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Last Updated: Jan 18th, 2009 - 02:37:15 |
(ARA) - Whether you’re in a brand new relationship or a marriage that has lasted for decades, you can use aromatherapy to enhance the romance. For Valentine’s Day, save the expense of a dozen roses, and present your beloved with a selection of fragrant essential oils that can help create a passionate connection between you and your partner. It's a gift that can be used over and over, lasting long after any roses have withered away.
How do the aromas of essential oils impact romance? Through the olfactory lobe -- the part of the brain that processes scent, which is part of the limbic system that's associated with emotion and the formation of memory. Tom Havran, aromatherapy specialist at Aura Cacia, says essential oils can be used to facilitate a wide range of moods including romantic ones.
"There are a number of oils that lovers and aspiring lovers might find useful," says Havran. "Depending on the situation, you might want to create a relaxing atmosphere, a stimulating one or a sensual one. Essential oils are the perfect starting point."
Essential oils have the potential to elicit romance on four different levels. Some oils offer calming effects that reduce anxiety and self-consciousness, thereby opening the path to intimacy. Other oils are known for their stimulating and inspiring properties, and some can impact the hormonal system directly, increasing sexual desire. And there are oils that have been used throughout history as sexual attractants. It’s said that Cleopatra, one of the most well-known seductresses in history, used a variety of scents and essential oils to create an atmosphere of passion for her relationship with Marc Antony.
Here is Havran's rundown of the most popular essential oils in each of these romantic categories:
* Calming: geranium, clary sage, lavender, sweet marjoram.
* Stimulating: cardamom, nutmeg.
* Arousing: neroli, rose, ylang ylang.
* Attracting: sandalwood, patchouli, jasmine, cedarwood.
Whichever essential oils you choose, they will work best if you create an environment where emotional and sensual closeness can thrive. If you have children, for example, make arrangements with friends or grandparents to take them for the evening, so that you'll have uninterrupted time to focus on one another. Draw a hot bath for your partner, adding a few drops of essential oil to the water and light some candles around the tub. Or create a romantic ambiance in any room by diffusing the aromatic essential oils into the air with candle lamp diffusers or lamp rings.
A good candidate for the "ultimate love oil" is vanilla essential oil -- especially in combination with cocoa butter. "The vanilla and cocoa combination has a tradition as an irresistibly arousing scent that goes back at least to the Aztecs," Havran says.
Here’s an essential oil recipe for romance. Just add the following essential oils to an ounce of jojoba oil and use as a massage:
20 drops vanilla precious essential oil
2 drops sweet orange essential oil
1 drop cardamom essential oil
2 drops rose otto precious essential oil
Because essential oils are very concentrated, it takes only a few drops per tablespoon of carrier oil to derive their benefits. However, you should never apply essential oils directly to the skin -- always dilute them first in water or a carrier oil such as almond, grapeseed, or jojoba.
If you'd like more information on creating your own love potions and how to inspire or rekindle the spirit of love with essential oils, visit Aura Cacia's Passion page at www.auracacia.com and select Passion from the Set Your Mood drop-down menu.
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