How Essential Oils Effect Mood

When identifying which naturally occurring chemicals essential oils are made up from it is important to note that there are over 30,000 known aromatic molecules which just as many that are as yet unidentified. An essential oil can be made of between 100 and 300 components. Each has its own aroma and potential therapeutic action. The main classifications are shown in the following chart.

How Essential Oils Effect Mood

Using essential oils topically allows their aroma to also be inhaled to a certain degree during a treatment as they are volatile – that is, they evaporate and move through the air. The nasal passages are an area of the body where the blood vessels are closest to the skin, allowing rapid absorption of the essential oil to its effective site, including the brain.The Salon, Spa or Clinic can affect the mood of clients by the use of essential oil atomizers (oil burners, incense sticks, electronic atomizers, etc.) to fill the air with a scent that can excite, calm, attract or any other mood. Clients often find that their overall well-being benefits as well as their looks. Today, aromatherapy is used in beauty and aesthetic treatments for relaxation, stress-relief, rejuvenation and revitalisation and treating skin conditions. Essential oils are found as ingredients in many beauty products, including face creams and lotions, face scrubs, masks, and toners, body lotions of all kinds, slimming treatments, sun tanning and protection products, and pedicure and manicure products.

Alternative Medicine Solution

Alternative Medicine practitioners are realizing that healing herbs should be part of their arsenal against disease. The newest touted natural herb is Capsicum, found in cayenne pepper. It has many benefits whether taken internally or externally. When taken internally, capsicum is an antibacterial which will encourage healing and deflect infections while slowing the absorption of fat in the intestines to help fight obesity. Because this natural herbal remedy is a stimulant, it improves circulation. Capsicum will also stabilize blood pressure and lower cholesterol. Herbalists are finding capsicum is useful in fighting a variety of ailments.
Many herbalists today recommend capsicum for such ailments as cold hands and feet, sluggish metabolisms, obesity and respiratory tract infections. Use it externally for arthritis, sore back muscles, rheumatism or sprains and bruises. One suggestion for cold feet is to wear a thin pair of socks, then get a thicker pair of socks, sprinkle the inside with cayenne pepper and put them on over the thin socks. The pepper will send a warm soothing sensation to the soles of your feet.
The General Nutrition Center has suggested that herbs that have a “bitter digestive stimulant” property might be used as well. They believe that theses herbs may produce natural digestive enzymes. Herbs like blessed thistle are advocated in the hopes that they will alleviate heartburn. As there is no clear way of knowing their effects, blessed thistle and other such herbs are not as universally recommended.
An interesting study was done to see if capsicum would irritate or cause ulceration in the intestines. On the contrary it was found that the herb did not harm the tract but sped up the healing of ulcers by secreting more mucosa, the protective lining of the intestines.