Allergies

Some people are allergic to essential oils. If you think you might have an allergy, it's worth trying this simple patch test. Place a drop of normal diluted essential oil on the inside of your wrist or the crease of your elbow. Cover with a bandage and examine after 12 hours.

If an oil causes any redness or itching, do not use it.

Occasionally, an allergy to a particular oil develops suddenly after using the oil quite happily for some time. If this happens to you, you should stop using it and switch to another blend. If ever you have an adverse reaction to an oil, apply a carrier oil to the area, then wash with cold water. Some people can even be allergic to carrier oils. I have had a couple of students who thought that they must be getting sensitive to the essential oils when it was the carrier oil that was the culprit.

Perfumed massage

The whole point of all these descriptions of different oils, how to blend them, and how to look after them is how you are going to incorporate them into your massage routines. As you can imagine, this is purely an individual choice and there are no rules and regulations about the oils, or the combination of oils, that you use for any particular type of massage.

The important thing to remember is to choose scents that both you and your partner like. If you want a pampering, relaxing experience, the aromas of the oils are possibly more important than their therapeutic effects; however, if you are trying to alleviate mental or physical symptoms, it is important that you select oils primarily for their therapeutic benefits. You should experiment and not just stick to one particular blend; no two massages are the same and you can reap even more benefits from varying the aroma. As they say, variety is the spice of life!

Apart from massage, there are other ways of using essential oils. These include compresses, inhalations, bath drops, air fresheners, and vaporizers.

Scenting trouble

Essential oils can be used to treat a range of minor ailments, and massage is usually the best way of delivering the healing oils. The combination of the therapeutic properties of the oils with the healing effects of massage can be profound. The chart on the following page shows the oils that are the best to use for a range of common complaints. You can select just one or choose up to three of the recommended oils by deciding which scents appeal to you most. Before beginning your massage, dilute the essential oils with a carrier oil.

Topping it off

For a really good, perfectly natural treatment to get rid of head lice, add to 10 ml jojoba ten drops of each of your choice from the following essential oils: geranium, lavender, rosemary, and tea tree. Work through the hair with a fine-toothed comb and then rinse out. The mix can be left on overnight if prolonged treatment is necessary.