Aromatherapy is a herbal medicine that uses essential oils to promote the body, mind, and spirit. It improves both physical and mental wellbeing. It works because our sense of smell can induce powerful emotional reactions. You’ll be shocked to learn about the wide variety of uses of these essential oils. People have been using scents as a remedy for centuries. We’ve all been in a situation where the scent triggers a memory and an emotion. However, we should remember that you can look for “natural” aromatherapy. You can also keep an eye out for inexpensive ingredients that are more artificial than natural oils! The health benefits of aromatherapy include its ability to:
- Relieve anxiety and stress,
- Raise energy levels,
- Speed the healing process,
- Cure headaches,
- Enhance cognition,
- Encourage sleep,
- Strengthen the immune system,
- Minimize pain,
- Improve digestion, and increase circulation and many others.
In this article, we will discuss the most 10 amazing benefits of aromatherapy on your health.
So here are the Top 10 Health Benefits of Aromatherapy:
1. Relieves Anxiety
18.1% of U.S. people have an anxiety disorder in the past year. The data is according to the American Anxiety and Depression Association. That’s 40 million people who suffer every day from this mental disease. As a result, many people are looking for a natural alternative. So, essential oils are becoming increasingly popular.
In a study conducted by the American College of Health Sciences, patients received hand massages once a day for one week of essential oil blends consisting of lavender, bergamote, and frankincense. Patients reported less pain and depression. The best essential oils for anxiety are roses, lavender, bergamot, chamomile.
2. Acts as an antidepressant
Aromatherapy is very commonly used to eliminate feelings of depression. Pharmaceutical antidepressants have very complicated side effects. So, the antidepressant is a very important function of aromatherapy. This is useful as an additional treatment. But, psychological aid or counseling should be sought if depression continues or worsens. Most experts recommend peppermint, chamomile, lavender, and jasmine.
3. Increases Energy Levels
We should also use more energy to get through the hectic day-to-day challenges of daily life. Stimulants such as caffeine, cigarettes, etc., may have very harmful effects on the body. Diet and exercise can also help. But, many people resort to aromatherapy to put more pep in their steps. Many essential oils are known to increase circulation, increase energy levels. They generally enhance the body and mind without other substances’ harmful side effects. The best essential oils to improve your energy include:
- Black pepper
- Cardamom
- Cinnamon
- Clove
- Angelica
- Jasmine
- Tea tree
- Rosemary
- Sage
4. Increase Circulation
Combine lavender with a carrier oil such as almond or coconut oil. Then massage the arms and legs to increase circulation. Research performed by the Department of Nursing for the Qom University of Medical Sciences showed that massage with lavender oil effectively strengthened restless leg syndrome (RLS). Ginger, thyme, black pepper, rosemary, and sage help boost circulation when consumed.
5. Relieves stress: An Amazing Benefit of Aromatherapy
Perhaps the most widespread and popular application of aromatherapy is to alleviate stress. Aromatic compounds from many different essential oils are known as relaxants. They can soothe the mind and eliminate anxiety. Most people perform aromatherapy at home. They do it because the mixtures are very basic. The research on this aspect of aromatherapy is very well known and widely researched. Some of the best stress-relieving essential oils are lemon oil, lavender, bergamot, peppermint, vetiver, and ylang-ylang essential oils. Some studies have also shown that lemon oil can improve mood and alleviate anger.
6. It May help relieve headaches
Eucalyptus, rosemary, peppermint, spearmint, and lavender oil are all healthy headache treatments. People used them for thousands of years. The use of essential oils is a gentle and natural remedy with no side effects. Lavender and rosemary oil relieve pain and reduce anxiety and stress. These are some of the leading causes of headache. When applied topically, peppermint oil has a long-lasting, relaxing effect. It can inhibit muscle contractions and promote blood flow if applied topically to the forehead.
7. Speeds up Healing
As stimulants, certain essential oils can help improve the healing rate across the body. This may be due to increased oxygen and blood supply to wounds. Certain essential oils’ antimicrobial properties also protect the body. Also, some of the most popular essential oils to speed up the body’s healing process include:
- Lavender
- Calendula
- Rosehip
- Everlasting (helichrysum)
- Buckthorn essential oils
Many of these oils do more than only heal wounds. They can also reduce the severity and irritation of skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.
8. It regulates sleep
Not getting enough sleep can exacerbate or cause a wide variety of medical problems. It can also make us feel unproductive and helpless. But, luckily, aromatherapy comes through again. Because it can provide us with a more healthy sleep cycle. Also, it can re-align our circadian rhythms so that our body is tired at the right time. This helps us to sleep restfully during the night, and get energy in the morning to face the day. For instance, lavender, chamomile, jasmine, benzoin, neroli, rose, sandalwood, sweet marjoram, and ylang-ylang essential oils are the best essential oils for controlling sleeping habits and having a healthy sedative effect on the body.
9. It helps to control signs of cancer
Managing and treating cancer is one of the most researched fields for aromatherapy. The procedure is used by cancer patients, particularly during chemotherapy. They use it to relieve pain, alleviate stress, and promote the body’s general wellbeing. Compounds in essential oils reduce symptoms linked to cancer treatment. These include nausea, fatigue, exhaustion, and insomnia. Some cancer treatment methods are often associated with pain reduced by aromatherapy. Note that aromatherapy does not cure cancer. But it provides a complementary solution by reducing cancer treatment symptoms. Some of the good oils include ginger, lavender, rose, and neroli, among others.
10. Relieves pain
Analgesics can have a lot of different side effects on the body, even if they relieve pain. However, if aromatherapy can relieve hundreds of different pain forms without damage, why not take advantage of it? So the relief of suffering is one of the most useful uses of aromatherapy. You can use lavender, chamomile, clay sage, juniper, eucalyptus, rosemary.
The Bottom Line
There are lots of benefits of aromatherapy. So you must try it.
Please contact a doctor before starting a new treatment plan. Also, be sure that you only acquire essential oils from approved sources. Do not try to mix and use oils unless you have training as a professional aromatherapist. Happy inhaling!
