in combination with bath salts. For example, basil, bay, black pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg thyme and oregano should not be used with bath salts as they may cause irritation to the skin. Aromatherapy bath salt mixtures can be found in many websites or local shops; you can also find books on the subject in many locations, or speak with an aromatherapist if you are not absolutely sure of treatment or product.

You also need to adhere closely to the dilution levels of the aromatherapy essential oils which you purchase. Obviously the higher quality essential oils will be more expensive, and will require smaller quantities to get the results, but you should almost never place undiluted essential oils directly on the skin. A few exceptions such as oil of lavender exist, but these are rare.

Most aromatherapists recommend discontinuation of aromatherapy during pregnancy, particularly during the first trimester.

You can make your own aromatherapy bath salt by combining 2 cups of sea salt, 2 cups of Epsom salts, 10 drops of ylang ylang oil, 10 drops of lavender oil and 20 drops of soap dye (optional). To use the bath salt, just add the desired amount to running bath water, wait for it to dissolve then enjoy your relaxing spa break.

An effervescent fizzing aromatherapy bath salt can by made by combining 2 cups of sea salt, 1 cup of baking soda, 1/2 cup of citric acid, 20 drops of essential oil of your choice and 20 drops of soap dye. When you add this mixture to water, it fizzes.
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For those who wish to go beyond the personal enjoyment level of aromatherapy and progress to a professional level, an aromatherapy course might be a good starting place. In some countries of the world, an aromatherapist is a licensed profession and the practitioners must meet certain standards or education and experience in order to carry the title or practice their profession.

In the United States though, there is no overall licensing organization that oversees aromatherapy or its practitioners. If a person is interested in becoming an aromatherapist and has no other medical or professional training, they might want to follow a plan of acquiring formal training either through an online or local college or trade or vocational school. Many schools now offer a basic aromatherapy course due to the increased interest in the subject.

Certainly an aromatherapy course online will provide the basis for further study as time and resources allow. You may also search for local aromatherapists who might be willing to take on a student or apprentice in their business. Other formal courses which might be of help in becoming a qualified aromatherapist include holistic medicine, alternative medicine and other health courses. Sometimes community colleges offer courses on herb gardens and healing with herbs which would have course content that would be applicable.

Other courses related to an aromatherapy course include techniques of massage. Some states, perhaps even most states in the United States have licensing requirements for massage practitioners. Techniques of Swedish massage, shiatsu and effleurage massage will provide more effective aromatherapy treatments. A course specific to foot reflexology can be transformed into a fair income as a second career.

How far you take the aromatherapy course information and subsequent massage training will be entirely up to you. Many people learn enough to identify the basic essential oils and use them in a limited way. Others use the aromatherapy course to go into business of making or selling aromatherapy items to the general public, whether through flea markets, online or a retail store. Still others use the techniques learned through the aromatherapy course, massage courses, holistic medicine and related fields of study plus the work experience to carve out a successful career as an aromatherapist.

The latter field would require that you have an understanding of how aromatherapy works, be empathetic toward others, enjoy the hands-on tasks of treatment and be flexible about work hours and conditions.

Many of the countries in the world have desperate need for animal protection. Korea is one among the countries which needs an effective animal protection because of the increasing number of animal cruelties reported there, and the culturally supported animal usages that are present there. The dogs, which are not generally a livestock in most countries is used for its meat and the level of usage is high too. But the acts passed and steps taken by the Korean government are quite improving and positive in their approach towards stopping such cruelties related to animals.
The new animal protection law:
The previous Korean animal protection laws were in a way flimsy, so tender to enable an effective protection scheme. But the government has reacted well with the events in the country and has formulated the new protection law, which is more formidable and protective for animals and offensive for the wrong-doers.
Aspects of protection:
The main aspects of protection involve avoiding the improper and cruel ownership of an animal, which is quite prevalent in parts of the country and to discourage unnecessary killings and irrational cruelties. The dog food is not yet banned or prevented in any sort by the Korean government. It has just said that the irrational killings o dog is prohibited. This is probably because of the fact that dog is widely used for meat and the practice has cultural roots, that makes it harder to be banned outright.
But the other aspects of controlling cruelties and protecting animals are quite well laid out. A fine of few million won (thousands of dollars) is quite a lot of money and so is sure to get a fear in the minds of wrong intenders. Also the Animal warden who is recruited to take the steps towards animal conservation and powers offered to him related to animals make protection more feasible.
The self-supportive welfare associations:
Korea also has a pretty good number of volunteers to make it possible, the creation of welfare organization that function autonomously overlooking the things going on around them and directly involving in case of any cruelty or unnecessary animal slaughter. The volunteers have a great part to play in the protection of animals and have proven their mettle time and again in the history of animal protection.
There is a large scope of improvement to be done from the side of government and the positive aspect is that the awareness is spreading and there is increasing number of volunteers to help animal, which makes the protection more effective and easy.

Animals found by some of the animal protection agencies and societies these days are so miserable in state. Many animals are recovered from houses of people who don’t look after their pets and from the houses of those who are not supposed to keep pets like those which are exotic or endangered animals.

An animal was born free and that is its birth right. They should be kept in environments where they have enough to eat and drink a clean place to live in and they should not be tortured in anyway.

Animal lovers sometimes buy little bears and monkeys but can’t provide them with the space that they need. They tie the animals all day long and make it aggressive and then when it goes out of control they either sell them or leave them stranded.

Many animal protection societies and agencies have what is known as an Animal protection rescue sanctuary. Here animals which are wild and have been brought up in captivity are rescued and kept. This is a place where the animals are given a habitat as close to their original home as possible.

They have huge areas which are fenced. Inside these areas a lot of trees and plants are planted. Depending on the animal a cave, burrow, ditch or shed is provided. A lot of careful planning goes into the designing of each area so that the animal has free water and food. Monkeys are put up in areas where there are a lot of trees with fruits. This gives the monkey to be itself and fetch its own food.

When an animal is rescued it is brought to the animal protection centre. It is examined by a doctor and if it is sick or is hurt, treatment is done at once. After that the animal is given a bath and introduced into its new home. If the animal is very fast in recovering and adjusting to its freedom, it is given a chance to go absolutely wild. Many animals are rehabilitated and then left back in their natural environment. Some animals are either physically or mentally unable to adjust to the freedom, these animals are retained at the animal protection rescue sanctuary. In other words this is their home away from home. It is a place where they learn to accept the transition between captivity and complete freedom.

These animal protection rescue centers are also non-profitable agencies and so they constantly need our help and support to help these animals. Help can be any form. You can go and serve as a volunteer or you can go and donate whatever you can from your savings.

Animal protection act, 1984 South Africa was passed to consolidate and amend the laws existing in relation to the prevention of cruelty to animals. It was much more stringent than the one already in force. All animals, be it domestic, wild, birds and reptiles which are in captivity, possession, charge, custody or under the control of any person are protected under this law.

Anyone who ill-treats, neglects, infuriates, overloads, overrides, overdrives, tortures, maims, terrifies, cruelly beats any animal is considered an offender. An animal should not be under-fed or left to starve. It is the responsibility of the one in charge, to protect the animal from any inclement weather. No animal must be locked in a place which offers inadequate space, protection or adequate comfort. Confining or securing with a chain, in a manner that causes the animal to suffer, is an offence.

Poisoning the animals also come under the animal protection act. But domestic animals which have turned violent, pests and parasites can be poisoned. When an animal which is in need of medical attention for any disease, sustain an injury or suffer during the delivery of a young one and if the owner fails to give proper attention or veterinary assistance, is punishable under the South African animal protection law. To protect ones property or to prevent the spread of any disease by an animal, it is lawful to capture and destroy the animal only after a permit is issued by the magistrate of the concerned district.

Provoking or inciting an animal to attack another animal, for financial gain or as a form of amusement is unlawful. The individual found guilty of such an act is liable to imprisonment or fine. The guilty individual or the party will be deprived of ownership of any animal which has undergone suffering. License is needed for training and exhibiting an animal for performance and even for maintaining a dog for safeguarding.

If an animal is found to be suffering from a terminal problem or has a problem that is not treatable and if a veterinarian after duly examining the animal, certifies that the animal is severely injured or diseased that it would be cruel to keep it alive or attempt to treating it, a police officer is summoned to put the animal to sleep, to lessen its suffering. Adequate precaution should be taken while putting down the animal, so as not to inflict any further suffering as practicable and the carcass properly disposed with dignity.