Winter always carries certain smells for me: frankincense and myrrh, pine, peppermint and rich warm food spiced with strong garlic and pepper. In its proper form, aromatherapy is the use of essential oils extracted from plants for physical and emotional well-being, or just for pleasure. Though winter is often filled with warm earthy and spiritual smells, the long cold and shortened daylight also sometimes bring a variety of ailments, especially in the late winter months. Aromatherapy essential oils offer a number of remedies that you can use to uplift your body and soul until spring comes!

Aromatherapy was ‘re-invented’ in the late 1920’s, but it has actually been around for probably more than 6000 years. And although many of these oils have time-honored uses, they have many powerful properties and shouldn’t be used at all without consulting the safety information available for each oil. Many oils can cause skin irritation and sensitivity to sunlight (phototoxicity), among other things. That said, their benefits are numerous and there are many simple ways the oils can be used. Typically they are used through direct application, inhalation, diffusion throughout a room, bathing and massage.

Growing up in Wisconsin winters, I frequently had episodes of dry, chapped skin. The long cold season also led to daytime sleepiness and general lack of motivation. Here is a list of oils, each with multiple wintertime uses.

Sandalwood Rich and earthy, it is useful for treating chapped skin, bronchitis and depression.

Rosewood This woodsy, sweet floral has stimulating properties that help with mental clarity. It also has some antibacterial and regenerative properties that are great for treating dull skin and cold and flu symptoms.

Jasmine has long been touted for its sensual qualities with its rich, exotic, floral scent. Lesser known is its effectiveness in treating dry skin and elevating the mood.

Angelica Root A woodsy, spicy, clear scent, it is useful for treating dry skin and fatigue.

Palmrosa An invigorating floral , which is effective in treating dry skin and colds and flu.

Sweet Orange/Bitter Orange Orange is a familiar wintertime scent, both stimulating and comforting. It is useful for the treatment of dry skin and colds and flu.

Rosemary Brisk and woodsy, rosemary elevates the mood and is good for the treatment of dry skin, fatigue and hair care, including dandruff.

Neroli Green, rosy and slightly minty, neroli is useful for the treatment of dry skin and depression.

Ylang Ylang A strong, exotic, floral it clears away stress and anxiety. It can be useful for motivation and the treatment of depression.

Clary Sage This herbaceous, floral and earthy scent is also quite powerful. It is excellent for the treatment of nervous tension, motivation and depression. It also helps with estrogen balancing, but caution should be used during pregnancy.

Vetiver This is a strong woodsy, spicy scent useful for treating depression, fatigue and muscle aches.

Bergamot A citrus like scent, it is useful for anxiety and depression, and also combines well with other oils.

Geranium This green, fresh floral has long been used for treatment of the skin, both dry skin and oily skin. Its brisk quality is also useful for mood elevation.

Myrrh Long used with frankincense for emotional understanding and prayer, its spicy and balsamic quality is also useful in the treatment of chapped skin

Patchouli Rich and earthy, it’s also useful for chapped skin, dandruff and mood elevation. (It’s an aphrodisiac too!)

Lemongrass Lemony and herbaceous, this scent can be mentally stimulating and useful to promote healing of illness. It can irritate sensitive skin, so be careful with topical application.

Basil Very stimulating oil with a sweet, herbaceous, slight licorice scent. It is also indicated for the treatment of bronchitis and cold and flu symptoms.

In buying and researching your oils quality is extremely important. There are many ‘smell good’ products that claim to be aromatherapy. Often the oils in these products have been distilled at high temperatures, thus losing many of their therapeutic properties. Look for organic or synthetic-free oils that have been distilled by the slowest process at the coolest possible temperatures. It’s worth the effort and expense to get a good oil.

Now, let’s talk about carrier oils. Carrier oils are used to dilute the essential oils for application onto the skin, in the bath or in massage. The most common and affordable carrier oil is sweet almond oil. There are also a number of specialty oils such as borage, rosehip, avocado pear, carrot and apricot kernel. These are more expensive and are typically diluted to 10% concentration and sold inside other carriers. Look for additive-free oils from a homeopathic store, not a supermarket. Carrier oils can go rancid, so store them in a cool, tightly sealed jar.
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There are many devices used to diffuse essential oils: aromatherapy lamps, candles and even nebulizers, which break the oil down into smaller molecules before dispersing them into a room. One of the best devises available is a fan diffuser. It uses a powerful cool fan and an aroma pad to disperse the scent throughout a room. Fan diffusers sell for around $30. You can also place a few drops of oil on a pillow, in a drawer or even in the trash can! For an old-fashioned steaming technique: boil water, pour it in a bowl and add about 2 drops of essential oil per cup of water.

The easiest, most popular (and enjoyable!) uses of essential oil is in bathing and massage.
A guideline for use in the bath is 4-8 drops of oil per 1 once of carrier oil for a soothing hot bath. For a gentle massage use, 1 once of carrier oil with 15-25 drops of essential oil. Less is more with essential oil and massage, a little goes a long way!

Remember to research the use and safety of your essential oils before you use them and enjoy these sweet, warm and uplifting scents for winter!

Sources and Suggestions:
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils, by Julia Lawless
Holisticonline.com
Amrita.net
AromaWeb.com
Adriaflor.com

© Melt Magazine 2001