主题：Essential Oil Applications

Applications Massage: Mix approximately 7?5 drops of essential oil with 1 tablespoon of NSP Massage Oil and apply amount desired for massage. Diffusion: Place 10?5 drops of undiluted essential oil in diffuser. Cooling: Add 1 tablespoon NSP Aloe Vera Gel to 7?5 drops of a "cooling" essential oil like lavender. Mix well. Compress: Add 4 ?6 drops of essential oil to a bowl of hot or cold water. Soak small towel and squeeze out excess water. Apply to affected area Bath: Draw bath, then add 10 drops of essential oil. Agitate water in a figure-eight motion. If desired, add 1 teaspoon Nature's Sunshine Concentrate as water is running. Soak for 15 minutes. Try a sitz bath with just enough water to cover lower body and add 5 drops of essential oil. Shower: Put 1? drops of essential oil on a washcloth and rub body with it while showering. Inhalation: Place 6? drops of essential oil in a bowl of hot water. Place a towel over your head, lean over bowl and inhale for five minutes. Be careful not to let essential oil irritate eyes. You may also inhale oils directly from the bottle. Vaporization: Add 10?0 drops of undiluted essential oil to the water unit of a vaporizer or humidifier. Gargles and mouthwashes: Add 3 drops of essential oil to 1 teaspoon of water, mix and gargle. Hot tub: Add 10 drops of essential oil to water. Household: Add a few drops of essential oil to a dishwasher or washing machine to promote hygiene and aroma freshness. For general household use, add 10 drops to a bucket of warm water. If desired, add Nature's Sunshine Concentrate. Dilutions Undiluted lavender oil and tea tree oil may be applied directly to skin, but we recommend diluting all other essential oils, including NSP's synergistic pre-blended oils. This is especially important for first-time users, children and those with sensitive skin. NSP Massage Oil has been designed as the perfect aromatherapy carrier and massage oil. It is a blend of unscented apricot kernel oil, sweet almond oil, hazel nut oil, borage oil, vitamin E and grapefruit seed extract. Simply mix any essential oil with NSP Massage Oil. Adjust dilution according to the type of essential oil used, response desired or skin reaction experienced. NSP's Aloe Vera Gel is another excellent carrier for your selected essential oils. Mix one ounce of NSP Aloe Vera Gel with your essential oils or blends and apply to the body. Try massaging this blend into the reflex points of your feet. We recommend testing essential oils by applying a small amount of diluted essential oil to a selected skin area. If irritation or burning occur, dilute the area with more NSP Massage Oil and discontinue use.

Quality

Because an enormous amount of raw material is used to make pure, natural essential oils, a surprisingly large amount of products on the market have been spiked with chemical substances or diluted with lower-quality, commercial-grade oils. After discovering that most manufacturers taint their essential oils with foreign substances in order to save on production costs, Nature's Sunshine elected to find premier sources of pure essential oils.
We don't just take our suppliers' word for it when it comes to quality. You can be sure that Nature's Sunshine analyzes its complete line of essential oils to ensure that each oil measures up to our strict quality standards.
Using Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry, the NSP Quality Assurance Department tests every lot of oil we receive to make sure it meets our high-quality standards and is 100 percent pure.
We also test for the proper components. Just because an oil is pure doesn't mean it's good enough for NSP. Plant quality and growing conditions also affect quality.

In addition, Nature's Sunshine: Conducts strict olfactory (smell) evaluations. Checks oil color and clarity. Verifies species and place of origin.

Precautions

· Read and follow label instructions and warnings.

· Avoid contact with eyes and mucus membranes. (Flush with olive oil in case of contact.)

· Use essential oils externally; do not ingest.

· Keep essential oils away from children.

· Dilute essential oils before using topically. Essential oils are highly concentrated volatile oils and may cause adverse reaction if not diluted.

· Store essential oils away from heat, light, dampness and electromagnetic frequencies.

· Test oils on small skin area to determine skin sensitivity.

· Avoid strong sunlight or sun beds after topically applying essential oils.

· Avoid applying essential oils immediately after perspiring or using a sauna.

· If pregnant, terminally ill or undergoing drug therapy, consult with your physician before using essential oils. (Essential oils are not meant to take the place of a qualified practitioner.)

· If using homeopathic remedies, wait one hour before and after using an essential oil.

What is Aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy Defined
Aromatherapy enhances wellness through scent. It is the use of pure essential oils, extracted from many parts of plants (flower, leaf, blossom, petal, resin, tree, bark, root, twig, seed, berries, rind and rhizome) to calm, balance, and rejuvenate body, mind and spirit.
Aromatherapy is both an art and a science. The art applies to blending. The combination of mutually enhancing oils is a synergistic blend. Creating blends requires an understanding of each essential oil's properties, lots of experience, and reliance on intuition. The science applies to understanding the unique chemical and therapeutic properties of essential oils.

History of Aromatherapy
Aromatic medicine, the ancient beginnings of the art of aromatherapy, was recorded in both Egypt and India more than six thousand years ago. Massage oils, healing preparations, embalming, skin care, fragrant perfumes, and cosmetology are some of the uses originated by the Egyptians. The practice of Ayurvedic medicine in India is one of the oldest medical practices still in existence today.
The use of plant and herbal extracts for medicinal healing has been documented by most native cultures throughout history. For centuries, essential oils were offered as the only relief for epidemic diseases.
Essential oils share common medicinal qualities. As an antibacterial and an antiseptic, essential oils inhibit the growth of bacteria. As an anti-inflammatory, essential oils help reduce swelling. As an analgesic, essential oils help reduce pain.
The advent of modern medicine pushed aside herbal remedies for synthetically produced alternatives. When given a choice of deriving synthetic medicinal preparations through the controlled environment of the laboratory or deriving botanical medicinal preparations from the fields of nature, modern scientists opted for the synthetic laboratory approach, primarily for the purpose of enhancing pharmaceutical profits.
At the beginning of this century, particularly in France and England, a movement by noted doctors and scholars in the naturapathic and medical communities, prompted a re-awakening to the benefits of natural medicine and aromatherapy. Today, in France, it is common to find that doctors practice aromatherapy, pharmacies sell essential oils, and health insurance reimburse for treatments and prescriptions using these approaches.

Essential Oils are natural substances which are extracted via distillation from tiny molecular sacs of each botanical. They are part of the plant's immune system and yet a separate substance created from the plant. The distillation process gently extracts the volatile oil from the plant parts. The essences are natural, and so they work in harmony with the body.
Essential oils are highly concentrated extracts that contain hormones, vitamins, and antiseptics that work on many levels. They are 75-100 times more concentrated than dried herbs.
All essential oils, to a greater or less extent, exhibit the following characteristics; antiseptic (prevents or combats infection locally), bactericide (kills bacteria), bacteriostatic (inhibits growth of bacteria), and cytophylactic (promotes cell rejuvenation when applied to the skin).
Essential oils are truly special because the pure essential oils, like precious jewelry or fine wine, are the gems of nature --- the "quintessential" life force of natural, organic substances, carefully and gently extracted from the essences of naturally aromatic plant parts.