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romatherapy refers to the practice of using essential oils that have been extracted from plants, shrubs and trees. Essential oils can be used for many beneficial purposes. They can be used to treat medical conditions or relieve psychological ailments. Aromatherapy oils are used as cosmetics. Finally, aromatherapy can be used just for pleasure, to help improve your mood or to reduce your stress.
...many beneficial purposes...How do essential oils actually work?
Essential oils enter the body through a few main methods. Essential oils can be inhaled, or they can be absorbed through the skin when applied externally (for example, during an aromatherapy massage). By bathing in water containing essential oils, you can combine both inhalation and skin absorption.
When you inhale the vapors of essential oils, they act on the receptor cells in the lining of your nose. These cells then send signals brain. Upon receipt of these signals, the brain stimulates the release of neurochemicals into the bloodstream, where they are transported throughout your body.
Essential oils enter the body through a few main methods.
When essential oils are rubbed or massaged into the skin, they enter through your skin's pores and through hair follicles. From there, they enter the bloodstream via your capillaries and proceed throughout the body.
What the oils do at this point depends on their chemical makeup. The actual mechanism that allows essential oils to positively affect the mind and body is not yet completely understood. Medical research is ongoing, primarily in the USA and UK. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of aromatherapy has been proven in clinical research conducted in Europe, the USA, the UK, and Australia.
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