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These suggestions are for first-aid treatment and for treating mild conditions only. If the symptoms do not improve or the condition is (or becomes) serious, seek medical advice immediately, because it would be irresponsible and could be dangerous to continue self-treatment or treatment on friends and family members. However, the aromatherapy treatments suggested here can certainly help you deal With minor ailments and accidents.

Make a cold compress using lavender and peppermint. Apply the cold compress to your forehead and lie down in a darkened room until the pain eases. Replace the compress with a new one once it reaches body temperature. Drink a calming herbal tea, such as lime flower, vervain, lemon balm or chamomile. Massage your neck with 3 drops of marjoram mixed into 5 ml (1 tsp) of base oil. Migraine and headaches are often caused by stress and tension, and a neck massage with a warming essential oil like marjoram may well reduce this.

There are two types of dandruff: simple dry dandruff, where small particles of dry skin flake off the scalp and get trapped in the hair; and what is known as seborrheic dermatitis, where overproduction of sebum causes excess sebum to get trapped in patches of skin on the scalp, which can then become infected, causing itching, scabbing and inflammation. For dry dandruff, mix 3 drops each of ti-tree and lavender in 10 ml (2 tsp) of base oil, and give yourself a thorough scalp massage several times a week. Try also adding 4-5 drops of ti-tree or lavender to 5 ml (1 tsp) of a mild, unfragranced shampoo and using this to wash your hair. For seborrheic dermatitis, follow the same methods as above, but use bergamot, sandalwood and lemongrass instead of lavender and ti-tree. These essential oils help to balance sebum production and lemongrass is an effective treatment for dermatitis.

Acne   

Refer to the advice on oily skin care and in addition try the following treatments. Dab individual spots several times a day with a drop of neat ti-tree oil on a cotton wool bud, applying it carefully so that you do not touch the surrounding skin. If scarring occurs as the spots heal, apply a little of the following mixture twice a day: 2 drops of neroli and 1 drop of lavender mixed in 5 ml (1 tsp) of calendula oil.

• Apply hot compresses of lavender and german chamomile to the outside of the ear and its immediate surrounding area. Lie down somewhere quiet and replace the hot compresses when they cool, until the pain eases. • If the condition worsens, it is important to seek a doctor's advice. Do stick anything in the ear because this could aggravate a possible infect: Drinking chamomile tea is soothing and calming, and harmonizes with the chamomile essential oil.

The best remedy is regular steam inhalations, up to five times a day, using one or more of the following essential oils: lavender, ti-tree, benzoin (in the form of Friar's Balsam — a proprietary preparation, which is much easier to use for inhalations than the essential oil), thyme, eucalyptus, peppermint or pine. These essential oils all help clear the head and sinuses, thereby relieving congestion, headaches and pain around the eyes and face. They also have powerful antiseptic properties to help prevent infection occurring

There are two useful aromatherapy remedies you can use to treat toothache as first aid before you visit the dentist. • Put a drop of clove oil on a cotton wool bud and apply it to the affected tooth. Clove is analgesic, helping to relieve pain, and is also a powerful disinfectant that can help prevent infection. If there is a large hole where a filling has fallen out, pour a drop or two of clove essential oil onto a small wad of cotton wool and insert it into the cavity. Apply hot compresses to the outside of the face near the affected area. Use german chamomile or roman chamomile as they relieve pain and inflammation.