Ask the Aromatherapist; Jenny Ostling

I have used Essential oils for years. I have made body/face oils, made my own after-sun, natural sunscreen, bath oils, scrubs and so on for my family and clients (just like ones you can find on Thank Your Body). I am a Naturopath but I am not an aromatherapist. I wanted to know more about aromatherapy, so sought advice from the therapists I know here in Hong Kong. If you want to use essential oils in your home then please seek advice from an aromatherapist close to you.

Name; Jenny Ostling

Area of Expertise; Professional Aromatherapist, Arvigo Therapist, prenatal massage therapist, specializing in female reproductive health.

What school of thought do you follow (english, french or german)?; I studied in the UK and in France and follow both uk and French methods.

How did you get into Aromatherapy?; I was introduced to aromatherapy, reiki and much more in my teens by my mother and dabbled in it as an amateur for many years before finally becoming a professional aromatherapist. I studied under Gabriel Mojay and Rhiannon Harris at the Institute of traditional herbal medicine and aromatherapy (ITHMA).

How long have you been practicing?; I’ve been practicing professionally for over 8 years but have been using oils for over 20years.

Favourite part of your job?; Favorite part of my job is working with people to find ways to get them back to homeostasis and balance within on all levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

Favourite oil to use for yourself?;Fav oil..that’s a hard one, can I choose more than one? Frankincense, petitgrain and ravensara! But the ones I reach for the most are frankincense and lavender.

Oil you find you use the most on clients?; I use a blend called valor a lot on clients for grounding and relaxation at the beginning of treatments.

Oil you reach for on the bad days?; Peppermint is a great oil to have for headachy or if you have a stomach issue bad days.

Which one do you wish you could have a bucket of?; I wish I had a bucket of frankincense.

Favourite thing to make (household, cosmetic or food) with the oils?; I love making face creams and oil blends with the oils.

Can you recomend a good book for people starting out with oils?; For beginners a great book is The Fragrant Pharmacy by Valerie Ann Worwood.

Can you recommend any brands that you like to buy?; I love Young Living oils for two main reasons: they are amazing quality and the reason for that if believe is because they nurture the oils from seed all the way through to bottling so the healing intention was there from the beginning. I also use Kobashi essential oils from the uk. Both companies make organic or wild crafted oils only.

Are there any safety considerations you would like to share?; Safety, yes absolutely. Always dilute oils in a base oil when using on young children and most oils should be diluted for adults too (there a few exceptions like lavender, tea tree but if in doubt dilute). Research or ask a professional if unsure about how to use an oil. There are oils that are safe for the skin and others that can irritate it so always look it up. Do not use oils internally (unless you really know what you are doing)! Keep oils stored in cool dark place and safely away from children. I keep mine in the fridge especially in hk summers. My Moto is: a little goes a long way.

You can find Jenny at The Sanctuary, and here is her website; Jenny Ostling Holistic Therapies (those in Hong Kong can buy oils from her through her website) and facebook page. She does an amazing raindrop massage and is a very good healer (I have experienced this first hand!)

(all pictures from Jenny Ostling Holistic Therapies)