Aromatherapy
employs many cosmetic benefits that were known to the ancient Romans, Greeks,
and Egyptians. Even Biblical figures like Queen Esther purified herself and bathed
in herbal oils to beautify her skin. Now in our time you can take one from the
ancients and enjoy the cosmetic properties of aromatherapy through bath salts.
Aromatherapy
teas, oils, and infusions are not only beneficial to the skin, but they also can
add shine and vitality to your hair. Whether your hair is straight or curly, highlighted,
dyed, bleached, natural, blond, brunette, or gray, Aromatherapy can enhance the
feel and appearance of your hair, nourishing each strand through aromatherapy
infusion.
So
what is infusion and how does it play into aromatherapy bath salts? Taking 1 ounce
of dried herbs and steeping them in 1 pint of boiling water will make an infusion.
Add this infusion to your bath water, to soak the entire body, or you can be apply
it directly to your hair for immediate benefits.
If
you're concerned only about your hair, another thing to try is to use massage
or hair oil that has been made with essential oils or herbs combined with a carrier
or base oil. For hair use, choose base oil such as olive, jojoba, and sweet almond
and add essential oils known to improve hair quality.
Many
blonds are probably familiar with chamomile and its ability to add natural highlights
to the hair, as well as its ability to supposedly speed growth. A good number
of organic shampoos are adding chamomile as a main ingredient for these very reasons.
You can make your own chamomile infusion by seeping 1 ounce dried chamomile flowers
to 1 pint boiling water. Let the infusion cool, then apply to hair. For blonds,
sitting in direct sunlight to enhance the effect.
If
you want to mix aromatherapy in baths and hair care, you can add a few drops of
herbal essential oils to your running bath water, shampoo, and/or conditioner
to create your own aromatherapy bath/shower experience. When using essential oils,
remember they are highly concentrated and need to be diluted -- think of them
like vanilla extract, but only much, much more potent. Proper dilution is accomplished
by adding a few drops of an essential oil to a carrier base such as olive oil,
jojoba oil, or sweet almond oil, as mentioned above. However, you can achieve
the same results by adding a few drops of essential oil to generic lotions, creams,
and conditioners as your base or "carrier oil."
If
you are suffering from an itchy scalp, which is often caused by psoriasis, dandruff,
or simply dry skin, you can add a few drops of peppermint oil to your bath water
or conditioner for a wonderfully soothing and very cooling treatment. Make sure
to use just a few drops of peppermint oil, because it is an essential oil and
can be very irritating to the skin if not properly watered down. If using conditioner
instead of bath water, test your solution in a small area of your scalp to make
sure the peppermint oil isnt overwhelming.
The
ancient Romans and other archaic peoples employed essential oils in baths in the
form of salts to create aromatherapy, good for the hair and the body.
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