Today, aromatherapy is widely known to enhance our well-being through various modalities. But it was the mainstream for practitioners to use as internal and external medicine only until the 19th century, when synthetic medicines started taking over. Indeed, essential oil is powerful enough to cure many ailments both physical and emotional. When applied to the skin, some particles of essential oils can enter the body through hair follicles or sweat glands and access blood vessels through the capillary network.
Each essential oil has many properties and a distinct character, providing an almost infinite variety to homemade products. Essential oils add scents and sometimes subtle colors that are not only safe but also beneficial for our health and well-being.
When blended, oils work together in harmony, creating synergy with chemical interactions making it more powerful in combination than they would on their own. Adding essential oils to your homemade products is one of the most practical ways to capture the best that nature has to offer!
Basic Aromatherapy
Although essential oil is easy to use, be sure to follow the basics. Read blog “Essential Oils: What You Didn’t Know”
Essential Oils to Start With
Essential oils are expensive and you do not need a whole range to create skincare products. Here are 15 most versatile and easily accessible oils that you may wish to start with, but depending on your needs, you may start with even fewer. Remember, scent is very personal so do not use any oil you dislike. If the scent brings you a negative feeling or makes you uncomfortable physically, then the particular oil is not useful for you.
This is widely used in Asia for incense because of the sweet aroma which is soothing and calming. For skincare, it is best known for its ability to regenerate as well as moisturize and cool.
Creating Your Own Scent
Creating your own scents and incorporating scent into your products can have a profound effect on holistic efficacies beyond the skin. One practical and effective way of creating scent is to use a synaesthesia effect by combining two senses, that is, smell and other senses such as hearing, touch and sight. Try to imagine colours, patterns, sounds, and feelings from a particular smell. What colour is lemon? What sound is vetiver? We are all equipped with this skill when we are born, though we learn to differentiate sensual experiences and compartmentalise each one into a definite single sensation as we age. What may appear difficult at the beginning can quickly become something that comes naturally with a little practice. Then think of the feeling you wish the product to spur, or simply think of your favourite colours and sounds. Experimenting with essential oils may be costly, but with this basic technique, you can blend the scents in your mind to come up with the recipes. Pure essential oils add delightful scents in homemade skincare products in a completely natural and safe way.Levels of Notes
Scents have three levels of notes: Bottom, middle, and top. The top note is what your nose captures immediately but disperses quickly, while the bottom note holds the smells longer. In order to create a balanced scent, this is a guideline for each component:Main Classification of Scents
Generally, essential oils can be classified into the following six different types of scents with typical characteristics, colours and notes: