Sarah’s Health Notes: Aromatherapy for Autumn
Here at Beauty Bible, we’ve been longtime devotees of aromatherapy and everything it does for us - mind, body and soul. Geraldine Howard, the late joint founder of Aromatherapy Associates, was a dear friend and a great influence on us, as well as on many aromatherapists then and now. One of these is Emily Muffett, who to our delight has reappeared in our lives after an absence of several years.
Once the high-powered Director of Marketing for UK and Europe at Jurlique, Emily decided to take up a very different line of work. ‘I needed to reset and think about what I really wanted to do. I decided to follow my heart and delve deeper into natural skincare and remedies. I realised almost immediately that aromatherapy was the right path for me.’ Geraldine Howard influenced Emily profoundly, she says. ‘She was an inspiration to me. She had an amazing ability to connect and be so generous with her time and advice.’
Once derided as scented woo-woo at best, quackery at worst, the fragrant power of aromatherapy is now recognised as imparting significant benefits. Neuroscientist and psychiatrist Dr. Tara Swart (now Brand Ambassador for Aromatherapy Associates) explains that the sense of smell is linked to the deepest parts of the brain – the limbic system - and unlocks our basic instincts, feelings and memories. ‘It’s the most emotive sense,’ she says.
Recently, Emily Muffett, now an IFA-qualified aromatherapist, launched her own business AIRA Therapy, which offers consultations (currently via Zoom), custom-blended aromatherapy oils and body treatments in her East Dulwich wellbeing studio. (Face treatments also, now these are permitted.)
I can testify to the power of the 30-minute intensive consultation, which Emily conducts with such sensitivity and sweetness that it becomes a healing process in its own right. The special blends of essential oils, all organic, ethically sourced and vegan, which she prepared for me - one for face, the other for body and bath - are lovely on my skin and balancing for my mind.
Aromatherapy is a wonderful way to relax and rebalance, whether you choose a one-on-one treatment with a qualified aromatherapist or soak in a long bath scented with a blend of essential oils. As Emily says, it is also ‘extremely beneficial for people when the season is changing and particularly now when Covid-19 poses its own challenges’.
So that we can all have a special aromatherapy treat, I asked Emily to devise two blends to help boost mind, body and skin for the coming autumn season.
(The ingredients are all available from victoriahealth.com.)
NOURISHING AND UPLIFTING BODY OIL
This blend is designed to sooth and nourish post summer skin and lift the emotions. Mix together in an airtight glass bottle and store away from heat and light.
5 drops each of rosemary, lavender and frankincense essential oils
30ml carrier oil, made up of 20ml sweet almond + 5ml each rosehip and evening primrose oils.
To use, pour 10-20 drops of oil into the palm of your hand and apply with smooth strokes to the body. Massage in firm circular motions towards the heart to help improve circulation.
REFRESHING ROOM SCENT
This fragrant formula is designed to cleanse and refresh your space and its therapeutic properties may help to strengthen resilience, both physically and psychologically. Take a small ceramic or glass bowl and add:
4 drops grapefruit essential oil
3 drops lavender essential oil
1-2 drops eucalyptus essential oil
Carefully pour on a small cupful of just-boiled water to vaporise and diffuse the oils but don't overfill the bowl. This amount will scent a large living room. NB Put the bowl on a heat-resistant surface and well out of reach of children and pets.
Emily Muffett, MIFA, AIRA Therapy, Oru Space, 20-22 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich, London SE22 8HN/07944883143
You can follow Emily on Instagram: @airatherapy
AIRA Therapy offers a custom blending service (from £18) including Aromatherapy Bath & Body Oils, Nourishing Face Oils and Gentle Cleansing Oils, as well as Aromatherapy Massage Treatments (from £45 for body, £35 for face). Aromatherapy consultations (via Zoom) are offered free-of-charge and can be booked via the website.
