The Complete Essential Oils Sourcebook: A Practical Approach to the Use of Essential Oils for Health and Well-Being. Julia Lawless
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by the body, and their dietary sources, are given at the end of the book in the Appendix, Vitamins and dietary sources.
Other types of treatment that are raised and given emphasis in the discussion of treatment in this book are the use of Bach flower remedies, allergy testing, osteopathy, psychotherapy, counseling, yoga and relaxation, and meditation and prayer. Despite this emphasis upon alternative medicine as prevention and treatment, orthodox and alternative approaches should not be seen as necessarily working in opposition. Each has its own value: what is required today is an integration of modern scientific techniques and traditional knowledge. In India and China, for example, traditional forms of medicine are being used alongside the newly adopted surgical skills and other modern innovations, while in the West there has been a surge of interest in the medicinal potential of aromatic materials and herbal medicine.
Borage is used to make a base oil and is very beneficial to the skin.
Body and mind
Aromatherapy treats mind and body together. The scent of the essential oils used can have a powerful effect on the emotions while the oils’ chemistry affects the body.
A wholesome and balanced diet, with plenty of fresh fruit, plays an important part in maintaining health.
Yoga quickly makes the body more supple and helps to maintain mind–body awareness.
LIKE TRADITIONAL HERBAL remedies, essential oils are very valuable self-help tools because they are effective in the prevention and treatment of many common conditions, yet are simple and easy to use. It is wise to build up a collection of the most useful essential oils, together with a small selection of vegetable base or carrier oils and creams for use in the home medicine chest. The most important of these are arnica ointment, calendula cream or oil, grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, and wheat germ oil (see here for a full list of base oils).
Many essential oils, apart from being used for first aid or for the treatment of common complaints, are also ideal as bath oils, perfumes, or room fresheners. Even when they are used purely for esthetic purposes, they are still fulfilling a positive preventive and therapeutic role. A small, essential aromatic oil kit can prove to be an extremely valuable asset at home, in the workplace, or while on vacation, and when traveling. There is a group of five invaluable oils to keep in the home medicine cabinet, or to take with you when traveling: lavender, tea tree, rosemary, Roman chamomile, and peppermint.
There is a second group of 30 other oils that can also prove very useful, although they are not always the most popular or pleasantly scented (see here). In the section on specific remedies, several essential oils are usually mentioned for each illness, including some from an additional group of 30 (see overleaf). It is not, however, necessary to buy all the oils listed, as it is possible to treat many common illnesses by using up to five oils, especially when the oils are mixed or blended together in various combinations. The recommended blends which are highlighted in the section on the treatment of specific problems are always made up from a selection of the essential oils listed overleaf.
JASMINE
CHAMOMILE
LAVENDER
ROSE PETALS
Essential oils for the medicine chest
Group 1
Lavender is extremely versatile, especially for stress-related disorders and for skin complaints.
Tea tree is invaluable for its antiviral, antiseptic, fungicidal and immune-stimulant properties.
Rosemary has stimulant properties, and is an expectorant as well as being a tonic to the entire system.
Roman Chamomile is a mild relaxant and anti-inflammatory agent, especially as a children’s remedy.
Peppermint is good for digestive complaints such as nausea or indigestion, and for respiratory problems, and for treating fever.
Group 2
Atlas cedarwood