Aromatherapy and Fragrances

Aromatherapy is a technique of blending unique scents together. Sometimes the purpose is to develop a relaxing setting, other times it is just to make something smell good. Candles and soap are common items for aromatherapy fans simply because they can both be easily made at home and can be scented in many different ways.

There are a few ways of thinking regarding aromatherapy. The organic and natural group strictly uses only the best all natural products. The other side of this are those who use chemical compounds as well as natural ingredients. All natural ingredients are termed as essential oils while chemical ingredients are usually known as fragrance oils. Essential oils are actually just plant parts, whether obtained from the leaves, petals, stem or wherever.

One downside to this is that essential oils are generally very expensive. It takes many hundreds of pounds of plant materials, in most cases, to create only a tiny amount of essential oils. Fragrance oils, on the other hand, are often synthesized to mimic plant oils or lab created from scratch. On a mass production scale it is much cheaper when compared to essential oils.

Everybody is astonished to hear about the chemicals that go into the cleaning soap they use around the house. At the end of the day most of these companies will cut corners any way they can to increase their bottom line, and that means using chemicals. However, most enthusiasts who create their own soap (or candles) prefer to go the organic route. In my opinion, it is one of the main benefits of creating your own soap, so this was never a surprise to me.

Investigating the actual chemicals and whether or not they are harmful to your body is beyond this article. Still, I have always found the idea of putting some foreign, unknown man made chemical in or around my body as somewhat alarming. Although it is expensive for companies to create organic soaps and candles, doing it at home is relatively cheap and most people can make a small amount of essential oils last a long time.

Regardless of how you go about it, aromatherapy can be really relaxing and enjoyable. It is very relaxing, especially after work, to come home and relax in a hot tub or bath with some nice candles going. Incense can also be effective although I personally don’t like all the smoke it tends to put off. That is up to you, though, and good luck with your aroma-adventures!