Aromatherapy Flashcards

Flashcards about aromatherapy, covering essential oils, extraction methods, benefits, and contraindications.

What is aromatherapy?

The use of essential oils extracted from plants to promote relaxation, healing, and a sense of well-being.

How do essential oils affect the body when inhaled?

When inhaled, essential oil molecules cause messages to be transmitted to the lymphatic system, affecting heart rate, stress level, breathing, memory, blood pressure, digestion, and the immune system.

What is aromatherapy massage?

A holistic treatment using essential oils to promote balance and harmony within mind and body, combining scented oils into a massage with alternating gentle and harder pressure.

How should essential oils be applied to the skin?

They should be diluted into a base/carrier oil.

What are the benefits of carrier/base oils?

Dilutes the essential oil, helps spread it evenly, slows down evaporation, and increases absorption into the skin.

List some examples of carrier/base oils.

Coconut oil, sunflower oil, sweet almond oil, grape seed oil, apricot kernel oil, jojoba oil, hazel nut oil, olive oil.

What effects can essential oils have on the body?

Penetrate into the dermis in approximately 6-10 seconds, stimulate or soothe the nervous system, promote healthy cell growth, relieve aches and pain, soothe aching muscles, refresh the mind, relieve headaches, be antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, have anti-viral properties, stimulate the immune system, and can be sedative.

How do essential oils enter the body?

Absorption through the skin or inhalation through the olfactory system.

What are various methods of using essential oils?

Massage, bath, footbath, essential oil diffuser, inhalation, and facial steamer.

What factors cause essential oils to break down?

Heat, light, and oxygen.

What are some guidelines for storage, care, and handling of essential oils?

Store in dark glass bottles, keep lids tight, store in a cool place, dilute with suitable carrier oil, perform patch test, check for interaction with medication, avoid oils banned from aromatherapy massage, wash hands after use, and avoid getting into eyes or mucous membranes.

What are the categories of essential oils?

Woody, Earthly, Spicy, Resinous, Citrus, Floral, Herbaceous, Camphoraceous.

What are the methods of extracting essential oils?

Steam distillation, solvent extraction, CO2 extraction, enfleurage, maceration, cold-press extraction, water distillation, and water and steam distillation.

What is Steam Distillation?

A process where steam vaporizes the plant material's volatile compounds, which eventually go through condensation and collection.

What is Solvent Extraction?

Employs food grade solvents like ethanol and hexane to isolate plant minerals from essential oils, best suited for materials with low oil amounts or those delicate to steam distillation.

What is CO2 extraction?

Pressurized carbon dioxide becomes liquid while remaining in a gaseous state, functioning as a solvent to pull oils and other substances from plant matter.

What is Maceration?

Carrier oils are used as solvents to extract therapeutic properties from plant material, capturing more of the plant's essence due to larger plant molecules.

What is Enfleurage?

An old method using fat to extract essential oils; fats are infused with the flower's fragrance compounds.

What is Cold-Press Extraction?

The whole fruit is mechanically pierced to rupture the essential oil sacs, and the oil is extracted.

What is Water Distillation?

Fragile plant material is submerged in pure boiling water to extract the oil, protecting it from overheating.

What is Water and Steam Distillation?

A combination of water and steam distillation, where botanical material is immersed in water with added live steam.

What are the benefits of aromatherapy massage?

Increase calmness and relaxation, reduce stress, and relieve anxiety.

What is essential oils used for?

Physical ailments such as Acne, Abrasions, Aches and pain and Anxiety.

What is Contraindication?

When treatment should be avoided because it will give a negative outcome, or treatment can be performed but caution should be taken.

What are some Contraindications?

Heart disease, blood clot, immediately after surgery, infectious skin disease, rash, open wound, pregnancy, bruises, inflamed skin, tumors, recent fractures, abdominal hernia, unhealed wound.

What are some Contra-actions?

Skin rashes, watery eyes, drowsiness, dizziness, skin blemishes, nausea, headache, erythema.

What Advice can be given on use of homecare products?

Cleanser, toner, remedial products, mask, creams, moisturizers.

What are some Aftercare recommendations?

Change in lifestyle pattern, further massage treatment, dietary advice, basic exercise, post treatment restrictions, rest, referral to appropriate professionals.