Interest in Holistic Care

I love getting the calls from senior communities looking to start an aromatherapy program. I am always energized to hear that healthcare facilities are seeing the value in holistic care and the power of essential oil therapies. But as a Certified Clinical Aromatherapist, I am also very aware of the risks of using essential oils without proper training, especially with a vulnerable population.

The DIY Approach in Healthcare Environments

I see many "do it yourself" (DIY) attempts. Most are driven by an essential oil lover, and many do have experience with EO's themselves. Some have formal education through a recognized aromatherapy program, while others may have attended a workshop or are led by a direct sales team.

It's important to point out that experience with home use of essential oils vs developing a compliant aromatherapy program to serve vulnerable & aging adults are two very different ends of the healthcare continuum.

Here’s When I Get...

I've been pondering this question for a while, should we use diffusers with essential oils in public spaces?

Like anything else, there are pros and cons to the public use of essential oils (EO's).  I think it's an important question to consider as the use of EO's has expanded into our public institutions and spaces. 

Let me start with a recap of a conversation I heard once between two co-workers. One co-worker LOVED her oils, she wanted everyone to "share in her enthusiasm". So she diffused oils at her desk, and personally applied them, liberally each day.  She was happy to be sharing, thinking how appreciative everyone else must be too.

Little did she know, it was becoming a daily irritation for others. Especially for one of her close friends at work.

I listened as her friend was telling her that she wanted the constant diffusing of oils to stop. She told her friend "I don't want to smell oils every day, It's especially hard to walk past your desk the smell is so...

Do you ever stop to think about how your nose works?  Or pondered, how can smelling essential oils shift my mood or state of mind?

It' a great question to be able to answer when working with essential oils. Here's a quick primer for you that I hope you can use!

Consider the process of being awakened by the smell of smoke. You could be fast asleep and be awakened and in an instant, everything changes. 

Here is what happens in an instant!

• The aroma molecules move past the receptor sites in your nose. 

• The olfactory nerves send a message to your limbic system.

• Your limbic system has a stored "aroma-print" for smoke

• This print says: Smoke = fire = danger = send adrenaline! 

Within a few whiffs of the aroma, you are energized by stress hormones to take action.

Let's say that another way.
You detected the smell of smoke,  your brain responded accordingly by releasing a biochemical - hormonal response ( stress hormones)  that changed your thoughts and...