By Zenab Ishtay, Aromatherapist and Cosmetologist
Can aromatherapy be used for men? Are the aromas of essential oils only for women? Are there special essential oils made only for men?
The answer is yes, yes and yes! When they start inhaling the aromas of essential oils, men can release their stress and address exhaustion.
Using aromatherapy in men’s lives can play a big role at any age; from boosting brain clarity, to overall wellbeing.
Emotions
Aromatherapy is very special, because the principal system in our body used to help release stress is the respiratory system. Through smells, people can mind-travel and go back to memories, destress, relax and gain a sense of calm. Some scents bring back happy memories and may make one emotional by just smelling a single essential oil.
Socially Conditioned
Did you know that a male is socially conditioned to ignore the biological signals that protect him from stress and disease? Too often he ignores the fatigue that alerts him to stop because of his sense of duty; also, circumstances and his responsibilities may prevent him from heeding these warnings.
Exhaustion
The consequences of not listening to your body or emotions can lead you to physical and emotional mental exhaustion. This can be reflected through chest pains, hypertension, hypotension, fluid retention, ulcers, intestinal disorders, respiratory problems, hyperventilation and inexplainable pain. Frequently, the medication that is prescribed to treat these conditions does not address the root problem: Exhaustion.
In these cases aromatherapy can be very useful; it can will the mind and as a result thoughts will flow with clarity. Deep breathing exercises help to expand the lungs and take oxygen in to the max. When the body has a full capacity of oxygen, your blood will carry more oxygen to the cells and this will be translated in your physical body as energy, clarity of mind, happiness and stress relief.
Breathing
In my field of expertise, I focus on using essential oils to help people with their health problems. I prefer to use breathing treatments to inhale essential oils to get the most benefit. Here’s one of my secret blends to address exhaustion as a gift this month as we celebrate fathers.
Zenab’s Secret Blend
Ingredients
5 drops Salvia Romana essential oil
2 drops Roman Chamomile essential oil
2 drops Valerian essential oil
10 ml sunflower oil (carrier oil)
Directions
1. Blend first the essential oils
2. Drop 2 drops on a cotton pad in a small vial
3. Breathe in the aromas and do some breathing exercises
4. Blend the rest of the oil with the carrier oil and use it as a relaxing massage oil
Hair Loss
A sensitive issue to many men in Jordan is hair loss, alopecia. Alopecia is the gradual loss of hair that leads to baldness and this worries men a lot.
Here, I will give you a blend to fight alopecia;
Zenab’s Hair Loss Remedy
Ingredients
5 drops Rosemary essential oil
6 drops Geranium essential oil
7 drops Cypress essential oil
2 drops Mint essential oil
10ml Argan oil (carrier oil)
Directions
1. Blend the essential oils together and then add them to the carrier oil
2. Rub 2 drops on the bald areas
You can also rub the oil on your beard and mustache if you suffer from alopecia there.
A Secret Blend for Beards
Ingredients
3 drops Cypress essential oil
2 drops Rosemary essential oil
5 drops Sandalwood essential oil
In these moments of our lives, both men and women are changing and are understanding how important it is to know and be in tune with their feelings, minds and bodies. As you can see, aromatherapy is a great way to do this!
You can contact Zenab Ishtay at [email protected]
