I tried out aromatherapy for four months as a college student, and here’s what I learned.
My Experience
Before incorporating aromatherapy in my life, I relied on teas when I needed to calm down or destress. I enjoyed the teas and thought they worked, but they didn’t fully give me the outcome that I wanted. Instead, I only had a short relief for my stress.
I continued drinking teas, but I knew that I wanted something else that would possibly have a longer effect than teas.
I had enough of the teas by October 2022. The first time I decided to try aromatherapy in the form of body oil before bed. I immediately felt like the lavender scent helped me calm down and relax to have a better rest after long days of classes.
What is Aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy is a holistic treatment that uses natural plant extracts to promote health and well-being, Healthline reported.
How To Do Aromatherapy
There are many methods of aromatherapy that you can do based on your preferences. It can be done with a diffuser and inhalation of the essential oil used as the room feels with the scent, this promotes relaxation or soothes you depending on the oil used. You can apply oils to certain tension spots on your body, to heal or smooth as it can be therapeutic with reliving pain.
4 Months of Aromatherapy
In the last four months, I’ve used aromatherapy in the form of candles, body oils, soaps, and more since my first time with the body oil. As of today, my preferences are plug-ins and diffusers; I feel that the oil lingers around more to keep me in a state of relaxation
Although I’ve tried out numerous scents, my favorite oils to use for aromatherapy are peppermint and lavender because the smells are just enticing and they’re great oils for distressing. I typically apply lavender oil on my body after showers, or add drops of eucalyptus oil. This helps with soothing stress or just relaxing myself.
Lavender oil was found to improve sleep quality, depression and stress levels in older adults, Healthline reported. While using lavender oil I’ve seen an improvement in my sleeping patterns. I feel more energized for the first time, and it’s easier for me to fall asleep when needed.
Peppermint can improve the quality of life for many people through enhancing mental and athletic performance, cognitive functioning, digestive processes and pain tolerance, Michigan State University reported. I have seen an improvement in my sleep and feel like I have been functioning better through the day without feeling anxious or tired.
After 4 months of trying aromatherapy, here are my personal favorites:
- Dr. Teal’s Relax and Relief Eucalyptus and spearmint Bubble Bath
- Bath & Body Works’ aromatherapy collection
- Nature’s Truth