While most women go out of their way to look good and smell heavenly, too often the perfectly composed chick is plagued by a sense of inner turmoil. Underneath the mask of perfection often lies a desperate longing to have a great feeling of self.

Not to worry, help is here. And it doesn't lie in popping pills - the answer may be in aromatherapy, a practice that not only gets you feeling great, but smelling fantastic too.
Aromatherapy originated in Europe and has been practised there since the 1900s.

"Aromatherapy is the use of fragrances and essences extracted from plants to alter a person's mood or behaviour," Charmaine Byrne, sales manager of the aromatherapy company Starfish Oils, said. "It facilitates physical, mental and emotional well-being,"

"The essential oils enter the body through inhalation and absorption by the skin, they affect the body in three ways - pharmacologically, physiologically and psychologically."
She said that essential oils can be found in common everyday products such as toothpaste which has the essential oils peppermint and mint.

And get this, your Chanel perfume, may have the essential oil Ylang Ylang as its base note.

Moreover, it may just be time to debunk the notion you may have that aromatherapy is just for health gurus that you see on North American or European television.

"Jamaicans have been practising aromatherapy for years without realising it," said Byrne. "For example, if you have a stomachache or a headache, mint tea is a common remedy."

Another common Jamaican habit of drinking ginger tea to quell nausea, she said, is also a way of practising aromatherapy.

Byrne enthusiastically told all woman that aromatherapy has several health benefits for women including that the treatment helps ease PMS symptoms and will give the face, hair and skin a glow. She said that massage and reflexology - part of the treatment- are ways to ease muscle aches, encourage lymphatic drainage and promote well-being.

"Women today are multitasking more than ever before," Byrne said. "Simply using an essential oil burner or diffuser in the home or office can elevate your mood, making you feel more relaxed, energised and alert."

Byrne strongly recommends that women try to incorporate some form of aromatherapy into their everyday lives. And better yet, you do not need to leave your home to engage in the therapy, and the products are not difficult to locate.

"Most health food stores and pharmacies have aromatherapy oils," Byrne said.

The only drawback is for pregnant women - doctors recommend that women who are pregnant should not to engage in aromatherapy treatments.

Aromatherapy tips

*Try lighting a scented candle in any room at home - enjoy the soft romantic light and wonderful aroma and you will feel yourself starting to relax

*Create your own all-natural first aid kit of essential oils - tea tree, lavender, lemongrass, eucalyptus and rosemary

*Shower with natural soaps/body washes, exfoliate using a body scrub, towel dry and apply an aroma body oil for a skin-hydrating experience

*Burn essential oils in a diffuser at home, in the office, in a hotel or even in a hospital while convalescing to lift the spirits, have restful sleep, relax and energise

*Fill your bathtub with warm water and add some exotic aromatic oil just to create that unique at-home experience

*Soothe aching feet in a footbath of warm water, epsom salts and a few drops of the essential oils of peppermint, tea tree and rosemary.

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