Aromatherapy: Smelling Heavenly, Naturally

Since young, I've always been sensitive to chemicals and synthetic fragrance. They make me sick and giddy. so I always know if a product is really natural or not cos the smell will give it away. One of my phobias in lifts abd public transports is being stuck in a space with people who smell like they have downed the entire bottle of perfume on their body. The whole journey makes me feel sick, and have to cover my nose the entire time. These days, I always carry a mask with me, and whether I smell wierd stuffs, I simply just wear my mask. I rather be stared at than to suffer in silence.

However, ever since I'm introduced to essential oils and aromatherapy, I'm in love. I love how it helps us to switch our mood, or relax almost instantly. and they smell so good. AND, not only do they smell good, they have awesome properties as well

Essential oils comes from plants, trees and grasses. They can be found in different parts of the plant including the petals, bark, resin and leaves. Aromatherapy is the perfect way to achieve a relax mind - a gift from nature for our busy lives!

There's many ways you can enjoy the goodness of aromatherapy. here's some:

• bath
• massage
• oil burners
• aromatic candle
• body oil/cream

These days, I love to experiment and mix my own oil blend. It's fun pretending I'm a chemist and mixing the bottles.

However, before you start rushing out to buy that essential oil, well, please know that not all essential oils are created equally. Just like many so-called natural products out there are really not-so-natural if you take some time to read the ingredients list.

Here's some simple guides if you're new to choosing essential oil:

• if it says "fragrance oil", it is NOT essential oil. it's with added fragrance, which means synthetic
• essential oil is not cheap. if it says 100% essential oil, but only cost 2 bucks (like the ones you see in Daiso, that is not pure essential oil)
• massage oil are usually already diluted with carrier oil, so what you're buying does not contain 100% of the essential oil (so for example, if you bought a ylang ylang massage oil, it's ylang ylang eo mixed with a carrier oil. essential oil can be quite potent so it's essential to mix it with a carrier oil.)
• DO NOT apply essential oil directly on your skin. Essential oil enter the bloodstream through the skin, and can be extremely potent. Some may even produce a "burning" sensation. Always diulte in a carrier oil (like jojoba oill, sweet almond oil, coconut oil etc.), and ALWAYS do a patch test first.

How to do a Patch Test:

• Mix 1 drop of essential oil with around 1 tsp of carrier oil
• Rub it on the inside of your wrist
• leave uncovered and unwashed for 24 hours
• if there's no redness or itchiness, the oil is safe to use.