Essential oils (aromatherapy) can be integrated in the treatment of several health problems. To get good results, however, you have to have the right ingredients and the right recipe, say naturopaths Maurice Nicole¹ and Roseline Gagnon².

“Use only quality essential oils and use them correctly: with the right dosage and the right routes of administration”, explains Maurice Nicole.

Using aromatherapy for self-healing requires the advice of a trained therapist. This avoids unpleasant surprises: some essential oils are indeed irritating to the skin, others make it more sensitive to the sun, etc.

Our two experts have agreed to share some of their tips so that you can safely enjoy the versatility of essential oils. To experiment with their proposals, you will need four essential oils:

• lavender moni ou aloa'ia (Lavender angustifolia): flowering tops (France);
• pepa mint (Mentha x piperita ituaiga eseese taʻitaʻi ofisa): aerial parts (France or United States);
• spruce uliuli (mariana spruce): needles (Canada);
• lemu Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus citriodora citronellalifera): leaves (Madagascar, Vietnam or Australia).

Here are some tips that can help you with insomnia, a headache, or when your ability to concentrate falls short.

Insomnia and stress

Laʻasaga taua lavender moni (also called officinal lavender) is mainly used for its calming virtues. It helps to find sleep in cases of occasional insomnia, in times of stress for example. Before bed, apply five drops of true lavender essential oil to your forearms and solar plexus (in the center of the abdomen, between the breastbone and the navel). If you feel like it, add a drop to your pillowcase. Pure essential oils do not stain because they do not contain fat. Repeat the application if you wake up and have trouble falling back to sleep. Applications can be made every 20 minutes with no problem.

Mild headaches and migraines

Faʻasaga i le headaches and mild migraines, as soon as symptoms appear, apply five or six drops of peppermint essential oil to forehead, temples and earlobes. A word of advice: pour the oil in the palm of your hand, dip a finger in it and then apply it to your skin, avoiding it to run into your eyes. To be on the safe side, close your eyes when applying.

Revive concentration

Two or three drops of essential oil pepa mint neck straps improve the ability to taulaʻi. This little up is useful in the car, on the long road in the dark, or in the middle of the afternoon when the attention is weaker.

Certain essential oils act on the nervous system: either to calm it, or to stimulate it. You choose.

A soothing or invigorating massage

Added in an oil fofō, the essential oil of lavender moni increases the effect malolo. Drop five or six drops of true lavender essential oil into 1 tbsp. at the table of an unscented massage oil or vegetable oil (for example, sweet almond oil). It is better to redo the mixture before each massage rather than to make a reserve. For a toning massage, replace the essential oil of lavender with the essential oil ofspruce uliuli, in the same proportions.

A relaxing bath

Laʻasaga taua lavender moni is also very useful to increase the effect malolo tāʻelega hot. Before putting this oil in the bath water, mix it with an emulsifier, for example 1 tbsp. liquid soap (a hand or dish soap, preferably natural and unscented). Place the soap in the palm of your hand, and add 20 to 30 drops of essential oil. Stir, then drop into the bath water.

A toning cure

To counter weariness and fatigue when the seasons change, a toning cure with essential oilspruce uliuli is recommended. Place two or three drops of this oil on the back of your right hand, then test your flexibility: apply it to your back, on the right side of the spine (at chest height, as high as your hand). Repeat the gesture with the left hand. If possible, have someone apply it for you. Repeat this ritual every morning for three weeks.

Do you think mosquitoes can only see you? Have you ever thought about using essential oils to keep them away? For the following two mixtures, it is better to use glass bottles. Plastic can change the chemical composition of essential oils.

Namu repeleti

Le vailaau namu natural with essential oillemu Eucalyptus offers an alternative to products containing DEET (Off®) during your outdoor trips.

In a glass bottle that can hold 100 ml, mix:

– 10 ml of lemon eucalyptus essential oil;

– 70 ml of 94% alcohol (ethanol);

– 4 tbsp. (20 ml) water.

This natural insect repellant is best sprayed on your clothes rather than your skin, as it dries out the skin. Apply regularly, every 30 minutes or hours, as needed.

This mosquito repellent can also be used in children, from the age of 2 years.

An advice : Keep your bottle with you, as lemon eucalyptus essential oil reduces the swelling, redness and itching caused by Ua u le iniseti. In this case, apply the essential oil to the bites with your finger or a cotton swab.

Ant hunters

If the ants have taken up residence in your home, here is an original idea: make your own ant hunting with essential oil of pepa mint. The smell does not kill the ants, but still has the merit of scaring them away. Use the same recipe as for the mosquito repellent, replacing the essential oil of lemon eucalyptus with that of peppermint. Spray the places where ants circulate.

Our two experts insist on three rules to be observed when learning about essential oils.

1. Buy quality products. Don’t follow the lowest price rule. According to our two specialists, it is very important to buy quality essential oils when you want to use them for their therapeutic properties. In the store, it is not always easy to find your way around. Make sure that the Latin name of the plant, the part of the plant used, its variety and, ideally, its country of origin are on the label. A lot number should also be entered. As of December 31, 2009, according to Health Canada regulations, all natural health products including essential oils will have to display a natural product number (NPN).

2. Test before using. Some essential oils can cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction. First of all, apply a drop on an arm or in the crease of the elbow. Wait 12 hours. If redness or itching occurs, do not use it. Sometimes a reaction only occurs after several applications.

3. Keep the oils in a cool, dark place. It is not recommended to store them in the bathroom because the heat alters the essential oils (same thing for drugs, by the way). Store them in a cooler place, away from light. Make sure the bottles are tightly closed, as oxygen changes essential oils. Their shelf life is approximately five years.