Aromatheraphy for Eczema?

Personally I have not tried aromatherapy for my son’s eczema, but I have come across several people using aromatherapy to aid eczema healing with some success.   Of course, there are many other benefits of aromatherapy too which may indirectly help  your skin.

What is Aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy uses essential oils to help the body restore its natural balance and heal itself. Those in good health can benefit from its wonderfully relaxing effect, whilst sufferers from disease or illness frequently turn to aromatherapy as a primary or complementary treatment. A qualified aromatherapy practitioner will examine the patient’s physical and mental health and take account of a wide variety of factors before treatment begins.

Does Aromatherapy Work?

There is a continuing debate in the western world as to whether aromatherapy has proven medical benefits. Various trials have been carried out and many of these show improvements in groups receiving aromatherapy treatments against control groups and untreated patients. Although results vary according to the conditions being treated and the oils used, many people experience a reduction in levels of stress, whilst others gain relief from conditions such as bronchitis or acne. What is undeniable, however, is that whilst the debate rages the technique’s popularity grows steadily.

What is it commonly used for?

Essential oils are used in aromatherapy to treat a wide variety of conditions, including muscular pain, headaches, acne, eczema, hormonal problems, digestive disorders, stress related illnesses and insomnia. Aromatherapy is often sought as a complementary treatment alongside conventional medical techniques and has been shown to be of benefit to people suffering from all types of illnesses by lowering their anxiety levels.

How are Aromatherapy Oils Made?

There are three main methods of extraction used to create essential (or concentrated) oils:

- Steam Distillation
Steam is passed through the material from which the oil is to be collected, for example, rose petals. The resulting oil and water is allowed to separate before the oil is removed.

- Expression
This method is used for materials that can be pressed such as orange peel.

- Absolute
Some plants, herbs and flowers are sensitive to, and damaged by, the steam distillation process; one such example is jasmine. In these cases solvents are used to extract the oil.

Next, we look at how aromatherapy essential oils are used.