The Irish Mail On Sunday

Journalist Laura Bermingham from the Irish Daily Mail publishes a piece with my expert aromatherapy advice called 'Stress less with Sarah's guide to essential oils'. Our Facial Oil is also featured as a pampering skincare product. The following are excerpts from the article:

By boosting relaxation, essential oils in aromatherapy have known benefits for easing stress, anxiety and depression and they can improve sleep. Through various methods, essential oils are used to promote health and wellbeing. The practice is thousands of years old and it's become one of the biggest beauty trends to come out of the pandemic.

To learn more, I spoke to Sarah Rueger, a clinical aromatherapist and founder of natural skincare brand Amaranthine, to share her expertise and useful tips with me.

"Essential oils can be used to promote relaxation and sleep and ease anxiety and stress. They can also help stimulate our minds, by supporting mental focus and concentration", says Sarah. "Diffusers are a great way to safely enjoy essential oils. Essential oils are absorbed by the skin, so can be used diluted in a base oil and then massaged into the skin. Aromatic baths and steam inhalations are other ways that essential oils can be used at home", she advises.

"There are occasions when essential oils should be avoided", as Sarah explains. You can find great information at your local health store but for the maximum benefits, she suggests speaking to a professional.

"Essential oils are extremely concentrated and can be harmful if not used carefully", she cautions. "The safest way to enjoy essential oils is to consult a clinical aromatherapist, but here are some safety tips...never use an essential oil on your skin neat. If you are pregnant, avoid essential oils in your first trimester, in your second and third trimesters, you can enjoy using pregnancy-safe essential oils. Be aware that there are some essential oils that should be avoided throughout your whole pregnancy. Also, you must never ingest essential oils as this is extremely dangerous."

So, enjoy the benefits of essential oils but use them safely. If you're in any doubt, seek professional advice.

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If you would like to learn about how essential oils can benefit your skin take a look at this blog post that I wrote a few months ago.