Aromatherapy is the use of natural plant extracts called essential oils to promote good health and emotional well-being.
I love essential oils. I can remember when I first started using them. I had no idea what they were, but once smelling some, I immediately went out (no internet!) and bought a book. I began making my own concoction's and using them as part of my recovery system for illness and injury. I still do this. So much so, that I ended up training as an Aromatherapist. I still use them in my personal life and within my treatments. I love and believe in them so much that I sourced my own and create my own brand Grace Within.
Why Grace Within?
The name Grace Within was inspired by the Irish pirate Grace O'Malley. She was a Chieftain who worked with and used nature to heal. When working with my clients, I really believe that education is power. Especially when it comes to looking after ourselves. It gives you independence. Everyone should have a bit of Grace Within them.
As an Aromatherapist I can blend oils specifically for your needs. They help with stress and anxiety. And can be used to enhance and relax muscle tension.
What are Essential Oils?
Essential Oils are the essence of a plant. It's what you smell when you walk past flowers. Or see when you peel an orange. It's what makes a plant unique and gives them the ability to up-lift you, change your mood, heal. It's why we traditionally include flowers and plants into festive celebrations. They don't just look beautiful. They are beautiful - from within.
Using plants to heal goes back thousands of years. Hypocrites wrote a book with that recorded the healing properties of over 300 plants. But it was the Egyptians who are credited with creating the invention of extracting the essence of a flower, becoming the first perfumers in the world. They used this perfume in beauty, magic and medicine. Oiling their skin was so important to them, that it was even issued in the form of wages.
Today, not much has changed when creating essential oils. Technology is better for extracting them, and we now have the ability to store these amazing oils in small bottles to have in our homes and work place - but we still pretty much use them in much the same way.
How do Essential Oils work?
Essential Oils work through inhalation, smell and skin absorption. They are volatile oils that can quickly evaporate, so they need to be combined with a base oil, or a face cream when using them on your skin. You can also change the atmosphere in a room by just adding them to an oil burner. Below are some examples as to how you can use them.
Inhalation
When you inhale essential oils, the molecules enter the blood stream via one of the 480 million Alveoli sacs within the lungs.
Smell
Every time you smell an aroma, you are triggering the Olfactory Nerve. It is considered the first cranial nerve (CN1) that contains sensory nerve fiber's relating to the sense of smell. These nerves send nerve impulses to the central nervous.
Smell in turn trigger’s memory and feeling’s. It can warn us of danger, jump start us into action or relax us. It plays an important part in the physiological effects of mood and stress, even our working capacity.
Check out our Aromatherapy collection for ways to bring these amazing oils into your life. Everyone needs some Grace Within.
Skin absorption
Transdermal absorption is when medicine or drugs are applied through the skin, for example a nicotine patch. The epidermis, which lies over the dermis, provides a barrier to infection and regulating the amount of water released from the body. The dermis is the innermost layer of the skin. Connective tissue, nerve endings, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, sweat glands, sebaceous glands, and hair follicles are contained here.
The epidermis is the toughest barrier to get through, but once through and within the dermis, there is easy access to blood vessels via the hair follicles.
This is where massage comes in.
Aromatherapy Massage treatment?
Massage combines all three of the above. Helping the oils enter the system quickly through heat and increased circulation of the body. You will immediately relax when you lye on the massage table and inhale the aroma of the blend created specifically for you.
Mentally, physically and emotionally. The oils will support you. Giving you time and a chance to slow down and allow the body to heal.
Book a treatment
If you are in or near Hackney, London and would like to experience an Aromatherapy massage, just go to the contact page and drop Clare an email.