In preparing for a DIY aromatherapy, one needs to get all the ingredients together. We need the oil and some other components that will help make everything a beneficial experience. Essential oils are highly concentrated extracts from plants and flowers which give out this distinct and strong aroma. The aroma is what relieves us of emotional strain, stress, and rejuvenates our body. The oil is the therapeutic in aromatherapy and massage therapies.

As a suitable alternative for essential oils, we need to go directly to the plants. Choose from a number of herbs available in your yard or even buy some from the store. Get those herbs together and crush them up. We need about three tablespoons of crushed herbs to make this work.

After crushing the herbs, place them in a container and add a pint of vegetable oil flowed by a tablespoon of vinegar. It is advisable to place the container somewhere the sun can reach it or somewhere considerably warm.

You have to be patient. This is not a one day deal. After you set aside the vinegar, herb and vegetable mixture, you have to leave it for at least two weeks in that condition. After the first week, you can open the container and add a few more herbs to it if you like. After the second week, you are ready to strain the leaves and other gunk from your mixture.

Bottle the essential oil in a glass container or a porcelain one. Do not cover the bottle with plastic or rubber caps. The essential oils can eat through the plastic and can even dissolve rubber. Moreover, be sure that you store the bottled oils in a dark, cool place.

If the above procedure will not do due to time constraints and lack of ingredients, then you have to accept the fact that you will have to settle on commercially available essential oils. These are quite expensive.

You can purchase pure essential oils in health stores, and specialized shops. They are often sold in vials. Among the most common essential oils in aromatherapy include eucalyptus oil, lavender essential oil, and tea tree essential oil. When preparing for essential oils for aromatherapy, one needs to remember that essential oils are highly volatile oils, which means they easily evaporate.

The first thing to consider when choosing an essential oil is to inhale the fragrance. Some scents are very pungent, others are citrus, and others have a flowery smell. If any of these scents bother you, then the essential oil will not help with the relaxing effects. Make sure to be familiar with the fragrance before you make your purchase. When testing the scent, make sure to keep it a few inches away if it is not diluted. Undiluted essential oils can give you a headache.

When testing scents, make sure to take a break from the testing. Do not continually inhale too many fragrances or they will ultimately cause you to get dizzy or give you a headache. You also may not be able to distinguish between the scents after saturating your senses.

Avoid buying essential oils that do not have a variety of prices. You may ask why that is important. Some essential oils are rare and expensive. If a company is selling essential oils at a consistent price, the chances are that the more expensive oils are not authentic. They may also have been distilled with cheaper methods that leave some of the by-products in the packaging.

If you are sensitive to oily solvents, then avoid using essential oils that are diluted with vegetable oil. Although this is a recommended way to dilute the extracts, it leaves an oily residue behind. To test if an essential oil has been diluted this way, place a tiny drop on a piece of paper. If it leaves behind a residue as the drop slides off the paper then it has likely been diluted with vegetable oil.

When shopping for bottles, use manufacturers that list the Latin name on the bottle. This leaves no confusion on the actual extract that is contained in the bottle. Some extracts are closely related to the common names that we know, so they are falsely advertised as the real thing. Also take note of the country. Some essential oils come from exotic places such as Africa while others are native to France. This will give you an idea if it is authentic as well.

The best essential oils are pure. Some companies sell synthetic essential oils which can be dangerous. The synthetic oils do not contain the therapeutic effects that pure essential oils contain. Also, the synthetic oils can cause allergies or painful headaches.

Choose pure essential oils over synthetic essential oils. Aromatherapy experts prefer pure oils, saying that synthetic oils do not have the same therapeutic properties as pure essential oils. Also, synthetic oils are thought to cause more headaches and allergic reactions.

Containers used to keep essential oils should be dark or navy blue. Clear bottles allow sunlight to enter the oils and they can spoil the extracts more quickly. Make sure to keep extracts out of sunlight and in a dry, cool place.

Before anything else, make sure that you have supplies for aromatherapy such as items that will be used for measuring, such as cups and spoons, means of transferring liquids such as funnels with different sizes, containers for mixing elements and for proper storage such as bottles or vials, labeling items like stickers, lots of paper towels and alcohol to clean the area afterwards.

You may also need glass droppers, a pipette, and measuring cups with pour spouts for large quantities as well as essential oils and carriers like distilled water, vegetable oil, alcohol, vodka, or the more expensive ones including jojoba, almond, or apricot.

After preparing the necessary supplies, you may start with your homemade aromatherapy. The following are just some of the aromatherapy products that you can do inside the confines of your own abode.

1. Aromatherapy massage or body oil. All you need is to combine 50 drops or 1/2 teaspoon of the essential oil of your choice together with 4 ounces of vegetable oil. This can be used to relax the aching muscles, relieve stress, and encourage normal breathing by directly applying in on the affected area

2. Aromatherapy compress. This is considered one of the easiest aromatherapy products out there. All you need is to add at least 5 drops of essential oil to a cold or hot cup of water and dip a soft cloth on the mixture. If you want to relieve itchiness, swell, and inflamed body parts use cold compress. To flush out blemishes on the skin, use hot water to open skin pores and also to relieve strain in the neck due to tightened muscles.

3. Aromatherapy foot or hand bath. What you need is to add 10 drops of a chosen essential oil to a part of cold or hot water in a medium-sized basin. Using your hand or a stirring rod, stir the essential oil evenly to blend well with the water. When the two are blended, you may now soak your stiff hands or feet to relieve muscle aches. If you want to relax muscles that are stiff, use cold water to reduce the swelling. Foot or hand bath is ideal to relive muscle aches because the essential oils can easily enter the mainstream when the pores are open.

There is a difference between a scented aromatherapy candle and other scented candles. To make it even more confusing, some candles that are sold as aromatherapy candles aren’t. They may have similar aromas, but aren’t scented with botanicals. True aromatherapy candles are scented with essential oils from plants, or botanicals.

You’re probably wondering, “Who cares? As long as it smells the same, what difference does it make what it’s scented with?” The short answer is that a scented aromatherapy candle is healthier to burn than other types.

In the first place, aromatherapy isn’t just pretty scents. It is an herbal medicinal therapy. Essential oils, the ones used in a scented aromatherapy candle, have healing physical and psychological effects when they are breathed in. It’s not the scent that is doing the healing; it’s the botanical oils that create the scent.

In the second place, when you burn candles, you breathe in whatever creates the scent. In regular candles a chemical substance usually creates the scent.

Avoid Paraffin

Most candles are made from paraffin, which is a petroleum product. When paraffin candles burn, they produce an oily, sooty smoke that is harmful to breathe. It’s even worse with paraffin based, scented aromatherapy candle, because the essential oils break the paraffin down, making it even sootier.

Don’t give up! You can enjoy the ambience and healing effects of a scented aromatherapy candle, without fouling the air with candle soot. Candles made of beeswax, soy or vegetable oil burn smoke free. Make sure the wicks are wireless, or lead free, too.

The best scented aromatherapy candle:

* is made with 100% essential oils

* is made of beeswax, soy or vegetable oil

* has a paper or cotton (wireless) wick.

You probably can’t buy these candles at the neighborhood grocery store, but they are readily available at home interior stores and on the Internet. A scented aromatherapy candle made with soy or beeswax may cost a little more, but they last longer, burn cleaner and have added health benefits.