Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao website reprinted an article about essential oil massage.

page views:1 Publication date:2022-06-30

Aromatherapy, or aromatherapy for short, is a natural therapy that has gained increasing popularity in recent years. For example, Hong Kong researchers had dementia patients inhale lavender essential oil and found that it helped alleviate their anxiety. Another study in the UK found that massaging the hands and arms with melissa essential oil may help relieve agitation in Alzheimer's patients. However, massage alone (without essential oil) also has a certain soothing effect, so researchers believe the therapeutic effect may be attributed to the massage rather than the essential oil itself. The beauty, skincare, agriculture, and animal husbandry industries are also showing increasing interest in essential oils and aromatherapy. According to *Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals*, a must-read reference book in the aromatherapy field, there is currently evidence that essential oils may be effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria and even reverse antibiotic resistance.

Research on aromatherapy is ongoing, but some formal medical systems have begun to consider aromatherapy as a viable complementary treatment method. According to the definition on the Johns Hopkins website, aromatherapy utilizes essential oils extracted from plants to achieve therapeutic effects. When we inhale, the molecules of these essential oils are transmitted directly from the olfactory nerve to the brain, with the amygdala, the brain's emotional center, being most significantly affected.
Aromatherapy has a long history

. Aromatherapy instructor Huang Chuwen says, "Scents affect our emotions and feelings. If you feel an improvement in your mood after smelling a certain essential oil, or if you find it a scent you like, then it's a type of aromatherapy that suits you." Huang Chuwen is the dean and founder of Applied Metaphysics, a naturopathic academy, and the author of "Awaken Your Healing Power."
Huang Chuwen says that aromatherapy has a long history, dating back to ancient civilizations such as Egypt, India, Greece, Rome, and China. Humans understood how to use aromatic plants for medical and health benefits thousands of years ago. "Today, aromatherapy has a very wide range of applications and is a profound and complex subject with several different schools and methods of application. The key is which method is best for you. Some people use essential oils incorrectly with only a superficial understanding, such as applying undiluted essential oils to their skin, resulting in worsened skin conditions. In fact, the problem is not the essential oil, but the method of application."
Never apply or ingest essential oils directly
. Generally speaking, the basic applications of aromatherapy include inhalation and topical application. The former is more common, such as adding two or three drops of essential oil to a diffuser to fill the room with fragrance, or putting essential oil on a handkerchief or cotton pad for easy inhalation; topical application involves diluting the essential oil with a carrier oil or unscented cream and then applying it directly to the body.

Huang Chu emphasized, "Unless you have consulted an aromatherapist, never apply essential oils directly to your skin, and certainly don't ingest them without professional guidance, as this could lead to poisoning. The safest approach, without professional guidance or if you're unsure how to proceed, is to add essential oils to your home aromatherapy diffuser to improve indoor air quality. For further aromatherapy, you must consult an aromatherapist to find the most suitable method based on your individual constitution and circumstances."
He gave the example of many people who, after researching online or following friends' advice, arbitrarily apply essential oils to their skin or dilute them with olive oil or grapeseed oil, then use them as massage oil. The problem is, most people may not know the correct dilution ratio, nor may they know the source of the essential oils.
Huang Chuwen said, "There are many methods for making essential oils, and the quality of essential oils cannot necessarily be judged from the packaging or price. Unless you understand the origin of the raw materials and the farm ecology, the production method of the essential oil, and the company's operating model, it is difficult to know which essential oil can be used. If you mistakenly use artificial fragrances, not only will it not solve the problem, but it may also make people feel uncomfortable or even harm their health. For example, children may feel dizzy if they smell essential oils rich in artificial chemicals."
When purchasing essential oils, pay attention to the brand on the bottle

and the dazzling array of choices. How can you judge which essential oil is worth the price or safe to use?
Fattima Bte Shekh Adip Ally, a senior lecturer in the Department of Hotel and Service Management at Republic Polytechnic, suggests choosing reputable brands; pay attention to whether the essential oil is packaged in a dark brown or blue glass bottle and is labeled "organic," "chemical-free," and "pure."
Fatima holds an aromatherapy diploma from the International Therapy Examination Council (ITEC) in the UK. She previously worked at the internationally renowned Aman Hotel in Bhutan and Indonesia. Currently, in addition to teaching full-time students, she also teaches some courses under the Republic Polytechnic Lifelong Learning Program, including "Simple Daily Aromatherapy." The course is open to the public and can utilize the SkillsFuture Credit.
For further information on essential oil quality, refer to the questions raised by aromatherapy instructor Zhuang Mingming. She is the Technical Development Director and Senior Lecturer in the Beauty and Wellness Department at ITE College East, where the Advanced Nitec course in Beauty and Wellness Management includes aromatherapy. Zhuang Mingming
suggests checking the origin of the essential oil and which part of the plant it is made from; whether the plant is organically grown; how the essential oil is extracted; and how it is stored after extraction (e.g., whether it is stored in a cool place). She reminds people to check the label of the essential oil to ensure it is 100% natural and not an artificial fragrance. "Pure essential oils are stored in amber-colored glass bottles, and the label should include the common name of the plant and its Latin botanical name." These are
the five "don'ts" for home aromatherapy

, as all the aromatherapy practitioners interviewed unanimously stated. Aromatherapy has diverse benefits, such as helping with relaxation, stress reduction, and resolving skin problems. The key is proper use. When using aromatherapy at home, the following points should be noted: 1.
Don't ingest.
Fatima explained that even if essential oil companies advertise their products as "natural" or indicate that the oils are safe to ingest, it's safest to avoid ingestion.
2. Don't apply directly to the skin.
Topical essential oils must be diluted. For example, add two or three drops of essential oil to 10 ml of unscented cream or carrier oil (such as sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil, or olive oil). However, the dilution ratio varies depending on the situation, and safety depends on the quality of the essential oil and individual constitution. Therefore, it is recommended to consult an aromatherapist and perform a patch test before application. To do this, take a small amount of the diluted essential oil, apply it to your wrist or forearm, and observe for a day. Only use it if you are sure there is no redness or itching.
Do not overuse
essential oils; moderation is key. Even relatively safe practices like inhaling essential oils through a diffuser should be limited in time. Zhuang Mingming suggests using only two or three drops of essential oil each time, and the inhalation time should not exceed one hour (30 minutes in smaller rooms, and 45 to 60 minutes in larger rooms). Additionally, ensure proper room ventilation.
Avoid sun exposure after using photosensitive essential oils .
Some essential oils, such as lemon and bergamot, contain natural light-sensitive compounds that may cause skin irritation when applied. Therefore, avoid sun exposure after topical application.
Do not expose essential oils to sunlight. Essential
oils must be stored properly to avoid affecting their quality. The ideal container is an amber-colored glass bottle with a tightly closed cap. The storage location should not be too hot or too cold; a cool, dark place is best, and it should be out of reach of children.
Huang Chuwen said there is a wealth of information about aromatherapy, and it's essential to do thorough research before using essential oils. "We do our homework before buying a house or making an investment, let alone something we apply to our bodies. We only have one body, so we must take it seriously and be responsible for ourselves."
How do aromatherapy instructors use essential oils?

Zhuang Mingming suffers from eczema and is allergic to many medications and synthetic fragrances, so she prefers to use natural plant extracts. She treats essential oils as natural perfumes, adding them to shower gel and bath salts; adding them to skin creams helps soothe eczema symptoms. When stressed, suffering from insomnia, or having a cold, she adds essential oils to her diffuser.
After the SARS outbreak in 2003, she used tea tree, eucalyptus, and peppermint essential oils to strengthen her respiratory system; during the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to adding essential oils to her diffuser, she also made essential oils into indoor sprays and hand sanitizers.
Huang Chuwen adds essential oils to her organic shower gel; when she strains her muscles during exercise, she uses lavender essential oil to soothe them. If your feet or shoes and socks have an odor, add tea tree oil to the water before rinsing. She also uses essential oils to soothe family members' symptoms when they have minor colds. Fatima incorporates essential oils into her daily life
for home cleaning

. Before going to sleep at night, she adds a few drops of lavender essential oil to the aromatherapy diffuser in her bedroom to relax. She also adds lavender essential oil to kaolin clay masks or uses tea tree oil to treat acne. For moisturizing her skin, she uses chamomile and lavender essential oils. To protect her hair, she adds two drops of bergamot essential oil to grapeseed oil and massages it into her scalp. She says, "This helps promote hair growth and cleanses the scalp because I often dye my hair, and there may be dye residue on my scalp."
To activate her energy, she uses a portable steam tent and adds three drops each of peppermint and ginger essential oils.
Fatima uses a water-filter vacuum cleaner and adds peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils to the sink. In addition, she adds bergamot and lavender essential oils to water and sprays it on after using the toilet as an air freshener in the bathroom. When guests come over, she places an aromatherapy diffuser in the bathroom and adds bergamot and peppermint essential oils to keep the bathroom fragrant.
★Note: Whether essential oils are suitable for external use depends on the quality of the essential oil and individual constitution.
For everyday use,

Zhuang Mingming suggests the following five situations and recommends the appropriate essential oils. The method of use is to add two or three drops of essential oil to a diffuser and let the aroma diffuse into the air.
Sleep problems → Lavender, neroli, patchouli, sandalwood, sweet orange, marjoram, or vetiver;
High work or academic stress → Lavender, peppermint, sweet orange, lemon, basil, rosemary;
Anxiety → Lavender, chamomile, patchouli, marjoram, rose, sweet orange, neroli, ylang-ylang; Low mood → Grapefruit, lemon, lemongrass, sweet orange, geranium; Headache → Peppermint, lavender, rosemary, chamomile,
eucalyptus. Zhuang Mingming says that most people (including infants) and animals can use aromatherapy, but there are some situations where special caution or avoidance is necessary, such as during the first trimester or after drinking alcohol. Other groups who may not be suitable for aromatherapy include cancer patients, asthma patients, epilepsy patients, breastfeeding mothers, elderly people with serious health problems, patients with chronic diseases who must take medication long-term, and those allergic to essential oils. "Some essential oils may have a calming effect, so it's best not to use them while driving or operating machinery. If you have any questions, be sure to consult a doctor first," Fatima added. Pregnant women should avoid using rosemary and clary sage; people with cats or dogs should avoid using eucalyptus. ★Note: If you feel unwell or dizzy after inhaling essential oils, stop using them immediately. - The amount of essential oil varies depending on the size of the diffuser and the purity of the essential oil; the above suggestions are for reference only.

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