Aromatherapy that doesn’t trigger allergies
FOR SOME of us who suffer from this dreaded condition called allergic rhinitis, aromatherapy sounds like a dirty word.
While aromatherapy is, in fact, considered by some as a holistic cure for allergic rhinitis, sufferers (like this writer) are turned off by the strong, heady scent of essential oils that often trigger the allergies.
A brief exposure could mean watery eyes, runny nose and headaches that last for days, sometimes requiring a long-term and expensive cocktail of prophylactic drugs.
It’s common to hear of sufferers stirring clear of facial and body treatments that use scented oils and creams. Some spas with their overzealous use of aroma oils and sprays are a bane for us altogether.
“We advise those who suffer from sinusitis or allergic rhinitis to come in for consultation, to sniff and check if any of these are triggers,” said Bernadette Da Silva-Fava, the regional training manager for Asia of Aromatherapy Associates, a UK-based maker of therapeutic-grade aromatherapy products and treatments. The brand and its treatments were recently introduced at The Spa of Mandarin Oriental Manila (call 7508888 or e-mail momnl-spa@mohg.com).
No additives
As Aromatherapy Associates’ essential oils are 100-percent plant extracts, meaning there’s no change in their chemical composition, and they have no additives, “they should be okay for you,” Da Silva-Fava said. The brand doesn’t use mineral and sulphonated oils that are said to impede the task of essential oils.
It sounded promising, but nothing we haven’t heard before, so we took it with a grain of salt.
Aromatherapy Associates’ customized facial treatments claim to “detoxify skin and provide nourishment to the deepest layers” using specialized pressure-point massage techniques. It’s called a Prescription Facial as it’s made to suit the client’s skin condition for that particular day.
It’s a truly pampering experience as the 90-minute treatment (there are also 60- and 120-minute treatments), for instance, includes a 30-minute back rub and hand massage.
Well aware that some so-called “natural” treatments are often maligned as less effective, Da Silva-Fava stressed that Aromatherapy Associates’ are “natural but results-driven.”
Da Silva-Fava said that if women could be trusted to take care of their skin at home with the same meticulousness as a skincare expert, they wouldn’t need to go through the facial treatments so often.
Once a week, or even once a month would suffice, depending on one’s skin condition. (At the moment, the products are unavailable for sale for home use.)
No allergic reaction
The treatment began with a 15-minute consultation where the master therapist, Lowell, walked me through the range of essential oils and serums.
Tentatively I sniffed at the oils he poured on my hands; usually, the allergic reaction would be instant and I would recoil. But there was none. Even the rosewater, typically an allergen, smelled innocuous.
This is frankincense, he said; it’s supposed to clear your mind. It’s heady and exotic, but I inhaled deep. My sinuses were cleared.
The room was eventually enveloped in a medley of aromas, one to de-stress, another to renew, to relax, to revive.
Ninety minutes went by in a lull. Lowell, who prescribed a balancing treatment for my combination skin, had my face exfoliated and applied with the necessary serums, leaving it feeling supple for days to come.
As bonus, the kinks on my back had been expertly kneaded and hammered out.
Still I waited for that dreadful tick, the first sneeze, the dull throbbing of the head, the beginnings of a full-blown allergy episode. They didn’t come.
Perhaps Da Silva-Fava was right.
FOR SOME of us who suffer from this dreaded condition called allergic rhinitis, aromatherapy sounds like a dirty word.
While aromatherapy is, in fact, considered by some as a holistic cure for allergic rhinitis, sufferers (like this writer) are turned off by the strong, heady scent of essential oils that often trigger the allergies.
A brief exposure could mean watery eyes, runny nose and headaches that last for days, sometimes requiring a long-term and expensive cocktail of prophylactic drugs.
It’s common to hear of sufferers stirring clear of facial and body treatments that use scented oils and creams. Some spas with their overzealous use of aroma oils and sprays are a bane for us altogether.
“We advise those who suffer from sinusitis or allergic rhinitis to come in for consultation, to sniff and check if any of these are triggers,” said Bernadette Da Silva-Fava, the regional training manager for Asia of Aromatherapy Associates, a UK-based maker of therapeutic-grade aromatherapy products and treatments. The brand and its treatments were recently introduced at The Spa of Mandarin Oriental Manila (call 7508888 or e-mail momnl-spa@mohg.com).
No additives
As Aromatherapy Associates’ essential oils are 100-percent plant extracts, meaning there’s no change in their chemical composition, and they have no additives, “they should be okay for you,” Da Silva-Fava said. The brand doesn’t use mineral and sulphonated oils that are said to impede the task of essential oils.
It sounded promising, but nothing we haven’t heard before, so we took it with a grain of salt.
Aromatherapy Associates’ customized facial treatments claim to “detoxify skin and provide nourishment to the deepest layers” using specialized pressure-point massage techniques. It’s called a Prescription Facial as it’s made to suit the client’s skin condition for that particular day.
It’s a truly pampering experience as the 90-minute treatment (there are also 60- and 120-minute treatments), for instance, includes a 30-minute back rub and hand massage.
Well aware that some so-called “natural” treatments are often maligned as less effective, Da Silva-Fava stressed that Aromatherapy Associates’ are “natural but results-driven.”
Da Silva-Fava said that if women could be trusted to take care of their skin at home with the same meticulousness as a skincare expert, they wouldn’t need to go through the facial treatments so often.
Once a week, or even once a month would suffice, depending on one’s skin condition. (At the moment, the products are unavailable for sale for home use.)
No allergic reaction
The treatment began with a 15-minute consultation where the master therapist, Lowell, walked me through the range of essential oils and serums.
Tentatively I sniffed at the oils he poured on my hands; usually, the allergic reaction would be instant and I would recoil. But there was none. Even the rosewater, typically an allergen, smelled innocuous.
This is frankincense, he said; it’s supposed to clear your mind. It’s heady and exotic, but I inhaled deep. My sinuses were cleared.
The room was eventually enveloped in a medley of aromas, one to de-stress, another to renew, to relax, to revive.
Ninety minutes went by in a lull. Lowell, who prescribed a balancing treatment for my combination skin, had my face exfoliated and applied with the necessary serums, leaving it feeling supple for days to come.
As bonus, the kinks on my back had been expertly kneaded and hammered out.
Still I waited for that dreadful tick, the first sneeze, the dull throbbing of the head, the beginnings of a full-blown allergy episode. They didn’t come.
Perhaps Da Silva-Fava was right.
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