Web Author: Tarina
Web Master: Zak Larue-Buckley

Introduction

Hi! I’m Aida and this is my aromatherapy/essential oil website. I’ll try to keep this short and sweet, as long intros tend to bore me silly! I first got into this form of complementary medicine about 6 years ago and the subject has become something of a passion ever since.

The first essential oil I discovered was Lavender. On a visit to Norfolk, England in 1996, we dropped in at the Norfolk Lavender Centre and whilst there, I bought my first bottle of pure Lavender essential oil-as much a tribute to the beauty of the fields of purple that surrounded the place as anything else! Well, back at home, I put the oil in a drawer and forgot all about it, (luckily, Lavender oil keeps well). One night, a miserable bout of insomnia forced me to try just about anything to get some sleep. The bottle of Lavender oil was the last thing I thought of. Well, to cut a long story short,10 drops in a warm/hot bath did the trick and I slept like the angels! That incident piqued my interest in the whole subject of aromatherapy-I tried other oils, bought books on the subject and found so many benefits that I’ve been experimenting ever since, usually with good effect, sometimes not. As with any form of complementary medicine, idiosyncratic reactions (or, more commonly, lack of reaction) do occasionally occur; what works perfectly for one person can leave another person unaffected. If this happens, try another oil-several have very similar effects. Skin sensitisation can rarely occur, too. If you have any allergies, a good rule of thumb is to do a 24 hour patch test before using any unfamiliar oil on the skin. This involves placing a drop on the skin, covering with a plaster for 24 hours and then noting if there is any redness. If there is, try another oil with similar properties.

There are hundreds of essential oils available. Personally, I’m only writing about the ones I’ve used and can vouch for by experiencing their effects first hand. However, I expect to be updating this website with hitherto unfamiliar oils from time to time.

I've included the Latin names of all the essential oils on this web site, and also the aroma family each oil belongs to (Spicy, Green, Citrus, Woody and Floral), for ease of reference.

The research has been fun!

It must be borne in mind that, (delightful as they can be) essential oils are powerful substances and as such, must be treated with caution and respect. Please read the CAUTIONS before using this site and take heed of any contraindications noted below the descriptions of the oils.

The techniques of massage really should be learned by hands on practice, not from a book or a website. This site is basically about the oils themselves.

I now have a brother web site!! For lots more interesting info on essential oils & aromatherapy, visit: 

Any suggestions, criticism, praise (yes!), e-mail me at aida@gamefreaks.freeuk.com or use my new forum.

Last Updated: 9-May-2003