AROMATHERAPY & ESSENTIAL OILS

Can't Relax? Try Some Common Scents!
by Laurel Dewey

from Healthy and Natural Journal

Have you ever been so tired that you couldn't get to sleep? You know the feeling. Your head hits the pillow and the endless tape starts to play. You could lay awake for hours, staring at the ceiling. You could count sheep until dawn. Or, maybe, you could "scent" your way to sleep with pure essential oils.

This age-old trick has been used for thousands of years. Cleopatra loved to sink into an oil-scented bath to calm her nerves after a long day of lounging on the Nile. What was reserved for the elite thousands of years ago, is available to you today via your local natural foods store. Pure essential oils are the steam distilled active "heart" of flowers, roots, barks and fruits. They are, in effect, the concentrated essence of a specific plant. Rub your fingers on the inside rind of an orange or lemon and the resulting aroma is that fruit's essential oil.

Over the years, researchers have discovered that there are certain scents n the plant world that produce a relaxed state of mind and body. The scientific explanation for this mind/body scent-tual experience has to do with a part of the brain called the "limbic system." As you breathe in the particular aroma, the scent is stored in the limbic area of the brain which is where we connect that odor to an emotional feeling. For example, one of the most famous essential oils for relaxation is lavender flower. Lavender's clean, fresh, floral fragrance can trigger an emotional sense of calm and well. Lavender essential oil has been used to calm all ages, from a cranky baby to a nervous adult. Blue Chamomile is a potent essential oil known for it strong aromatic sedative qualities, especially for women and sleeplessness due to menstrual complaints.

Since essential oils are extremely concentrated it only takes a mere drop or two of the liquid to release its healing odor. How does one integrate pure essential oils into their life to gain the most benefit? It can be as simple as sprinkling a cotton ball with one or two drops of essential oil and placing it alongside your pillow. Some aromatherapists suggest scattering two or three drops of an appropriate essential oil right onto the pillow case itself to really get a full sensory experience.

Another popular way to relax with essential oils is to combine 10 to 12 drops into a tablespoon of odorless, light "base oil" (such as apricot kernel oil or grape seed oil which are also available at most natural food stores), and add the mixture to a hot bath. As you soak, the oil's scent is activated by the hot water. Lavender essential oil works especially well for this purpose. Finally, the aroma can be diffused into the air via a brass or glazed ceramic lamp ring. To do this, place 10 drops of an essential oil such as Lavender into the ring's reservoir and securely set it upon a cold light bulb that doesn't exceed 60 watts. Turn on the light and within minutes the soft aroma will be released into the air. Now that you know you can relax naturally, doesn't it all make scents?

SOURCES: AROMATHERAPY & ESSENTIAL OILS

A
Abracadabra, Inc., 10365 Hwy.116 Forestville, CA 95436
Alexandra Avery, 4717 S.E. Belmont St. Portland, OR 97215-1736
Alternative Health Resources, 103 Karla Dr., Whitehouse, TX 75791
American Alliance of Aromatherapy, RO. Box 750428, Petaluma, CA 94975-0428
Ann Berwick Aromatherapy, P. O. Box 4996 , Boulder, CO 80306
Aroma, PO. Box 2526, Ranchos De Taos NM 87557-2526
Aroma Aura, 1901 N. Howard St., Baltimore MD 21218
Aromaland, Inc., 1326 Rutina St., Santa Fe NM 87505
Aroma-Life, 37045 Littlerock Ranchos Rd., Littlerock, CA 93543
Aromatherapy Seminars, 117 N. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048-3101
Aromatherapy Unlimited 3108 Route 10 West, Denville, NJ 0783i
Aroma Vera, 5901 Rodeo Rd., Los Angeles CA 90016-4312
Atlantic School of Massage, 2300 Peach Ford Rd., Ste.3200, Atlanta, GA 30338
Attar Bazaar, RO. Box 1067, Vestal, NY 13851 -1067
Aura Cacia, Inc., RO. Box 299, Norway, IA 52318
Australasian College of Herbal Studies PO Box 57, Lake Oswego, OR 97034-3124
Avalon Natural Cosmetics, Inc.,1129 Industrial Ave., Ste. 200, Petaluma, CA 94952
Aztec Secret Health & Beauty, PO Box 841 Pahrump, NV 89041

B
Balancing Botanicals, PO Box 6375, Eureka CA 95502
Barth's Nutra Products, 865 Merrick Ave., Westbury, NY 11590-6620
Bazaar of India Imports, 1814 University Ave. Berkeley, CA 94703
Beauty Basics Aromatherapy, 192 E. 75th St. Ste. 3A, NewYork, NY 10021
Berkshire Herbals, 3018 S.E. Brooklyn St, Portland, OR 97202-1921
Best of Nature, 176 Broadway, Long Branch,
Bindi Essential Oils, 109-17 72nd Rd., Forest Hills NY 11375
Body Sense, RO. Box 2694, Gearhart, OR 97138-2694
The Body Shop, 45 Horsehill Rd., Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927-2014
Bodywork Emporium, 1451 Morena Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 92110

C-D
Celestial Wind, Rt. 6 Box 32, Eureka Springs,
Cerene Aromatiques, P.O. Box 27314 Phoenix, AZ 85061
Colour Energy Corporation, 402-55 Water St Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
V6B 1A3
Continuity Company, 7117 N Austin, Niles, IL 60714
Daughters of East, 35 Duryea St., Newark, NJ 07103
Desert Essence, 9510 Vassar Ave. Chatsworth, CA 91311
Devi/Shivani Ayurvedic Beauty, RO. Box 377 Lancaster, MA 01523
Doctor's Store Catalog, 23 South H St., Lake Worth, FL 33460
Dragon Wind, 3710 Kimble Rd., Baltimore MD 21218-2028
Dreamtime Delights, 343 Soquel Ave., Ste. 271, Santa Cruz, CA 95062-2305

E
Earth Harmony, 290 Hilderbrand Dr. #B13 Atlanta, GA 30328
East West Products, Ltd., RO. Box 1210 New York, NY 10025
Ecco Bella Botanical, 1133 Rt. 23 S., Wayne NJ 07470
Elizabeth's Skin Care, 112 Cook St., Dayton, TX 77535
Elizabeth Van Buren Aromatherapy, RO. Box 7542, Santa Cruz, CA 95061-7542
Essential Aromatics, 205 N. Signal St., Ojai, CA 93023
Essential Oil Company, Inc., RO. Box 206, 530 1st St., Ste. B-1, Lake Oswego, OR
97034
Everybody Limited / Beauty Without the Beast, Box 951, Boulder, CO 80306

F-G
Flower Essence Services, RO. Box 1769, Nevada C'ty, CA 95959
Fragrant Endeavors, 2245 N. Green Valley Pkwy. #238, Green Valley, NV 89014
Frontier Cooperative Herbs, RO. Box 299 Norway, IA 52318
GaiaMatrix, Inc., 70-A Greenwich Ave., Ste. 115, NewYork, NY 10011
Giovanni Cosmetics, Inc., 5415 Tweety Blvd. Southgate, CA 90280
GM International, 1334 Briarwood Blvd Billings, MT 59101
Golden Earth Herbs 1459 Kathy Way Gardnerville, NV 89410
Grandma's Good Life, Rt.1 Box 4, Greenwood, WV 26360
GTO Health, 9859 Interstate Hwy.10 West Ste.157, San Antonio, TX 78230
The Gypsy's Comer, 11 25 Linderd Cyn Rd. #312, Westlake, CA 91362

H
Hag Rag, c/o Martinez, RO. Box 51538, Light House Point, FL 33074
Harmony Products, RO. Box 883, Marion, VA 23154
Health Care Products, PO. Box 3130 Virginia Beach, VA 23545
Health From The Sun, RO. Box 840 Sunapee, NH 03782
Herbs Instead, Inc., 5603-C W. Friendly Ave. Quaker Village Shopping Center,
Greensboro, NC 27410
Heritage Store, Inc., RO. Box 444-W, Virginia Beach, VA 23458-0444
Horizon Health Products, 374 Northern Lights Dr., N. Syracuse, NY 13212-4108
Hummers Nature Works, Regan Wells Canyon, HCR 32 #122, Uvalde, TX 78802

I-L
Indiana Botanic Gardens, RO. Box 5 Hammond, IN 46325
Infinite Possibilities, 60 Union Ave., Sudbury, MA 01776
Jeanne Rose Aromatherapy, 219 Carl St San Francisco, CA 94117-3804
Joint Adventure, P.O. Box 824, Rogers, AR 72757
L&H Vitamins 32-33 47th Ave., Long Island City, NY 11101
OaRdy of the Lake, P.O. Box 7140, Brookings, OR 97415
Leydet Aromatics, P.O. Box 2354, Fair Oaks CA 95628-2354

M
Maharishi Ayur-Ved Products, 1115 Elkton Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80907-3535
Masada Marketing 808 E. Highland Dr. Altamonte Springs FL 32701
McKeown's Herbs & Carvings, 6095 Harrison St., Coloma, Ml 49038-9406
Meadow View Garden PO. Box 407 Wyoming, Ri 02898
Medina & Associates, 19721 Outpost, Penn Valley, CA 95946-9485
Mere Cie, Inc., 1100 Soscol Ferry Rd. #3 Napa, CA 94568
Mia Rose Products, Inc., 1 77 Riverside Ave. Ste. F. Newport Beach, CA 92663-
4018
Moon-Blind Merchants, P.O. Box 2263 Sebastpol, CA 95473-2263
Mountain Rose Herbs, P.O. Box 2000 Redway, CA 95560

N
Nadina's Cremes, 3600 Clipper Mill Rd., Ste 140, Baltimore, MD 21211
Natural Touch, 399 Platt Hill #R3, Winstead, CT 06098
Nature Brands, Inc., P.O. Box 398928, Miami Beach, FL 33239-8928
Natus L.L.C., 2425 E. Camelback Rd Phoenix, AZ 85016
Nelson Bach, Wilmington Technology Park 100 Research Dr., Wilmington, MA
01887
Nelson Bach U.S.A., 3032 Sugar Loaf Rd. Boulder, CO 80302
NEMAT International, Inc., 27343 Industrial Blvd., Ste. F. Hayward, CA 94545-
3357
No Common Scents, King's Yard, 220 Xenia Ave., Yellow Springs, OH 45387
Nylah Enterprises, 6308 Joyce Dr., Temple Hills, MD 20748

O-P
Oakway Nutrition, 1977 Grove St., Eugene, OR 97404
Ohio College of Massotherapy, 225 Heritage Woods Dr., Akron, OH 44321
Original Swiss Aromatics, P.O. Box 6842, San Rafael, CA 94903
Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy, P.O. Box 6723, San Rafael, CA 94903
Pacific Spirit, 1334 Pacific Ave., Forest Grove, OR 97116
Perfect Natural Products, Inc., PO. Box 13266, Pittsburgh, PA 15243-0266
Phybiosis, P.O. Box 749, Poway, CA 92074
Prairie Products, P.O. Box 100, Dover, PA
Precious Collection Aromatherapy, P.O. Box 17155, Boulder, CO 80308
Pure Essence, 7 Southgate Dr., Howell, NJ 07731
Pure Pro Massage Oils, 955 Massachusetts Ave. #232, Cambridge, MA 02139

Q
Quality of Life Association, 15 Fox Meadow Ln., Dedham, MA 02026-2607
Quan Yin Essentials, 17309 Willow Creek Rd., Occidental, CA 95465
Queen Helene / Para Laboratories, Inc., 100 Rose Ave., Hempstead, NY 11550-
6699
Quintessential Oils, 847 35th St., Richmond CA 94805-1707

S
San Francisco Soap Company, PO. Box 750428, Petaluma, CA 94975-0428
Scandinavian Natural Health & Beauty Products, Inc., 13 N. 7th St., Perkasie, PA
18944
SDI, 17780 Preston Rd., Dallas, TX 75252
Shirley Price Aromatherapy, 462 62nd St Brooklyn, NY 11220-4508
Sierra Candle Works, 11855 Sorrento Valley Rd., San D'ego, CA 92101
Simplers Botanical Company, P.O. Box 39 Forestville, CA 95436-0039
Sinan Company, P.O. Box 857, Davis, CA 95617
Starwest Botanicals, Inc, 11253 Trade Center Dr., Rancho Cordova, CA 95742
Sunfeather Soap Company, 1551 State Hwy 72, Potsdam, NY 13676

T-U
Tisserand Aromatherapy, P.O. Box 750428 Petaluma, CA 94975-0428
Trans Pacific Health Products 3924 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL 3371
The Uncommon Herb, 3062 Kempton Dr Los Alamitos, CA 90720-4622

V
The Very Essence International, P.O. Box 22929, San Diego, CA 92192-2929
Vesper Publishing, P.O. Box 150, Kenvil, NJ 07847
Vitamin Discount Connection, 645 Kolter Dr., Ste. 2, Indiana, PA 15701-3570
Vitamin Shoppe, 4700 Westside Ave., North Bergen, NJ 07047
The Vitamin Trader, 6501 Fourth St. N.W. Albuquerque, NM 87107
V'Tae, 576 Searls Ave., Nevada City, CA 95959

W-Y
Westwings Trading Company, 32 West Anapamu St., Ste 31, Santa Barbara, CA
93101
Winning Solutions, Inc. / Miracle of Aloe, 3302 Garden Brook Dr., Dallas TX
75234
Wives Tales, 18347 Sherman Way, Reseda, CA 91335
Young Living Oils, 119 Spring Gardens Way, Birmingham, AL 35217
Young Living Essential Oils, 12662 S. Redwood Rd., Riverton UT 84065
Young Living Essential Oils, P.O. Box 10843, Daytona Beach, FL 32120

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