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Aromatherapy in Brighton Sussex
In ancient Egypt aromatic oils where used for cosmetic purposes as
well as for other uses such as
embalming. In Britain in the 13th century, glove makers put perfume
into gloves to mask the body odour of the wearer. Such use of oils
is the reason that in the middle ages perfumers rarely succumbed to
illness in times of cholera and other diseases. It is now known that
this is because nearly all essential oils are good antiseptics.
The first book on Aromatherapy was written by Gattefosse, a French
chemist. Whilst working in his
laboratory, he burnt his hand badly. There was only a container of
pure lavender oil present, so in
desperation he plunged his hand into the container. To his amazement
his hand healed within hours and there was no trace of a scar.
As a result of this discovery he began experiments on soldiers'
wounds from the First World War and discovered which oils
accelerated the healing process. He later revealed how it was
possible for the essential oils to penetrate the skin via the
extra-cellular liquids, reaching the bloodstream where it is carried
to the organs. This process could take as little as half an hour or
as long as 12 hours.
Actual skin penetration takes only a matter of minutes.
How it works
Aromatherapy is 'the controlled use of natural essential oils
obtained from plants to achieve balance
and harmony of the human body and spirit'. Aromatherapy blends are
created for the client's individual needs and administered to the
body via massage. The massage itself also focuses on major lymph
drainage, so helping the immune system, and also works on pressure
points therefore encouraging the body to heal itself by unlocking
its own natural energies. Aromatherapy is known to help a large
number of illnesses and ailments.
What happens during the treatment?
For a full aromatherapy treatment it is necessary for the client to
undress down to underwear. In this
type of treatment every care is taken to protect the client's
modesty. In this situation. I supply two
full sized 'modesty towels' before leaving the room for the client
to undress. This allows the client
to undress in their own time, get comfortably on the table and cover
their top half with one of the
towels and their bottom half with the other. So, when the client
signals for me to re-enter the room
the client is covered from neck to toe. When treating the client
only the part of the body being
treated (e.g. a leg, arm, back) is ever exposed at one time and then
covered up before working on the next area. The treatment itself
takes around an hour and a half. Upon completing the treatment again
I leave the room so the client can get up in their own time and
dress. The Aromatherapy blends are tailored specifically for a client's
individual need and their selection is
determined by the consultation. Each essential oil has its own
individual therapeutic properties and
aids the healing of a very large variety of health problems. For
example, frankincense oil is very
effective for getting over colds, camomile as an anti-inflammatory
and bergamot oil is a good
anti-depressant. Usually, three Aromatherapy oils are used in
combination mixed with a base oil.
Aromatherapy can aid in treating a many problems and is recognised
as preventing and reducing sickness. I highly recommend Aromatherapy to individuals who are prone to
regular bouts of sickness. I use organic essential oils wherever
possible. For more information on base oils please read the section
on holistic massage.
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