Go to...
Home IN CASE you've stumbled upon this page through a search engine, this is part of the website of Rick Lavin, Associate Profesor in the Faculty of Environmental & Symbiotic Sciences at the Prefectural University of Kumamoto. Use the links above to move UP to our homepage or ACROSS to other parts of the site. Use the links below to delve DOWN DEEPER into this aromatherapy section. Questions about aromatherapy |
I've been interested in aromatherapy - the science/art of using plant essential oils for better physical and mental health - for some years now. I use it for myself, my wife and our child, and occasionally for interested friends. I put the oils in the bath, on the pillow at night, or in a burner (vaporizer). I mix them with a vegetable base oil for massage. I use them to disinfect dishcloths, kitchen surfaces and tables. I put drops in kitchen cupboards to keep them smelling nice and to keep cockroaches away, and on the tablecloth in my study to keep me alert. And I mix them with vodka and distilled water to make my own aftershave lotion.
Personal experienceThere are lots of oils, and of course still more combinations, that I haven't used yet, and many that I have used but haven't been able to come to any conclusions about. In addition, in the absence of specialized knowledge and medical equipment to take measurements, I don't feel that it's possible to speak with confidence about essential oils' effects on anyone but oneself. But bearing in mind these limitations, I'll list some individual oils and blends that I've found useful. Insomnia/headachesMy wife often suffers from headaches and difficulty in getting to sleep at night. Oils we've used include:
Coughs and Sore ThroatsI don't suffer from coughs frequently. Unfortunately, when a cold does transform itself into a cough, it can often last for 2 months or more. Essential oils alone are unlikely to cure a persistent cough, but can be useful as an adjunct to other therapies. The first thing to decide is whether your symptoms are basically hot or cold, roughly in the same sense as in Chinese medicine. "Cold" coughsWith a cold cough, phlegm tends to be white or colourless, sometimes watery. You may even feel cold or devoid of energy. The cough may well be longlasting, but not frequent and not very severe. In these cases, my first choice is ginger, which is warming and strengthening. I often combine this with atlas cedarwood or sandalwood, which soothe the throat. Frankincense also soothes the throat, as well as promoting sleep, so I sometimes use that oil at night. Hyssop seems to be a reasonably effective cough-suppressant, and thyme seems to have an antibiotic effect. I tend to use the last two during the daytime and the others at night. Cold SoresI apply bergamot oil neat, though many aromatherapists would advise against doing this. Athlete's footI apply tea-tree oil neat. Preventing infectionWhen someone in the house is down with a cold or other infectious illness, we burn pine or tea-tree oil. The same oils are good on the pillow at night or on a T-shirt during the day. |