This week, I decided to switch my usual topic up a little bit. You’re used to reading about the different types of scents used in aromatherapy products but today I want to touch upon the types of aromatherapy there are. By this, I mean the three main ways people incorporate aromatherapy into the use of their daily lives. These three common ways include cosmetic aromatherapy, massage aromatherapy, and olfactory aromatherapy. However, regardless of which type you choose to use, there is always aromatherapy essential oils incorporated or diluted into the method, somehow someway.

The first common method of the use of aromatherapy I want to touch upon is cosmetic aromatherapy. This is the type that I have continuously touched upon throughout the course of this blog. Someone who is considered a “cosmetic aroma therapist” is trained and taught to infuse essential oils into cosmetic bases, soaps, lotions, etc. This specific method focuses on the blend and applications of aromatherapy cosmetics, such as the lotions I have previously informed you about. The use of cosmetic aromatherapy is often found in spas or hair salons. You may be surrounded by it all the time and not even notice. Although, most people do go to the spa to feel more relaxed… Have you ever noticed that after a relaxing hair cut, you feel rejuvenated? You can thank the essential oils that are commonly infused in the hair products. Cosmetic aromatherapy also has a main focus on the science aspect of the topic. People are trained to find what mixes together well and is considered a “right” blend; potential aroma therapists study the practice for years.

Another common method is massage aromatherapy, the practice fits its name. This basically consists of getting a massage but the use of highly concentrated plants (essential oils) is infused in the oil and lotion used to massage you. Many people who choose to receive massage aromatherapy do so for the sole reasons headaches, insomnia, cramps, and back pains. Unfortunately, I’ve never had the opportunity to receive a “professional” massage. It has been scientifically proven that the use of essential oils during your menstrual cycle can reduce pain and cramps in the future. If this method of aromatherapy intrigues you, I suggest that you make sure the health precautions do not pertain to you. For example, it is often encouraged that a pregnant woman should check with her doctor before receiving a massage that uses essential oils.

Finally, another common method is called olfactory aromatherapy. This method works by releasing the scent of essential oils into the air around you and having it work through inhaling or diffusing. Our nasal cavities have olfactory nerve cells that are endless. These cells allow scent to be directly carried to the back of our nose; the nerve endings located in the back of the nose have the ability to send messages directly to the brain. When you walk into stores like Bath and Body Works, do you immediately receive a headache located right between your eyes? Well, now you know the reason why. Science has proven that an average human can process 10,000-100,000 different scents and be able to memorize each one of them. That’s why you are so easily able to remember the smell of pizza or the perfume your mom always wears.

It is interesting to touch upon the ways aromatherapy essential oils are used besides through hand and body lotions. However you choose to go about using these products is up to you, but you can be promised that whatever you choose will be beneficial in the long run.

The feeling of comfort can often be hard to describe but is commonly defined as a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint. You may be wondering how you can “smell” comfort or how the smell can make you feel comforted… but it can. This aromatherapy product is yet another one from Bath and Body Works. The smell itself is one of my favorite out of all the ones that I have tried.

The main scents used in the comfort edition of the Bath and Body Works aromatherapy product are Vanilla and Patchoulli. Vanilla is a very common smell used in women’s fragrances and even… food (sounds cliche but it is one of my favorite scents)! In a study published in the Proceedings of ISOT/JASTS in 2004, researchers found that taking in the scent of vanilla often alleviated participants’ feelings of happiness and relaxation. Mood mapping is what is utilized in order to measure a participants feelings; the scale measures from irritation to complete euphemism. Patchoulli is known as a hippy scent due to its come about in the 1960’s is an essential oil that activates different chemical components which help contribute a therapeutic benefit (basically describes why it is used in aromatherapy) that gives it the reputation of being a balancing, soothing, and peace-inducing oil. The Patchouli plant belongs to similar families of other aromatic plants which include scents like lavender and mint.

Similar to the last post I made about the last aromatherapy product, the comfort scent is offered in various ways. There are body lotions (which is what I have), body butters, candles, plug in the wall scenters, car scents, body oil, body wash, hand sanitizer, and so much more. One of the other main benefits of the comfort aromatherapy scent is that it is proven to help cure colds due to the relaxation and calming tendincies it brings to the participant.

Bath and Body Works describes it’s Comfort Edition as seen below:

“Ultra-rich, non-greasy body cream deeply nourishes skin with protective 24-hour moisture, conditioning Vitamin E & shea butter. An aromatherapy blend of essential oils soothes body, mind & mood. Breathe deeply for best results.”

This goes to show that their aromatherapy products not only include the purifying scents but also other Vitamins that provide hydration and nourishment to your skin. What more could you possibly ask for? Bath and Body Works may seem like a “fake distributer” because they’re so main stream now and days, but some of the best aromatherapy products I have ever bought have come from here.

I hope that these blog posts are persuading you to go online right now and try out as many products as you can. Comfort can often be a weird feeling to understand, especially when you’re smelling it… but I promise that it truly works (atleast science is helping me overcome the thought that it is all just in my head)! If you decide to invest a little bit of money into, I swear you’ll see an improvement in your life and your mood!

For this semester of passion blogs, I decided to change my topic from television episode reviews to the different types of aromatherapy that are used daily, due to their growing popularity. I have recently invested money into different types of aromatherapys and I am not sure if it’s in my head, but I am convinced it works. I became intrigued with differnet types of aromatherapy, when my mom introduced it to me. My mom was dealing with the stress of losing a family member and she would swear that usung these scents and body lotions helped her along the way. Aromatherapy is defined as the use of aromatic plant extracts and essential oils in massage or baths. Hence, they are used in an enviornment of relaxation, in order for their job to get the full effect. I firmly believe that essential oils will be used more frequently as mood enhancers

On my recent trip to Ohio to visit family, I stopped at a Bath and Body Works where they had a wall filled with differnent types of aromatherapy. One of the body lotions I invested in was called “Focus”, something that I thought would be good for the new semester. This type of lotion uses a eucalyptus essential oils; this is used to clear the mind and provide clarity. It also uses a tea extract which increases focus. There are essential oils that have an instant effect on the activity of the brain. Scientists test this by monitoring brain activity via electroencephalograms. The reason scents have such an instant effect on our brains is because the emotional center in our brain is directly connected to the olfactory epithelium inside our noses. Hence, this is why enhaling a scent has direct contact which allows aromatherapy to be useful and handy in times of need. Although I only have the body lotion, aromatherapy is availible in all types of ways. They have body washes, body mists, wax candles, oils, car scents, body bars, aroma diffusers, etc. (the list is endless). On average, each bottle of lotion ranges from fourteen dollars to twenty four, I swear it is worth the investment. If you feel like your mind is cluttered with unneeded thoughts and you need to clear your head, the focus aromatheapy was made for you.

I am really excited to introduce a new topic for my passion blogs this semester because it is something I have become very interested in through the past couple years. It is more of a just a hobby for me, its more of a belief. I believe that medications can do more harm than they do good and sometimes we look to medicine such as advil as an easy fix, when it is doing everything but that. As science develops and aromatherapy becomes increasingly popular, I believe that the use of it won’t just be due to interest but because it actually does work. I hope that I can persuade all of you about how well it works and that the myths are in fact, not just myths.

Once again, I am here to convey to you my newfound love for yet another television show… can you tell I’m obsessed? The latest show I watched was during my four hour car ride back to Penn State was the new HBO mini-series, Big Little Lies. First things first, you cannot judge a book by it’s cover. I know you’re probably looking at the advertisement for the show and you’re thinking, “this looks like a show for chicks”, but it isn’t at all. In fact, I made my boyfriend sit down and watch it and he also fell in love with it. Although, at times it can get a little erotic, so I cannot recommend it to all age groups!

To begin, this new HBO series stars one of my favorite actresses, Reese Witherspoon. Her character plays the know it all mom who is interested in everyone else’s business. Despite this stereotype, many times throughout the show you can see how warm-hearted she truly is. The show begins with a cliff hanger, it shoots to a scene of a murder; frequently throughout the series they show characters being interrogated by the police. Through the duration of this eight episode show, you learn more and more about who was killed and who committed the crime. I don’t want to give too much away and revel the ending, but this series is a lap full of suspense and I loved every minute of it. They make each episode more complex than the next, so it makes it harder and harder to guess who committed the crime and who was on the other end of it.

In continuation, if I were to rate this show I would give it an 8 out of 10. Although it filled my love for suspenseful and crime-filled shows, there were a few downfalls. Often times while watching this, I felt like the scenes leading up to the climax were a little pointless and didn’t contribute to the overall theme of the show. Even though these scenes were filled with great content and acting, I didn’t feel that it fit the plot well. Also, the show is filled with flashbacks and flash forwards which can make it really hard to follow at times. This definitely isn’t a show you watch while cooking food or doing homework. Despite these downfalls, I loved every other part of it. I felt as if each character was given their own story, which also contributed to the question of who was killed and who was the one that did it?In the show you saw each character at it’s worst and it’s best; this made it hard for me to have a favorite character because there was something I didn’t like and I liked about each of them. Although I don’t want to reveal the end, I did feel as if the ending was completely unexpected which is so rare in most modern television shows.

In conclusion, I would highly recommend this to all of my friends and family because it had me on the edge of my seat every episode. If you ever get the chance to sit down and binge watch television, this show would definitely be on my recommendation list.