Well Women Guide to Aromatherapy and Essential Oils

The Reality

We are constantly bombarded with TV commercials sending out the message that unless we use this air freshener or that, our home is dirty, smelly or inadequate in some way.

They use cute cartoon rabbits to tell us that we should be using this and that, but if this scenario was real, then the rabbit would be telling us to have the smell of fresh air, grass and/or flowers. These synthetic and potentially dangerous products are puffed out at intervals, sprayed from aerosols containing propellants, burned in scented candles containing deadly and potentially carcinogenic ingredients, masking smells and often making us feel nauseous. These products are not doing us any good at all and cause irritation to the lungs, nose, skin and brain. They also affect all other body systems such as nervous, endocrine and immune.

Just some of the ingredients in Air fresheners. Spray them if you dare.

Ethyl or isopropyl alcohol- glycol ethers- surfactant (quaternary ammonium salts) perfume (another 500 more ingredients here) water propellants metazene (4.0%) petroleum distillates (6.0%) aluminum chlorhydrol bromsalicylanilide 2,3,4,5-BIS(2-butylene) tetrahydrofural cello solve acetate dichlorodifluoromethanol ethanol fatty esters lauryl methacrylate methoxychlor methylene chloride o-phenylphenol p-dichlorobenzene pine oil (toxicity like turpentine) piperonyl butoxide- pyrethrin- synthetic surfactants trichloromonofluoromethane wax- zinc phenolsulfonate - formaldehyde (37%)

Often even the companies themselves do not know what goes into the product or the harm that is done to vital organs.

There is now a new syndrome called "sick house syndrome" whereby people are ill from chemicals in their home, poor ventilation, mould spores, fire retardants, phthalates etc. Office workers are also ill because of their office environment and illness caused by copiers and printers.

Contruction materials, paints, wallpapers, carpets, stain guard in sofa's and other soft furnishings. Even clothing that has been dry cleaned.

Vapours are released into the air and trigger allergies like asthma. Many of the toxins are not even tested to check whether they are fit to be in contact with humans. The big companies just want your money. They obviously don't care what they make to get it!

Even our cars are toxic inside. Then we add a chemical car air freshener. We are not even freshening the air at all!!

Just type "dangers of chemicals in air fresheners" into your search engine.

There is such poor awareness among the public and so many do not realise or even care how much damage they are doing.

A clean smell has no smell. We add fragrance ourselves often to mask other smells or do create an illusion.

If we need to freshen our homes, use essential oils (in moderation) try to keep them for special occasions or therapeutic use.

Simply using indoor plants can freshen the air, especially spider plants, taking care that mould is not allowed to grow in the soil and therefore defeating the object. Throw open your windows to ventilate your home. This is important.

When we are trying to live a more natural life to benefit our overall health, immune system, endocrine system, nervous system etc we should be looking to eliminate as many chemicals from our lives as possible.

There are so many to choose from and the scents far exceed anything we will ever smell by all the horrible artificial smells on the supermarket shelves as well as benefitting us by being uplifting, harmonising, relaxing depending on the oils we choose.

The oils evoke images of fairy glens, woodlands, fresh grass, bubbling brooks, mountain freshness, fields of flowers, lavender fields, rose bushes, warm tropical beaches and balmy summer nights without ever having to "plug in" a chemical fragrance with an exotic name.

Essential oils can be used to benefit our health when used in our bathwater or inhaled via steam.