Lilac Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy is the use of scent to aid physical, emotional and spiritual healing. Historians have found evidence that aromatherapy was practiced thousands of years ago in ancient Chinese, Egyptian and Greek cultures. In the late 20th century, aromatherapy made a resurgence, particularly in the Western hemisphere. Candles, perfumes, essential oils, bath salts, incense sticks and potpourri are among the many ways to experience aromatherapy.
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Lilacs
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Lilacs are flowering bushes that grow best in zones 3 to 7. There are over 1,000 varieties of lilacs, ranging in size from 5 to 30 feet tall. Lilacs are best known for their strong scent and varying shades of purple flowers, although some hybrids have white, blue or yellow flowers. At two to three weeks, the lilac's flowering season is relatively short. Lilacs come back year after year, but some varieties only bloom every other year.
Lilac Aroma
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Lilac flowers are highly aromatic. Most lilac bushes have a heavy, sweet and unmistakable scent when in bloom. However, some of the hybrids have a much more subdued scent that is often described as weak or non-existent. Generally, the older the strain of lilac and the less genetic engineering that it's had, the stronger the fragrance.
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Benefits of Lilac Aromatherapy
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Lilacs are used in aromatherapy for emotional and spiritual benefit. Purple lilacs are used to create a better emotional state by soothing and calming your nerves.
Unlike the traditional purple lilac, white lilacs are used in aromatherapy to create a higher sense of sensuality. White lilacs also have the same spiritual and emotional aromatherapy benefits as purple lilacs.
Medicinal Uses for Lilacs
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Lilacs are used by herbalists as a treatment for parasitic intestinal worms in humans. The lilac may cause the worms to die and be expelled from the body. The scent and potency of lilac doesn't fade in hot water, so lilac tea was traditionally used as a tonic. Lilac tonic is used to reduce fever as well as to prevent recurring attacks of disease. Specifically, the lilac is used to treat kidney disease and malaria.
Allergies to Lilacs
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Lilac allergies are not common, but worth mentioning nonetheless. Most people with a lilac allergy will develop a mild headache from the scent. The tricky thing is that the headache often doesn't occur at the time of immediate contact. If a mild headache were to occur within a few hours of using lilac aromatherapy, it's best to discontinue use.
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References
- Photo Credit lilac image by Henryk Olszewski from Fotolia.com
